Who Needs McDonald's?

The summer season is at an end but the early fall bounty is upon us.  Jacob and I have been experimenting with freezing various dishes for later. It makes meal preparation really easy, all they require is quick oven re-heating.  I simply call them 'freezer meals.'  So far I have made three types of burritos, three savory pies, creamy chicken enchiladas, cookie dough, and today we finished a batch of pancake breakfast sandwiches!

We love getting the freshest ingredients for our meals, and for us, going to the farmer's market has been our food destination of choice.  Lately the booths have been booming with organic produce, meats, honey, jams and more.  Unfortunately, the autumn harvest will soon be over, meaning our local farmer's market will also end for the season.

Before the winter begins, I want to create as many freezer meals (with the current array of farm fresh foods) as possible, so we continue to enjoy all of the tasty nutritional benefits throughout the barren months.

 This will hopefully save copious amounts of time, stress, and even a bit of money.

I want to try freezing soups, casseroles, fillings, and singular food items like sliced peaches.  I am in the process of acquiring a chest freezer to store everything.  We will keep it out back so as not to disturb the ambiance and feng shui of our apartment.

To follow is my recipe for yummy pancake breakfast sandwiches. They are laced with the sweet notes of maple, vanilla, and cinnamon.  

Makes 12 super yummmmy sandwiches!

For Sausage:

1 pound grass fed lean ground beef
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black ground pepper
1/4 generous cup pure organic maple syrup

In a medium bowl mix spices together, then add ground beef, combine.  Next add maple syrup, working it into the spiced meat. Shape into 12 equal rounds and bake at 350 degrees, or cook in a skillet until done. 
 

 For Eggs:

12 eggs
1/4 cup milk, or half and half
sprinkle of salt
sprinkle of pepper

With a whisk in a large bowl whip eggs, milk, salt and pepper together.  Bake at 350 in a greased large muffin tray for about 20 minutes, or until cooked all the way through.
 


For Pancakes:

4 eggs

2 tablespoons vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 cups whole wheat flour
milk

Mix together dry ingredients in one bowl, and wet ingredients in another (excluding the milk).  Combine wet and dry, then pour in enough milk to make the mixture look like warm runny peanut butter.   Cook 24 equal sized pancakes on the stove, or on a griddle.  Cook them until just barley done if freezing, or all the way if eating straight away.





Extras:

Cheese
Syrup
Jam/Fruit Spread
Bacon


These sandwiches are fun to experiment with.  I added thin slices of cheese in between a few layers for extra decadence. Dip in a bit of maple syrup for more delicious maple flavor, or spread fruit preserves right on top and eat with a fork.   Try new combinations, it makes life fun!