Food Swap

In leau of Mmmm, Mmmm Monday I thought I would post about the food swap I recently took part in with some of my girlfriends.  I must say, it is a little bit of work up front, but hopefully it will payoff over the next month!

There were five gals that took part and we each made two recipes.  We made five portions of each recipe making a total of 10 meals.  

I made Homemade Lasagna and Chicken Enchiladas.

We all met at our friend, Sara's house to trade meals.  I received Taco Soup, Turkey and Black Bean Chili, Chicken Spaghetti, Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Meat, Southwestern Egg Rolls, Three Cheese Baked Pasta, Taco Meat and Chicken Chili.

You might notice that I have six of each dish I made.  I had one extra of each to take to another family. 

One tip that I got from the internet was to cover the metal pans with Press'N Seal then cover the pans with foil.  That helps to preserve the quality when in the freezer.

I labeled the top of each dish and wrote out the cooking instructions...all in permanent marker of course!

And Viola!  Ten less nights in the kitchen!  

Here is my Lasagna recipe.  It really is yummy.  Flint says it is his favorite Lasagna.....ever.  I think that is a pretty bold statement, but he swears by it.  He is not a fan of Ricotta which most Lasagna recipes call for, but this recipe just calls for Mozzarella.

I have to give credit where credit is due.  This recipe originally came from my friend, Hillary several years ago.  I have made a few adjustments, but it is a home run and is a staple recipe around our house.

Homemade Lasagna

1 pound Mild Sausage

1 pound Ground Beef

1 package Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles

16 ounces Tomato Sauce

2 large cans Diced Tomatoes

2 packages Spaghetti Seasoning

2 packages Lasagna Cheese 

(I have trouble finding this sometimes, so I just use grated Mozzarella)

Cook Sausage and cook Ground Beef.  

Put meat, tomato sauce, canned tomatoes and seasoning into a large pot.  You may also want to add some garlic to the mixture.  Simmer about 45 minutes.

Layer noodles, cheese and sauce.  I usually repeat this three times making it a total of nine layers.  Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour or until it is hot and bubbly.

Okay, I need some good ideas for freezer meals for the next time.  I vowed to myself to not make such labor intensive dishes next time.  I thought of Poppy Seed Chicken, King Ranch Chicken and my Italian Vegetable Soup.  BUT, I am open to other ideas!