I made one of the freezer meals from our workshop last night. I came home with no idea what to cook and no desire to cook. A little pinterest research and I decided to try and cook my Pizza Pasta from frozen in the Quick Cooker! It worked!
The original recipe is farther down the post but here is how I cooked it-
I plopped the whole frozen block in Bruce and set it to custom for 17 minutes- in retrospect- I would have also added 1 cup of the water needed when you add the pasta. It did scorch a little on the bottom because of that and that also would have helped it come up to pressure.
After the 17 minutes- I released the pressure, broke up the ground beef with the Mix n Chop. Poured in the pasta and 3 cups of water, stir well, replaced the lid and cooked on custom for 7 minutes. *Beef was not fully cooked at this point but finished cooking with the pasta.
Released pressure, stirred and topped with cheese. Replaced lid for a few minutes to let cheese melt.
This recipe could easily be made vegetarian. In fact next time I may cut back on the meat and split in two bags so I can have a vegetarian version for Mikayla.
Veggie people- substitute you favorite veg instead of ground beef and pepperoni. ie mushrooms, peppers, onions, zucchini... whatever floats your boat.
I like how versatile the recipe is- I think next time I might try it in the crock pot. Maybe also with sausage instead of ground beef. I might also use broth instead of water, to add to the flavor. Overall it was pretty tasty. I would make it again for sure.
I enjoy having these meals in the freezer ready to go. I have my next workshop in the planning phase- shooting for the 1st week of August.
Parmesan Garlic Pizza Pasta
Groceries
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 cup sliced pepperoni (about 4 oz)
- 1 (32 oz) jar pasta / marinara sauce
- 1 block (8 oz) Mozzarella Cheese
- 2 oz Parmesan Cheese
Pampered Chef Pantry
- 1 Tbsp Garlic and Herb Rub
- 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning Mix
- 1 Tbsp Three Onion Rub
Pampered Chef Tools for Easy Recipe Prep!
- Cutting Board / Flexible Cutting Mat
- Measure-All Cup, Measuring Cup Set, or Easy Read Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoon Set or Adjustable Measuring Spoons
- Microplane Adjustable Coarse Grater
Instructions
1. Bag #1 - Gallon:
Open bag that contains ground beef. Prep and add the following:
a. Three Onion Rub: Measure using Measuring Spoon Set
b. Garlic & Herb Rub: Measure using Measuring Spoon Set
c. Italian Seasoning Mix: Measure using Measuring Spoon Set
d. Pepperoni: Can use knife to cut into smaller pieces if desired
e. Marinara Sauce: Pour into bag
f. Parmesan Cheese: Grate using Adjustable Grater
g. Mozzarella Cheese: Grate half using Adjustable Grater
“Knead” contents to mix thoroughly; squeeze out as much air as possible; seal.
2. Bag #2 - Quart:
Prepare and add the following:
a. Remaining 4 oz mozzarella cheese, grated with Microplane Adjustable Coarse Grater.
Squeeze out as much air as possible; seal.
3. Double-Bag:
Place bags into another gallon freezer bag. Insert pre-bagged instruction label. Seal and freeze.
Cooking Day:
To Thaw: Transfer bag to refrigerator 1-2 days before cooking.
Cook Time:
Frozen: Crockpot: 4-6 hours on high
Thawed: RockCrock Dutch Oven or Deep Covered Baker: Microwave on high 20-30 mins
Additional Ingredients Needed: 1 (16 oz) box uncooked rotini or other short cut pasta, 3 cups water
1. Pour mixture into cooking vessel and add water. Cook according to directions above,
2. Add rotini:
a. Crockpot: Last hour of cooking time
b. Microwave: Last 12-15 mins of cooking time
3. Top casserole with remaining shredded mozzarella cheese at the end of cooking.
