Works for Me Wednesday (Cooking Bacon)

I love the pre-cooked bacon that you can get at Sam's-especially this time of year because we eat a lot of BLTs. Everyone wants hot bacon & cooking BLTs for a family of six is very time consuming if you fry it up on the stove. I started buying the pre-cooked bacon BUT it is more expensive that route. Now, I cook my bacon in the oven (my good friend, Mindi said one day in conversation that she cooks her bacon in the oven & I thought "Wow, what a time saver!" Thanks Mindi!) ...

Bacon can also be easily baked in the oven, resulting in amazingly flat slices. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a rack inside a baking sheet. Lay out slices and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on desired doneness level. Voila! Crispy bacon with no curls.

Just like the bacon that you buy at the store already pre-cooked. I usually buy 3 packages of bacon & cook it all up, layer it between paper towels to absorb some of the fat & store it in a ziploc bag for quick and easy BLTs, bacon for breakfast or on sandwiches!

Check out more Works for Me Wednesdays ideas, @ Rocks in My Dryer!

Works For Me Wednesday #4 (OAMC Food Coop)

After last week's post and this Monday's Menu Planner, I had some fellow bloggers ask about OAMC...Once A Month Cooking. I thought that I would share how our OAMC Food-Coop works and share some recipes. I actually have our Food Exchange Meeting on Thursday. There are six wonderful ladies in our group...we meet every 4 to 6 weeks, depending on what's happening to exchange our meals and plan for the next month. Each lady will prepare 2 meals, we divide those meal in half...for example, I am making Honey Pecan Chicken this month, the recipe calls for 8 Chicken breast, when I pack it up to freeze, I will put 4 chicken breast in the zip-lock bag instead of 8...this will give most of the families in our group 2 meals...I have to serve 8 pieces for my family. The same with a lasagna, for example, instead of preparing it in a 9 x 13 pan, it's prepared in an 8 x8 pan, therefore, 2 meals. When we meet this Thursday, I am bringing 12 bags of Honey Pecan Chicken and 12 pans of Farmer's Casseroles. When I go home after our planning meeting, I will have 24 plus meals (I had originally wrote that we got 36 meals...my mind is frozenfrom the ice storm!) in my freezer for the next month...

Why does this work for me? We are a very busy family of four, before OAMC, I would spend easily $200.00 week on groceries and we would eat out 2 or 3 times a week because of our busy evenings. Since OAMC, I have an inventory sheet of what is in my freezer, I plan our menus based on our activities...if we are all gone one evening, it's usually a crock pot meal...one of the bags of chicken meals can be placed in the CP and will be ready anytime we get home to eat. It also has saved me lots of $$$$, we have a budget of $125.00 to prepare our meals for that month. I am getting 24 meals for $125.00!!! All I need to pick up at the grocery store is sides, lettuce for salads, snacks (fresh fruit/veggies, cereal bars, etc), cereal for breakfast and milk. No major entrees to be purchased. I am saving about $600.00 a month on groceries! That works for me!!! And what's more, is my family enjoys having dinner on the table each evening and not waiting for Mom to figure out what we are going to have!

This month my OAMC Food Coop meals are Honey Pecan Chicken and Farmer's Casserole. (Both recipes are from the book Don't Panic-Dinner's in the Freezer by Martinez, Howell & Garcia) Below is the recipe and freezing instructions for anyone who would like to start the OAMC concept...you don't need a group, just double a recipe once week...eat one and freeze the other. Before long you will have meals in the freezer ready and waiting for you! It's really a great concept....I don't know why I didn't start this earlier!



Oh...one more thing....I keep a notebook with a copy of all of my Freezer Recipes (even my own so I will have a record of what we have tried & liked) so I will know how to prepare them when it's time to cook them. Also, if someone else cooked it, you have the recipe to make on your own, if it's one of your families favorite! The first page of the notebook is my inventory sheet and the remainder of the notebook is divided into sections like Beef, Chicken, Soups, Casseroles, etc.

Honey Pecan Chicken

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Marinade:
1/2 cup olive oil
2 t fresh thyme, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper

Honey cream sauce:
2 T butter
1 T shallots, minced
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup whiskey
1 cup whipping cream
2 T honey
1 T cider vinegar
1/4 t salt
1/8 t pepper

Serving Day:
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 cup flour
Olive oil

Cooking day instructions:
For the chicken: Mix olive oil, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. Place chicken breasts in freezer bags (I use a Foodsaver- for items like this-see button on side for ordering info), then pour olive oil mixture over chicken breasts. Freeze (lay them flat in freezer so they freezer flat)

For the sauce: Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat. Saute shallots in butter until tender. Add orange juice and whiskey over medium heat, and continue cooking until liquid is reduced by one half. Add cream. Continue cooking until slightly thickened. Add honey, vinegar, salt and pepper. Cool. Freeze separately. using freezer bag method.

Serving day instructions:
Thaw chicken breast and cream sauce. Mix chopped pecans and flour together. Dredge chicken breast in flour mixture. Heat a small amount of olive oil in large skillet. Pan fry chicken breast until golden brown and cooked through. Heat sauce over low heat until warm; do not boil.

To serve, place chicken on individual serving dishes and pour cream sauce over chicken breasts.


Farmer's Casserole

3 cups frozen shredded has brown potatoes (24 oz bag)
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (3-4 oz)
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (3-4 oz)
1 cup diced ham or Canadian-style bacon (5 oz)
1 4.5 oz can mild green chiles (optional)
1/4 cup green onions, sliced
4 beaten eggs (or 1 cup frozen egg product)
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
1/4 t pepper
1/8 t salt

Cooking day instructions:
Grease a 2 quart square baking dish. Arrange potatoes evenly in bottom of dish. Sprinkle with cheeses, ham, green chiles, and green onions. In medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, pepper and salt. Pour egg mixture over potato mixture in dish. (If not freezing, cover and chill several house or overnight, then follow serving day suggestions.) Freeze.

Serving day instructions:
Thaw completely. Bake uncovered in a 350-degree oven for 40-45 minutes or until center appears set. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. If you prefer extra shredded cheese can be sprinkled on top during the last 15 minutes of baking.

Works-for-Me Wednesday #3 (Loaded Baked Potato Soup)

This weeks WFM is about Eating Well. I am in a freezer co-op and I make a Loaded Baked Potato Soup which is yummy, yummy, yummy. I started Weight Watchers and in the Weight Watcher's Magazine November/December 2006 they have a Loaded Baked Potato Soup recipe that counts as 3 points! The recipe is basically the same as the recipe that I use for the OAMC. I love being able to eat something yummy and not forgo the taste. Enjoy...

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Hands on Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook: 1 hour 10 minutes

Serves 12

4 medium baking potatoes, scrubbed

4 strips center-cut reduced-fat bacon

2 onions, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 (12-ounce) can evaportated skim milk

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon red pepper sauce

1/2 cup light sour cream

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teapsoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

2 scallions, finely chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prick potatoes all around with a fork. Place on the overn rack and bake until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 1 hour. Let the potatoes stand until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes. Peel the potatoes, cut 2 into 1/4-inch dice. Transfer the remaining 2 potatoes to a bowl and coarsely mash. Stire in the diced potatoes.


2. Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick Dutch overn over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, turning occasionally, utnil crips, 4-5 minutes. Transfer with tongs to a plate lined with paper towels; drain. Crumble the bacon and set aside. Add the onions and garlic to the drippings in the Dutch oven; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to brown, 5-6 mintues.


3. Combine the evaportaed milk and flour in a medium bowl, beating with a whisk until smoothe. Add the milk mixutre, broth, potatoes, and pepper sauce to the Dutch overn; increase the heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring, until the soup is thick and creamy, 6-7 minutes.


4. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat; stir in the sour cream, Parmesan cheese, salt and ground pepper. Divide the soup among 12 bowls; top each serving with the cheddar cheese, scallions, and reserved bacon. Serve at once.

If your tste buds gravitate toward the spicier side, increase the red pepper sauce to 1/2 teapoon in step 3.

Enjoy and remember its' only 3 Points if you are on Weight Watchers. For more, heatly recipe, check out Rocks in My Dryer

Recipe Swap #1 (Artichoke Dip)

I thought it might be fun to post some of our favorite recipes and leave a link in the comments if you have a favorite posted on your blog. During the holiday season, we get together with our family and I always bring a dish that has become a favorite....Artichoke Dip. I discovered this recipe about four years ago and it is yummy..hope you enjoy it. This recipe comes from Longaberger's Fresh From the Pantry Recipes for Every Day Book.

Artichoke Dip

Serves 6 to 8

8 ounces cream cheese, softened, cut into cubes

1 cup mayo

1 cup sour cream

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, chopped

1 garlic clove, pressed

1 teaspoon dill

1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor. Process for 1-2 minutes or until blended. Spoon into a oiled baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes or until the top is golden brown. For best results, use regular, not reduced-fat, mayo or sour cream. Serve with pita chips or bagel chips.