Lunchbox Freezer Cooking

Lunchbox Freezer Cooking: Allergen-Free Chocolate Crunch Bars (Day 10)

by Crystal on September 28, 2012

Guest post from Michelle of The Willing Cook

A good friend of mine makes Peanut Butter Scotchies on occasion — a delicious and calorie-loaded recipe. I have had the pleasure of indulging myself in this treat a few times, and let me tell you, there is a reason why she doesn’t make them very often.

Since we have wheat, dairy, egg, soy, corn, and a few other allergies at house, I would be the only one who could eat Peanut Butter Scotchies if I made them. While I’m sure I can enjoy an entire pan of these bars, I certainly don’t need to. So, I embarked upon a mission to make an allergen-friendly (and a little healthier) version that my family can share with me.

My first attempt at these bars, while delicious, almost sent us on an emergency dentist trip because they were so hard. I couldn’t leave them alone though — the taste was amazing! After a bit more tinkering, I finally got the recipe down and I’m thrilled to share this recipe with you today.

Chocolate Nut Butter Crunch Bars

(makes a 9″x13″ pan of bars)

Ingredients:

1 cup raw sugar
1/2 cup brown rice syrup (I buy mine from Tropical Traditions.)
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups allowed nut butter (you can use peanut/treenut-free Sunbutter, almond/cashew/other treenut butter, or peanut butter)
4 cups rice krispies (Kellogg’s gluten-free variety work great; add more, if needed)
2 cups allowed chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life: dairy, soy & nut-free)
2 Tbsp coconut oil

Directions:

Add raw sugar, brown rice syrup, and water to a 5qt pot; whisk over medium-low heat until it starts to boil. Turn heat down to simmer and continue to whisk for 3-5 minutes, until you notice it start to thicken a little. (We are thinning out the brown rice syrup a little, but also burning most of the water off.)
Remove pot from heat and whisk in nut butter. If it seems too thick, you can place the pot back on the turned off burner. When all is well combined, stir in the rice krispies 1 cup at a time, until completely incorporated. (If it is too runny, add a little extra rice krispies. I added about 1/4 cup more.)
Grease a 9″x13″ glass baking dish (very important step!). Pour rice krispie mixture into the dish and press down evenly. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or until it hardens somewhat.
When the baking dish has been in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so, start making your chocolate topping. Using the same pot as before, make sure all the rice krispie remnants are removed. Over low heat, whisk together your chocolate chips and coconut oil. (Yes, you want the little bit of the nut butter mixture from earlier to mix in with the chocolate.) Continue to stir the chocolate until it melts and is smooth.
Remove your baking dish from the refrigerator and spread your melted chocolate over the rice krispies evenly. Place the dish into the freezer (or refrigerator for longer time, but I couldn’t wait) for 20-30 minutes.
Once the chocolate is solid, Slide a knife around the edges of the bars to loosen them from the sides of the baking dish. Lay out a piece of wax or parchment paper, roughly cut to a 9×13 size. Carefully flip the baking dish over on top of the paper so that the bars easily come loose and fall out (chocolate will be face side down). You may have to give the underside of the baking dish a few taps to get it out.
Carefully flip the bars back over so the chocolate is on top (it may be easier to cut the rectangle in half first). Using a large, sharp knife, start cutting your bars into the desired size. Serve or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 weeks.

These bars are so good, you’ll never guess they were allergen-free!
Michelle is blessed to stay home with her three children (ages 10, 7, and 4), while her husband works to provide. When she’s not experimenting with allergy-friendly meals, she’s blogging about it at The Willing Cook. Through the Willing Cook, her hope is that you gain peace of mind in your kitchen (and your pocket book) and are able to serve those you love who suffer with food allergies.

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Lunchbox Freezer Cooking: Corn Dog Muffins (Day 9)

by Crystal on September 27, 2012

Okay, so I know there’s a big debate over whether or not corn bread should be sweet or not. If you’re in the camp that says it should not be sweet, then this recipe probably isn’t for you.

But if you love a good piece of sweet, moist cornbread, you have got to try my World’s Best Honey Cornbread recipe. Because you know I don’t dub something “world’s best” unless I believe in all sincerity it is.

I took this recipe and used it to make Corn Dog Muffins, which are basically just a much easier way to make homemade corn dogs. Okay, so you don’t get to eat these on a stick like a typical corn dog, but the taste is exactly the same.

Last time I made Corn Dog Muffins, I put in a big chunk of beef dogs in the center of each muffin (see a photo of these here). I decided I wasn’t completely sure that I loved that idea, so this time, I cut the beef dogs into chunks and then put a spoonful of batter on the bottom of the muffin tin, some chunks of beef dog, and topped it with another spoonful of corn bread batter.

Jamie from Milk Allergy Mom has a dairy-free, egg-free version of these muffins here.

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Lunchbox Freezer Cooking: Mini Lasagnas (Day 8)

by Crystal on September 26, 2012

Ever since I saw this recipe for Mini Lasagnas, I knew I had to try it.

It’s not the simplest or most inexpensive recipe out there, but it sure was fun to make. And it’s definitely a more unique portable lunch idea — especially great for those of you who have access to a microwave.

I added salt, pepper, parsley, and two eggs to the ricotta cheese. This is how I always make lasagna, so I thought it would make these a bit more flavorful than just using straight ricotta.

I also added canned tomatoes to the pasta sauce. I attempted to save myself from having to dirty up another bowl by pouring these two things in the empty ricotta container. But, as you can see, that idea didn’t go over so well… actually, I guess it did go over — over the side of the container, that is!

I thought these turned out beautifully and they tasted really delicious. I’m freezing them in airtight ziptop bags and am thinking I can just pull out however many I need at a time and let them thaw for a few hours before warming in the microwave.

You can find a Dairy-Free version of these Mini Lasagnas over at Milk Allergy Mom.

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Lunchbox Freezer Cooking: Homemade Chicken Salsa Pockets (Day 7)

by Crystal on September 25, 2012

I concocted these the other night and they ended up being a huge hit with everyone in our family. They were gone in a flash and I had to make more since Jesse was wondering what happened to them the next day!

If you like this recipe, be sure to check out my similar Homemade Pizza Pockets recipe. Those are fantastic, too!

Freezer-Friendly Chicken Salsa Pockets

Dough:

1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F.)
1 teaspoon sugar (raw sugar or sucanat)
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons oil (I used olive oil.)
2 1/2 cups flour (I used unbleached, but I think half white, half whole-wheat would also work well.)

Filling:

1/2 cup salsa
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
1 to 2 cups baked and chopped chicken

To make dough: Mix yeast into warm water until dissolved. Add sugar, salt, oil, and flour. Mix well and dump onto a floured surface and knead for 3-5 minutes, until a soft dough forms.

To make pockets: Divide dough into 8-10 pieces. Roll pieces into balls. Flatten balls into circles with rolling pin. Dollop a spoonful of salsa onto dough circle, sprinkle with cheese and chicken. Fold over and seal tightly.

Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 500 degrees for 10-15 minutes until browned.

To freeze: Cool completely and store in an airtight ziptop freezer bag for up to 2-3 months.

To serve: Remove desired number of pockets from the freezer and warm them individually in the microwave for about two minutes or until heated throw. Or, warm on a cookie sheet in a 350-degrees oven for 20 minutes, or until heated through.

Makes 8 to 10 pockets.

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Lunchbox Freezer Cooking: Homemade Pizza Lunchables (Day 6)

by Crystal on September 24, 2012

Inspired by this idea, I made Homemade Pizza Lunchables. I used our favorite Pizza Dough recipe and they turned out really well.

To serve these, you could either make them like Lunchables with some shredded cheese in a baggie, some pizza sauce in a little container, and one of the pizza crusts for your child to put together for their lunch. All of these items could be frozen in an airtight bag or an airtight freezer-friendly plastic lunch container.

Or, if you’re eating at home, you could top these with whatever pizza toppings you like and either heat them in the microwave or toaster oven, or bake them in the oven until heated through.

By the way, you can find a Dairy-Free version of this idea here.

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Lunchbox Freezer Cooking: Chicken Broccoli Rice Cups (Day 5)

by Crystal on September 19, 2012

I re-created our well-loved Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole into a more portable version tonight. Honestly, after making it, I’m not entirely sold on the idea of putting it in muffin tins.

It would work well for an at-home lunch with little people who have small appetites. But for anyone over the age of three or four, I think it might be more convenient to make the casserole, bake it, and then divvy it up into portion-sized airtight containers to freeze.

This is a recipe that freezes really well — baked or unbaked. And it thaws well, and re-heats well. So no matter how you decide to divvy it up and freeze it, it’s hard to go wrong.

By the way, if you’ve not tried this recipe yet, it’s a big favorite of ours. In fact, my kids request to eat it for breakfast when we have leftovers in the fridge! (Truth be told, I usually let them. But hey, it has grains, dairy, protein, and veggies. So I don’t think it can be that detrimental to eat for breakfast. And it’s probably loads better than most boxed cereals on the market — especially if you make your own homemade soup mixes!)

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Lunchbox Freezer Cooking: Peanut Butter & Jelly Sushi (Day 4)

by Crystal on September 18, 2012

Okay, so this recipe probably won’t win the award for being the least time-intensive recipe to pull off… especially since it requires a few more steps than a typical PB&J sandwich.

However, it’s creative and different — and might be an fun option for a picky eater. And I think it was significantly easier than the homemade uncrustables were.

By the way, if you want to make things even easier for yourself, just make Freezer-Friendly Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches.

Freezer-Friendly Peanut Butter & Jelly Sushi

Peanut Butter
Jelly or Jam
Bread

Cut the crusts off the bread (you can use them to make homemade bread crumbs or homemade croutons). Roll out the bread with a rolling pin to flatten.

Spread peanut butter and jelly on bread. Roll up and cut into four parts.

To freeze: Put a lunchbox-portion of sushi in small plastic bags. Put all bags into a large ziptop airtight freezer bag and freeze up to six weeks.

To serve: Take as many serving-sized bags out as you need and let thaw for 30 minutes to a few hours before serving. They can also be warmed in the microwave for quick defrosting.

Recipe from Food.com.

Are you joining us for Lunchbox Freezer Cooking? If you’ve blogged about a lunchbox recipes you’ve made for your freezer, leave a link to your post and recipe below. I can’t wait to see your yummy recipes and ideas!

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Lunchbox Freezer Cooking: Mac N’ Cheese Cups (Day 3)

by Crystal on September 17, 2012

So, I was excited about this idea I had for making Mac N’ Cheese Cups, inspired by this recipe from Once a Month Mom. Only my idea pretty much flopped.

You see, I had some boxes of Annie’s Mac N’ Cheese on hand, so we used that instead of making the sauce from scratch. But then, since I never use muffin liners, I decided we’d skip using those and just put the mac and cheese directly into the muffin tins.

I was hoping that these would pop right out after baking. But they didn’t. In fact, it didn’t really stick together at all.

Oh well. I guess we saved you having to try it yourself — and it’s not like the Macaroni and cheese isn’t edible, it’s just not real lunchbox-friendly.

Live and learn, right?

Oh and I also wouldn’t recommend turning your back when your 3-year-old is in the kitchen helping you.

Because you might end up finding him painting the sliding glass door with mac and cheese!

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Lunchbox Freezer Cooking: 3-Ingredient Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (Day 2)

by Crystal on September 13, 2012

We’re big fans of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins here. So, of course, when I saw this recipe recently, I just had to try it — especially since I already had all of the ingredients on hand — thanks to some free credit from Vitacost.

I thought it would be fun to change things up for our Lunchbox Freezer Cooking series and make these muffins, instead of our usual amazingly-delicious pumpkin chocolate chip muffin recipe.

These were very easy to make and were surprisingly yummy — especially for the ingredients. But they aren’t anywhere near as good as our favorite recipe. However, they are much quicker to make. And, I’m guessing, they are much lower in fat and calories, too.

3-Ingredient Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 box chocolate cake mix
1 can pumpkin
1 cup chocolate chips

Mix can of pumpkin and chocolate cake mix together thoroughly (can use an electric mixer, if you prefer). Sprinkle chocolate chips over batter and stir in.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin tins almost full. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes, until done.

To freeze: Cool completely and stick into an airtight ziptop freezer bag. Store for up to 4 weeks in the freezer.

To serve: Thaw for 30 minutes to 2 hours. Or, warm for a minute in the microwave.

Makes 12 full-sized muffins.

Recipe from Nomadic Nom Nom.

If you haven’t tried our family’s favorite Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe, you’ve got to give it a whirl. I can almost guarantee you’ll like. Unless you’re one of those strange people who don’t like chocolate or pumpkin! By the way, my friend Jamie, has an egg-free, milk-free version of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins over on her blog.

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Lunchbox Freezer Cooking: Bean & Cheese Burritos (Day 1)

by Crystal on September 12, 2012

I made Bean & Cheese Burritos for the freezer yesterday. These were so easy to put together — and quite inexpensive, too.

They aren’t anything spectacular and, if you’re a foodie, you just might be appalled that I’m posting such a crazily basic recipe. But I’m all about keeping it simple — especially when it comes to quick lunches on the go!

Oh and I took around 30 pictures yesterday afternoon when I was making these. I went to download them later to post this post and the pictures had magically disappeared.

Kind of like my phone did yesterday, too. Yes, we’re just all organized here… ahem. {Gratefully, after over an hour of tearing the house apart from top to bottom, I finally found it logged under our bedskirt. Don’t ask me how it ended up there! }

Jesse and I spent a long, long while trying to retrieve the photos last night, to no avail. I could have gone to the store, bought more ingredients, and re-made the recipe so I could have photos, but I just decided I’d “cheat” and use a few photos from a similar recipe I made recently. This way, those of you who are visual learners can see how simple these are to make.

Freezer-Friendly Bean & Cheese Burritos

1 (10-count) package of tortillas (or homemade tortillas)
1 16-oz. can of refried beans (or two cups homemade refried beans)
1/4 cup salsa
6 to 8 oz. of cheddar cheese, shredded

Mix refried beans and salsa together. Spread bean mixture down the middle of tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese and roll up.

To freeze: Wrap in plastic wrap or a sandwich baggie and stick in a gallon ziptop freezer bag. When freezer bag is full, seal until airtight and freeze for up to two months.

To serve: Thaw for a few hours and warm in the microwave or oven. Can be eaten cold, though warm would be better.

Makes 10 burritos.

Cost: Approximately $3 if using groceries from Aldi = $0.30 per burrito. Approximately $0.15 to $0.20 each if using homemade tortillas and homemade refried beans.

Recipe adapted slightly from Skinny Mom’s Kitchen.

Can’t have dairy and/or wheat? Check out Milk Allergy Mom’s adapted recipe.

More freezer-friendly burrito recipes:

Easy Freezer Burritos
Brown Bag Burritos
Southwest Rollups

See my complete Lunchbox Freezer Cooking Plan here.

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