freezer meals – The Funky Oven

These freeze so well. Frozen patties make an absolutely easy weeknight dinner. We always buy a half salmon for grilling. We use whatever is left for patties the next day. 1-1.5 cup of cooked salmon makes about 4 patties. I also use any extra bread from the week to make these. The taste varies a bit based on the type of bread. My favorite is leftover french bread. I do not even always dry the bread out. Often, I just make crumbs in the food processor and use it as is.

1.5 cups cooked leftover salmon

juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

3-4 chopped green onions

1 egg

1 cup bread crumbs

1 teaspoon old bay seasoning

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

Mix all ingredients together. Form into patties about the size of the palm on your hand. Freeze on a silicone mat for 1-2 hours. Place a layer of parchment paper between the patties and transfer them to a freezer safe bag.

When ready to cook:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Warm 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Cook the patties in the skilled for 2-4 minutes per side or until just browned. They will not be fully cooked. Place the patties on a raised grate and bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes. My raised grate is a cooling rack placed inside of a cookie sheet.

My husband loves smoking pork shoulders. The average weighs about 9 pounds of meat. I run out of ideas for all the leftovers. I can only handle so many pulled pork sandwiches. This is a great way to use the leftover pork and it does not taste leftover. In fact, you can assemble these and freeze them for easy later use. One batch makes about 8-10 very large empanadas.

Dough:

12 tablespoons cold butter

3 1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

2 tablespoon white vinegar

1/2 cup cold water

Pulse the flour, salt, and butter in a food processor until combined. It will appear like coarse crumbs. Mix the water, egg, and vinegar. Pour over the flour and continue to pulse until just combined. Flour the surface and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for a least 2 hours.

Filling:

3 cups leftover smoked pork

1/2 yellow onion

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon cumin

Salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon mexican oregano

1 small can diced green chilis with juice

4 small jalapenos

Pulse all of the above in a food processor until it has a pate consistency. The jalapeno does not need to be seeded.

Egg wash:

1 egg

2 tablespoons water

Mix the egg and water together. Set aside to brush the top of the pies.

When ready to assemble, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll the dough on a floured surface to 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Cut circles that are 6-8 inch diameter using a template or cereal bowl up-side-down. Place an egg sized amount of filling on the circle. Fold over half of the circle. Press down the edge over the filling using a fork. Place the pies on a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Brush the top using egg wash. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with salsa, guacamole, or sour cream.