Five 10-Minute Meals- Seriously! 10-Minutes!

These meals are some of my busy night/week go-to meals.  I've admitted before that despite my best efforts to plan ahead using my freezer meal stash, sometimes I forget to turn on the slow cooker or thaw out the casserole.  It's on these nights that I usually turn to one of these five recipes.  They are life savers.

Philly Style Roast Beef Sandwiches

Ingredients:
Cooking oil
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1/2 large onion, sliced
14 oz. deli roast beef, chopped
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
4 slices of provolone or mozzarella cheese
4 hoagie buns

Directions: 

1. Preheat a large frying pan at medium high heat.  Add cooking oil. Just enough to coat the pan. 

2. Saute the peppers and onions for 2-3 minutes. 

3. Add the chopped roast beef. Once the edges of some of the beef have caramelized, add the Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, salt and pepper.  Stir to coat. 

4.  Turn the heat off.  Top the meat mixture with cheese.  Cover with lid (or a cookie sheet, if you don't have a matching lid) to help cheese melt. 

5. Spoon the beef mixture on to hoagie buns. Serve with salad, fruit, and chips.  

Fajita Quesadillas

Ingredients:
8 tortillas
1 1/3 cups shredded cheddar-jack cheese
1 bell pepper, sliced
1/2 large onion, sliced
cilantro
optional: leftover chicken, beef, or pork

Directions: 

1. Preheat a large griddle to medium high heat. Coat with cooking oil or butter. 

2. Saute peppers and onions for 3-4 minutes.  Set fajita mixture aside in small bowl. 

3. Wipe griddle with a damp paper towel, if desired. 

4. Add a little more oil or butter to coat.

5. Form the quesadillas by laying tortillas flat, topping them with about 1/3 cup cheese, the fajita veggies, a sprinkle of cilantro, and any leftover meat you may have. Top this with a little sprinkle of cheese (to act as glue) and another tortilla. 

6. Place the quesadillas on the griddle with the cheese side down.  Once cheese melted, about 3 minutes, flip the quesadilla and cook for another 2 minutes.  

7. Serve with beans, fruit, or this great mexi-corn mix to complete the meal.  

French Bread Pizza

Ingredients:
One french bread loaf
3/4 cup marinara sauce
11/2 cups mozzarella cheese
Pizza toppings: pepperoni, sausage, diced bell pepper, diced onion, olives, ham, pineapple

Directions: 

1. Preheat your oven on broil low.  

2. Slice the french bread in half forming two long pieces, a top and a bottom. Place these pieces face up on a cookie sheet. Toast these in the oven until a light golden brown, usually about 1-2 minutes.  Watch this closely- you only want a light toasting. 

3. Remove from oven.  Top each side with sauce, cheese, and your desired pizza toppings. 

4. Place back into the broiler for another 1-2 minutes, until the cheese has melted. 

5. Cut into slices and serve immediately.  

Garlic Pasta and Veggies

Ingredients:
1 lb. pasta, any shape
2 TBS olive oil
Veggies: onions, carrots, broccoli, bell peppers
Quick cooking veggies: zucchini, green beans, yellow squash, spinach
1 TBS minced garlic
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 cup shredded Parmesean cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Prepare pasta as described on packaging. 

2. While the pasta is cooking, begin sauteing your longer cooking veggies, like onions and broccoli, in a very large frying pan on medium-high heat. 

3. After 3-4 minutes, add your quick cooking veggies, like zucchini and spinach.  Cook for 2-3 minutes. 

4. Add garlic and toss.  

5. Once your kitchen is filled with the aroma of garlic, add your drained pasta.  Toss to coat with olive oil.  Add basil and cheese. 

(*Note: for a little extra flavor, you can drizzle a teaspoon or two of infused olive oil in step 5.  Lemon olive oil is my favorite)

Turkey Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Ingredients:
8 slices of bread (sandwich, french, sourdough)
7 oz. deli turkey
4 TBS. prepared pesto sauce
8 slices of mozzarella cheese
Optional: slices of tomato

Directions:

1. Preheat griddle to medium heat. 

2. Prepare sandwiches: (layers from bottom to top) bread, slice of mozzarella, turkey, (optional- slice of tomato), mozzarella, one tablespoon pesto, bread.  

3. Coat griddle with cooking oil or butter. Place sandwiches down. Cook for 4-5 minutes. 

4. Flip sandwiches and cook for 3-4 more minutes. 

5. Serve with tomato soup. 

Viola!  Dinner is served in less than 10 minutes.  

From the Freezer to the Table in Less Than 30 Minutes, Ham

My family seems to always have a surplus of ham leftover at the holidays... which I love!  Because, cooked ham is a great ingredient to have in the freezer.  Plus, it's my little boy's favorite protein.  Seriously though, he can eat more pieces of ham than me.

Here are a few ways my family enjoys ham.

Ham Fried Rice 

(from The Recipe Critic)

1½ cups- 2 cups chopped ham
3 cups cooked rice
2 Tbs sesame oil
1 small white onion, chopped
1 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed
2-3 Tablespoons soy sauce (more or less to taste)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp chopped green onions (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat a large skillet or wok to medium heat. Pour sesame oil in the bottom. Add white onion, chopped ham, peas and carrots and fry until tender.

2. Slide the onion, peas and carrots to the side, and pour the beaten eggs onto the other side. Using a spatula, scramble the eggs. Once cooked, mix the eggs with the vegetable mix.

3. Add the rice to the veggie, ham and egg mixture. Pour the soy sauce on top. Stir and fry the rice and veggie mixture until heated through and combined. Add chopped green onions if desired.

Breakfast Burritos 

(adapted from Favorite Freezer Foods)

12 tortillas

10 eggs
2 cups (500 ml) diced ham
1 ½ cups (375 ml) grated cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

optional: cooked potatoes (frozen french fries taste delicious), sour cream, taco sauce, sauteed bell pepper and onion
(cooking oil spray or butter)

Instructions: 

1. Dice the ham and grate the cheese first then set them aside.

2. Preheat your frying pan on medium-low. Spray it with cooking oil or coat with butter. Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk. Pour eggs into preheated pan. 

3. While the eggs are cooking lay out all your tortillas on the table or counter so you can fill them evenly when your ready.  Tip: make sure your tortillas are room temperature or warmer.  Cold tortillas will rip when you burrito roll them. 

4. Once the eggs are done throw them into a large bowl and add the ham, cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Be sure to stir them well to get the cheese distributed. I like this method better than layering in the cheese because when the cheese is against the tortilla and melts in the microwave I think it makes the tortilla too chewy as it cools.

5. Spread the filling evenly among the tortillas. I use my 1/4 cup dry measuring cup so I can keep them all about the same size. Sometimes I add cooked potatoes, a little dollop of sour cream, and some taco sauce. 

6. Wrap them like a burrito, fold the sides in first and then turn up the bottom and roll to close. Try to make them long and skinny instead of short and fat, the longer skinnier ones reheat more evenly.

7. Wrap each burrito into plastic wrap.  Put all the burritos in a gallon-sized bag and store in the freezer. 

8. When you're ready to eat, unwrap the burrito and microwave for 1 minute on high.  Flip the burrito over and microwave for another 45 seconds. 

Ham and Corn Chowder 

(from Cooking Classy)

(*Disclaimer: This recipe is delicious, but I've never frozen this particular recipe before. I have had other frozen chowders before.  As long as the broth contains 50% chicken broth, 50% milk, I find it thaws and reheat well.  Just be sure to thaw it slowly. Then, reheat it on the stove top on low while stirring often. I would also leave out the potato if freezing. They just fall apart. )

Ingredients

2 cups cooked ham, diced into small cubes
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
5 1/2 Tbsp butter, divided
1 medium yellow onion, diced (1 1/2 cups)
2 carrots, peeled and diced (3/4 cup)
2 celery stalks, diced (3/4 cup)
2 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth
5 medium red potatoes (1 3/4 lb), diced into 3/4-inch cubes
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (or frozen)
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1/2 cup sour cream
Chives for topping


Directions
In a large pot, melt 1 1/2 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery and saute until tender, about 4 minutes. 

Add chicken broth, potatoes, oregano, thyme, and bay leaf and season with salt and pepper to taste (slightly under-season with salt as the ham and bacon will add more saltiness to soup). 

Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium, cover with lid and allow to cook until potatoes are very tender, about 17 - 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce to warm heat, stir in ham and corn.

In a medium saucepan, melt remaining 4 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook mixture, stirring constantly, 1 1/2 minutes. While whisking, slowly add in milk, and whisk vigorously to smooth lumps, season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture to a boil and allow to thicken, whisking constantly. 

Remove from heat, stir in sour cream or cream. Pour and stir milk mixture into soup mixture. 

Serve warm topped with bacon and chives.