Barbocoa Pork

2 1/2 lb boneless country style ribs
3/4 cups brown sugar
6 oz. salsa
6 oz. dark soda (I used Pepsi)

I combined all the ingredients, except the pork, in a pot and boiled for a couple minutes.
This is your marinade.

Pour marinade over pork

I usually put pork in crock pot and pour over marinade, so I would think you don't need to thaw this before you cook it in the crock pot.
5-7 hours on low. Once the pork is tender shred.

We put it over rice as a salad or roll it up on warm tortilla with melted cheese.

Meal change

After doing a test run of the "Caesar Spaghetti", we decided it wasn't that good.

So, I'm changing my meal, hopefully for the better!

Frito Chili Pie

(I combined a few different versions of this recipe)

Make Chili mixture:

1 can pinto beans

1 can chili

1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies

1/2 pound ground beef (cooked and drained)

Crush 2 cups corn chips and place on the bottom of a lightly greased baking pan. Place chili mixture on chips. Top with 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

I'm freezing the cheese and chili mixture, and providing a bag of chips.

To prepare from frozen, thaw the chili and cheese, and follow the above directions. If you don't want to heat up your oven (and house!) you can always just heat it up on the stove, and pour over the chips. You can also add lettuce to this and eat it like more of a taco salad. Many recipes called for onions, which I didn't add, but obviously there are many other toppings you could throw in as well, depending on what your family likes.

Hopefully this is an enjoyable meal :)

LOAF

I don't really like that word 'loaf', but this is pretty good. I can take out the onions for the non-onion peeps, but I think onions contribute to the overall flavor. I plan to use ground turkey, for health and we like it better. Sorry to make you turn your oven on, but if you thaw it... should only take 30- 1 hour max to bake.

Bacon Swiss Meatloaf
1 bacon strip, crumbled
1 egg, beaten
1/3 Cup butter crackers crushed
5 Tablespoons shredded Swiss cheese
4 ½ teaspoons chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
½ lb. Ground beef
In bowl combine egg, crackers, 4 Tablespoons shredded cheese, chopped onion, garlic, bacon, salt and pepper. Add beef into mixture and combine. Shape into loaf and freeze wrapped in tin foil or in a ziploc bag. When ready to cook take out of the freezer and place in a loaf pan. Top with more bacon pieces if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes- 1 hour.

Oven Time

Just a small concern and wondering if anyone is thinking the same thing.
Having my oven on for 2.5+ hours for one meal gives me worry to try to keep the kids away from it. On top of that it takes up a lot of energy. Anyone thinking the same thing? If not, no big deal.

Pizza

Did this feed 4 adults? How did it taste and would you like this again?

Pizza Crust (Makes 3 crusts)
* 1 package active dry yeast
* 1 Tbsp white sugar
* 2 1/2 cups warm water
* 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* 1 Tbsp salt
* 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
* 5 1/2 cups bread flour

Prepare:
In large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in the warm water. Let sit until creamy (10 minutes). Stir olive oil, whole wheat flour, salt, and four cups of the bread flour into the yeast mixture. Mix in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out into a lightly floured surface and kneed until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
Lightly oil a large mixing bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and put in a warm place to rise until doubled in volume. (About 1 hour) Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into three equal pieces and form into rounds. Cover the rounds and let them rest for about 10 minutes.

* I partially baked the crust at 500 degrees for 3 minutes. Then placed the crusts in ziplock bags and then in freezer

Papa John's Pizza Sauce (for one pizza)
* 1 can tomato puree (or crushed tomatoes)
* 1/4 cup water
* 1 tsp sugar
* 1 tsp olive oil
* 1/4 tsp lemon juice
* 1/4 tsp salt
* 1/4 tsp oregano
* 1/8 tsp basil
* 1/8 tsp thyme
* 1/8 tsp garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Bake Directly from Freezer:
* Brush crust with butter.
* Add pepperoni or other toppings you want
* Bake at 425 degree for about 20-25 minutes until cheese melts and crust is golden brown.

Sunday Chicken

Did this meal feed 4 adults? How did it taste and would you like this dish again?

Ingredients:
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
12 slices bacon
1 family size can cream of chicken soup
1 pint sour cream

Prepare:
* Place chicken in pan. Cover with bacon slices. Mix soup and sour cream together. Pour over chicken and bacon.

Freeze:
* Cover tightly with foil. Freeze in a disposable aluminum pan.

Side: Rice

Cooking:
* Bake at 325 degrees for 3 hours. Serve over rice.

Skillet Squash Pasta

New-
boil the noodles until done. Cook the squash in oven at 400 for 15-20 minutes.

Top with fresh grated Parmesan

Anne