TARBORO — School has started. That means soccer practice, cheerleading practice, football games and many other after-school activities. That also means that there are nights when there is just no time to prepare dinner.

Unfortunately that also means that we often grab a burger from the drive-through or order takeout to pick up on the way home so that we can cram in homework and whatever other activity is on the agenda for today.

There is another way to handle those hectic weeknights. A frozen entree is an easy way to have a good home-cooked meal when you have no time to prepare one. Take one opf these meals out of the freezer and pop it into the oven while you help with homework or get changed for the next event. Serve it with a bagged, tossed salad and dinner is served. You will add about 10-15 minutes of cooking time to these recipes because you are cooking frozen food.

You can make this even easier by having one of these for dinner one night but prepare two. Eat one and freeze one.

Our first recipe is pizza casserole. The kids will love this one because it has the flavor of pizza. I love to make these ahead and keep them in the freezer for the busy nights, as I mentioned above, but also for those times when I need to deliver a meal to a friend or church member.

The second recipe is an easy enchilada. I love this one because I love Mexican food. Some Mexican food can be very hard and time consuming to prepare. This isn’t one of those. It’s easy and delicious. This version is not hot. However, you can spice it up by adding a can of chilies or sliced jalapeños.

Recipe three is veggie pasta shells. Freeze these jumbo stuffed shells either in a casserole covered with sauce, or freeze the individual shells in small bags without the sauce. That way you can take out one or two and zap in the microwave for a fast lunch or dinner.

The last recipe is a chicken potato casserole. I love it. If you buy frozen, cooked chicken, it’s even easier. You can spice this one up with some added peppers as well. But, it great just as it is.



Pizza Casserole

1 lb uncooked ziti or other tubular pasta

1/2 lb bulk Italian sausage

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 cans (15 oz each) pizza sauce

8 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled

1/2 package (3.5-oz size) sliced pepperoni

2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend (8 oz)



Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3-quart casserole with cooking spray. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package using minimum cook time. Return to saucepan.

Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, cook and stir sausage, onion, bell pepper and garlic over medium-high heat about 7 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink and onion is softened. Stir in pizza sauce, bacon and pepperoni. Pour mixture over cooked pasta; stir. Spoon half of pasta mixture (about 4 cups) into casserole. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese. Spoon remaining pasta mixture on top.

Bake 30 minutes; top with remaining 1 cup of cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until hot and cheese is melted and bubbly.

Easy Enchiladas

1 box (6.4 oz) rice and vermicelli mix with Spanish seasonings

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 1/4 cups water

1 can (19 oz) mild enchilada sauce

1 can (16 oz) pinto beans, drained, rinsed

1 can (11 oz) Southwestern style corn, drained

1 package (8.2 oz) flour tortillas for soft tacos & fajitas (ten 6-inch tortillas)

2 cups finely shredded Mexican cheese blend (8 oz)



Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook rice and vermicelli with butter over medium heat until rice mixture is golden brown, stirring frequently. Stir in water and seasoning mix from rice box. Heat to boiling. Cover; reduce heat to low. Cook 15 to 20 minutes or until rice mixture is tender. Stir in 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce, the pinto beans and corn.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place about 1/2 cup rice mixture on center of each tortilla; top rice mixture in each tortilla with about 1 tablespoon of the cheese. Fold each in half. Arrange tortillas in 2 rows of 5 in baking dish, placing tortillas open end up, slanting and overlapping. Pour remaining enchilada sauce evenly over enchiladas. Cover tightly with foil.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until hot and sauce begins to bubble. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered about 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.



Veggie Pasta Shells

24 uncooked jumbo pasta shells

1 (10-ounce) can vegetable broth

1 carrot, minced

1 potato, peeled and diced

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 egg

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1 (28-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese



Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse, drain, and let cool.

In a large saucepan, heat broth to boiling. Stir in carrots, potatoes and onions and cook 3-4 minutes until vegetables are tender. Drain vegetables well. Combine with ricotta, mozzarella, egg, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Stir in Italian seasoning. Fill each cooked and cooled shell with this cheese mixture.

Pour 1/2 cup of the spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9x13" baking pan. Arrange stuffed shells in a single layer on the sauce. Pour remaining sauce over top. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

To freeze, refrigerate at this point until cold. Then wrap, label, and freeze up to 3 months. To thaw and reheat, thaw whole casserole overnight in refrigerator. Bake as directed below, adding 15-20 minutes to baking time. To thaw and reheat individual shells, microwave on 40 percent power for 2-4 minutes until thawed. Then microwave on 60 percent power for 1-3 minutes until hot and bubbly.

To bake immediately, cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Then uncover and bake for 10-15 minutes longer or until hot and bubbly.

Note: This is a cooking recipe, which means that ingredient amounts do not have to be precise. Use the carrot, potato, and onion you have on hand. Just use common sense.



Chicken Potato Casserole

10 oz. can condensed reduced fat and sodium cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup milk

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

1-1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

3-1/2 cups frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed

1-1/2 cups frozen peppers and onions, thawed

1-1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1-1/2 cups crushed potato chips



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine soup, sour cream, milk, chicken and 1-1/4 cups cheese. Spread three-quarters of this mixture in a greased 2-quart baking dish.

Sprinkle hash browns and peppers and onions over the top of the casserole and press down lightly, then top vegetables with remaining soup mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and potato chips.

Bake casserole, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving. 8 servings

To freeze, assemble casserole as directed, except do not thaw potatoes, peppers, or onions and do not sprinkle with potato chips. Wrap casserole in freezer wrap or heavy duty foil and freeze. Reserve potato chips in pantry. To thaw and bake, let thaw overnight in refrigerator. Uncover and bake at 350 degrees F for 60-70 minutes until bubbly. Then top with crushed potato chips and bake 5-10 minutes longer.



Did you know?



Tips for preparing and storing food in the freezer

Bake your frozen one dish meal slightly longer than one that’s baked immediately after being prepared. Most need an additional 10 to 15 minutes, but it’s a good idea to check the dish during baking time and adjust the time accordingly.

Casseroles may be frozen before or after they are baked.

Recipes with a low-fat sauce or condensed soup base usually freeze well.

If a recipe calls for sour cream, add it after thawing and reheating the dish.

Crisp toppings, such as nuts, crushed chips or bacon bits, should be added after the dish is thawed.

Fresh potatoes do not freeze well. Some dairy products, such as sour cream, half-and-half, and ricotta and cottage cheese, are also not recommended for freezing.

To make sure meats, vegetables, pastas and grains don’t overcook when reheated, cook them just until tender the first time around.

Cool foods before placing them in the freezer.

Store foods at 0 degrees or colder.

Freeze food in sizes that are suitable for your family. Individual sizes are a good idea, as is enough for one family meal.

Use airtight containers that can go in the microwave or can go directly from the freezer to the oven.

For best quality, use frozen casseroles within three months.

Food reheating in the microwave – zap It!

A microwave is a quick and easy way to reheat one dish meals. For food safety reasons, bring the internal temperature to 140°F. Use an instant-read thermometer to determine whether the food is hot enough at its center. Don’t leave the thermometer in the food while microwave heating; use it to check the temperature only after reheating.



Karen’s Kitchen is a weekly column by Karen Freeman of Tarboro. Contact Karen at:

kvfreeman@triad.rr.com to exchange ideas, ask questions, submit recipes, tips or suggestions.

Check out her Web site: http://www.geocities.com/kvfreeman27886/