Breakfasts-to-Go

I am a teacher in a high-maintenance job; i.e., stressful and demanding.  My son doesn't like to eat breakfast, and he won't eat at school.  I have to force him to eat something in the morning on the way to school.  My school is one mile or less from his, so I drop him off first.  One thing he likes are the breakfast burritos from Sonic Drive-In.  I decided I could save money and do better.

Here are some pictures of the process: 

Here is what I used, but you can make them however you like:

1.  Large burrito size tortillas

2.  Jimmy Dean sausage

3.  Sharp cheddar cheese

4.  Organic eggs and red peppers from my freezer for scrambled eggs

I scrambled eggs with red peppers from my freezer.

I cooked the sausage.

I put some eggs, sausage, and cheese in the center of the tortillas and rolled them up.  All done--I underestimated how many one pack of sausage would make, so I only have 8, but if son likes them, I will know to make more next time.

Ready for the freezer bags

Freezer Cooking Plan

I start back to work on Monday, so I need some meals in the freezer to help me keep my sanity on my long days.  Here is what I plan to make:

1. Breakfast burritos for my son
2. Pumpkin muffins for my breakfast
3. Taco-seasoned beef

On Monday I'll post my pics and recipes for the Breakfast Burritos and Pumpkin Muffins.

Baked Ziti

We have eaten this before, and it is a great hit!  Here is the recipe:

Baked Beef Ziti

Servings 8
Preparation Time 20 min
Cooking Time 50 min


Level of Difficulty :Moderate

Ingredients
12 oz uncooked ziti
2 tsp olive oil
2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
1/3 pound(s) raw lean ground beef
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
1 cup(s) part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded


Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add garlic and sauté 2 minutes. Add beef and cook until browned, breaking up meat with a spoon as it cooks, about 3 to 5 minutes; drain off any fat and set pan back over medium heat.

Add oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper; stir to coat beef. Cook until herbs become fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Spoon a small amount of beef-tomato mixture into bottom of a 4-quart casserole dish (just enough to cover surface); top with half of cooked ziti. Next, layer with half of remaining beef-tomato sauce and half of mozzarella cheese. Layer with remaining ziti and then top with remaining beef-tomato sauce; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake until cheese is golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces and serve. Yields 1 piece per serving.

From Weight Watchers

Chicken Spaghetti

I have never tried this, but it sounded good so I made a batch for the freezer during my freezer cooking morning.  Here is the recipe from The Pioneer Woman Cooks:

Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 45 Minutes Difficulty: Easy Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 cups Cooked Chicken

3 cups Dry Spaghetti, Broken Into Two Inch Pieces

2 cans Cream Of Mushroom Soup

2 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

¼ cups Finely Diced Green Pepper

¼ cups Finely Diced Onion

1 jar (4 Ounce) Diced Pimentos, Drained

2 cups Reserved Chicken Broth From Pot

1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt

⅛ teaspoons (to 1/4 Teaspoon) Cayenne Pepper

Salt And Pepper, to taste

1 cup Additional Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Cook 1 cut up fryer and pick out the meat to make two cups. Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.

Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil).

Freezer Cooking Day

Crystal hosted the monthly Freezer Cooking Day on Friday.  Today I had the time to make a few dishes for my freezer.  As a teacher, I *often* have meetings after school that make me so exhausted by the time I get home that I don't want to think about cooking.  Here is what I came up with this morning:

Chicken Spaghetti Pie

Baked Ziti

Southwestern Roll-ups

                                                 Cheeseburger Meatloaf

I will post the recipes and credits next week.  (It may not look like much, but with just my teenage son and me, it will probably be 12 meals. We eat leftovers around here.)