Four Weeks To Fill Your Freezer: Split Pea Soup, Broccoli Ham Casserole and Homemade Popsicles

I was ready for today's freezer cooking and ended up preparing 3 different things!

First off, I filled the crockpot with ingredients for Split Pea Soup. I don't use a recipe for it but add dried split peas, chopped onion and celery, some spices and water. I also had a large bacon end piece that I added to the pot for a great flavor. (I buy packages of nitrate free bacon ends and pieces at Trader Joe's for $2.99/pound. They are delicious and are wonderful for added flavor!) Turn crockpot to low and let cook all day.

I had all the ingredients to try these Pina Colada Popsicles I found on Pinterest. They were quick to make and we already sampled some and they are delicious! I have the feeling they won't last long in the freezer!

Also found a small bag of chopped ham in the freezer so added that to some broccoli for a Broccoli Ham Casserole. I needed to quickly throw a dish together for our church fellowship a couple of months ago and a quick look in a casserole cookbook led me to a yummy looking broccoli and ham casserole. However, I didn't have all the necessary ingredients available nor were some of them items that I usually cook with. Within a few minutes, I'd come up with my own variation of broccoli and ham casserole with stuff I had on hand and what I feel is a bit more of a real food version. We really like this simple casserole!

Broccoli Ham Casserole

1 (16 ounce) bag frozen broccoli
1 cup chopped cooked ham
1/2 cup mayonnaise--I'm a Duke's snob but feel free to use whatever brand you prefer!
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese plus a bit extra for topping
Croutons for topping--optional

Cook broccoli according to package directions. Stir in ham, mayo and cheese. Spread into a small baking dish. Top with extra cheese and croutons, if desired.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through.

If freezing-- Prepare as directed but do not bake. Wrap well and freeze. When ready to use, thaw overnight in fridge and bake as directed. If you don't have time to thaw, add extra baking time and it should be fine!

Split pea soup will be packaged in Mason jars and muffin tins to freeze.  For the popsicles that I froze in the ice cube tray, I froze 30-40 minutes then stuck popsicle sticks in each one. We ate the ones in the cups as soon as they froze semi-solid!:-)


**For more freezer cooking fun, visit Money Saving Mom!**