Baked Shells with Butternut Squash- Freezer Meal (Ashley Pasko)

4 T Olive Oil
2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
salt & pepper
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 head of roasted garlic w/ cloves squeezed out and mashed
1 lb small pasta shells
1 pkg (12oz) frozen winter squash puree, thawed (I just baked a butternut squash until tender and then mashed with a little water to make my puree)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 slices crusty baguette, cut into 1/4 inch cubes


Heat 3 T oil in large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until onions are soft and release their liquid (15 min). Uncover and raise heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until onions are browned, 20-25 minutes. Stir in 1 tsp rosemary and all of the roasted garlic.


Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water for 2 minutes less than the shortest cooking time on the package directions. Drain and reserve 1 1/2 cups cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot.


Stir the squash and reserved pasta water into the onions. Simmer 2 minutes. Toss the squash mixture and 1/2 c parmesan with the pasta in the pot. Transfer to a foil baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap, then foil. Label foil with contents of dish.


Combine the bread cubes with remaining parmesan, rosemary and oil. Season with S&P. Place in a quart sized freezer ziplock bag. Seal and label. Tape the bag to the foil baking dish with your pasta in it. Freeze pasta and breadcrumb mixture.


To serve: completely thaw pasta dish in the fridge. Remove plastic wrap and foil. Sprinkle pasta with breadcrumb mixture. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown and heated through. It took mine about 45 minutes b/c the pasta was cold from being in the fridge. Place foil sheet loosely over top of pasta if the breadcrumbs start to brown too much before the pasta is hot and cooked through. If you don't freeze this dish and decide to bake it right away after assembling it, you will only need to bake it for about 15-20 minutes.

Freezer Meals

Here is a link to the freezer meals website that Kristal Coles mentioned at our last cooking class:

30 Day Gourmet

And here are her phenomenally organized and efficient grocery shopping lists and menu planner. You can click on the picture to enlarge it. If you need me to email the file to you just let me know.

Lisa Brown emailed me the large file of Weight Watchers Crock Pot recipes. I can't figure out how to upload it, so if you would like it please email me at: ashleypasko@yahoo.com

Pineapple Avocado Salad (Ashley Pasko)

A lot like the one at Tia Rosas Restaurant

Chopped Romaine lettuce
Thinly sliced red onion
Sliced fresh pineapple
Sliced avocado

Poppyseed Dressing
In blender combine:
½ c sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
½ tsp onion powder
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 c canola oil
Blend well then pour into salad dressing jar. Stir in:
1 ½ Tbsp poppyseeds

This salad needs to be eaten right away after the dressing is poured on. It gets soggy quick. So serve the dressing on the side.

Paradise Cake (Lyndee Duke)

11.5 oz can mandarin oranges with juice
4 eggs
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 pkg yellow cake mix w/ pudding in it
20 oz can crushed pineapple with juice
3 oz pkg vanilla pudding, instant
8 oz carton cool whip, thawed

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 cake pan. Combine mandarin oranges with juice, with eggs and oil in a mixing bowl. Stir in cake mix and beat again until well mixed. Pour into greased baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.
Drain Pineapple, reserving all but 1/4 of juice. Make topping by mixing crushed pineapple and reserved juice, vanilla pudding and whipped topping. Spread onto cooled cake in pan. refridgerate until ready to serve.

Frog Eye Salad (Colleen Mace)

To 3 qts boiling water add:
2 tsp salt
1 T oil
16 oz acini de pepe pasta
Cook 8-10 minutes then drain and rinse in cold water. Add to the following custard mix. Stir and store overnight in refridgerator.
1 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
2 T flour
2 c pineapple juice
1 T lemon juice
combine sugar, flour & salt. Add juice & eggs. Cook over med heat until thick. Add lemon juice.
Next day add:
3 cans mandarin oranges
2 cans pineapple chunks (20 oz)
2 cartons cool whip (8oz each)
1 c mini marshmallows
1 c coconut

Frozen Fruit Salad (Heather Jones)

1 can pears
1 can peaches
1 can pineapple
3 bananas
1 frozen package of strawberries in juice

Strain fruit without pressing down on them and pour into a bowl. Use potato masher to mash to a chunky consistency. Stir fruit together so juices mix and then freeze overnight. Enjoy!

Way Easy Fruit Dip (Sarah Harrold)

Large tub Cool Whip Lite
Large tub non-chunky flavored yogurt

Combine a little at a time until it gets to your preferred taste. Serve with fruit.

Fruit Dip (Sarah Harrold)

1 pkg cream cheese, 8oz
1/3 c sugar
1/3 c brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c pecans, toasted

Beat cream cheese, sugar and brown sugar together until smooth. Add in vanilla, then pecans. Chill and serve with any type of fruit.

Colorful Bean Salad (Ann Cohee)

2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 T red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp oregano
2 T chopped red onion
2 c choppe celery
2 cans great northern beans, well rinsed
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all together and serve.

Corn Casserole

1 can Corn (or 16 oz frozen corn)
2 eggs
1/2 c milk
4 slices toast
8 oz cubed cheese

Beat eggs, cube toast, add all ingredients together. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread (Ashley Pasko)

I made this for Playgroup on Wednesday and had several requests for the recipe. The banana bread is Lyndee Duke's amazing recipe. I just added chocolate chips b/c even the best things are better with chocolate... :)

1/2 c oil
1 1/4 c sugar
2 eggs
2 mashed bananas
1 1/2 c flour
1/4 c sour cream
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients togther in order. Put in oiled bread pan and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Makes 1 loaf.

Caprese Salad with Apricots (Kristy Anson)

sliced tomatoes (smaller tomatoes will match the size of the apricots better)
apricots, pits removed and cut into slices
slices of fresh mozzarella
basil leaves, washed and dried
extra virgin olive oil
best quality balsamic vinegar
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Slice tomatoes about 1/2 inch thick and arrange on serving platter. Place a slice of apricot on top of each tomato, cut side up. Put a slice of fresh mozzarella on top of the apricots, with a couple of fresh basil leaves on top of the mozzarella. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over, season with salt and fresh ground black pepper, and serve.

Strawberries Romanoff (Kristy Anson)

1 pound fresh strawberries
1/2 cup sour cream
1 T Splenda Brown Sugar Blend, or 2 T brown sugar (or to taste, depending on how sweet you like it)
Be sure to buy the reddest and ripest strawberries you can find for best flavor. Wash strawberries and cut off stems. Cut each strawberry into fourths. Mix sour cream and brown sugar and spoon over strawberries, or stir to coat strawberries. (You may want to experiment with the ratio of sour cream to brown sugar. I prefer a little less sugar and more sour cream in my version.)

Red and Green Fruit Salad (Kristy Anson)

6 oz. raspberries
2 kiwi, peeled and cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup green grapes, cut in half lengthwise
6 oz vanilla yogurt

Combine ingredients, being careful not to over mix, although some breaking apart of the raspberries will improve the flavor. Chill if desired. This will keep in the refrigerator for a day or two. Other fruits you can use include blueberries, blackberries, plums, or red grapes.

Grilled Tomatoes Two Ways (Kristy Anson)

Grilled Parmesan Tomatoes
Two medium ripe tomatoes
One clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil, or 1-teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup fresh soft bread crumbs, or one slice bread, crumbled
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise. Gently squeeze out and discard the seeds. Place the tomatoes cut side up on a broiler pan prepared with nonstick spray. Combine the garlic, oil, basil, and pepper in a small bowl. Brush evenly over the cut surfaces of the tomatoes. Broil 6-inches from the heat source until hot, about five minutes. While the tomatoes are broiling, combine the crumbs and cheese in a small bowl; sprinkle evenly over the tops of the hot tomatoes. Return to the broiler until the crumbs are browned, about two minutes. Serve immediately.

Basic Grilled Tomatoes
Six medium-size firm tomatoes
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
3-1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
One clove garlic, minced
One small shallot, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; more whole leaves for garnish

Prepare the grill by having the grill grate four to five-inches from the flame and heating the coals until medium hot. Remove the green stem from the tomatoes but don't core or cut into them at all. Cut each tomato in half horizontally, and then gently loosen the seed with your fingers. Sprinkle the cut side well with salt. Set them cut side down on a wire rack and let drain for 30 minutes. In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, 3-tablespoons. of the olive oil, the garlic, and the shallot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Then lightly oil the drained tomatoes with the remaining 1/2-tablespoon olive oil.
Arrange tomatoes cut side down on the grill grate and cook until the skins begin to blister and soften, about six to ten minutes. Transfer to a platter. Just before serving, add parsley to the vinaigrette and drizzle over the cooked tomatoes. Garnish with parsley