Menu Swap or Once a Month Cooking: Bird's Nest Pie

Are you ready to have 11 meals ready to go in an hour and a half!! Bird's Nest Pie (aka a Fancy Spaghetti) is on the menu today.

2 Cups Finely Chopped Onion sauteed in 8 T. Butter I used less of both because we have a family that does not enjoy onions.

Cook 64 oz of spaghetti. I chose to do it in two batches. The first time I did once a month cooking I  did all of it at once and it was too mushy, so I had to throw out the whole batch 

I also chose to do half regular spaghetti and half whole grain.

Make sure that after you drain your pasta if you are not ready to add ingredients, you add oil to keep your spaghetti from sticking together.

I mixed 8 eggs beaten, 2 C. finely chopped onion, 32 oz. sour cream, 4 lbs. hamburger (optional sausage) ends up being 2 1/2 C. browned, 24 oz tomato paste, 4 C. water.

Then I added 16 oz. mozzarella cheese.

To ensure complete mixing, I keep the spaghetti divided in half (the way I cooked it). Then I pour half of the mixture in each pot. I take a spaghetti utensil and take one scoop from each side and put it in the middle pot. Stir the middle pot.

I filled the pyrex measuring cup to 4 cups. I used the wide mouth funnel from my canning kit, and had my daughter help me hold the bag. Do not pack it in or it will pour out in a huge clump.

My little helper. If you do not have extra hands, using another measuring cup to place your bag in will hold it for you.

I like to do things in steps, so I filled all the bags with 4 cups and put them off to the side.

Then I laid them flat and pressed the air out of them. A straw can be helpful to suck the air out, too. You want them as flat as possible. Also, write instructions on the bag. Bird's Nest Pie 350 for 40 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. You could also add Tomato Sauce as desired when you pull it out.

The quadrupled recipe made 11 quart bag meals or 44 cups of Bird's Nest Pie. Ready to Freeze!! Take one out the night before you want to eat it and throw it in the fridge. Goes well in an 8 x 8 pan or 8 x 6. 

These are my dirty dishes outside of the 3 big pans shown above.

Then entire process took me about an hour and a half. That included taking pictures and testing how much would fit in a quart size bag. 

You can do it!!