Tag Archives: bbq

Freezer Meals: Week 6

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Wednesday before the final summer holiday weekend = grill/BBQ-themed freezer meals. In looking for some inspo for long weekend eats, I think I found some awesome options. Let’s jump right in!

Coconut Lime Chicken

Coconut_Lime_Grilled _Chicken

Coconut Lime Grilled Chicken [http://www.livingwellspendingless.com/2014/06/04/coconut-lime-chicken/]

Living Well Spending Less gives us a recipe that they claim will take us straight to a tropical vacation. To make this a freezer meal, simply split the marinade and chicken into multiple bags, and throw it right into the freezer. You don’t HAVE to make this ahead of time, but if you want to, it doesn’t hurt!

This is super easy – marinade includes 3-4 limes, olive oil, coconut milk, garlic, ginger, salt & papper, and parsley. Combine and marinade with chicken of your choice! If you decide to freeze at this stage, make sure you press all the air out of the bag. Once you’re ready to cook, thaw if frozen, and grill 6-8 minutes per side. Couldn’t be easier!

Boneless Country Style BBQ Ribs

Boneless_Country_Style_BBQ Ribs

Boneless Country Style BBQ Ribs [http://happymoneysaver.com/boneless-country-style-bbq-ribs-slow-cooker-freezer-meal/]

HappyMoneySaver.com gives us a recipe that couldn’t scream BBQ any louder. This is a slow cooker freezer meal, so may take more prep work, but it’s worth the squeeze for this hearty meal. Ingredients are simple: boneless pork country-style ribs, a large onion sliced, minced garlic, brown sugar, applesauce, BBQ sauce of choice, salt & pepper.

Add all ingredients to  your slow cooker and mix. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. To freeze in advance, all you need to do is combine all ingredients and add to a freezer safe gallon sized bag. To cook, thaw + throw in the slow cooker as directed. Once you’re done, top with some additional BBQ sauce and you’re good to go!

Even though this is an awesome holiday weekend meal, I’m pretty tempted to make this a freeze & go weeknight meal for a busy week – total crowd pleaser and easily served with some quick sides for a meal!

Gourmet Spinach Blue Cheese Burgers

Gourmet_Spinach_Blue_Cheese_Burgers

Gourmet Spinach Blue Cheese Burgers [http://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/freezer-meal-gourmet-spinach-blue-cheese-burgers/]

I know we all love the classic grilled hamburger, but I love the spin that OneHundredDollarsAMonth puts on this classic recipe. These are super easy to make in a huge batch and freeze. All you need to do is grab them out of the freezer, toss them on the grill, and kick any BBQ up a notch from there.

Ingredients include baby spinach, chopped, garlic, olive oil, ground beef, crumbled blue cheese, salt & pepper. Saute the spinach, garlic, and olive oil and allow to cool. Combine with the rest of the ingredients and form into rounded patties. Lay the formed patties onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and freeze for 30 minutes – then transfer to freezer bags.

Once you’re ready to cook, remove from freezer and throw on the grill as is until cooked through – no need to thaw! Serve on warm buns with any additional toppings you’d want. Love this!

Balsamic Grilled Veggies

Balsamic_Grilled_Veggies

Balsamic Grilled Veggies [https://onceamonthmeals.com/recipes/balsamic-grilled-veggies/]

Can’t leave out my fellow veggie lovers! This recipe is a simple side for any dish – and couldn’t be easier!

OnceAMonthMeals brings us this hearty veggie side that I cannot wait to try. Ingredients include green beans, zucchini, red onion, garlic, basil, bell pepper, canned Great Northern beans, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper. If you’re looking to freeze, place all veggies and beans in a large bowl, whisk together liquids and spices in another bowl. Bag veggies and sauce separately and freeze.

Once you want to serve, thaw & pour sauce over veggies. Stir until combined. Place in a grill basket and grill over medium heat for 15-20 minutes.

So there you have it! Enjoy these recipes and enjoy the long weekend. Cheers!

#NationalWatermelonDay

Happy Monday AND Happy August, Everyone!

I am really starting to LOVE these “national holidays” because they are such an awesome way to shoot you all deals and discounts as well as some of my favorite inexpensive recipes!

With that said, here we are on August 3, #nationalwatermelonday – the perfect summer fruit for BBQ consumption and everyday snacking. The Anders’ are no strangers to this giant, healthy, treat.

First and foremost, did you know that pound for pound, watermelons are one of the CHEAPEST fruits or vegetables you can buy? Whataboutwatermelon.com says that, like most produce, prices vary depending on the season, but that you can usually pick up a watermelon for much less than 1 dollar per pound! So, when your store is selling giant 12-pounders for $3.99 each, that’s only 33 cents a pound!

Pro tip: always buy these whole if you want your bang for your buck! The store will certainly upcharge you for pre-cubed or sliced watermelon. Isn’t cutting it up half the fun?!

Moving on…I thought that since watermelon is SUCH a crowd pleaser, that I’d share some of my favorite kid-friendly recipes to make watermelon even more fun to eat.

1) Watermelon Pizza – WHAT?! Yes, watermelon pizza.

watermelon_pizza

Watermelon Pizza [http://www.mrshappyhomemaker.com/fruit-pizza/]

This is so fun! If you slice up your watermelon into round circles, and the cut it up into 4 triangle slices, you’ve got yourself a personal watermelon pizza. Toppings? Easy! Top with your favorite fruits: bananas, strawberries, blueberries, etc. We love adding yogurt as well! Such a fun snack that the kids love putting together – great for pool days.

2) Watermelon Ice

watermelon_ice

Watermelon Ice [http://www.tasteandtellblog.com/watermelon-ice/?crlt.pid=camp.wWBFUR1elAEN]

TasteAndTell totally crushes it with this recipe that’s fun for kids and adults alike! It’s as easy as it sounds. Cube up some watermelon and toss them in the freezer. Take them out and use them as ice cubes in water for a refreshing drink – I love it in seltzer too! It’s the perfect way for a ‘sweet’ drink without all the junk.

3) Fresh Watermelon Salsa

fresh_watermelon_salsa

Fresh Watermelon Salsa [http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/fresh-watermelon-salsa-64879.aspx?cm_mmc=Social-_-Pinterest-_-Ahalogy-_-43648#_a5y_p=1979041]

This is the perfect summer salsa recipe from Kraft! It’s super simple – chopper watermelon, chopped cucumbers, chopped red onions, cilantro, some dressing, and hot chiles to taste. Serve with tortilla chips (Check out my homemade tortilla chip recipe here!) for the perfect refreshing snack or appetizer! I find that this recipe is awesome for kids who are not quite on board with spicy flavors yet – you can tweak this to be as mild or hot as you please!

Hope this inspired all of you to take watermelon to the next level and celebrate #nationalwatermelonday! Have an awesome week 🙂

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