Freezer Cooking for my 82 yr old Dad – Part 7 Finale!

The end is here! 😇🥹 Last night was the last night I cooked for the freezer. I don't know where my Mum got the recipe, but, dang, is it delish!

SAUSAGE BEAN AND RICE CASSEROLE

1 Tbsp/15ml oil

1 medium onion (1/2 cup/125ml frozen diced onion)

1 medium sweet bell pepper, chopped/diced

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp/10ml pre-minced from jar)

1 can red kidney beans (14 oz/414ml)

1 can other beans (black, pinto, chickpeas(?)) (14oz/414ml)

1/2 pound/227g smoked sausage, sliced/diced

1 cup/250ml instant rice

1 cup/250ml vegetable broth

1/4 cup/60ml ketchup

1/4 cup/60ml brown sugar

3 Tbsp/45ml molasses

1 tsp/5ml dry mustard

PROCEDURE

1. Preheat oven to 350F/177C. Spray 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray.

2. Heat oil in large pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, pepper, and garlic. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until onion is tender.

3. Add balance of ingredients. Stir to combine well. Pour into prepared casserole dish.

4. Cover with foil or casserole lid. Bake 30 minutes or until rice is tender.

This is an earthy, sweet taste. Also, it is a great meal to make the evening before grocery shopping. Why? You're can toss in veggies about to go or have only minor amounts of. I needed to use up the rest of the celery this week, so it was tossed into the casserole.

Picture 2 is the "full" freezer that I'm leaving Dad. It is a 17 cubic feet, upright freezer. Why so large? Or at least some people think it's too large for Dad. The freezer was purchased before Mum passed away. BTW this freezer is the down-graded size for my parents. Growing up we had 2 chest freezers; a 25 and a 20. We split a cow with my grandparents, purchased a pig for us and we paid a family friend to raise and harvest 25 chickens and 4 turkeys for us. We had a kitchen garden and purchased from road side stands in season. All this for a family of 3.

I have a family of 3 with 37 cubic feet of space (20 & 17). Other than the kitchen garden, I continue to follow those precepts. I am the "hostess with thw mostest" according to friends. They can show up unexpectedly and still sit down to a stellar meal.

IF you have the time, money, and the space, consider getting into freezer cooking.

This is my last post, we drive home in 2 days. It has been great sharing all of my cooking adventures with you. Stay safe!