I almost always have frozen soup in the freezer. I will freeze any soup that does not contain potatoes. Some will disagree with me about cream soups, but I have never had any issues freezing the ones I make. Here are a couple of things I always freeze. CROCKPOT FRENCH DIP SANDWICHES Posted by Ginger St. Thomas 2 cups water 1/2 cup soy sauce 4 whole peppercorns 1 tsp dried rosemary 1 tsp dried thyme 1 bay leaf 1 tsp garlic powder (had none so used 1 minced garlic clove) 3 lb boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed 8 French or sourdough rolls, split Combine water, soy sauce, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme & garlic in a slow cooker, stirring until well blended. Place roast in cooker & cover. Cook on high for 5-6 hours or until beef is tender. Remove meat from broth & shred with a fork. Serve beef on rolls. Pour broth in small bowls for dipping.~~ Good topped with Swiss cheese or sauteed onions, peppers or both. I like mustard on the rolls, too.~~ [](http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=10&imgid=301499516) Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy Source: Rachel Ray 1 1/4 pounds ground beef sirloin 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 tablespoon steak seasoning blend (recommended: Montreal Seasoning by McCormick) or, coarse salt and pepper Extra\-virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons, 3 turns of the pan 12 crimini or baby portobellos, sliced 12 shiitake mushrooms, chopped 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons all\-purpose flour 2 cups beef stock Combine meat, Worcestershire, onion and steak seasoning or salt and pepper. Form 2 large, oval patties, 1\-inch thick. Preheat large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of extra\-virgin olive oil and the meat patties to a hot pan. Cook meat 6 minutes on each side until meat is evenly caramelized on the outside and juices run clear. Remove meat and cover with loose tin foil to keep warm. Add 1 more turn of the pan extra\-virgin olive oil and butter to the pan, then the mushrooms. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper and saute mushrooms until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. To mushrooms, add a sprinkle of flour to the pan and cook 2 minutes more. Whisk in stock and thicken 1 minute. To serve, pour gravy over Salisbury steak. Serve with Smashed Potatoes with garlic & herb cheese and chives. Mashed potatoes freeze well, too. Spicy Chicken Cakes with Horseradish Aioli 2 (1 1/2-ounce) slices whole wheat bread 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives 3 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 large egg whites 2 teaspoons canola oil AIOLI: 2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic 1/8 teaspoon salt To prepare cakes, place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1 cup (discard remaining breadcrumbs). Set breadcrumbs aside. Place chicken in food processor; pulse until ground. Combine chicken, chives, 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon salt, egg whites, and breadcrumbs in a medium bowl; mix well (mixture will be wet). Divide mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add patties; cook 7 minutes on each side or until done. To prepare aioli, combine 2 tablespoons mayonnaise and remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Serve with cakes. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 chicken cakes and about 1 1/2 teaspoons aioli) I've never frozen the aioli, but the cakes are great with or without it. [](http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=10&imgid=213120098) Chicken Cordon Bleu Source: Marilyn (Danain) 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs 4 slices Swiss cheese 4 tablespoons butter 4 thin sliced smoked ham 1/2 cup chicken broth 1/4 cup all\-purpose flour 1 cup heavy whipping cream 1 egg; beaten salt, pepper & garlic powder Pound chicken breast to 1/4\-inch thickness. Sprinkle each piece on both sides with salt and pepper. Place 1 cheese slice and 1 ham slice on each breast. Roll up each breast using toothpicks to secure if necessary. Dredge each in flour, shake off excess, then in egg and finally in bread crumbs. Place seam side down in baking dish that has been sprayed with Pam. Place 1 tablespoon butter on each piece of chicken. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes until juices run clear. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, reduce broth by half over medium heat; add cream and simmer over low heat until thickened; season to taste with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Pour over chicken. I am not sure I would freeze the sauce...Good without the sauce, tho... Minnesota Wild Rice Soup 2T butter 1/4c chopped onion 1/2c flour 4c chicken broth 1-1/2c cooked wild rice 1/2 tsp salt 1c diced chicken or ham 1/2c grated carrot 1c half and half 1T dry white wine 1/2c slivered almonds Melt butter in saucepan, saute onion til tender. Whisk in flour then gradually add broth. Cook, stirring constantly until thickened. Add rice, salt, chicken, and carrots. Blend in cream and wine, heat to serving temperature. Garnish with slivered almonds. Maple\-Chili Glazed Pork Medallions 1 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper 1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut crosswise into 1\-inch\-thick medallions 2 teaspoons canola oil 1/4 cup apple cider 1 tablespoon maple syrup 1 teaspoon cider vinegar 1\. Mix chili powder, salt and ground chipotle in a small bowl. Sprinkle over both sides of pork. 2\. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium\-high heat. Add the pork and cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Add cider, syrup and vinegar to the pan. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, turning the pork occasionally to coat, until the sauce is reduced to a thick glaze, 1 to 3 minutes. Serve the pork drizzled with the glaze. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Linda

This is going to sound weird but it's a big crowd pleaser. Make your lasagna your favorite classic layered way but on the middle layer instead of ricotta use cheese slicer depth slices of velvetta (not too thick or thin). Don't use the "lite" or the pre-sliced velvetta packets. Use the original style block that melts down throughout the sauce and noodles (yum). The lite doesn't melt right. I use sauce recipes similar to some of the above but add a rounded teaspoon of fennel seeds and simmer for several hours to allow the seeds to become soft and unnoticeable This is more of a International Lasagna. If you have several men you might want to make a BIG lasagna because they go back for 2nds and 3rds.

When I make mine, I use at least 5-7 different kinds of cheese, I like to use ground beef and pork sausage and then layer it with rendered pepperoni (but I've started using turkey pepperoni lately). It really gives it a nice flavor. Seasoning should be lighter but plenty of Italian seasoning. Might throw in a bit of Louisiana Hot Sauce too. I occasionally go for a pizza flavoring rather than conventional pasta sauce. Recipe really depends on the size of the pan and what ingredients you use in what quantities. Be sure to let it sit a while after it comes out of the oven to rest, cool and it'll be easier to cut and dish up. For side dishes, I like the obligatory salad and garlic bread. My garlic bread has garlic, real butter, black pepper (sometimes I substitute lemon pepper), Italian Seasoning and parmesan. For an appetizer or even a quick dinner I'll put pepperoni and/or sausage on it and mozzarella cheese.

My favorite is the one on the Prince Lasagna box. 16 oz Prince® Lasagna 3 each bulk Italian sausage 1/2 lb lean ground beef 1 each garlic clove, chopped 1 Tbsp dried oregano leaves 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup dry red wine 24 oz pasta sauce 2 cups ricotta cheese 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 each eggs 2 Tbsps parsley sprigs, finely chopped 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 16 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded 1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. 2. Preheat oven to 350°F. 3. In large skillet, over medium heat, brown sausage and beef; pour off fat. 4. Add garlic, oregano, salt and wine; cook and stir 5 minutes. 5. Stir in pasta sauce; simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 6. In a medium bowl combine ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley and pepper; mix well. 7. On bottom of greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish, spread 3/4 cup meat sauce. 8. Top with half each the pasta strips, ricotta cheese mixture, meat sauce and mozzarella. 9. Repeat layering. 10. Bake uncovered 30 minutes or until bubbly. 11. Let stand 10 minutes.