Frozen in time?
Dear Heloise:
After baking for a big party, the party was canceled. It’s all been put in my freezer. Please tell me if I can invite my family to eat this food: chicken soup, meatballs, lasagna, etc.
in California Dear Dolores: Dear Heloise: Dear Readers: — Dolores
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, freezer times are as follows:
Cooked poultry — four months
Uncooked poultry parts — nine months
Cooked meats — two to three months
Uncooked steaks or chops — four to 12 months
Uncooked ground meat — three to four months
Check the food for freezer burn, and when in doubt, throw it out! — Heloise
I keep a jelly glass of flour and one of sugar in my cupboard so that if I need just a small amount of either, I don’t have to take out the whole canister. It’s very handy!
— Barbara Z., Highland, Ind.
Barbara, that is a good idea, and I’m sure it’s one that some of my readers will use.
— Heloise
One of my favorite dinners is a one-pot dinner. They’re easy to make and very nutritious. The ingredients:
Heat a heavy skillet and add onions and potatoes; cook over medium heat while stirring until they begin to brown. Add the remaining ingredients as listed except for the peas and chicken. Stir and bring to a boil. Place chicken in sauce; reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for about 12 minutes, then add peas and continue to simmer until the liquid is reduced. This is about 5 minutes or so. To serve, place one chicken breast on each plate and spoon the sauce over the top.
If you like this recipe, I have several more just as delicious in my Main Dishes and More pamphlet. Just go to my website at www.Heloise.com to order, or send a stamped (70 cents), self-addressed, long envelope, along with $3, to: Heloise/Main Dishes, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. It’s always nice to have a go-to recipe that’s easy to prepare and tastes as though it took hours to make.
— Heloise Dear Heloise:
I like to buy the 19-ounce size can of soup. It usually has about four or five cubes of meat, about 1/2 can of vegetables, and the rest is broth. I usually buy a bag of frozen mixed vegetables, cook it, then freeze in small containers and add as needed to the soup. Works great!
— Doris G., North Little Rock, Ark.