Get cooking: Make-ahead freezer recipes help moderate the mealtime mayhem

Susan McClanahan's "Recipe Swap" column appears each Sunday in the Southeast Missourian. Flourish asked Susan to provide some guidance in preparing make-ahead meals for the upcoming busy back-to-school days.

I really enjoy freezer planning and cooking. I think one saves money when planning an extensive shopping list and sticking to it. You can set aside a day to do the cooking and, perhaps, do it with a friend or family member.

With busy evening schedules, freezer meals take the stress out of preparing a full entree. The week before, determine which freezer meals you want to serve on what evenings, and then add salads and vegetable side-dishes. It's important to plan ahead for freezer storage space for the number of meals you plan to make.

Here are my recommendations:

* Set aside some time to prepare a number of meals that can then be stored in the freezer.

Couple cooking together

* Be organized. Choose recipes ahead of time and prepare a complete and accurate shopping list. When choosing recipes, include a variety of main ingredients to avoid the monotony of all ground beef or chicken recipes.

* Consider cooking and freezing meals with a family member or friend. Yes, you have to share the food, but you also share the expense, preparation and cleanup, as well. You can get more accomplished and have fun, too!

* Read through the recipes to know what kitchen tools, gadgets and equipment you will need. Get it out and be ready. Also think about baking dishes, measuring cups and spoons. If cooking with a friend, have them bring their own dishes and additional bowls or measuring pieces.

* Younger children can be a distraction and a time consumer. This would be a good day for smaller children to spend time at grandma's house, and then you can share some of the frozen meals with her as payment for baby-sitting.

* You may be on your feet all day. Plan accordingly with comfortable shoes and clothing.

* Organize preparation duties for each recipe.

* Chop, slice and dice all items for all recipes at the same time. If four recipes need chopped onion, do it all at the same time and divide into portions.

* Before filling freezer bags, label with recipe name and instructions, including baking times and temperatures.

* When filling, remove as much air from the bag as possible, and flatten for more economical stacking and faster thawing. If part of the ingredients -- such as sauces -- must be cooked in the preparation, allow them to cool before assembling into the bag for freezing.

* If preparing individual-serving items, as opposed to casseroles, wrap items such as chicken breasts, pork chops and hamburgers in plastic wrap. You can pull out the exact number you need.

* Casseroles freeze and bake better in glass baking dishes. Take the plunge and invest in some good glass dishes with snap-on lids. They last forever and are well worth it.

* For a family of four, double a recipe that states it has six servings, resulting in three meals for four people from the 12 total servings.

* If casseroles are topped with sticky, stringy cheese, you may wish to spend the little extra on Reynolds nonstick foil. It is well worth it.

* Have all of your ingredients ready before you start. It takes time to stop what you are doing to hunt in cabinets for something. Pull it all out and be ready to go.

* Do an assembly-line method of filling bags. Add an ingredient to all bags, then move to the next ingredient and add to all the bags, and so on until all ingredients are in all the bags.

* Prepare recipes you know your children and family will eat. If they don't like green peppers or mushrooms, leave them out and customize to their preferences and what they will enjoy the most.

* After assembly, freeze ingredient leftovers. Clearly label; ingredients are expensive, so freeze even small amounts of tomato sauce or paste, chopped onions and herbs.

* Maintain a running list of meals in the freezer, and keep the list current. Each week, when deciding what meal will be served on what evening, plan your fresh produce and salad items around each meal.

* Overloading the freezer is not good when trying to freeze foods as quickly as possible. Be careful not to stack bags too high or tightly together until they are frozen.

* Don't keep frozen meals forever. Rotate them as you make more, using the oldest first.

* I purchase ground beef in the 4-pound package; I brown it with onion, salt and pepper, drain well and freeze in three portions -- which is the right amount of ground beef for recipes for our family. I watch for it to go on sale and buy up, cook and freeze. You use it to make tacos, spaghetti, sloppy joes and more in just a few minutes.

* I do the same with rotisserie chickens. Some stores sell the day-old chickens cold from the cooler case. I buy a few, remove the meat from the bone and freeze for hurry-up chicken rice casserole, tacos, chicken and noodles, etc.

* Cheese also freezes well. After the holidays, specialty cheeses are on sale, so I purchase several kinds and freeze to use all year long.

Jambalaya

__Ingredients:__

1 pound andouille sausage, sliced

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 cups diced sweet onion

1 cup diced celery

1 large red bell pepper, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons Creole seasoning

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 (10-ounce) cans diced tomatoes and green chilies, drained

3 cups chicken broth

2 cups uncooked long-grain rice

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 pound peeled, medium-size raw shrimp, deveined

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Garnish: chopped scallions

__Directions:__

Cook sausage in hot oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until browned. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon.

Add diced onion and next seven ingredients to hot drippings; sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in tomatoes, next three ingredients and sausage. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes or until rice is tender.

Stir in shrimp; cover and cook 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Stir in parsley. Serve immediately.

__To freeze:__ Prepare recipe as directed. Line bottom and sides of a 13- x 9-inch baking dish with heavy-duty aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides; fill with jambalaya. Cover and freeze. To serve, remove foil, return casserole to original baking dish; cover and thaw in refrigerator 24 hours. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees until thoroughly heated.

Four-Ingredient Beef Roast

__Ingredients:__

1 (3- to 4-pound) chuck roast, trimmed

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 (12-ounce) can beer

1 (0.7-ounce) envelope Italian dressing mix

__Directions:__

Brown roast in hot oil in a skillet over medium-high heat 3 to 5 minutes on each side; transfer to a 6-quart slow cooker. Whisk together beer and dressing mix; pour over roast. Cover; cook on low 8 to 10 hours or until tender. Remove roast from slow cooker. Skim fat from sauce. Shred roast and allow to cool before bagging into desired serving portions. Add cooled cooking liquid.

__To freeze:__ Portion cooled meat into zip-top freezer bags, add cooking liquid and freeze up to 1 month. When ready to use, thaw and reheat. Serve on crusty rolls with provolone cheese for a delicious hot roast beef sandwich. This meat and juice also can be served over noodles or brown rice for a quick supper entree.

Curried Chicken Chowder

__Ingredients:__

2 cups diced sweet onion (about 1 large)

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced carrots

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups chicken broth

1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 cups shredded cooked chicken

3 cups fresh yellow corn kernels (about 6 ears)

2 cups uncooked, shelled frozen edamame (green soybeans)

1 (13.5-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk

1 tablespoon curry powder

2 teaspoons table salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Toppings: toasted coconut, scallions, peanuts, lime wedges

__Directions:__

Sauté first three ingredients in hot oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until tender; add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add broth and next nine ingredients; bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 to 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with desired toppings.

__To freeze:__ To preserve the textures of meat and vegetables in hot soup, it's important to cool hot soups completely before freezing. To quickly reduce the temperature, transfer to a large, shallow container (13- x 9-inch baking dish). Refrigerate uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cool. Transfer to airtight containers or zip-top freezer bags. Freeze up to one month. Thaw in refrigerator 8 hours.

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

__Ingredients:__

1 (2.25-oz.) package sliced almonds

2 (6.2-oz.) boxes fast-cooking long-grain and wild rice mix

1/4 cup butter

4 celery ribs, chopped

2 medium onions, chopped

5 cups chopped cooked chicken

2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup

2 (8-ounce) cans chopped water chestnuts, drained

1 (8-ounce) container sour cream

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 cups (16 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, divided

2 cups soft, fresh breadcrumbs

__Directions:__

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake almonds in a single layer in a shallow pan 4 to 6 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.

Prepare rice mixes according to package directions.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add celery and onions. Sauté 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken, next six ingredients, rice and 3 cups cheese. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 15- x 10-inch baking dish or 2 (11- x 7-inch) baking dishes. Top with breadcrumbs.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese and top with toasted almonds. Bake 5 minutes.

__To freeze:__ Prepare recipe as directed in steps 2 and 3. Cover with aluminum foil and freeze up to 1 month. Remove from freezer and let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Toast almonds as directed in Step 1. Bake casserole, covered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 55 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese and toasted almonds. Bake 5 more minutes.