Comments on: Freezer Meals

By: Susan

Susan — Tue, 27 May 2014 22:07:31 +0000

Almost any food can be frozen. For instance, when you have an abundance of fruits and vegetables from you garden that do not freeze well such as strawberries and tomatoes, you can puree them to use later on in sauces or smoothies. Apples can be stewed and used to make pies or jams. These methods also save space in your freezer. Trimming off the excess fat from meats before freezing will cut down on the risk of rancidity that can occur during freezing.

By: Ranger S.

Ranger S. — Tue, 27 May 2014 15:33:48 +0000

There is an art to freezing bread. Believe it or not, we collect plastic grocery bags to freeze bread. Each loaf or pkg of rolls/buns will require 6 bags. Leave the bread in the bag it came in. Wrap the bread in one grocery bag but don’t seal it – just tuck the ends together as best you can. Turn the bread upside down and wrap with another bag. Continue to wrap the loaf while each time turning the opening of the next bag away from the last bag you used. When the sixth bag is around the bread, use a freezer label to hold the opening of the bag shut. On the label, write the kind of bread and the date it is frozen.

This does work. Try it with one loaf and see. You’ll find that you can buy bread in bulk from a big box store and freeze it. Really. Just make sure you have enough plastic grocery bags . . .

By: DebbieK

DebbieK — Fri, 23 May 2014 19:45:11 +0000

I freeze a chili soup shortcut. With fresh tomatoes, peppers and onions from the garden, I roast these vegetables first and then simmer with chili and cumin spices to make a chili soup ‘base’. I simmer it down so it is thick, then freeze is literally in cool whip containers. Once frozen, I vacuum seal in vacuum freezer bags to make a ‘disc’. To make chili later, the recipe is 1 chili disc (the soup base thawed), 1 can chili beans, 1 pound fried hamburger and 1 can beef broth – easy-peasy for a quick winter weeknight meal.

By: Kathryn

Kathryn — Fri, 23 May 2014 08:48:30 +0000

One more thing: pasta sauces! It’s easy to make a double batch of any tomato sauce, and then just freeze half! Makes a very quick dinner. Smitten Kitchen’s white bean pasta sauce freezes super well, and is just as delicious when reheated with hot, fresh pasta!

By: Kathryn

Kathryn — Fri, 23 May 2014 07:29:07 +0000

I love to make a big pot of beans (black, red, pinto, black-eyed peas) or lentils (especially black ones) and then freeze them in small freezer bags (1-2 size portions). I’ve discovered on my really hectic days, I can just take it out, put it in a take-away container and eat it for a very healthy lunch. I can either make fresh rice to go with it, or just buy rice (I live in a place with easy access to rice!). I like to season the beans and lentils well (cumin and coriander, etc.), and I do add onion and garlic to them when I cook them. I once added potato and carrots to them, but they tend to not do very well when freezing and unfreezing (carrot is kind of ok, but not the potato). I find that a fresh pico de gallo, or simply chopped tomatoes + onions + fresh herb (parsley or basil) goes wonderfully on top of a bowl of beans or lentils. This combo is also great for a very quick, healthy dinner.

One other absolutely great, and super healthy recipe I’ve found that is wonderful for freezing is Dr. Oz’s quinoa, sweet potato chili! Red quinoa works great, and you don’t miss the meat at all! (I’m not even a chili fan, but I love this!)

Using this make ahead technique has made it possible for me to have healthy lunches and has left me feeling so much better about myself a few days a week!

One other thing I’ve done that works well is make bread dough and freeze it in the loaf shape (so I make small French baguette style bread loaves). The dough can also be used to make a quick pizza. You simply need to take it out 1-2 hours ahead of time or even the night before, and voilà, fresh baked bread for breakfast that only requires turning on the oven!

I don’t know about the availability in America, but Glaslock glass containers are wonderful for freezing and taking meals to work/school. I like that you can easily reheat things in it (even oven safe) and you don’t have to worry about plastic or chemicals melting into your food!

By: momof3littles

momof3littles — Fri, 23 May 2014 06:10:37 +0000

I love freezing dishes ahead of time, its like a present waiting for me in the freezer on a hectic night. I also take new moms or grieving families a meal wrapped ready to freeze with label and directions on it in case they are overloaded on food, and want to save it for later. I love to bake cookies and freeze them on cookie sheets and them transfer them to freezer bags. That way my kids have the cookie they like in the freezer and they can get one out at a time. I also pick berries like a mad woman all summer and freeze them.
The week before school starts I will freeze hundreds of waffles, breakfast burritos, biscuits, and gravy bullets as my boys call them (gravy blobs in an ice cube tray, pop them out nuke add milk, nuke, stir, eat) it make the transition of getting up for school less hectic. I do it again on Christmas and spring break. Take time, but it’s worth it.

By: Ellen@BakeItWithBooze

Ellen@BakeItWithBooze — Thu, 22 May 2014 17:27:53 +0000

I never freeze anything with potatoes or chunks of beef, whereas chicken and cheesy dishes freeze well. I find that freezing in those foil loaf pans is really the best size/configuration. The mini loaf size is great for meatloaf. They seem to be the most stable, cool down and freeze faster, and are easy to fit in the freezer. Plus, you can get 4 of them (large ones) on a half sheet pan for easing baking/handling. I always let things cool to refrigerator temp prior to wrapping and freezing. I cover with a piece of wax paper first, then plastic wrap and then foil. Just seems to mitigate that weird frosty stuff that collects on the underside of the plastic wrap (I do the same for cookies and cupcakes). Also, using a sharpie to write the item and date is a time/life saver. And, I never freeze things that have 2 different consistencies, like chicken and biscuits. Just too problematic upon defrosting.

By: Patty Paulsen

Patty Paulsen — Thu, 22 May 2014 16:20:18 +0000

I have freezers everywhere. (Really, I do!) The best thing I ever invested in is one of those counter-top vacuum-packagers. Mine is used constantly because I tend to buy in bulk. But it is also convenient when I cook extra, have a bounty of produce, or just want to supplement store packaging. I keep a marker in my drawer and always label, giving me clues as I wander through my freezer compartments looking for inspiration.

I always have bags of assorted vegetables in the freezer. When dinner is a question at the last moment (really, how did I not know I would be required to feed the family yet again?), the bagged vegetables turn into a pilaf or stir fry or baked potato topping. They also jump into the egg casserole on the weekends–making sure my family gets as many vegetables as I can stuff in them. Same with bagged frozen fruit–again, I buy in bulk and freeze individual portions in my vacuum bags. Frozen soups/stews are wonderful, just don’t add in pasta as it gets mushy. Plan on adding a bit of liquid when you reheat to get to right consistency.

I freeze tomato paste (I never use the whole can at once), broth and herbs. I will sometimes freeze meat with a marinade poured in the freezer bag–is a great timesaver and adds a little somethin’ somethin’ without extra work. Cookie dough, pie crusts and pizza dough also live in my freezer. Butter and cheese can also be frozen, just know the cheese is best used shredded and melted. I do not freeze bread, just don’t like how it tastes/feels when thawed unless it gets toasted. Freezer jam is wonderful, just waiting for someone to make me some!

By: Shawna C

Shawna C — Thu, 22 May 2014 15:37:59 +0000

Just want to add, when I say “always have a sturdy ziploc bag to add pepper strips to” I mean I keep one in the freezer all the time and rotate fresh and frozen pepper strips out of it.

Also, a PSA: no one should never heat anything above lukewarm in a plastic container that is not specified as microwave safe as the plastic can leach into your food (source: the Canadian Cancer Society). I run my containers under water for a few seconds to break the seal, then I transfer the contents to a glass or ceramic dish to heat them up in the microwave.

By: Shawna C

Shawna C — Thu, 22 May 2014 15:28:56 +0000

My husband is home early-ish with the kids, but hopeless at meal planning in the winter (in the summer he BBQs all the time), so I’ve learned I have to prepare/freeze stuff if I don’t want to come home to takeout 3-4 nights of the week. It’s really too late to start stuff by the time I arrive at 6pm.

I find that anything I make in a slow-cooker freezes well without the starch (pasta and rice just add bulk and are super-quick to make while the main course is thawing in the microwave, and chunks of potato get mushy and gross when frozen – mashed is probably okay to freeze though). This includes pasta sauces with either chicken or ground meat, curries, chilis, and mexican chicken which I use to make burritoes, nachos, enchiladas, or “mexican lasagna” (layered with tortillas and cheese and baked in the oven).

I also don’t freeze soup whole to save space, but I freeze individual ingredients from leftovers of other meals which can be thrown into stock with some onion and garlic (I use organic pre-made stock). For example, after roast chicken or turkey I strip the whole carcass and chop and freeze the meat – same with a beef or pork roast; if I’m making sweet potatoes I’ll peel and chop an extra to pop in the freezer, etc. Carrots are better in soup when sliced fresh, but lots of frozen veggies are just fine (again, not potatoes).

I also always have a sturdy ziploc bag to add pepper strips to. I’ll often only need half a pepper, then I’ll slice the rest and freeze for quick stirfrying for asian dishes, or grilling for fajitas. I have a second smaller ziploc for leftover bacon in case I need just a slice or two to add into garlic green beans or a pasta dish, but it’s rare I’m quick enough to stop the whole package from being devoured by my family.

When berries get borderline for fresh eating I’ll chop, wash and freeze them for smoothies or pancakes.