Made my first batch meal. It truly was simple. Nothing more than tripling the recipe. I changed it up a bit compared to the website posted recipe. http://amysfinerthings.com/batch-cooking I added black olives (we love them!), used penne instead of ziti, and I mixed the creamy things (cottage cheese, and sour cream) and spices with the pasta first. I added my black olives at this point also - 
Nummy Nummy! Oh, and go for non-fat sour cream, cottage cheese, and cheeses. Healthy AND delicious.
Then I mixed in the meat/sauce mixture. I’m a big fan of mixing in my sauce with the cooked meat I am using. It saves a cooking pan, and works just as well. I mixed it up in a big roasting pan! (the pic is a little blurry) That is how much this recipe makes if you triple it. And really, to make a batch, you need to triple it.
Then we wanted it for dinner, so I used a ladle and scooped 3 large helpings into a baking dish, covered with provolone, and mozzarella, and baked – uncovered for 35 minutes at 350. It didn’t take that long to cook, as it was already really ‘ freshly cooked’. Let me tell you, everyone (4 of us) went back for seconds : )
So – then its time to place the extra in its freezer containers. I used 8 7/16 x 5 15/16 square aluminum pans. I could have bought them with lids, but opted out as I got more for my money without, and knew I wouldn’t cook it with a plastic lid – only store it. But that is your call. The remainder made 4 pans of food. I will try 8×8 pans next time. Stretch it out a little more.
* check mark next to recipe was a total success!
And I figured I’d add the recipe here for easy reading, the way I made it…… just remember to triple it for be able to freeze any of it. Otherwise, make it just to LOVE eating it! : )
Pasta Dish:
- 1 pound ziti
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ – ¾ cup sour cream (to triple use 16 oz sour cream)
- ½ – ¾ cup cottage cheese (to triple use 16 oz cottage cheese)
- 3 cups favorite sauce (3 26 oz jars to triple it)
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
- 4 tsp minced garlic
- 5-6 slices provolone cheese
- 1 -2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 small can sliced black olives (my add to the recipe! use large can to triple)
I would recommend less rosemary. It was a little strong. Can’t hurt to increase the garlic though, and the italian seasoning. Mental note for the next time I make this yummy recipe.
- Boil the pasta (penne or ziti – both bake well) until just tender, drain and place in your mixing bowl. (I used a large roasting pan)
- Brown beef with onions and garlic and drain the fat. Add back the meat, and then add your favorite sauce to this pan. Continue simmering.
- Add the Italian seasoning, light on the rosemary, sour cream and cottage cheese, to your mixing bowl. Stir until everything is mixed well. Dig down, so you don’t miss anything! That sour cream can hide!
- Slowly pour the sauce/meat mixture into the mixing bowl. Stir well.
- Spoon the mixture into your freezer pans. I used 4 square 8 7/16 x 5 15/16 pans. They were fairly deep. If you are going to eat any of it now, scoop about 3 large ladles into a 8×8 or 9×13 baking dish. Cover with provolone, and mozzarella – and bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees. You don’t need to cook it long at all, just enough to get the cheese nice and melted, and the rest all bubbly.
- Cover each freezer pan, first with provolone (6 normal slices worked perfect across the top), then cover the entire surface with mozzarella so you can’t see anything else.
- Let these pans sit out for an hour or so (cover gently with a towel). (I didn’t do that my first time, BUT from everything I have read, it is good to do when you freeze, it stops or slows all that condensation, and calms the swelling/air intake)
- Take plastic wrap, and tightly cover each pan.
- Take aluminum foil, and also cover each pan.
- Mark with your cooking instructions. I tape a sticky note to the top so it is easy to peel off. I would recommend to cook for 1 hour at 350 degrees, then uncover, and cook 10-15 minutes until cheese begins to brown a little and overall it is bubbly. (really – your cooking time will 100% depend on your oven)
- Place in freezer.
With all ingredients handy, and hubby’s help in piling it into its freezer pans and tightly wrapping……. total preparation time was like 40 minutes. totally simple. Clean up was fairly simple too: 1 big roasting pan that everything was mixed in, the measure spoons, mixing spoons, scoop ladle, pan to brown meat (same pan used with sauce), colander to drain meat, pan to boil noodles – and that’s about it. oh, wipe the counter down – cause there will be a bit of splashing as you are moving the pasta to the freezer containers…… but it’s literally that simple. 1 1/2 hour of work; and we were eating the goodies, and watching a movie! with 4 additional dinners ready for other times. I cannot express how good it feels for me to be a little a head of the game of ‘dinnertime’. Each little step forward in this department will 1. save money, 2. keep healthy eating habits and 3. promote family togetherness (hubby helps!) ……. Doing this one time a week, will eventually lead to a freezer full of goodness! (2 freezers……..his and hers! for now :< )
* check mark next to tickled pasta pink! : )
OH – and then I GOTTA share with you the pork ribs crockpot recipe!! SOOOOOOOOOO easy ……… and fall, off the bone NUMMY … and easy ……. that is soooooooooo E A S Y ….
