Yesterday I spent almost all day cooking up a storm to put a few dishes in the freezer for after baby arrives.
Prior to yesterday I had made up several loaves of bread (banana and zucchini) and several batches of soup (cheese-based Chicken Tortilla Soup, Beef Stew, and Cheesy Brat Stew) so while our freezer is slowly filling up, I wanted a few dishes that weren’t soup or bread.
It started with a visit from my good friend Lindsey B. She came over and we made Stuffed French Toast for lunch (using choke cherry jam and choke cherry syrup, DELISH!) Then once Connor went down for a nap, I put her to work (seriously, thank you so much for your help!) peeling potatoes while I did other prep.
First up, the Borscht. This is a combination recipe from All Recipes and Charlene Kulish that I’ve tweaked for myself. Be warned, I’m a “bit of this, bit of that” type of cook:
6 Medium beets
6 carrots, peeled and chopped
6 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 TBSP Vegetable Oil
2 medium onion, chopped
1 medium head cabbage, cored and shredded
28 oz canned diced tomatoes
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 TBSP dill weed
1 TBSP celery seed, optional
Sour cream
OPTIONAL STEPS:
1 lb stew meat or brisket (do not cut up brisket)
3 - 5lb soup meat
In an 8qt pot, bring the beef, one large onion, 2 whole cloves garlic and 1 TBS salt to a boil. Simmer on low for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until meat falls apart. Remove the stew or brisket meat with slotted spoon. Shred brisket and put aside. Next strain the stock through a fine sieve. Return to clean pot.
Begin by removing the beet stems and washing thoroughly. Fill an 8qt pot half-full with water (or use stock from above) and bring to boil. Add beets and boil for one hour. Remove beets, reserving the water for the soup, and rinse with cool water for a few minutes. Once cool to the touch, beets can be peeled and cubed and set aside.
Add beet water to 8qt stock pot and fill with water to 6qts. Bring to boil and add potatoes. Boil potatoes for 10 minutes, then add beets and carrots and cook until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the cabbage and the can of diced tomatoes (and brisket, if using optional step above).
Heat the oil in the skillet and add the onion and cook until tender. Transfer to pot. Add the raw garlic, salt, pepper, and dill weed and simmer for 10-15 more minutes.
Add more salt and pepper to taste, and serve. Add sour cream or heavy cream over the top, along with fresh dill, if desired.
Somewhere in there, I made three Tator Tot Hotdishes using a simple recipe I’m sure I’ve garnered from other people
3lbs ground turkey
1 medium onion
2 clove garlic
3 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cups milk
16 ounces frozen veggies (your choice, I use corn, peas, and green beans)
16-32 ounce bag frozen tator tots
salt and pepper to taste
Optional: 2 cups cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Brown the turkey with the onion and garlic, drain water. Add the creams soups and milk, bring to boil. Add the frozen veggies and cook until hot. Separate mixture between three 8×12 casserole dishes and layer with tator tots. Cover with optional cheese. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until tator tots are cooked through and cheese is melted and bubbly.
And finally, my favorite, Shepherd’s Pie. Now, technically this would be Cottage Pie because I do not use lamb in the recipe, but I call it Shepherd’s Pie so it is more recognized by those who I mention it to.
This version is garnered from several different recipes that I’ve found on the internet, and tweaked to get the results I want.
Shepherd’s Pie
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 TBSP olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup chopped carrots
1-2 cups frozen corn and peas
28oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup beef broth (water can be substituted)
1 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce (add 2 TBSP more if water is used instead of broth)
Salt and pepper to taste
2lb potatoes
1 stick butter
Preheat oven to 400 degrees if cooking from frozen, 350 degrees if adding straight to the oven once prepared.
Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in salter water until tender. Drain and mash with entire stick of butter.
Heat olive oil in a large pan, add onion, garlic, and carrot and cook until soft. Add ground beef and saute until done. Add salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, tomatoes, corn, and peas. Cook uncovered over low heat for 10 minutes (should thicken slightly).
Put filling into a deep dish casserole (two 8×12s work well) and top with mashed potatoes. Rough up the potatoes with a fork to give peaks for browning.
Bake for 20-30 minutes, with the last five under the broiler until top is browned and crisp. Can be topped with cheese.
From frozen: cook until done, approximately 1 1/2 hours.
I also made garlic smashed potatoes and a bastardized version of Chicken Divan using boxed stuffing mix, but those recipes are not currently with me.
So that’s it, if you happen to make any of the recipes I post, please let me know how they turn out!
~Jaci