links to easy freezer meals!

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/09/slow-cooker-freezer-meals-make-8-meals.html

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/12/fresh-food-friday-20-tried-and-true.html

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2013/02/10-slow-cooker-freezer-meals-in-less.html

These are really quick and easy--a good way to stock up the freezer with ready-made food.

Potato Rolls

Ingredients

• 3/4 Cup Sugar
• 1 1/2 Sticks (3/4 Cup) Land O'Lakes Unsalted Butter
• 3 Cups Scalded Milk* instructions below
• 1 Cup Potato Flakes
• 1 Tb Salt
• 4 Eggs
• 1 Tb SAF Instant Yeast or 2 Tb Fleishmans yeast (we use fleishman)
• 7 Cups Flour
• *1/3 cup additional butter, softened

Instructions

1. Heat a medium sauce pan over medium heat and add the milk. Cook until the edges begin to foam and froth, but do not allow it to boil. There will be a little layer of the milk "skin" on top. Remove from heat and add the sugar, butter, potato flakes and salt. Stir thoroughly and allow to cool to luke warm.
2. Add the yeast, stir and then add the eggs, stirring until they are mixed in.
3. Place the flour in a large bowl. Pour the milk mixture in and stir until the dough has come together, but is still soft. Sometimes we only use like 6- 6 1/2 cups of flour. This is not like a bread dough. It is a slightly sticky dough.
4. Cover the bowl with a towel or saran wrap. Let dough rise for one hour. Push down and divide dough into 3 parts.
5. Roll out one portion at a time to 1/2" thick and butter 1/2 of dough with a few pats of butter. Fold the unbuttered dough over the buttered dough and press to seal. Cut into 1" wide strips. Pick up one strip at a time and tie into knots. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet and cover with a towel. Let rise for 1-2 hours more or until doubled in size.
6. Bake at 350 until golden brown, (14-20 min)

Antipasto Pizza

• 2 to 3 cups freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 c. spinach and arugula mix
• 1 small jar artichoke hearts, drained and diced
• 1/2 c. sliced pepperoncinis
• 1/2 c. cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
• 1 small can sliced olives, drained
• 1 avocado (reserved for the end)
Garlic Cream Sauce
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 2 tsp. fresh minced garlic
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 1/2 c. milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• basil and oregano to taste (just a few shakes of each)

Instructions

• Roll the dough out into a circle a little larger than your pizza pan, then gently fold the edges over to make the crust. Use a fork to create holes all over the dough, then bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Then let the crust cool for 5 minutes.
• While cooking the dough, make the garlic sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and let simmer til the garlic starts to brown. Stir in the flour then immediately start stirring in the milk, a little at a time. Once milk is stirred in add, salt, pepper, basil, and oregano and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
• Smooth the garlic sauce over the crust, then sprinkle generously with cheese and top with all the veggies (except the avocado). Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then remove from oven to cool. Sprinkle with freshly diced avocado.

Carmelitas

Caramel-Chocolate Oatmeal Bars {Caramelitas!} from OBB

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I like to toast them first)
30 caramels (9 ounces), unwrapped
3 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 15×10 inch baking pan with foil, leaving about 1 inch extending over the edges of the pan.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add brown sugar.  Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.  Add eggs, vanilla, baking soda and salt; beat until combined.  Add flour slowly and mix until combined.  Stir in the oats.  Press 2/3 of the dough (about 3 1/3 cups) evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.  Sprinkle with chocolate pieces and nuts.

In a medium sauce panheat and stir the caramels and milk over low heat until melted and smooth.  Drizzle caramel mixture over chocolate and nuts.  Take remaining dough and flatten small pieces with fingers and place evenly on top of the caramel layer.  Bake for 22-25 minutes or until top is just barely light brown, don’t overbake!.  Cool in pan on a wire rack until room temperature.  Use foil to lift uncut bars out of pan.  Place on cutting board; cut into bars.

Greek Pizza

from: http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2013/04/greek-pizza/

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces, weight Pizza Dough
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• ½ whole Red Onion, Thinly Sliced
• ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt
• ¼ teaspoons Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1 cup Quartered Cherry Tomatoes
• ½ whole Hothouse Cucumber, Seeded And Diced
• ½ cups Pitted Kalamata Olives, Sliced
• ½ cups Crumbled Feta Cheese
• ¾ cups Tzatziki Sauce

Preheat the oven to 500°F, or as high as your oven will go. Place the pizza dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll out into a thin 15-inch circle. Transfer to a large baking sheet and drizzle the olive oil over the top.

Sprinkle the cheese and red onion slices evenly over the surface of the dough and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and scatter the tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and feta cheese over the crust. Drizzle the tzatziki sauce over the top and serve.

Brown Butter Salted Caramel Snickerdoodles

from: http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/brown-butter-salted-caramel-snickerdoodles/

Brown butter snickerdoodles with a caramel surprise inside!

ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose Gold Medal flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter, sliced
1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt
1 cup caramel squares, cut into 1/4's

For Rolling the Cookies:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Sea salt, for sprinkling on top of cookies

directions:

1. In a medium bowl, Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

2. To brown the butter, heat a thick-bottomed skillet on medium heat. Add the sliced butter, whisking frequently. Continue to cook the butter until melted. The butter will start to foam and browned specks will begin to form at the bottom of the pan. The butter should have a nutty aroma. Watch the butter carefully because it can go from brown to burnt quickly. Remove butter from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the brown butter and sugars. Mix until blended and smooth. Beat in the egg, yolk, vanilla, and yogurt and mix until combined. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

4. Form the dough in a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. You can chill the dough overnight.

5. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Measure about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll into balls. Flatten the ball with the palm of your hand and place a piece of caramel in the center of the dough. Wrap the cookie dough around the caramel, making sure the caramel is completely covered with dough.

6. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar. Roll the balls in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place dough balls on a large baking sheet that has been lined with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper. Make sure the cookies are about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle the cookie tops with sea salt.

7. Bake the cookies 8-10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden brown. The centers will still be soft. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, or until set. Transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

Two great Tastes Pudding Parfairs (from Hershey's Best Loved Recipes)

Two Great Tastes Pudding Parfaits

Makes 4-6 servings

1.      Combine pudding mix and 3 1/2 cups of milk in a large heavy saucepan (rather than amount on pudding box) Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a full boil. Remove from heat; divide hot mixture in 2 heatproof medium bowls.

2.      Immediately stir in peanut butter chips into mixture of one bowl and chocolate chips in the other. Stir both mixes until chips are melted and smooth. Cool slightly, stirring occasionally.

3.      Alternately layer peanut butter and chocolate mixtures in parfait dishes, wine glasses or dessert dishes.  Place plastic wrap directly onto surface of each dessert; refrigerate about 6 hours.  Garnish with whipped topping, if desired, and mini kisses. 

Ingredients: 

1 package (6 serving size, 4.6 ounces) vanilla cook and serve pudding and pie filling mix

3 ½ cups milk

1 cup Reese’s Peanut Butter chips

1 cup Hershey’s semi-sweet or milk chocolate mini-kisses baking pieces

Whipped topping (optional)

Additional mini kisses or grated chocolate