"50 FREEZER MEALS: Easy Dinners for the Busy Family" by Micah Klug, Front Table Books, $11.99, 117 pages
Micah Klug's cookbook, "50 Freezer Meals," shares recipes for meals designed to be made ahead of time, kept in the freezer and then heated in the oven or slow cooker before serving. It is a great resource for busy families to use to have healthy, home-cooked meals.
In general, some freezer meal recipes can be confusing and hard to follow. In "50 Freezer Meals," Klug does a nice job of explaining her meals for first-timers. The book gives step-by-step instructions to help families successfully stock their freezers with easy, delicious and healthy meals.
The organization of this cookbook is well thought out. It is broken into five categories: beef, chicken, pasta, soup and other. Klug sticks to many readily available ingredients, and she also includes instructions on how to make each meal a nonfreezer meal.
Klug had families in mind when she put this cookbook together because she developed it as a way to save time as she raises her young children.
Whether one needs something delicious to cook for the day or is a cook looking to make meals ahead of time for a busy lifestyle, Klug's "50 Freezer Meals" is a great place to start.
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Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
½ cup milk
1 egg
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
Dry breadcrumbs
½ cup cubed Swiss cheese
½ cup diced ham
1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
For a nonfreezer meal: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ½ cup milk and egg together. Dip chicken in egg-milk mixture and toss with breadcrumbs, coating well. Cook chicken until golden. Place chicken in a baking dish, and then add cheese and ham. Mix cream of chicken soup with 1 cup milk and pour over casserole. Bake for 30–35 minutes.
To freeze: Write expiration date, baking instructions and name of the recipe on a sheet of aluminum foil. Prepare recipe without adding final 1 cup milk and cream of chicken soup to the meal. Do not bake. Place meal in disposable casserole-sized cookware. Cover and seal tightly with aluminum foil. Place in freezer. This meal can be safely frozen for up to three months.
For a freezer meal: The night prior to cooking, remove meal from freezer and allow to thaw in the refrigerator. After ingredients have thawed, mix 1 cup milk with cream of chicken soup and add to casserole. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees, or until the center is warm.
— "50 Freezer Meals" by Micah Klug