Food prepared and photographed by Brooke Echols
Cook of the Monthย Renee Bykowski, Baldwin EMC
Renee Bykowski moved to Alabama from Wisconsin, where potatoes are a staple and widely grown. Her winning recipe for Ham and Cheese Bake relies on four cups of hash brown potatoes, which blendย with ham, shredded cheddar cheese, diced onion and other ingredients into a tasty dish perfect for the freezer. โTheย original recipe probably came from Taste of Home,โ she says, โbut I smushed it around to meet my needs.โ The trick is not to let the frozen hash browns thaw out while youโre making it, she cautions. Using a gallon zipper bag makes it easy to โsquish it aroundโ before popping it into the freezer. Renee writes the simple cooking instructions on the bag with a Sharpie before gifting it to others, which she often did during the Covid pandemic. A math teacher at Spanish Fort High School, she likes to cook when sheโs not teaching geometry and algebra I to 9th and 10th graders.
Ham and Cheese Bake
- 4 cups southern-style hash brown cubes, frozen
- 1ยฝ cups ham, cubed
- 1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- ยฝ cup onion, finely dicedย
- ยผ cup bell pepper, finely diced (optional)
- 1 can cream of chicken or cream of celery soup
- ยฝ cup sour cream
- Seasoning salt, black pepper and garlic powder, to taste
To Prep: Put everything in a gallon Ziplock bag and squish it around. Place in freezer until you are ready to use.
To Bake: Thaw contents in bag overnight. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place ingredients in a greased baking dish, cover with foil. Bake, covered, for 20 minutes and uncovered for 30 minutes.
Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- 1 1/2 cups dry brown rice, cooked according to package instructions
- 21/2 cups shredded chicken (poached, baked or rotisserie)
- 2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can green enchilada sauce (mildย
- or medium)
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon cumin, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Dash of pepper, to taste
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish or 2 8×8-inch baking dishes or disposable pan(s) with cooking spray. Cook rice and shred chicken. Drain black beans. In a bowl, combine shredded chicken, enchilada sauce, tomatoes, black beans, sour cream, and seasonings. Put rice at the bottom of the prepared baking dish, spoon chicken mixture on top of rice. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Freeze or bake.
For baking from frozen, remove from freezer and bake at 350 degrees for 11/2 hours or until cheese is melted and center of the dish is warm.
For baking right after prepared, bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes, until cheese is melted and starting to turn golden brown on top.
Amy Forehand, Wiregrass EC
Easy 5-Ingredient College Studentย Rotisserie Chicken Pot Pie
- 1 rotisserie chicken
- 1 package double pie crusts
- 2 pre-made bottom pie crust pans
- 1 large can + 1 small can mixed veggies, drained
- 2 cans cream of chicken soup
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. De-bone the rotisserie chicken into bite-size pieces. Set out 2 premade pie crust tins. Combine drained veggies, cream of chicken soup and rotisserie chicken pieces in a large bowl until well mixed. Pour into the premade pie crust tins. Cover pie crust with remaining crust. Crimp the crust edges together; cut slits in top of crust (or decorate as you want). Bake in the preheated oven until crust is golden brown, about 45 minutes. You can eat one and freeze the other to eat at a later time.
Cookโs note: We came up with this really easy recipe for my college-aged daughter to fix while she’s at school and missing home. This chicken pot pie serves as a comfort food for her and offers her emotional solace when she’s missing home.
Kassie Luster, Central Alabama EC
The Buttered Home
Freezer meals are some of my favorite to do in the winter time. We have a ton of soups, stews and crock pot meals that can be done ahead of time and frozen for later use over at thebutteredhome.com. This Upside Down Frito Pie is one of our new favorites to have and we make it a bit healthier by using ground turkey. Get all of that warm comfort food feeling without the added winter pounds! We hope you try it and love it as much as we do!
Crock Pot Upside Down Turkey Frito Pie
- 2 pounds ground turkey
- 1/2 cup onions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup pepper jack cheese, grated
- 2 cups Fritos
Brown the ground turkey with the chopped onions. Drain and return to the pan. Add chili powder, cayenne, garlic powder and onion powder. Mix well to coat the meat. Cook for one to two minutes. Pour into the liner of a large crock pot.
Pour in the canned tomatoes and tomato sauce. Mix, cover and cook for 2 hours on low.
When the cook time is up, add in the white beans and mix well. Top with grated cheese, cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes more.
To freeze for later: Cool completely and store in a freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in a casserole dish or on low in the crock pot. Serve as is with Fritos on the side or cover the entire crock pot contents with a layer of Fritos. Serve and enjoy!
