June Meal Prep: Tasty Turkey Tenderloin

 Here's another freezer meal we did back in June.  I did the first part - not the make ahead and freeze.  Oh - I didn't season the meat.  It's perfect for this time of year as well.  

Here's what you need:

• 1/4 c Vidalia Onion Dressing, plus additional for serving if desired
• 3 Tbsp Smoky Bacon BBQ Sauce
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 lbs turkey breast tenderloins, seasoned with salt & pepper

Here's what you need to do:

1. 
   In storage container or gallon freezer bag, combine first 3 ingredients.   Add turkey.  Seal well and toss to coat.  Refrigerate 2 hours or up to overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Remove turkey from marinade; discard marinade.  Place on a greased foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
3. 
   Bake until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read food thermometer, about 1 hour.
4. Remove from oven.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Slice.  serve drizzled with additional Vidalia Onion Dressing, if desired.

Make Ahead & Freeze:

• Prepare step 1.  Seal well, label and freeze.
• Thaw completely.
• Continue with step 2.

Grill Option:

• Prepare step 1.  
• Prepare grill to medium heat.  Remove turkey from marinade; discard marinade.  Place turkey on grill.
• Grill , turning occasionally, until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read food thermometer, about 30-40 minutes.

Makes 6 servings

Smoky Bacon Campfire Beans

 YUM!  I am to provide baked beans for my Dad's birthday dinner.  So, I did a search on Tastefully Simple and found this recipe.  Just took a sample taste and this is fantastic!  Tastes just like baked beans should taste.

I did some modifications to the recipe :

• 99% Ground turkey breast instead of the ground beef
• Turkey bacon instead of regular bacon
• Cannelloni beans instead of lima beans
• low salt/no added sodium on the kidney & black beans
• ran out of chili powder so I used Tastefully Simple's Wahoo! Chili Seasoning
• crock pot instead of the grill/oven - low heat for 5 1/2 hours

Here's the original recipe:

1 lb 85% lean ground beef

8 bacon slices (about 1/2 lb), chopped

1/2 c chopped onion

1 (16 oz) can mild chili beans

1 (15.25 oz) can lima beans, rinsed & drained

1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed & drained

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed & drained

2/3 c firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 c Smoky Bacon BBQ Sauce

1/2 c ketchup

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ground mustard

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1.  Prepare grill to medium indirect heat.  Place a cast-iron Dutch oven or oven-safe large saucepan over direct heat side of grill.  Add ground beef, chopped bacon and onions.  Cook and crumble until no longer pink, about 8-10 minutes.  Carefully drain off grease.

2.  Move pan to indirect heat side of grill.  Add remaining ingredients; stir until well combined.

3.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 1-2 hours.

Makes 12 servings.

Bake Option:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare step 1 on stovetop over medium-high heat.  Stir in remaining ingredients, cover and transfer to oven.  Bake 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Crockpot:  Prepare step 1 on stovetop over medium-high heat.  Transfer to crockpot.  Add remaining ingredients; stir until well combined.  Cover and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, 4-6 hours.

BBQ Bacon Chicken Kabobs

Yummy!  We loved this!  I used carrots and potatoes instead of the bell pepper, pineapple and onion.  I also made all chicken. 



Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
2/3 c Smoky Bacon BBQ Sauce
1 - 1 1/2 Tbsp Rustic Herb Seasoning
1 lg green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
12-16 oz fresh pineapple chunks
1 (2.52 oz) pkg fully cooked bacon, halved
1 lg red onion, cut into wedges
10-12 (12 inch) wooden skewers, soaked in water 30 minutes

Instructions:

1.  Combine chicken, 1/3 cup Smoky Bacon BBQ Sauce and Rustic Herb Seasoning in a gallon freezer bag.  Seal well; toss to coat.  Refrigerate several hours or up to overnight.

2.  Prepare grill to medium heat.  Remove chicken from marinade; discard bag with marinade.  Thread chicken, green pepper, pineapple, bacon and onion on skewers in desired pattern.

3.  Place skewers on grill.  Grill, turning once, until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant-read food thermometer, about 8-9 minutes, brushing with remaining 1/3 cup Smoky Bacon BBQ Sauce the last few minutes.  Salt and pepper as desired.

Makes 6 servings.  Serve with assorted melon slices.

Make ahead & freeze:  Prepare step 1.  Place 1/3 cup Smoky Bacon BBQ Sauce in a quart freezer bag.  Place both bags in a gallon freezer bag.  Seal well, label and freeze.  Thaw completely.  Continue with step 2.

BBQ Coleslaw - side dish

I love coleslaw.  Although my hubby doesn't.  I've made some variations of this an they were just as good.  Makes a great dish to take to potlucks.

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) pkg tri-color coleslaw mix, without dressing
1 sm green or red bell pepper cut into thin slices
1/2 c shredded carrots
1/3 c Smoky Bacon BBQ Sauce
1/4 c mayonnaise
3 tbsp milk
1 tbsp Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
1 1/2 tsp Rustic Herb Seasoning
1 1/2 tsp Garlic Garlic Seasoning

Instructions:

1.  In large bowl combine first 3 ingredients.  In small bowl combine remaining ingredients; pour over coleslaw and toss lightly.  Salt & pepper as desired.

2.  Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Sweet & Smoky BBQ Pork Kabobs - Easy Grillin' Meal Solution #10

The last one and boy did we enjoy it!  Of course, we did some modifications to the ingredients.  Used chicken breast instead of pork; used carrots, potatoes, and apples instead of the green pepper and onion.  Just think of the possibilities . . . you can use any vegetable or fruit that will work with kabobs.  You can use beef, chicken or pork for your meat or even seafood like shrimp or scallops.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 c beer
1 1/2 Tbsp Green Tea Peppercorn Seasoning
1/2 tsp Seasoned Salt
1/3 C Smoky Bacon BBQ Sauce
3 Tbsp orange juice
1 fresh pineapple, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 large red onion, cut into 1 inch chunks

Instructions:

Combine first 4 ingredients in a gallon resealable freezer bag; seal.  Place bag in a shallow dish and refrigerate 30 minutes or up to overnight.

Preheat grill to medium.  In small bowl, combine Smoky Bacon BBQ Sauce and orange juice; set aside.  Remove pork from bag; discard bag with marinade.  Assemble kabobs by alternating pineapple, pork, onion and green peppers on metal or bamboo skewers.

Place kabobs on grill.  Grill, turning occasionally, until internal temperature of pork reaches 155 degrees, about 15-20 minutes.  Baste with sauce mixture the last 5-10 minutes of grilling.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 6 servings.  Serve kabobs over quinoa or rice.

Freeze for Later:  Combine first 4 ingredients in a gallon resealable freezer bag.  Place Smoky Bacon BBQ Sauce and orange juice in a quart resealable freezer bag.  Place both bags in a gallon resealable freezer bag.  Seal well, label and freeze.  Thaw completely.  Prepare as directed above.

Tip:  if using wooden skewers, soak in water 30 minutes before using.

Zesty Marinated BBQ Pork Chops - Easy Grillin' Meal Solution #5

 

Yummy!  Love grillin' season.  Although, we grill year round as our grill is stored in the garage and it uses propane.  We just don't use it when it gets too cold.  and you don't have to use a grill, you can use a broiler.  OH, by the way, I did not use the beer (my husband would have killed me!).  Didn't have apple juice on hand either.  I used a non-carbonated energy drink instead.

Ingredients:

6 boneless pork chops
1/2 c apple juice or beer
1 pkt Zesty Honey BBQ Dip mix
2 Tbsp Roasted Onion Burger Starter
1/3 c Smoky Bacon BBQ Sauce

Instructions:  Combine first 4 ingredients in a gallon resealable freezer bag; seal.  Place bag in a shallow dish and refrigerate 30 minutes or up to overnight.

Preheat grill to medium.  Remove pork from bag; discard bag with marinade.  Place pork on grill.  Grill, turning once, until internal temperature of pork reaches 150 degrees, about 12-15 minutes.  Baste chops with Smoky Bacon BBQ Sauce the last 5 minutes of grilling.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Makes 6 servings.

Serve with potato or macaroni salad.  Try the recipe for Dill Pickle Potato Salad on tastefullysimple.com!

Freeze for later:  Combine first 4 ingredients in a gallon resealable freezer bag.  Place Smoky Bacon BBQ Sauce in a quart resealable freezer bag.  Place both bags in a gallon resealable freezer bag.  Seal well, label & freeze.  Thaw completely.  Prepare as directed above.

Green Tea Peppercorn BBQ Chicken - Easy Grillin' Meal Solution #4

Yummy!  We love grilled chicken.  Too bad the BBQ was still out of commission.  Used a grilling fry pan on the stove.  That tells you how flexible our meals can be.  We're not the crazy about green onions, so they were omitted.  We used cheddar cheese instead of pepper jack or Monterey Jack.  You can use other meats instead of chicken.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 Tbs Green Tea Peppercorn Seasoning
1/2 tsp Seasoned Salt
1/3 c Smoky Bacon BBQ Sauce
6 slices pepper jack or Monterey Jack cheese
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Instructions:  Preheat grill to medium.  Place chicken on a baking sheet; sprinkle seasonings evenly on both sides of chicken.  Grill chicken, turning once, 10-12 minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.  Baste with Smoky Bacon BBQ Sauce during the last 5 minutes of grilling.  Top with cheese and onions.  grill until cheese is melted.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Makes 6 servings.

Serve with garden salad topped with tomatoes and cucumbers.

Freeze for later:  Combine first 3 ingredients in a gallon resealable freezer bag.  Place Smoky Bacon BBQ Sauce in a quart resealable freezer bag.  Combine both bags in a gallon resealable freezer bag.  Seal well, label and freeze.  Thaw completely.  Prepare as directed above.


Tip:  For easy basting, cut off the tip of the quart bag and squeeze onto chicken; use a basting brush to distribute evenly.

Bourbon BBQ Steak - Easy Grillin' Solution #1

Loved this recipe!  What a way to season game meat!  This was so tender and delicious!  Unfortunately, we didn't have bourbon or cola on hand so I used a lemon-lime soda.  It turned out great!  You can do substitutions to fit your pantry or palette.  That's what is so neat about these recipes.


Ingredients:

2 lbs beef top sirloin steak, cut into 6 pieces
1 c cola
1/2 c bourbon (2 miniature bottles) or 1/2 c cola
1/4 c Smoky Bacon BBQ Sauce
2 Tbsp Roasted Onion Burger Starter
1 1/2 Tbsp Green Tea Peppercorn Seasoning 
1 tsp Seasoned Salt

Instructions:  Combine all ingredients in a gallon resealable freezer bag; seal.  Toss to coat.  Place bag in a shallow dish and refrigerate 1 hour or up to overnight.


Preheat grill to medium.  Remove steak from plastic bag, making sure steak is well coated; discard marinade.  Place steak on grill.  Grill, turning once, until desired doneness is reached (145 degrees for medium-rare; 160 degrees for medium), about 7-15 minutes.

Remove from grill; cover and let stand 10 minutes before slicing.  Slice steak across the grain. 

Freeze for later:  Combine all ingredients in a gallon resealable freezer bag.  Seal well, label and freeze.  Thaw completely.  Prepare as directed above.

Makes 6 servings.

Serve with a baked potato and grilled vegetables sprinkled with Seasoned Salt or Green Tea Peppercorn Seasoning.

Ground Meat Patty

Leftovers??? Not really.   Sort of . . . we had about half pound of ground deer meat remaining from the previous meal.  Not much to do my usual meals but wait . . . it's enough for patties!  hmmm . . . oh, I have some Tastefully Simple Smokey Bacon BBQ Sauce.  Pour that in and mix it up.  Let's add some seasonings like Onion Onion, Garlic Garlic and Salt-free Seasoning.  Mix it up and let it marinade.  

mmmm . . . looks like there's still some sauce left in the bottle.  Pour it on . . . mix it up.  Now put it on the grill.  Oh, let's add some cheese.

How about some potato fries?   Cut the potato into wedges, coat with Roasted Garlic Infused Oil and Salt-free Seasoning.  Grill.

Dinner's ready.

Tasty Turkey Tenderloin

I keep discovering meals that I made up in advance and put in the freezer for later cooking.  This is another from last spring.  Very good and great using the leftover on salads.  Yes, green beans is one of our favorite vegetables.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs whole turkey tenderloin
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 c Vidalia Onion Dressing, plus additional for serving if desired
1/4 c Smokey Bacon BBQ Sauce

Assembly instructions:  Combine ingredients in a gallon resealable freezer bag; squish to mix.  Seal well, label and freeze.

Cooking Instructions:  Thaw completely.  Grill over medium heat for 8-10 minutes on each side, or bake at 350 degrees for 60-75 minutes, until turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.  Drizzle with additional Vidalia Onion Dressing, if desired.

Makes 6 servings.

Slow Cooker BBQ Short Ribs - Savory Meal #1

This was delicious.  It was quick to put together before heading out to work and the aroma was mouth-watering when I got back home that evening.  Personally, it could have had more BBQ sauce and less onion.  Even the leftovers was delicious to eat.

Ingredients:  

3 lbs bone-in beef short ribs (2-3 inch thick - English style) or 2 lbs boneless country-style beef ribs

1 Tbsp Sea Salt & Herb Seasoning (not ground)

1 medium onion, sliced

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery ribs, sliced

14.5 oz can reduced sodium beef broth

Smoky Bacon BBQ Sauce, divided

Instructions:  Rub short ribs with Sea Salt & Herb Seasoning.  Place in 3-quart or larger slow cooker with onions, carrots, and celery.  Combine beef broth with 3/4 cup Smoky Bacon BBQ Sauce.  Pour over ribs; add enough water to almost cover ribs, about 2 cups.  Cook on low 6-8 hours.  Remove ribs from slow cooker.  Combine 1/2 cup cooking liquid with remaining Smoky Bacon BBQ Sauce; dip ribs in sauce and serve.  Makes 4-6 servings.

Make Ahead & Freeze:  Combine all ingredients except beef broth and Smoky Bacon BBQ Sauce  in a gallon resealable freezer bag.  Freeze.  Thaw and cook according to directions above.

Smoky BBQ Sliders/Burgers

Another recipe from our Summer Sizzle Freezer meal workshop.  I fixed this on March 31st (told you I was behind on my postings).  I decided to make these as regular burgers rather than as sliders.  Here again, we just had the patty and not the sandwich.  I also substituted ground turkey instead of beef.

Yes, we love our fried potatoes (seasoned with Roasted Garlic Infused Oil and Green Tea Peppercorn seasoning).  Veggies are steamed broccoli & carrots.

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
2.8 oz container french-fried onions
1 tsp Ultimate Steak Seasoning 
1/3 cup Smoky Bacon BBQ Sauce
12 small buns
6 slices American Cheese, cut into quarters
12 tomato slices
12 small lettuce leaves

Assembly Instructions:   Combine first four ingredients.  Form into 12 patties and place between wax paper.  Place in a gallon resealable freezer bag.  Seal well, label and freeze.

Cooking Instructions:  Thaw completely.  Grill or fry to desired doneness.  Serve on buns with cheese, lettuce and tomato.  Makes 6 servings.

Tips:  Instead of the American Cheese slices, use 12 Cheddar slices cut into star shapes and 12 slices pepper jack or other white cheese cut into star shapes.  For a savory burger topper, combine 2 Tbsp Smoky Bacon BBQ Sauce with 1/2 cup mayonnaise.

Products can be ordered at my website, www.tastefullysimple.com/web/mbelles1.