Frugal Menu Mamas

If you missed Part I or my intro, follow the links.

So, if you remember from yesterday, Swister and Mom organized all the cookie sheets and ingredients the night before.

When we got the meat to the house, we started on the meatballs and browned ground beef.  I was in charge of the browned ground beef.  I used two Pampered Chef 12 inch skillets with lids and placed 5 lbs. at a time in each pan.  I browned it and chopped it using a Pampered Chef Mix N Chop.  Then I poured all the meat into a colander that was sitting in a bowl.  I drained the grease and poured the grease into an empty milk jug.  Then, depending on whose meat it was, myself or the owner divided it into the freezer containers of their choice in 3/4 lb. or 1 lb. sizes.  This was easy to do because the meat was came in 10 lb. packages and I divided into to 5 lb. groups for browning.  So, for folks who wanted 1 lb. sizes, I just divided the bowl of meat into 5 groupings.  My Swister likes her’s in 3/4 lb. packages (to save a little money) and she know that 1 3/4 cups of browned meat equals 3/4 lb., so we just measured that out.

The freezer containers we used were Ziploc freezer bags and square disposable plastic containers.  We lined them up on Swister’s bookshelf and left them open to cool (don’t want to freeze in the condensation).  We will use these 3/4 or 1 lb. packages for meals like tacos, sloppy joes, and casseroles.

While, I started the browned ground beef, Mom and Swister started the meatballs.  Swister had to measure out some of the meat for these to get the portions each person wanted, but she had already measure out the other ingredients so they could get started mixing and rolling for this. Oh-if you do this, please take off rings for this messy, slightly gross part. 

Mom and Swister had about six cookie sheets (lined with foil for easy clean up) ready.  They mixed the meatballs and then scooped them out with the Pampered Chef medium scoop (Swister and I both used to sell Pampered Chef and we LOVE their products!).  Then they took each scooped meatball and rolled it to perfection.  We fit two sheets at a time in the oven and we were rotating them constantly!  All in all, we made 310 meatballs! 

After the meatballs, Mom made 4 or 5 meatloaves for her and Swister.  I did not want any–remember I’m a picky eater!  :)  I didn’t get any photos of those, sorry.

Swister and I worked on hamburger patties.  I chose to freeze mine wrapped individually in foil and then placed in a Ziploc freezer bag.  Swister used the cookie sheets to flash freezer her hamburgers and then she will transfer them to a bag.  We made over 50 hamburger patties!

So, I received 15 lbs. of browned ground beef, 130 meatballs, and over 30 hamburger patties!  It will take my family of four a long time to get through all that!

In case you are curious, it took us about 4.5 hours to do all that and clean up.  Not bad!  We went out to eat afterward, my husband was surprised we didn’t grill any hamburgers. 

And look…

We don’t look too bad after all that work…and we still like each other!  It was fun to do this with my sister and mom.  I would NOT try to do 80 lbs. on my own.  That would be miserable.  But with friends or family it is manageable.  Plus, I am thrilled to have all those meals awaiting us in the freezer!

So, now you know what we did with the meat.  :)  So, do you think we are crazy or smart?

Happy Friday!

Don’t forget about the giveaway!

If you don’t know what this title is referring to, click here.

Mom, Swister (yes, I spelled it right), and I have been planning what I put on the calendar as the “Ground Beef Fiasco” for quite some time.  We found out that Sam’s Club will sell a case of ground beef for considerably less than their largest 10 lb. package.  We got 90/10 ground beef for $1.76/lb.  We picked a date to buy the ground beef and saved up our grocery money for that date.  I stopped by Sam’s and picked up the meat and we all met at Swister’s house.

Now, to make this a little more enjoyable, we did not just divide up the meat and be done.  We decided to prep it ALL for the freezer together.  First, we decided that Mom would get 20 lbs of meat (total) and Swister and I would each get 30 lbs.  We discussed what we wanted to do with the meat and we came up with four things.  We wanted meatloaves, meatballs, hamburger patties, and browned ground beef placed in 1 lb. portions.  The crazy thing is that I DID NOT want any meatloaves and Mom DID NOT want any hamburger patties.  Furthermore, we all wanted different amounts of each thing.  So, we had to get organized.

Swister made a chart with what each person wanted and in what quantities.  Then she got the recipes for meatloaf and meatballs and calculated all the extra ingredients we would need for those.  We all contributed whatever we already had on hand.  Then we decided who would bring what tools.  I brought my huge Pampered Chef 12 inch skillet for browning meat, Mom brought cookie sheets for baking meatballs, etc…

Now, my Swister lives 2 hours from my house and 4 hours from Mom’s house, so this wasn’t a quick drive over there.  Mom got there a day early (to see my adorable niece, of course) and that night they got everything organized.  The two of them lined the cookie sheets with foil and measured out the ingredients for the meatloaves and meatballs.

That step alone made this monumentous task seem easier.

Well, tune in tomorrow for the details on how we did “what we did with the meat”  (part II). 

Don’t forget about the giveaway!

So, are you ready to find out what I did for fun over the Labor Day weekend?  And I know what you are thinking…what could I have done that would possibly be important to this site?  Well, here it is…

I purchased 80 lbs. of ground beef at Sam’s Club.

Yep, that’s the 80 lbs.  Actually, eight 10 lb. packages.  But I did not keep all this exciting meat to myself…what would I do with all that!?

I shared it with 2 of my favorite lovely ladies…my mom and my sister.  (That’s me on the left.)

Now, I know the suspense is killing you.  What did we do with all that meat?  Did we plop those huge tubes of meat in the freezer?  Did we get a good deal?  What possessed us to buy so much?  Did we throw a huge party?

Well, I’m sorry, you’ll have to check back tomorrow for Part I of “What we did with the meat”.

Don’t forget my giveaway!

And I hope you can sleep tonight with all the anticipation for tomorrow’s post!

Friday is finally here.  I am pumped!  I wanted to revisit one of the first Freezer Friday recipes that I posted.  The Country Style Steak recipe is so easy and yet I only know of one reader who has made it since I posted it.  So, I thought I’d take some photos and show you how easy it is. 

OK-I know this picture makes the meat look gross, bear with me.  I started with two packages of cube steak.

I then sprinkled on some Mrs. Dash and dredged the steaks in flour.

I then fried the steaks in a little olive oil.

I then placed 5 in a dish for our dinner (with friends) and 8 in Ziploc bags for freezing.

Then I mixed the brown gravy mix with water.  Covered it with foil and baked it.

The other 8 cubed steaks were placed in Ziplocs and frozen.

This is so easy, just try it!  For less than an hour of work, I have 3 or 4 meals in our freezer!

The recipe is from this post.  And these are delicious with mashed potatoes.

Happy Friday!

Don’t forget my giveaway!

Happy Friday!  I am off today for an anniversary trip (8 years…yippee!).  My mom has graciously agreed to watch the “grands” and she even brought me a freezer meal!  She is famous in our extended family for her fabulous lasagna and she agreed to share her secrets with you!  I hope you enjoy this guest post from the original Frugal Menu Mama.  Take it away, Mom!

I love to cook. I like to try new recipes, and I like the old favorites. I am always looking for ways to make it better and easier. The second recipe, Pizza Lasagna, (not pictured) is a no-fuss version of lasagna that is low-fat and uses a lot of fresh vegetables. You won’t miss the reduced amount of cheese. It is made with uncooked noodles that cook as the lasagna bakes. It was my inspiration for adapting our family favorite lasagna (first recipe).

My original recipe for lasagna came from the Mueller’s Lasagna box. Over 35 years of making lasagna I have added, subtracted, substituted, and adjusted this recipe. The only part that is the same as the original is the lasagna noodles—and I even change that! I no longer pre-cook the noodles.

Lasagna

12 servings

1 lb. ground beef

¾ C. chopped onion

1 16-oz. can petite diced tomatoes

1 6-oz. can tomato paste

1 28-oz. can tomato puree

1½ C. water

1 Tbsp. dried parsley

1¾ tsp. salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. black pepper

½ tsp. oregano

9 lasagna noodles, uncooked

16-oz. cottage cheese

8-oz. mozzarella cheese

1 C. parmesan cheese

½ lb. ground beef, browned & drained

2 15-oz. cans petite diced tomatoes,
undrained

1 can tomato soup*

1 6-oz. can tomato paste

1 C. water*

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tsp. oregano

1tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. salt

9 lasagna noodles, uncooked

4 oz. sliced turkey pepperoni

1 ½ C. shredded mozzarella, divided

½ lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 medium sweet red pepper, diced

6 green onions, chopped

1 small can sliced ripe olives, drained

For sauce, in a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, soup, tomato paste, water, onion, oregano, garlic powder, and salt.

Spread ½ C. sauce in a 9×13-inch baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Top with three noodles and 1/3 of the sauce, then pepperoni. Sprinkle with 1 C. cheese. Top with three noodles and 1/3 of the sauce. Top with mushrooms, red pepper, green onions, and ground beef. Top with remaining noodles, sauce, and cheese. Sprinkle with olives.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 70-80 minutes or until noodles are tender. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes.

*The original recipe called for 1 can ready-to-serve creamy tomato soup and ½ C. water. I had difficulty finding the soup and made the substitution above.

Printable Version

Today, I will show you how to make the Super Burrito recipe I shared a few weeks ago.  Thanks to Chad for putting it together!  I hope you enjoy!

Happy Friday!

If you are new around here, Fridays are all about freezer cooking and having a Freezer Cooking Club or Co-op.

I am so excited for today being the first video post on my blog in cooperation with Sam’s Club!  Today I will be showing you how I shopped for and made the crockpot/freezer BBQ sandwiches.  I posted this recipe a few weeks ago and decided to show you exactly what went into it.  I hope you enjoy it!

A few things to remember:

-I do not actually have a freezer co-op at this time because I just moved to GA.  You can be sure I will be starting another one once I get to know enough people.  I made these Sam’s Club posts like I would if I was still with my co-op.

-My freezer co-op (when I lived in WV) involved 5-10 families depending on who was available during that rotation.

-We agreed that each meal needed to be 4-6 servings and the main dish.

-I am doing these videos at the request of Sam’s Club.  They would like me to show tips on having your own freezer cooking club and tips for what we do.  The Sam’s Club I worked with was very helpful and eager to assist me.

-This will be a series for a few weeks on Fridays (I don’t know for how long).  So, please subscribe to my feed or check back often!

Here is the recipe:

Beef & Pork BBQ
(16 servings)

1 1/2 lbs. stewing meat-cubed
1 1/2 lbs. pork-cubed
2 cups onions-chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar-packed
3 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 cup vinegar
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
6 oz. tomato paste
pepper blend seasoning
onion salt

-In a large crockpot, combine all ingredients.  Cook on low setting for 8-10 hours or until meat is tender.  Stir with fork to break up pieces.  Serve on buns.
**May use all pork or all bef.  Pork may cook faster than the beef, so start the beef ahead of time, then add the pork.
IF FREEZING:  Allow BBQ to cool completely.  Spoon into Ziplock bags.  On cooking day, thaw overnight in fridge.  Reheat on stove top.

Printable Version

Here are the videos:

Hope you are having a terrific Tuesday!  Its Tasty Tuesday here, which means a few of this weeks recipes posted.  I am posting the rice recipe from last week, it is one of Hubby’s favorites.  Also, the stroganoff recipe I am making tonight.  My sister found it a few years ago.  I don’t like stroganoff, but the cheese in this makes it great!  I don’t actually serve these two recipes together.  I hope you enjoy!

Baked Rice

3/4 stick margarine (approx. $.15)
1 cup uncooked rice (approx. $.50)
1 can beef broth (approx. $.80)
1 tsp. beef bouillon granules or 1 beef bouillon cube (approx $.10)
1 cup hot water (free)
1 small onion (don’t know)
1 green pepper (don’t know)
1 small can mushrooms (approx. $.50)

TOTAL=approximately $3.60 + cost of onion and pepper

-Combine all ingredients in a 2 qt. casserole dish.
-Cover and bake at 350 F for 1 hour.

***Remember, I am picky!  I do not put in the green pepper or onions, I sprinkle a few dehydrated onion flakes in for flavor.  I also put the mushrooms on like 2/3 of the dish so I can have mine without. 

Printable Version

Cheesy Beef Stroganoff

1 lb. ground beef ($2.19)
2 cups water (free)
3 cups (6 oz.) wide egg noodles, uncooked (approx. $.85)
3/4 lb. (12 oz.) Velveeta cubed (I use a little less…it is really cheesy!) (approx $2.00)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (approx. $.80)
1/4 tsp. black pepper ($.05)

TOTAL= approx. $5.89

-Brown meat in large skillet; drain.
-Stir in water and bring to boil.  Stir in noodles.  Reduce heat to med-low; cover.  Simmer 8 minutes or until noodles are tender.
-Add Velveeta, soup, and pepper; stir until Velveeta is melted.

Printable Version

Happy Friday!

At one of our first Freezer Cooking Co-op meetings, my friend, Jess, made the recipe I will share with you today.  It was delicious, but a tad bit spicy.  It does have hot sauce in it…  :)  When Jess was in the Co-op, she used recipes that she already enjoyed.  She made them, froze them, and then tried them to see if they would work for our Co-op.  You don’t always have to use a recipe that is labeled for freezer cooking.  However, I would suggest trying the recipe in the freezer and then reheating before sharing with friends in your group.  Hope you like it!

Rachael Ray’s Cowboy Spaghetti:

1 pound spaghetti
Salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
3 slices smoky bacon, chopped
1 pound ground sirloin
1 medium onion, chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
Ground black pepper
2 teaspoons hot sauce, eyeball it
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
1/2 cup beer
1 (14-ounce) can, chopped or crushed fire roasted tomatoes
1 (8-ounces) can, tomato sauce
8 ounces sharp Cheddar
4 scallions, chopped

Heat a pot of water to a boil. Add spaghetti and salt the water. Cook to al dente or with a bite to it.

Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and bacon. Brown and crisp bacon, 5 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon. Drain off a little excess fat if necessary. Leave just enough to coat the bottom of the skillet. Add beef and crumble it as it browns, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onions, garlic and stir into meat. Season the meat with salt and pepper, hot sauce and Worcestershire. Add 1/2 cup beer and deglaze the pan. Cook 5 to 6 minutes more then stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce.

Add hot spaghetti to meat and sauce and combine. Adjust seasonings and serve up pasta in shallow bowls. Grate some cheese over the pasta and sprinkle with scallions. Garnish with crisp bacon.

When Jess made this for us, she froze the meat & sauce in one bag, grated cheese in a separate bag, bacon in a separate bag, and she just gave us a box of spaghetti to cook up when we made it.

Printable Version

Here’s last night’s dinner recipe.  Tonight is pigs-in-a-blanket and tater tots….you don’t need a recipe for that do you?

Texas Rice Skillet

1 lrg. onion, chopped (I omit this, too much for me.)

1 lb. ground beef ($2.42 @ Sam’s)

3 cups water (free)

1 cup regular rice (approx. $.30)

1 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained ($.49 @ Aldi)

1 pkg. chili seasoning mix (approx. $.50-I didn’t have any, used taco seasoning)

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce (I used a 15 oz can-did that many years ago as a mistake and have been doing it ever since, $.67 @ Target)

shredded cheddar cheese (optional) (approx. $.40)

chopped green onions (optional) (I don’t know)

-Cook onion and ground beef, drain grease.
-Add water, rice, beans, tomato sauce, and chili seasoning mix.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat.  Cover and simmer 20 minutes or until rice is fully cooked.
-Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.
-Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and chopped green onions.
-I serve these with corn muffins. ($.43 a box @ Kroger, plus ingredients to make)  This is also good with a salad.

TOTAL COST= approx. $5.21 + ingredients for corn muffins

Printable Version