Category: Freezer Meal

Freezer Meal

Mac ‘n Cheese

Lynnae

When I think of comfort food, one of the first foods I think of is mac ‘n cheese. In Clarkston, Michigan, there are a couple of restaurants, Clarkston Union and Union Woodshop, who serve the world’s best macaroni and cheese. Seriously. If you are a local or the next time you visit the Detroit area, GO. It’ll be worth the effort. Since we don’t live there anymore, we had to learn to make our own version, and it’s pretty darn good.

First, you’ll need to boil the pasta. I use penne. After boiling a pot of water, I heavily salt the water and then add the pasta. I follow the package directions for cooking the pasta, but you want to cook on the short end of the recommended time so it’s still el dente, usually about 7-8 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Next, melt the butter in another heavy pot and then mix in the flour to form a roux. Cook the roux for about another minute. Next add the half-n-half. If you’d like, you can heat the up a little in the microwave or in another pan to speed up the cooking time. Add the salt, onion powder, garlic powder, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Warm the mixture until it just starts to bubble, then add the parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted.

Add the pasta to the sauce. There will be a lot of sauce compared to the pasta.

You can use lots of different types of containers to bake the mac n cheese. You can use individual ramekins, casserole dishes, and even tin foil pans to freeze and bake later. This also makes a large amount, so it’s easy to split it into two meals or even double the recipe and make some freezer meals.

Fill the baking dish half way with mac ‘n cheese. Put a layer of cheese slices down, the more sharp the better. Finish filling the baking dish with mac ‘n cheese. Top it off with grated cheddar, parmesan, and panko bread crumbs.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the edges are bubbling. Serve immediately (or you can let it cool for 3-5 minutes first).

Homemade Mac ‘N Cheese

From the Kitchen of Lynnae Hymas

Serves: 6-10Prep Time: 1- 1 ½ hoursCook Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1-pound penne pasta
  • 6 cups half and half (or 4 cups 2% milk and 2 cups heavy cream)
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 stick butter
  • ½ cup flour
  • 4 ½ cup Parmesan cheese, divided (freshly grated)
  • 8 slices extra sharp cheddar cheese (Pinconning is best if you can find it)
  • 1 ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs

INSTRUCTIONS:

Boil the penne pasta in a pot of heavily salted water until al dente according to package directions, about 7-8 minutes. Drain the water and allow to cool.

In a large heavy pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add flour to butter slowly while whisking to make a roux. Cook roux for one minute, whisking until smooth.  Slowly add the half and half, stirring until the mixture is smooth and the sauce has thickened.  Add the nutmeg, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.  Heat over medium-high heat until the mixture is bubbling on edges, stirring occasionally.  Slowly stir in 4 cups of Parmesan cheese and cook for 5-10 minutes until completely melted.

Pre heat the oven to 375°F.  Add the pasta to the sauce mixture and gently fold them together.  In a baking dish layer 1/2 of pasta and sauce mixture. Place cheddar cheese slices on top and then cover with the remaining pasta and sauce mixture. Top with shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, and panko breadcrumbs. Cook for 30 min or until the top is browned and the edges are bubbling. 

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Freezer Meal, Italian

Lasagna

Lynnae

Lasagna is one of those dishes that is so easy to make a double or triple batch for very little extra time. You can feed a crowd or throw an extra in the freezer for a day when all you have time to do is throw it in the oven. It’s also so great to have on hand to take dinner to a sick or mourning friend. I love to keep these on hand because they are great comfort food.

For this recipe, you’ll need a batch of my tomato sauce. You can also use our homemade ricotta cheese or our homemade pasta in this recipe.

Start with a batch of tomato sauce. This does take some time to simmer on the stove top, so you make want to make the sauce the day before or the morning of.

After your sauce is ready, brown your hamburger and sausage together in a frying pan. Drain the grease and add the meat to the tomato sauce.

Next you’ll combine the cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, and egg together in a bowl. You can also add an optional 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese to the mix. It’ll add to the depth of flavor in your lasagna. You’ll also need a pound of grated mozzarella cheese. My preference is to buy the already grated cheese from the store for ease.

After the sauce and cheese are ready to go, the next step is assembly. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Start with a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 pan. (My preference is to use the aluminum ones because they are easy to clean up and easy to freeze. My local restaurant supply store carries them for less than $0.50 a pan, so you may want to try a store like that to get a great price on the pans.) Next, layer the noodles. My favorite are the Barilla oven ready lasagna noodles. 3 fit perfectly in the pan, AND I don’t have to boil them first. Next, layer the cottage cheese mixture, sprinkle mozzarella over that, then a thick layer of sauce. Repeat the layers of cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, and sauce. Top it off with 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 45-60 minutes. If you are baking a frozen lasagna, plan an additional 1-1 1/2 hours baking time.

Allow the lasagna to stand for 10 minutes before cutting into it. This allows it to set up a bit and keep the layers from running all over the plate.

Lasagna

From the Kitchen of Lynnae Hymas

Serves: 8-12Prep Time: 30 minCook Time: 45-60 min

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 recipe of tomato sauce
  • 1 pound hamburger
  • ½ pound pork sausage
  • 2 cups cottage cheese
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 6 oven ready lasagna noodles
  • 1 pound grated mozzarella cheese
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional: extra ½ cup of Parmesan cheese)

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the hamburger and sausage until brown. Drain off the excess fat. Add to the tomato sauce. 

Grate the mozzarella cheese and set aside.  In a medium bowl, combine the cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, optional ½ cup of Parmesan cheese, and the eggs, and stir together well.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  

To assemble the lasagna: put a small amount of sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan to prevent sticking.  Layer 3 lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. Spoon half the cottage cheese mixture onto the noodles; spread to distribute evenly. Sprinkle half the mozzarella on top of the cottage cheese mixture. Spoon just under half the meat mixture on top of the mozzarella, and spread evenly, being careful not to disrupt the layers below. Now repeat the process, beginning with a layer of lasagna noodles, followed by the cottage cheese mixture, followed by the mozzarella, and ending with a thick layer of the meat mixture. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top.

Bake until the lasagna is hot and bubbly, 45 to 60 minutes. Allow to stand 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

Helpful Hint: Lasagna can be fully assembled and frozen, unbaked!  I double the sauce and cheese and get 3 9×13 pans of lasagna.  You can also make this a day or two ahead and keep refrigerated until you are ready to bake.

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