Saturday, December 5, 2009

December Treat Exchange Recipes

Here are the treat recipes from our December meeting. Thanks to everyone who came!

Christmas Dipped Pretzels

Submitted by Jessica Smith

Bag of thick striaght pretzels
Chocolate Almond Bark
Vanilla Almond Bark
Caramel Syrup
Cornstarch

Melt the bark in seperate bowls. (Instructions on the back-- but about 1 minute plus 15 seconds until melted). I use a spatula to gather chocolate onto pretzels. (If you want to use caramel, do it before the chocolate and add just enough cornstarch so it is like pudding that needs to set up. Not as loose as the actual caramel syrup.) Let dry on wax paper. Then drizzle with opposite color. It's really easy to put in cellophane bag with a ribbon at the top! Enjoy!


Holiday Juice
Submitted by Jessica Smith

1 can concentrate (I use welch's grape)
1 2 Liter of soda (lemon-lime)

Mix straight concentrate (no water) with soda.



Easy Microwave Toffee
Courtesy of Yvonne Harman; submitted by Tari McDonald

1/2 cup butter (no substitutes)
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt (if you use salted butter, leave this out!)
1/4 cup water
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels (I used 1/2 to 3/4 cup, 1 cup was too much for me)
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted (I left these out)

Line and 8"x8" baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Set aside. Put the butter, sugar, salt, and water in a 2 quart microwave safe casserole dish (I found a glass dish works better than a plastic one). Do not stir. Put the dish in the microwave for 7 minutes. Check to see if the mixture has changed from yellow to a light tan color (you want the entire mixture to be tan, not just part of it). If not, continue cooking a minute at a time (I think I had to do a total of 7 extra minutes, so be patient if it seems like it's taking forever). You need to watch it here to keep it from scorching and remember, don't stir. Once mixture has reached the light tan stage, pour into prepared baking dish. Let sit for one minute. Sprinkle semi-sweet morsels on top and let sit for one more minute, or until morsels have softened. Using a spatula, spread the morsels over the toffee. Top with chopped pecans. Place the baking dish into the refrigerator until the toffee has cooled completely. Lift out the aluminum foil and break the toffee into bite-sized pieces (I just used my hands).



Fast Food Storage Fudge
Submitted by Tari McDonald

1 pound powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup butter (one stick, unmelted)
1/4 cup milk (reconstituted powdered milk is fine)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sift powdered sugar and cocoa into a bowl. Add butter and milk. Do not stir. Microwave 2 minutes on high. Stir. Add vanilla, stir. Pour into 8" square baking dish (I lined mine with foil and sprayed it with cooking spray). Refrigerate 1 hour before cutting and serving. Serves 16.

Variations: I have also added chopped almonds to my fudge, but you could also add any other nut as well- just add it into the fudge when you stir in the vanilla. Or you could add crushed candy canes on top. Yum!

Chocolate Pie
Submitted by Jennifer Lee

1/3 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt (or a dash)
2 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate (or 6 Tbls semi-sweet chocolate chips)
2 cups milk
3 beaten egg yolks
2 Tbls margarine
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 graham cracker pie curst
Cool Whip (optional)

Combine flour, sugar, salt, chocolate, milk, and egg yolks in a pot. Using a wire whisk, stir constantly and vigorously over medium heat until thick. Add the maragrine and vanilla. Mix and pour into crust. Cool and allow to set up, then add Cool Whip on top. Makes 1 pie.


Christmas Cut-Out Butter Cookies
Submitted by Jessica Cedeno

1 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 tsp vanilla
2-1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla, blending well. Blend in flour and salt. Chill in fridge for 45 minutes. Cutout with cookie cutters to desired shapes. Bake at 400* for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown.


Pavlova
Submitted by Mallory Watkins

6 egg whites
pinch of salt
2 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. vinegar
2 t. vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form.
3. Sprinkle in sugar gradually and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Stir in vinegar and vanilla.
4. Traditionally, you spread the batter in a circle on a cookie sheet, keeping a hole in the middle. I just put it in a bundt pan.
5. Put pavlova in the oven and immediately turn down to 300. Bake 40-50 minutes, or until the top is a light straw color. Turn oven off and open door a little. Close it again and let cool completely in oven with the door closed.
6. Top pavlova generously with whipped cream. Because the pavlova is really sweet, it's not a bad idea to not put any sugar in the whipped cream. I just put in a bit of vanilla.
7. Arrange any of your favorite fruit on top. I put on kiwis and pomegranate seeds, but if you look it up online, a lot of them are decorated with strawberries. You could also sprinkle some coconut on top to get a snowy look.

A little interesting fact: Pavlova was created by a cook in Australia (or New Zealand?) in honor of Anna Pavlova, the famous Russian ballerina, who came to perform. It's supposed to look like a ballet skirt.


Friday, November 13, 2009

November Recipe Exchange: Winter/Comfort Foods

If I left anyone's recipe out, please let me know or go ahead and post it yourself! Thanks! Also just a reminder that next month (December) we will be sharing our favorite holiday treats so start thinking!



Chili
Submitted by Monica Hokanson

12 oz. cooked ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
15 oz. can dark red kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
14-1/2 oz can diced tomatoes (undrained)
8-oz can tomato sauce
2-3 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients and let simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.


Amanda's Corn Bread
Submitted by Amanda Haderlie

1-1/2 cups flour
2/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 Tbls baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
3 Tbls melted butter

Add all of the ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix. Put in greased muffin tins or cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until done in the middle. Usually I cut the recipe in half and bake in a smaller baking pan.


Taco Soup
Submitted by Michelle Bell

1 lb ground hamburger
1/2 onion, chopped fine
1/2 green pepper, chopped fine
1 can of corn (15 oz.)
2 cans of kidney beans (15 oz. each)
1 can of crushed tomatoes (28 oz.)
2 cans of pork & beans or Chili (15 oz.)
1 pkg taco seasoning

Brown meat and sautee onion and green pepper. Rinse kidney beans, then place in pot. Add entire can of corn, juice and all, and then add the rest of the ingredients. Add seasoning last, you don't have to use and entire package. It just depends on how spicy you like it.


Hot Juice
Recipe by Olive Harwood, submitted by Jessica Harwood

1 can orange juice concentrate
1 can lemonade concentrate
5 cans water (use concentrate cans)
cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves to taste

Pour the juice from the cans into a medium sized container or pitcher. Using the can from the juice, measure 5 cans of water into a large pan and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the juice and spices. Serve hot.


Cheeseburger Soup
Recipe by Olive Harwood, submitted by Jessica Harwood

1/2 lb hamburger, browned
3/4 cup shredded carrots
1 tsp dried basil
3 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup flour
1-1/2 cups milk or evaporated milk
pepper
3/4 cup onion, chopped
3/4 cup celery, diced
1 tsp dried parsley
4 cups diced potatoes
8 oz Velveeta, cubed
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup sour cream (optional)

Cook all the veggies in the broth until tender. Add hamburger and spices. Make a thickening out of flour and milk. Add to the rest. Add Velveeta (to melt) and sour cream right before serving.

Note: if you use evaporated milk, it is absolutely not necessary to use sour cream. The sour cream in smainly just to change the coloring of the soup and the evaporated milk does just that if you use it.



Chocolate Chip Cookies
Submitted by Jennifer Lee

1 cup sugar
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups shortening
1/2 cup milk
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
6 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 pkg chocolate chips

Mix sugars, shortening, and eggs until creamy. Add vanilla and milk. Add other ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, who has a large family. This recipe makes about 7 dozen cookies, which my small family shouldn't eat at once (and I don't have the patience to bake one cookie sheet at a time.) What I like to do with this is bake one or two dozen as I'm making the dough, then freeze the rest for later. I preform the dough balls and put enough for one cookie sheet in each bag. To bake the frozen dough, I put it in the oven at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes. That way, I'm always a few minutes away from warm, soft chocolate chip cookies, and without the mess!



Pumpkin Chocolate Cookies

Submitted by Jessica Smith

1 ½ c flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp ground cloves

½ c. sugar

¼ c brown sugar

¼ c oil

¾ c pumpkin

2 eggs, well beaten

½ c chocolate chips

Sift dry ingredients together. Blend pumpkin, sugars, oil, and eggs together. Stir dry ingredients into pumpkin mix. Add chocolate chips and stir well. Drop onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 12-15mins.


Cheesy Chicken Soup

Submitted by Jessica Smith

2 potatoes, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 c water

1 chicken bouillon cube

1 cup chopped broccoli

1 ribs celery, chopped,

1/4 c chopped onion

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup grate cheese

1/2 cup cooked chicken

Steam carrots and potatoes together until soft. Mash by hand. Dissolve bouillon cube in 2 cups water in soup pot. Add onions, celery, and broccoli. Simmer 20 mins. Stir everything together and heat through until cheese melts.


Chili-chip casserole

Submitted by Jessica Smith

1 cup chili con carne

1/4 c salsa

1/4 c sour cream

1/4 c chopped olives

1/2 cup whole kernel corn

1/2 cup grate cheese

20 corn tortilla chips

Mix all ingredients together in a casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 20 mins.


Ritzy Chicken

Submitted by Jessica Smith

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 c plain yogurt or sour cream

10 Ritz Crackers

1/4 c Parmesan Cheese

1 tsp garlic powder

1 TB parsley flakes

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup canned milk

Crush the crackers to make the coarse crumbs. Mix crumbs with Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, parsley, salt, and pepper. Pour mixture in zip-top bag or shallow dish. Dip chicken into yogurt and then in crumb mixture to coat chicken. Place chicken in baking pan. Bake at 425 for 50-60 mins or until chicken is crisp and golden brown. Mix soup and milk. Heat through and pour over chicken.


Salmon Loaf

Submitted by Mallory Watkins

1 (14.75 oz) can salmon, undrained
1/2 c. bread crumbs (I like to use italian seasoned, but it doesn't matter)
1/2 c. milk
1 egg, preferably beaten, but I forget all the time
salt and pepper to taste
2 T. melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Combine all ingredients and mix well
3. Pour mixture into lightly greased loaf pan (9*5)
4. Bake for 45 min. or until lightly golden around edges.

The great things about this is that salmon is safe for pregnant mothers to eat (although they should follow the guidelines, I suggest going to http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/fishmercury.htm) and WIC will pay for canned salmon for moms who breast feed. Not to mention it's wicked easy. Serve with tartar sauce.


Tartar Sauce
Submitted by Mallory Watkins

3-4 heaping t. mayonnaise
1-2 t. sweet relish
juice from 1/2 lime or lemon (about 1 T.)

Mix well. Taste it to make sure it's to your liking.



Chicken Pot Pie
Submitted by Tari McDonald

1 cup chopped onion
1 bag frozen peas and carrots
2 cups diced potatoes, cooked until tender (I used 2 large baking potatoes)
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
2 cup chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half (milk should work fine, too, but I'd use 2% or whole)
2 cups cooked, diced chicken
pie crusts (I was able to get 2 whole pies from this recipe, which means 4 crusts, or 2 double crusts)

Saute onions, peas and carrots in butter until tender. Add flouur and stir until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth and half-and-half. Cook, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly. Stir in chicken and potatoes.

Place 1 crust in pie dish and fill with chicken mixture. Place second crust on top and cut vents. Repeat with other crust. Bake at 375* covered, for 35 minutes then uncovered for 20 minutes.

Notes: You can use any vegetables you want, you should just have at least 4 cups total. My mom's original recipe called for 4 cups chicken- I cut it in half and substituted potatoes to make it less expensive. If you want to freeze the filling or a whole pie, do not use the potatoes in the filling. Use 4 cups of chicken for the potatoes and chicken.


Flakiest Pie Crust
Submitted by Tari McDonald

Makes 2 crusts:

2 cups flour
1 cup shortening
1 tsp salt
1 Tbl sugar
For "slurry":
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup water

Cut shortening into flour, sugar and salt until it resembles coarse crumbs (like peas). Combine "slurry" ingredients; pour over other mixture and combine until just starting to be uniform. Divide into 2 equal discs, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or place in freezer for 10-15 minutes).

Freezer Cooking- November's Lesson Notes

Disclaimer: My mom gave me the following information, and I'm not sure who to credit the information to. However, there is good information found below.


To freeze or not to freeze?

The following are some foods that often do not freeze well.


• Cooked eggs, including meringue toppings, may become tough and rubbery.
• Cooked chunks of potatoes, such as in potato salad, may become soft and crumbly. Mashed and twice-baked potatoes may freeze more satisfactorily.
• Custards and cream puddings, by themselves or in pies may separate.
• Pasta may become mushy. Pasta shapes used in baked recipes -- such as lasagna, jumbo shells, ziti, and manicotti -- may freeze best, especially if the recipe is prepared and frozen before baking.
• Raw, watery vegetables such as lettuce, cucumbers and radishes; tomatoes, celery and cabbage may become limp.
• Yogurt and sour cream may change in texture. Some prepared dishes made with them may be frozen successfully; experiment with a small amount.
• Mayonnaise may separate during freezing and thawing.
• Sauces and gravies thickened with flour or cornstarch may separate and break down when frozen.
• Fried foods may lose their crispness. Exceptions are French fried potatoes and onion rings.
• Crumb toppings, such as on casseroles, may become soggy after freezing.
• Gelatin may weep.

· Cooked rice may become soggy. Slightly undercook your rice before freezing it.


Sometimes you will see these foods in commercially frozen products because food companies have equipment that freezes food faster and helps retain quality better. Also, various ingredients,generally unavailable to home cooks, are used commercially to help prevent frozen foods from breaking down.


Before you double a recipe for frozen "planned-overs," experiment by freezing a small amount the next time you make the recipe. If you're satisfied with the results, prepare extra food for freezing when you make the recipe again.


As a general rule, foods with a high water content, such as the vegetables in our list, do not freeze well. The water in food expands during freezing and breaks down the food is structure, making the food mushy when thawed. This is why frozen fruit packages often advise eating the fruit while still slightly frozen.

“Pre-Cooking”

Have a lazy afternoon? Boil up some chicken. Having ground beef for supper? Fry up 5 pounds instead of 1. Fantastic sale on ground beef? Make up a big batch of meatballs. Having a few things started in the freezer will save you a ton of time in the kitchen.

Examples of things that can be “pre-cooked”:

· Ground beef- seasoned and portioned according to your wants and needs

· Chicken- shredded or cubed, packaged in appropriate portions

· Meatballs

· Chicken Broth- for quick soups and sauces

· Sautéed onions or mushrooms- make a quick onion soup, over steaks or burgers, etc.

· Diced ham- for omelets, baked potato nights, pizza toppings, etc.

· Cooked and crumbled Bacon- same as above…

Things not cooked, but handy to have on hand:

· Cheese- shredded- packaged in 1-2 cup portions

· Diced onions- package in small sandwich bags then toss in a freezer bag

· Diced or sliced bell peppers- package in small sandwich bags then toss in a freezer bag
Freezing Helps and Guidelines

A Friendly Freezing and thawing guide for basic meals with out instructions...

For the most part it is best to freeze in Zip bags in my opinion as you can get a huge amount of things in your freezer if frozen flat. There are a few exceptions to this though. Layered casseroles such as lasagnas do best frozen in the pan. If you are short on pans and can not spare one kept in the freezer you can use either the disposable foil pans or simply pop the frozen block of lasagna out of the pan and either put in a large zip bag if it will fit or double wrap it in foil. Also some people think that soups do best in rigid plastic containers.. use what works best for you and your situation.
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LIQUIDS or LIQUIDS WITH CREAM SAUCE (not cream of soup sauce)
To freeze: Pour into a plastic container leaving 1/2 inch (one cm) of space at the top to allow for expansion of liquid during freezing. Cover, seal, label and freeze.
To serve: Allow to thaw a little to make it easier to remove from the container. Put into the top of a double boiler and heat gently, stirring constantly. Or you may transfer to a microwave safe bowl and microwave on 50% power, stirring to mix up frozen chunks every 30 seconds, until heated through.
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DELICATE (PASTA) WITH CREAM SAUCE (not cream of soup sauce)
To freeze: Place in an airtight container. Seal, label and freeze.
To serve: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for six hours at room temperature. Place in a saucepan, stirring gently, and heat through. Or you may transfer to a microwave safe bowl and microwave on 50% power, stirring to mix up frozen chunks every 30 seconds, until heated through.
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HOMEMADE BROTH BASED SOUPS, including soups with noodles
To freeze: Skim any fat from the top of the soup. Put into a plastic container and allow 1 inch of head space at the top to allow for expansion of the liquid during the freezing process. Seal, label and freeze.
To serve: Nuke long enough to be able to loosen soup from container. Put the frozen soup in a saucepan and thaw over a very low heat. Or you may transfer to a microwave safe bowl and microwave on 50% power until heated through.
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QUICHE AND OTHER EGG DISHES
There are 2 ways to do this. One is to freeze the egg part of the quiche, including the broccoli, ham or whatever if you wish, in a ziploc bag or clean milk carton (that's what they do at the store) or other container you could pour from. Thaw in the refrigerator and pour into your crust.
The other is to bake it and freeze it complete. Thaw and serve warmed in the microwave or chilled (for summer dining usually).
You might want to consider using a brown rice crust instead of a pie crust because of the fat. To do this, Pam your pie plates and pat the rice in pie plates,, really compress it. It needs salt, BTW. It won't get soggy, even if you pour liquid into it.
POTATOES Potatoes freeze in some ways and not in others. Mashed potatoes freeze well. Raw Potatoes turn nasty and black. Smaller Pieces and those cooked in sauces seem to have less texture changes. Some people believe that different varieties freeze with different results.
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BURRITOS
To freeze: wrap in either wax paper sheets or a paper towel and bag together in a ziploc bag
To serve: heat in microwave 1 1/2 - 2 minutes on high
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FROZEN YEAST DOUGH
Using your basic recipe and make it into the shape you want for roll's or loaf's, put it on a sprayed cookie sheet and flash freeze it. Then bag it. Thaw on sheet and let rise, bake as usual.

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FREEZING FROZEN YEAST DOUGH
I have tried freezing yeast dough a few times and had not-so-great luck. It took FOREVER for the dough to rise after it was out of the freezer (and thawed). I suspect it was the yeast (regular instead of my beloved INSTANT), since I had trouble on occasion getting the dough to rise in general. I have read that when freezing yeast dough, you should increase the amount of yeast in the recipe a bit (add an additional 1/4 tsp. yeast). Freezing yeast weakens it a little. Frozen dough should be used within one month. It is just as quick for me to whip up some dough in my abm than to thaw the dough from the freezer, so I don't freeze dough.
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FREEZING POCKETS MADE WITH BREAD DOUGH I make pizza pockets, tuna/cheese pockets, chicken/salsa/cheese/onion pockets, and ham and cheese pockets. I bake completely and cool. Wrap well with plastic wrap, then toss all pockets in a freezer bag. To heat, loosen plastic wrap and micro on medium for a minute, then micro on high until heated through. If you are planning to heat them up in the oven, you should bake them until they are SLIGHTLY browned, so you don't burn them when you bake them again. You should thaw them first before baking in oven, either at room temp. or in micro. Another option is to heat them in your toaster oven.

Freezer Containers and Basic Freezing Guidelines

· Freezer baggies, freezer Tupperware, casserole dishes (regular or disposable aluminum)

o Materials specifically labeled freezer are better equipped to protect your food

· They also make freezer paper, freezer tape, and freezer foil

· Avoid round containers because they create unusable corners in your freezer, corners that can be utilized with square or rectangular containers

· For freezer meals that include tomato sauce (i.e. lasagna), avoid using metal pans and separate tin foil coverings from dish by using a layer of plastic wrap first. The acidity in the tomatoes will eat away at the foil leaving a funny taste in the sauce.

Here are some basic instructions for freezing with different types of containers. It is always a good idea to allow your dish too cool in the refrigerator before freezing to help keep your freezer cold enough to keep its contents frozen.


Using Ziplocs and Tupperware

1. Squeeze all air out of container

2. Seal well

3. Label with contents and date prepared (or use by date)

4. Lay flat and stack in freezer. Once frozen, you can rearrange the Ziplocs to fit in crevices around other contents in your freezer.


Using Casserole Dishes

1. Cover with freezer foil (or a double layer of regular foil). If desired, plastic wrap may be used underneath foil.

2. Place dish in freezer bag, if possible.

3. Label with contents and date prepared (or use by date)

4. Allow to completely freeze in freezer before stacking. If you stack before completely freezing, the middle of your dishes may not freeze in a safe amount of time.


Another idea is to make a list of all the contents in your freezer so you know what you have rather than having to open the freezer and rummage through everything, allowing all the cold air out. And it just makes your life easier!


How to Use Freezer Contents

Precooked foods:

Allow to thaw and then use in recipes as normal.

Freezer Meals:

Allow to thaw in refrigerator 24-48 hours. Then bake, or prepare, as normal.

If using soups or other frozen liquids, you can partially thaw them in microwave (or refrigerator), then place contents in a saucepan or pot and continue to warm.

Remember: Do not refreeze after thawing meats and meals!

Food Storage Chart for Refrigerator and Freezer:

Product

Refrigerator

Freezer

Eggs



Fresh, in shell

4 to 5 weeks

Don't freeze

Raw yolks, whites

2 to 4 days

1 year

Hardcooked

1 week

Doesn't freeze well

Liquid pasteurized eggs or egg substitutes, opened

3 days

Don't freeze

Liquid pasteurized eggs or egg substitutes, unopened

10 days

1 year

Mayonnaise, commercial
Refrigerate after opening

2 months

Don’t freeze


Product

Refrigerator

Freezer

TV Dinners, Frozen Casseroles
Keep frozen until ready to heat


3 to 4 months


Deli & Vacuum-Packed Products

Refrigerator

Freezer

Store-prepared (or homemade) egg, chicken, tuna, ham, macaroni salads

3 to 5 days

Don’t freeze well

Pre-stuffed pork & lamb chops, chicken breasts stuffed w/dressing

1 day

Don’t freeze well

Store-cooked convenience meals

3 to 4 days

Don’t freeze well

Commercial brand vacuum-packed dinners with USDA seal, unopened

2 weeks

Don’t freeze well



Raw Hamburger, Ground & Stew Meat

Refrigerator

Freezer

Hamburger & stew meats

1 to 2 days

3 to 4 months

Ground turkey, veal, pork, lamb

1 to 2 days

3 to 4 months


Ham, Corned Beef

Refrigerator

Freezer

Corned beef in pouch with pickling juices

5 to 7 days

Drained, 1 month

Ham, canned, labeled “Keep Refrigerated,” unopened

6 to 9 months

Don’t freeze

Ham, canned, labeled “Keep Refrigerated,” opened

3 to 5 days

1 to 2 months

Ham, fully cooked, whole

7 days

1 to 2 months

Ham, fully cooked, half

3 to 5 days

1 to 2 months

Ham, fully cooked, slices

3 to 4 days

1 to 2 months


Hot Dogs and Lunch Meats

Refrigerator

Freezer (in freezer wrap)

Hot dogs, opened package

1 week

1 to 2 months

Hot dogs, unopened package

2 weeks

1 to 2 months

Lunch meats, opened package

3 to 5 days

1 to 2 months

Lunch meats, unopened package

2 weeks

1 to 2 months


Soups and Stews

Refrigerator

Freezer

Vegetable or meat-added & mixtures of them

3 to 4 days

2 to 3 months


Bacon and Sausage

Refrigerator

Freezer

Bacon

7 days

1 month

Sausage, raw from pork, beef, chicken or turkey

1 to 2 days

1 to 2 months

Smoked breakfast links, patties

7 days

1 to 2 months

Summer sausage labeled “Keep Refrigerated,” unopened

3 months

1 to 2 months

Summer sausage labeled “Keep Refrigerated,” opened

3 weeks

1 to 2 months


Fresh Meat (Beef, Veal, Lamb and Pork)

Refrigerator

Freezer

Steaks

3 to 5 days

6 to 12 months

Chops

3 to 5 days

4 to 6 months

Roasts

3 to 5 days

4 to 12 months

Variety meats (tongue, kidneys, liver, heart, chitterlings)

1 to 2 days

3 to 4 months


Meat Leftovers

Refrigerator

Freezer

Cooked meat & meat dishes

3 to 4 days

2 to 3 months

Gravy & meat broth

1 to 2 days

2 to 3 months


Fresh Poultry

Refrigerator

Freezer

Chicken or turkey, whole

1 to 2 days

1 year

Chicken or turkey, parts

1 to 2 days

9 months

Giblets

1 to 2 days

3 to 4 months


Cooked Poultry, Leftover

Refrigerator

Freezer

Fried chicken

3 to 4 days

4 months

Cooked poultry dishes

3 to 4 days

4 to 6 months

Pieces, plain

3 to 4 days

4 months

Pieces covered with broth, gravy

1 to 2 days

6 months

Chicken nuggets, patties

1 to 2 days

1 to 3 months


Fish and Shellfish

Refrigerator

Freezer

Lean fish

1 to 2 days

6 months

Fatty fish

1 to 2 days

2 to 3 months

Cooked fish

3 to 4 days

4 to 6 months

Smoked fish

14 days

2 months

Fresh shrimp, scallops, crawfish, squid

1 to 2 days

3 to 6 months

Canned seafood
Pantry, 5 years

after opening
3 to 4 days

out of can
2 months