When you always seem to be busy, like most shoppers these days, there isn’t always time to spend cooking a meal from scratch. After a long day in the office or a hectic weekend at home, there are some go-to frozen products that are always a great choice. The benefits of frozen foods are abundant. They’re quick, easy, and freezing locks in those nutrients and vitamins that are found in fresh foods.

One of the morning favorites are Delights by Jimmy Dean. Hillshire makes quite a few varieties of these sandwiches, even vegetarian options. They are fast, delicious and keep you satisfied for hours. Perfect for when I’m running out the door to work and have a day full of meetings! These sandwiches are all under 300 calories and take just a few minutes in the microwave, a wise choice for those watching portion control or calories.

Another healthy option is Smart Ones frozen meals by Heinz. There are many choices in this line of products for any palate. The Three Cheese Ziti Marinara is always a big hit in my house. With zesty tomato sauce and gooey cheese, you’d never guess it’s only 8 Weight Watcher’s points! There are many fantastic points covered in fresh vs frozen, and frozen options are great for busy families. It becomes a speedy, healthy and filling meal in just minutes.

When it’s time for lunch, sometimes you just want a sweet treat. At only 100 calories, Healthy Choice Greek Frozen Yogurt is a scrumptious summer option. Made with real fruit, ConAgra conveniently makes these single-serve cups a staple for at home or the office. And with 3 servings per package, it makes sharing with co-workers a no-brainer. The strawberry frozen yogurt tastes fresh, like a perfectly ripe piece of fruit. Freezing is like a natural pause button that keeps this just-picked flavor at its peak of freshness. Yum!

Dinner time, and this pasta dish tastes just like a recipe I would make at home -because it is made from real, fresh veggies. Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers by ConAgra keep the pasta perfectly al dente and the veggies crisp with its steaming basket. I really enjoy the Portabella Spinach Parmesan. This frozen delight takes just 5 minutes to prepare, is vegetarian and only 230 calories. Plated, you would never know it was actually a frozen meal.

No cooking or packing the night before. No messes to clean up. Just delicious, frozen choices that give variety of cuisine and bring satisfaction to a hungry tummy. Even on the healthy side of the spectrum, there are plenty of fantastic dishes to keep in the freezer at home or work. Frozen. How Fresh Stays Fresh. 

 Bon appetit!

The post Fantastically Frozen Fast & Fresh appeared first on Weekly Living.

Here are a few simple-yet-comforting casseroles that you may want to try:

1. Cheddar-Chicken Pot Pie Casserole

Ingredients:

• 3 cups uncooked rotini pasta
• 1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
• ½ cup milk
• 1 cup chopped tomato
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• 1 pound cooked chicken, cut into small pieces
• 1 can French-fried onions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 9½ glass pie plate or casserole dish with nonstick spray.

2. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. In large bowl, mix milk and soup. Add tomato, cheeses and pasta. Stir in chicken pieces, and spoon mixture into casserole dish.

3. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle French-fried onions on top. Bake 5 minutes longer, and serve.

2. Cheesy Tuna and Vegetable Casserole

Ingredients:

• 4 cups uncooked egg noodles
• 12 ounce bag frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
• 1 can (12 ounce) evaporated milk
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• 2 cans tuna (6 ounces each) in water, drained

1. Cook noodles as directed on package, adding frozen vegetables for last minute of cooking to heat them up, and drain.

2. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In an ungreased 2-quart casserole baking dish, mix milk, soup, cheese and onion. Stir in tuna, cooked noodles and mixed vegetables.

3. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover, bake uncovered 5 minutes longer, and serve.

Note: Can be served with crumbled potato chips or cracker crumbs on top, just sprinkle over top of casserole before last 5 minutes of baking.

3. Cornbread ‘N’ Beans Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 can (28 ounce) baked beans, undrained
• 1 package (16 ounce) mini-hot dogs/cocktail weenies
• ½ cup barbeque sauce
• ¼ cup ketchup
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• 1 box cornbread/corn muffin mix
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 egg

1. Heat over to 375 degrees. In large saucepan, mix beans, hot dogs, ketchup, barbecue sauce and onion. Cook over medium-high heat until hot, then pour into ungreased 2-quart casserole baking dish.

2. In medium bowl, stir in cornbread mix, milk and egg until combined, then spread batter evenly over barbecue bean mixture in casserole dish.

3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until top is golden brown, and serve.

4. Sweet Potato-Bacon Casserole

Ingredients:

• 3 large cans (24 ounces each) sweet potatoes
• 1 package (12 ounce) bacon
• ¼ bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
• ½ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cook bacon until crispy and chop into small pieces. In a small bowl, mix bread crumbs and one tablespoon butter or margarine and set aside.

3. Spray 13×9-inch (3 quart) glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix sweet potatoes with bacon, sour cream, ¼ cup butter or margarine, onions, salt and pepper, until well blended. Spread mixture in baking dish and sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over top.

4. Bake uncovered 20-30 minutes or until thoroughly heated, with bead crumbs turning golden brown, and serve.

Quick and easy to prepare, while filling and satisfying, a casserole can be a wonderful way to feed your family for any occasion. Give one of these classic bakes a try for a soothing, satisfying meal.

(Recipe sources: Pillsbury.)

Regina Donelson is a professional blogger that enjoys providing readers with advice on cooking, recipes and dishes. She writes for Just a Pinch, the best place to find anything from a chicken salad recipe to Oreo cookie balls recipe.

The post The Fabulous 4: Classic Comfort Casseroles appeared first on Weekly Living.

There’s no bigger baking season than the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s the best time of year to celebrate traditional family recipes that are as nostalgic as they are delicious. Whether you are making pies or cookies, these recipes would not be the same without the traditional holiday assortment of spices. Here are just a few that no holiday chef should find himself or herself without.

Nutmeg

Nutmeg comes from the seed of an Indonesian evergreen tree and is a perennial favorite of holiday bakers. While it is most potent when freshly grated, most grocery stores also sell a powdered version that will work as a substitute. Nutmeg is a common ingredient in sweets like pumpkin pie or hot chocolate but also compliments savory cheese or potato dishes.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is perhaps the most common of all spices associated with the holidays and comes from the bark of an evergreen tree that is rolled and dried into sticks. Like nutmeg this spice works just as well with savory dishes like eggs and poultry as it does in more traditional recipes like apple pie.

Cloves

Cloves are derived from the flower buds of the clove tree and add a wonderful spiciness to a number of holiday dishes. They are commonly found in glazed ham, sweet potato, apple and pumpkin dishes, and in many homes are even used as holiday decorations.

Ginger

Ginger is available in both fresh and powdered form and adds a complex flavor to a variety of dishes. The fresh variety is a great addition to vegetable dishes such as squash, artichokes and sweet potatoes and provided the base for any gingerbread dish.

Star Anise

While its flavor is similar to regular anise, star anise has a unique flavor all its own. It is most commonly used to enhance poultry and seafood dishes but can also be used in sweet items, especially those made from tropical fruits or pumpkin.

The post 5 spices to include in holiday recipes appeared first on Weekly Living.

It’s the morning after and chances are that your refrigerator is bursting almost as much as your waist line with all those Thanksgiving dinner leftovers. It’s a shame to let all that turkey go to waste so here are just a few creative ways to use those leftovers in your meals this week.

Omelets

Get your morning off to a healthy start with a turkey and egg white omelet. Both ingredients are a great source of protein which will give you plenty of energy to visit with your in-laws or tackle the toughest Black Friday crowd.

Turkey Salad

Turkey salad can be prepared just like chicken salad and with the meat already cooked, makes for a quick and easy lunch. Just dice leftover turkey, combine with mayo, celery, salt and pepper and then serve of crusty bread or over leftover salad.

Soup

If you’ve saved the turkey carcass it can be used to make a delicious homemade turkey stock. Once you have a stock made you can add turkey meat, vegetables, rice or noodles to make a hearty turkey soup.

Tacos

Turkey is a great chicken substitute in tacos and burritos. Shred leftover meat and sauté with your favorite Mexican spices. Add lettuce, tomato, rice, beans and cheese and then roll in a flour tortilla or stuff into a taco shell.

Sandwiches

The only thing better than a turkey dinner is the sandwich you get to eat for lunch the next day. Coat two slices of white bread with mayo; add layers of turkey, cheese, cranberry sauce and your favorite vegetables.

Pot Pies

For a real comfort food dinner combine turkey, carrots, peas and onion with a can of cream of mushroom soup or your homemade turkey stock. Place in a casserole dish and top with a store bought pie crust or left over mashed potatoes and bake in the oven.

The post 6 recipes for those turkey leftovers appeared first on Weekly Living.

Thanksgiving is only a few days and already the rush is on to get ready for the holiday season. The holidays are as much about the food as they are the shopping and the time spent with family and most homes have traditional recipes that they roll out this time every year. Here are a few classic dishes associated with the holiday season.

Buche de Noel

Also known as a Yule log, the buche de Noel is a traditional Christmas cake that is still prepared annually is French speaking countries around the globe. The confection usually begins with a plain yellow sponge cake, which is rolled up with chocolate buttercream frosting into the shape of a log and then decorated. Often times beautifully crafted details such as mushrooms and berries are added to make the log appearance more authentic.

Candy Canes

No Christmas tree is complete without the red and white peppermint treat known as the candy cane. Peppermint sticks have been made for generations around the world but the actual cane shape is attributed to a choirmaster from a small cathedral in Germany. According to the story the choirmaster created the cane shaped treat back in 1670, to resemble a Shepard’s crook and passed them out to children that came to his services.

Figgy Pudding

Believed to originate back in Shakespeare’s England, figgy pudding is a small spice cake made with figs and nuts. Also referred to as Christmas pudding, figgy pudding also contains a high brandy content that makes it moist and long lasting. The cake is traditionally steamed and then set on fire right before it is served.

Fruit Cake

While fruit cake has earned a bad reputation over the years, this classic holiday recipe is still made in abundance every season. When prepared correctly a fruit cake can actually be moist and flavorful. Fruit cake traditionally consists of a yellow cake that is baked with a variety of candied fruits, spices and nuts and they soaked in rum or brandy.

The post 4 Traditional Holiday Recipes appeared first on Weekly Living.