*Another version of this post can be found at http://www.nycdadsgroup.com/2014/03/eat-quick-hearty-meals-with.html?spref=tw
How many of you have had those days where you run around all day long with barely enough time to even go to the bathroom? Before you know it, supper times has descended upon you and you’ve got a house full of hungry people. Cooking a meal is the last thing you want to do, so you dig into your freezer and pull out the sanity savor known as “frozen food.” In those moments, that frozen meal is my best friend, though I often customize it to give it an extra punch.
There is another time when frozen meals take center stage in my home – during March Madness, when sixty-eight college basketball teams fight for the glory of the national championship. We are an active family, but during March we park ourselves in front of the TV and either root for our beloved Buckeyes and Sooners, or for the latest Cinderella teams like George Mason in 06, Bucknell in 05, and Davidson in 08. (Who doesn’t love a good upset? Unless of course you’re a fan of the team getting upset.)
When March Madness comes to our home, we often go to the freezer for quick and delicious meals. After all, nobody wants to miss out on that game winning shot or fantastic play that will later be replayed in the “One Shining Moment” video because they were stuck in the kitchen.
March is Frozen Food Month. For everyone that shares my March excitement, or has the parenting moments like the ones that I listed in the first paragraph, there’s a great contest sponsored by Life of Dad going on right now. All you need to do is use 3 items from the product list and create an original recipe. Take a picture and share your recipe on Instagram with the tag #FrozenChefMadness and then email the picture and recipe to easyhomemeals@lifeofdad.com. The grand prize winner will receive $800. The second place winner will receive $250; the third place winner will receive $150; and fourth place will receive $100. To see a more detailed account of the rules, click here.
You can also join us in the #FrozenChefMadness Twitter party on March 19th at 9pm (EST) to discover more recipes and a chance to win prizes.
Here’s some of my recipes:
Meatballs over rice and vegetables
Ingredients:
- 1 bag of Rosina’s Sausage Meatballs
- 1 bag of Pictsweet Steam’bles Summer Vegetables
- ½ can of Dole Pineapples
- 1 jar of grape jelly
- 1 jar of Thai Kitchen Chili Sauce
- 1/3 cup of water
Directions:
- Cook meatballs in over for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
- Mix jelly, chili sauce and pineapples in a pot. Once the mixture blends, add meatballs. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Pour 1/3 cup water into pot and add vegetables. Boil for 3 minutes and then simmer for 10.
- Cook rice.
- Drain water from the vegetables and mix with the meatballs.
- Spoon meatballs and vegetables over rice.
You can also use the meatballs to make a delicious pizza.
Ingredients:
Meatballs
Freschetta Brick Oven 5 Italian Cheese Pizza
Directions:
Place meatballs on pizza and cook for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.
Or you can just use the meatballs by themselves as an appetizer.
*I have partnered with Life of Dad, LLC for the#FrozenChefMadness promotion. Sponsored by NFRA (https://www.nfraweb.org/), the #FrozenChefMadness promotion gives anybody the chance to win a $800 Visa gift card.
