Freezer Meal Group - October 2011

For October I made Taco Spaghetti and Healthy Turkey Burgers. I have made the Healthy Turkey Burgers before. The last time I made them I used dried parsley and breadcrumbs that had been sitting in my pantry (while not expired they were not "fresh"). This time I used fresh parsley and I made my own breadcrumbs. To do this I filled a baking sheet with bread odds and ends from my refrigerator and baked them at 270 until they were dry. (I used some hamburger buns and bread ends no one wanted to eat.) Once dry I tossed them in the blender and blended until there were no large chunks. They were so much better than the breadcrumbs I purchased. Just to not have the stale bread smell was worth it.

The Taco Spaghetti was quite tasty and it was easy to put together even though I had to cook the noodles and meat. I put the lettuce and tomatoes on the table so everyone to could add the amount they wanted. I think the addition of the lettuce and fresh tomato is a must. Those additions made the meal for me.

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Taco Spaghetti
from Food.com
Printable Recipe

10 ounces dried spaghetti (Ronzoni Smart Pasta)
1 lb ground beef (5% Fat)
1 large onions, chopped
3/4 cups water
1 (1 1/4 ounce) envelopes taco seasoning mix
1 1/2 cups colby jack cheese or cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup salsa
1 (4 1/2 ounce) cans diced green chili peppers
4 cups lettuce, shredded
1 medium tomatoes, chopped

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain. Meanwhile, cook ground meat and onion until meat is brown, in a dutch oven. Drain off fat. Stir in water and taco seasoning mix. Bring to boiling and reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cooked pasta, corn, 1 cup of the shredded cheese, salsa and chili peppers. Pour contents into lightly greased casserole dish. Cover with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil, label and freeze up to 3 months.

To serve. Defrost in refrigerator. Remove aluminum foil and plastic wrap. Recover with aluminum foil and bake in a 375 oven for 1 hour or until heated through, stirring once about halfway through baking time. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Top with lettuce and chopped tomato. If desired, pass broken tortilla chips and dairy sour cream as additional toppings.

Servings: 6 • Size: 1/6 • Old Points: 7 pts • Points+: 8 pts
Calories: 346 • Fat: 11.3 g • Carb: 13.2 g • Fiber: 4.6 g • Protein: 29.9 g

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Healthy Turkey Burgers
from Food.com
Printable Recipe

1 1/2 lbs ground chicken or 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup yellow onions, minced
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 to taste salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients and shape into patties. Grill, broil or saute about 4 to 5 minutes per side.

For Freezing:
Once burgers are formed, flash freeze on wax paper and a cookie sheet. When patty is firm, place in a gallon freezer bags. To serve, thaw in refrigerator over night. Grill or pan fry to prepare.

Servings: 6 • Size: 1/6 • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 5 pts
Calories: 224 • Fat: 8.4 g • Carb: 12.2 g • Fiber: 2.5 g • Protein: 23.1 g

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