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Freezer Meals and other time savers


Elizabeth86
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Personally, my appetite is so messed up when I'm pregnant or nursing, that I struggle to make regular meals. I ha e to have flexibility or I just can't eat because I will feel so queasy.

 

So, I make seasoning mixes and store then the baggies, cook chicken with only basic seasonings that I can add to later, and chop or shred it for the freezer, brown ground beef and freeze it in 1lb portions, cook bacon and freeze. Chop celery, carrots, green peppers, onions and freeze those. I also usually have mashed sweet potatoes frozen. Etc. Then, most of the work of creating any dish is done. I just have to assemble the pieces.

 

For the cabinets, I assemble mixes for cookies, cakes, and muffins. I premeasure rice and oatmeal. I also stock up on things like peanut butter, jelly, ketchup, pickles, and anything else that gets heavy when I'm trying to deal with a baby and groceries. Honestly, I try to stock up hugely on all perishables so I can have faster shopping trips with the baby.

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Rather than freezing whole meals, freeze individual portions of leftovers. DH can grab a container from the freezer for lunch, or someone can eat it at home if we didn't have enough leftovers or whatever, and I don't feel like cooking.

 

I bought a big pack of those restaurant leftovers dishes from Costco so I didn't use up all my good stuff. Also so I don't get bent out of shape when DH breaks or loses the containers at work.

 

Right now we have a few containers of red beans and rice, two dishes of layered taco stuff (rice, beans, meat, cheese), and a dish of some sausage/peppers/pasta stuff we make frequently. They all freeze and reheat well.

Edited by BarbecueMom
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Some of my favorite things for the freezer are not casseroles. I make coconut chicken curry and kung pao chicken where you just stir fry some veggies and add the meat/sauce packet from the freezer (thawed). Both served over rice. I mix meatloaf and freeze uncooked because I prefer how it comes out that way over freezing it fully cooked. You can freeze chicken breasts and other meats with their seasonings and by the time they are thawed, they are marinated. Salisbury steak freezes well, fully cooked. Also most of your favorite soups, stews and chilis should freeze well unless they are cream soups or have chunks of potato.

 

ETA: interesting thing about potatoes is that chunks don't freeze well, but mashed potatoes do. Just give thawed mashed potatoes a good stir, add some extra liquid and heat. Chicken cacciatore works well too, heat and serve over freshly cooked noodles.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited by SamanthaCarter
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Some of my favorite things for the freezer are not casseroles. I make coconut chicken curry and kung pao chicken where you just stir fry some veggies and add the meat/sauce packet from the freezer (thawed). Both served over rice. I mix meatloaf and freeze uncooked because I prefer how it comes out that way over freezing it fully cooked. You can freeze chicken breasts and other meats with their seasonings and by the time they are thawed, they are marinated. Salisbury steak freezes well, fully cooked. Also most of your favorite soups, stews and chilis should freeze well unless they are cream soups or have chunks of potato.

 

ETA: interesting thing about potatoes is that chunks don't freeze well, but mashed potatoes do. Just give thawed mashed potatoes a good stir, add some extra liquid and heat. Chicken cacciatore works well too, heat and serve over freshly cooked noodles.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I would love your coconut chicken curry recipe.

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Some of my favorite things for the freezer are not casseroles. I make coconut chicken curry and kung pao chicken where you just stir fry some veggies and add the meat/sauce packet from the freezer (thawed). Both served over rice. I mix meatloaf and freeze uncooked because I prefer how it comes out that way over freezing it fully cooked. You can freeze chicken breasts and other meats with their seasonings and by the time they are thawed, they are marinated. Salisbury steak freezes well, fully cooked. Also most of your favorite soups, stews and chilis should freeze well unless they are cream soups or have chunks of potato.

 

ETA: interesting thing about potatoes is that chunks don't freeze well, but mashed potatoes do. Just give thawed mashed potatoes a good stir, add some extra liquid and heat. Chicken cacciatore works well too, heat and serve over freshly cooked noodles.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I will try mashed potatoes. They are time consuming and I make them once or twice each week

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Some of my favorite things for the freezer are not casseroles. I make coconut chicken curry and kung pao chicken where you just stir fry some veggies and add the meat/sauce packet from the freezer (thawed). Both served over rice. I mix meatloaf and freeze uncooked because I prefer how it comes out that way over freezing it fully cooked. You can freeze chicken breasts and other meats with their seasonings and by the time they are thawed, they are marinated. Salisbury steak freezes well, fully cooked. Also most of your favorite soups, stews and chilis should freeze well unless they are cream soups or have chunks of potato.

 

ETA: interesting thing about potatoes is that chunks don't freeze well, but mashed potatoes do. Just give thawed mashed potatoes a good stir, add some extra liquid and heat. Chicken cacciatore works well too, heat and serve over freshly cooked noodles.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I love these ideas!

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We freeze chili, stews, shepherd's pie, cottage pie, chicken pot pies, lasagna, baked ziti, sauce with meatballs and sausage, raw meats with marinades for easy grilling, taco meat, home made gyro meat, meat loaf... I know I'm forgetting something. 

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When I'm trying to build up some freezer inventory, I just make two meals every time I cook a meal that will work, and then I freeze one. We don't love casseroles either, but I do freeze meatloaf/meatballs, quiche, any kind of meat with sauce (like butter chicken), pot pies, soups/stews, etc.

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I don't love freezer meals, but I also don't love cookong in those first few weeks with a newborn, so I suck it up.

 

With my last baby, I made enough that I didn't cook for like 6 weeks (almost my sister in law came for a week and church brought a week). It was so.so.great and worth it.

 

Around 30 weeks, when I get an early 3rd trimester boost, I start doubling anything that will freeze (taco meat, soups, atews, mashed potatoes, whatever you already eat). Then I do a couple of dedicated days to cooking for the freezer. It has worked well for me.

 

I still keep 1 or 2 freezer meals at all times. I love having them. One place I get inspiration is our local "casserole" shop where you can buy them frozen or warmed for dinner/to give away/whatever. Ours makes some interesting stuff, and it gives me new ideas.

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As soon as I'm done feeling icky, I'm stocking up the freezer for this January baby.  Items that will go in my freezer include

 

white chili

"regular" chili

cincinnati style chili

vegetarian chili (Moosewood cookbook recipe)

four been chili (adapted from Weelicious recipe)

 

Shepherd's pie meat base (I usually make the mashed potatoes fresh, but I have frozen it casserole style)

 

meatballs: traditional Italian (Barefoot Contessa recipe), pork and fennel, and asian style with orange sauce

marinara sauce

tomato and meat sauce

bolognese sauce

 

salsa chicken

bbq chicken

bbq pulled pork

mexican style pulled pork

 

green chile rice

brown rice, quinoa, barley

black, red, pinto, and white beans

 

enchilada sauce

 

possibly pre-made enchiladas, although those are easy to throw together with the above ingredients already done

 

possibly lasagna and stuffed manicotti, but that's because I prefer to make my own ricotta, which I probably won't do with a newborn.  If I am going to freeze something casserole style, I find the best way to cook it is to defrost it for 24 hours, which makes it no prep but preplanning.  Sometimes that's tough with newborn brain.

 

A variety of muffins, which I freeze unbaked in paper cups (throw the tin in the freezer for an hour and transfer to ziplocks).  They bake from frozen super well.

 

Depending on how much I love my kids in December, at 30 some odd weeks pg, I'll make some extra cookies during our Christmas cookie marathon and keep the dough in the freezer.

 

Keeping an eye on this thread for other inspiration.  Feel free to ask for recipes; I'll post if my children ever go to bed tonight.

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Taco soup is a favorite here (it does have beans) but maybe you can make it to keep the kids fed at least. Spaghetti sauce, also making chicken with marinade or whatever added so all you have to do is dump and cook, add starch and veg.

Beans have never bothered my nurslings.

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I was just about to ask about your other kids, but that age is not really going to be helpful for making dinner. 

 

 

I would rather have meals for the crockpot than for the oven.  You can freeze those meals and just dump them in.  I know there is site that moneysavingmom.com links to a lot for that.

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How long does these type things stay good in the freezer?

If you get a foodsaver, 6 months to a year, plus the things lay flat and take up less room. Otherwide, a few months, the less airspace in your container, the longer it will stay good.

 

My dad routinely finds foodsavers for a few dollars at yard sales, they are $80 new I think, it has been a while since I bought one.

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This book is so old that the hardcover is now $2. I use so many recipes from here:

 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/comfort-foods-rachael-ray/1111662622/2671111613496?st=PLA&sid=BNB_DRS_Marketplace+Shopping+Books_00000000&2sid=Google_&sourceId=PLGoP4449&k_clickid=3x4449

 

I don't often freeze new recipes. I make them at least once. If they're a hit and will freeze well, I double or triple the next time around. My family isn't big on casseroles, so I freeze precooked beans, precooked ground beef, red sauces, meat loaves, etc.

 

I LOVE having frozen homemade burritos stashed because they're a full meal by themselves. Dd likes to keep costco potstickers in the freezer and DS likes frozen pizza. I like to make a BUNCH of twice baked potatoes and freeze those because that's a satisfying lunch for me. I usually have ham or bacon in them. Quiches freeze well and work for ANY meal. I'd look at what you already know you'll eat and focus on stashing what freezes well.

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I'm lazy and don't like cooking so I try to cook enough for two or three meals when I cook and then freeze the leftovers.  

 

Some of my favorite things to freeze:

 

Hamburgers

Turkey Burgers

Chicken (I always use skinless boneless breasts, but don't know how other parts would freeze)

Chili (we make it without beans)

Taco meat

Pulled Pork

Baked pasta dishes

Pizza

Breads (I make a sausage bread that my family loves)

Korean beef

French Dip

Roasts

Salmon

Pancakes/French Toast

Egg yolks (my dd is allergic to the whites)

 

I'm sure there's more...I freeze just about everything!  Even leftover hot dogs.

 

 

Edited by Erica H
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