Preparing meals to freeze

[Night Elf]

Do you do this? I think I understand it to mean that a full entree is cooked and frozen, then simply thawed and reheated for dinner. Or I guess you could also prepare a meal to be cooked, freeze it and then on dinner night, thaw and cook? What kinds of meals do you make? How many do you make, or how far in advance do you prepare them?

[brendag]

I do Once A Month Mom meals, but I only do them about every other month because I do like to cook and there are plenty of yummy things that don't freeze well. Some of the meals are completely cooked and frozen while others are prepped (like marinated meat) and frozen, then cooked on the day to be eaten.

 

I have a separate freezer and seeing it full brings me a sense of relief. :D I know...it's a bit odd.

 

Brenda

[Lady Marmalade]

I just checked out the book Once A Month Cooking from the library today. The entrees aren't necessarily cooked, then frozen. Sometimes they're frozen without cooking, depending on what it is.

 

You usually do need to plan ahead to use them though- pull them out of the freezer and put in the fridge to thaw overnight. I don't usually have that foresight, so we'll see if I can use the book at all. The idea seems like a great sanity saver during week.

[cjzimmer1]

Well some of it depends on what your goal is for having freezing meals. If you loathe cooking and just want it to be done, I could see doing the once a month cooking and then not having to think much for that month. If it's just to be prepared for a crazy day here and there, I would think 5-6 meals would be great plenty. If you are stocking the freezer for the arrival of a new baby or recovery during surgery, then you probably want as many as you can possibly make.

 

I'm preparing for late pregnancy and early postpartum. So my goal is to have 30 or so meals done (which will ultimately depend on my energies between now and then). Basically I've have meals stored for 6 months. They might get a little icy but frankly that has never bothered us. We aren't super picky about those things.

 

The meals I freeze will not be cooked. Some will have cooked ingredients, some will not but all will be frozen before the normal time spent in the oven/crockpot.

 

I tend to freeze a lot of casseroles as I know they work well. Some things I will only have 1 of but others I might have 4-5, just depends on how much we like it and how many times I end up making that item before my energy conks out. I don't have a specific plan just whatever I'm making for supper that day, if it's something that will freeze well, I plan to make 2 right away. I use to make 3-4 of something at a time but our family has gotten quite large and even my largest bowls only hold enough for 2 meals so I stick with making that at a time.

 

I will admit that I frequently don't plan ahead and so most days when I'm using a freezer meal, it goes into the oven frozen. It's very rare that I know in advance that I will be too exhausted to cook a specific day and take something out and thaw in advance.

 

So far I've got

Chicken Almondine (taste of home recipe)

Shepherd's Pie

Chicken Enchiladas

Filling for ChIcken Quesadillas.

 

I will buy several party size Stouffer's Lasagne (because my family prefers it to homemade and frankly it's a lot less work for me that making it even though I don't really enjoy Stouffer's)

 

Things I know will add yet this fall

Teriyaki Chicken

Stuffed Peppers

Chili

Beef Barley Soup (the chili and soup will be cooked and reheated)

 

I'm sure there will more things I add but I'm still struggling with morning sickness so it's hard for me to do a lot of cooking planning stuff yet, plus canning season is upon us and most of my spare energy is devoted to that right now.

[The Girls' Mom]

I do it, but don't really plan heavily for it. I just try to get into the habit of doubling some of my meals and freezing the extra. For example, it is just as easy to make 2 pans of lasagna as it is to make one. Or HUGE pot of soup instead of a half pot. Most things I will cook then freeze, but some I do not.

 

Right now, in my freezer I have:

 

Lasagna

Mexican Lasagna

Chili

3 Quiches (these I just fill the pie crust and freeze. Then you can just put them in the oven frozen and cook them through then)

Black Bean Soup

 

Next payday I'll probably stock up on meat again and make a few double batches of stuff again.

[Cricket]

Whenever I make a big shopping trip, I have in mind the meals I'm going to make. When I get home I separate things out. Like if I buy a large pork loin roast, I'll cut it into two or three chunks, whatever size will make a meal. I put it in a gallon freezer bag plus whatever else goes with it. My kids love pork with gravy so I'll dump in two cans of cream of mushroom soup with some Worcestershire sauce and whatever else goes in. Then I label the bag and throw it in the freezer. That way when I figure out what to cook, I just check the freezer the night before and get out whatever needs to thaw. The next morning I put it in the slow cooker or cook it in the evening for supper. It makes deciding what to have for dinner easy. For me that is always the hard part!

 

If I make soup or beans, I usually make double or triple the amount and freeze the extras. I find those things freeze well.

[MrsH]

In addition to what others said, esp. cooking two meals and freezing one, I've also really enjoyed these recipes: http://mamaandbabylove.com/2011/04/05/freezer-cooking-with-slow-cooker-recipes/

 

You take all your ingredients and dump them into gallon-sized freezer bags. Freeze the whole thing, and it's ready for the crockpot whenever. They're high in vegetables, too, which I appreciate.

 

I also make at least one bean soup a week (lentil soup, chili, white bean and tomato soup, minestrone, etc) and usually also one other bean dish that's more of a rice and beans thing. Those usually all freeze well.

[lovinmomma]

Whenever I make a big shopping trip, I have in mind the meals I'm going to make. When I get home I separate things out. Like if I buy a large pork loin roast, I'll cut it into two or three chunks, whatever size will make a meal. I put it in a gallon freezer bag plus whatever else goes with it. My kids love pork with gravy so I'll dump in two cans of cream of mushroom soup with some Worcestershire sauce and whatever else goes in. Then I label the bag and throw it in the freezer. That way when I figure out what to cook, I just check the freezer the night before and get out whatever needs to thaw. The next morning I put it in the slow cooker or cook it in the evening for supper. It makes deciding what to have for dinner easy. For me that is always the hard part!

 

If I make soup or beans, I usually make double or triple the amount and freeze the extras. I find those things freeze well.

 

I like this idea!

[missmoe]

I just recently bought and cooked two pork roast. They baked in my oven for 5 hours at 300 F. I sliced one roast to make into sandwiches at a later time. That made enough for my family of 6 to eat three meals. The other roast I chopped half and made that into BBQ pork enchildas. It made one large pan and two small pans. I put the remaining half of the roast in BBQ sauce in a bag to go into the crockpot to reheat. My biggest time commitment was the slicing and chopping--about 30 minutes total and I now have 5 suppers and 2 lunches ready.

[Joyofsixreboot]

I usually cook 3 or 4 meals of these items at a time and cook to serve later:

meatloaf

lasagna

chili and soups

chicken and rice casserole

rice and beans

 

I also freeze large batches of pancakes, muffins, waffles and sandwiches (for dh and college kids to throw in their lunch).

 

I also cook large batches of hamburger, chicken and rice. I freeze these, then it is no problem to throw together tacos, spaghetti, alfredo, or fried rice quickly.

[Night Elf]

Oh you guys have some great ideas! I like the idea of making 2 batches of something to freeze one for later. I don't have a separate freezer so I can't make too much ahead. It just sounds like such a nice idea. Of course, I have to deal with my family being picky. I can think of only a couple of meals that everyone in the house likes. The rest of the time, on any given night, at least one person is preparing something different for themselves.

[momto2Cs]

I used to be really good about this, making double batches of things and freezing them, dividing stuff ahead of time, etc., then I fell out of the habit.

 

Now, with Monday evenings busy (back-to-back track for ds, then derby practice for dd); Tuesday evenings busy with my college class, track again on Wednesdays.... I need to get back into this! I put the Once a Month Cooking book on hold just now, but in the meantime, what worked well for me was:

 

Casseroles (like lasagne, enchiladas, and so forth); chili and soups; shredded BBQ chicken or pork; bean-cheese-and-rice burritos; pizza dough/crusts.

 

I came across this link for casseroles

[Unicorn.]

I have a question. What are y'all freezing these meals IN? Especially the casseroles. Do you just buy a bunch of lasagna pans, or do you use the disposable kind???? I really need to fill up the freezer, but don't have a clue what to store them in.

[momto2Cs]

And here's the best site I've found for crockpot recipes...

 

A Year of Slow Cooking

 

I've been thinking about making up packs of the ingredients she uses, all prepped, and freezing those to make it easier on hurried days.

[momto2Cs]

I have a question. What are y'all freezing these meals IN? Especially the casseroles. Do you just buy a bunch of lasagna pans, or do you use the disposable kind???? I really need to fill up the freezer, but don't have a clue what to store them in.

 

Soups, chilis, shredded meats, and such I put into ziplock bags, squeeze out as much air as possible, and then freeze. For casseroles, I like Pyrex best, but have used these Gladware containers as well.

 

ETA: I've also used those disposable aluminum pans, and covered them tightly with saran wrap and then a double layer of aluminum foil. Just remove the plastic wrap before cooking (says someone who forgot this once and ruined a beautiful lasagne :blush: )

[DianeW88]

I regularly make 30 freezer meals at a time and freeze them flat in my regular freezer in zip-loc bags. Or, for something like lasagna, I freeze it in a 9x13 pan lined in freezer foil, then I pop the lasagna out, wrap it up in freezer paper and when I go to bake it, I place it frozen in the original pans (sans the foil wrap), thaw it and bake it.

 

HUGE time and money saver and we never eat out more than once a month because of this.

 

There are a ton of sites and books out there to show you how to do this. Google and Amazon are your friends. :D

[brendag]

:iagree:

 

Brenda

[bettyandbob]

In my freezer now I have

quiche

spinach pie

mushroom/peanut mung bean noodles

pumpkin soup

 

I have approximately 15 meals. We will eat 2 a week. We will have a crockpot meal on Mondays. Leftovers one day and who knows on Fridays. My dd also takes leftovers to high school for lunch.

 

Cooking ahead is how I control our busy schedule. In Nov/Dec I'll make a bunch of new meals 4 or 5 each of 4 different things to rotate. I typically do all the cooking on one Saturday. If I still have energy I will make several dozen muffins to freeze for quick breakfasts as well.

 

We are gluten free so not cooking is not an option.

[Dobela]

I buy meats in bulk, make marinades for them, and dump into baggies in meal portions. On the day I want them, I then dump them into the crock pot and let cook all day. I also keep lots of frozen veggies on hand for a quick veggie to go with them. I have found this works better for me than most other freezer methods, although I do like to keep lasagna frozen as well.

[plath]

I do it, but don't really plan heavily for it. I just try to get into the habit of doubling some of my meals and freezing the extra. For example, it is just as easy to make 2 pans of lasagna as it is to make one. Or HUGE pot of soup instead of a half pot. Most things I will cook then freeze, but some I do not.

 

 

Yep, I do this, too. I doubled enchiladas the other night and froze. Tonight I doubled stuffed shells and froze half.

I also cook up big batches of dried beans, brown rice, pizza dough and when I make homemade pasta or dumplings and then freeze..

[plath]

I have a question. What are y'all freezing these meals IN? Especially the casseroles. Do you just buy a bunch of lasagna pans, or do you use the disposable kind???? I really need to fill up the freezer, but don't have a clue what to store them in.

 

I line a pan with aluminum foil, put the food in it and stick it in the freezer. Then once it's frozen, I take it out of the pan (using the foil as a "sling"), stick it in a gallon ziploc bag or food saver bag and pop it back in the freezer. That way I can still use my pan.

[momto2Cs]

The other day I started a similar thread on vegetarian freezer meals if anyone is interested:

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=422122

 

Thanks! We're not vegetarians, but we do eat a lot of vegetarian meals.

[momto2Cs]

I regularly make 30 freezer meals at a time and freeze them flat in my regular freezer in zip-loc bags. Or, for something like lasagna, I freeze it in a 9x13 pan lined in freezer foil, then I pop the lasagna out, wrap it up in freezer paper and when I go to bake it, I place it frozen in the original pans (sans the foil wrap), thaw it and bake it.

 

I line a pan with aluminum foil, put the food in it and stick it in the freezer. Then once it's frozen, I take it out of the pan (using the foil as a "sling"), stick it in a gallon ziploc bag or food saver bag and pop it back in the freezer. That way I can still use my pan.

 

I really like this idea - thanks!

[Susan in TN]

Do you do this? I think I understand it to mean that a full entree is cooked and frozen, then simply thawed and reheated for dinner. Or I guess you could also prepare a meal to be cooked, freeze it and then on dinner night, thaw and cook? What kinds of meals do you make? How many do you make, or how far in advance do you prepare them?

 

These are the meals I'm getting ready to make. It takes me a few weeks to gather up all the ingredients and freezing containers, then 2 or 3 more weeks to actually make the dinners and freeze them. In general, I triple or quadruple the recipes. Last weekend I roasted a turkey and then made 12qts of turkey broth for the soups and other recipes that need "chicken" broth.

 

Tomato Bisque (heat and serve)

Cream of Broccoli Soup (heat and serve - sprinkle with cheese after heating)

Kansas City Steak Soup (heat and serve)

Chicken Noodle Soup (noodles are partially cooked, then frozen with mixed veggies and cooked chicken)

Farmhouse Chili - sausage, beef, northern beans (heat and serve)

BBQ pork shoulder (heat and serve)

Biscuit Pot Pie (filling is cooked, but biscuits are baked on top when preparing)

Bean and Cheese Burritos (refried beans are cooked and frozen, put together with tortillas when serving)

 

I have everything I need for the Farmhouse Chili so I will probably make that this weekend in my giant soup kettle. I'll soak and cook the beans on Friday and then fininsh making it on Saturday for dinner.

 

I freeze the soups in Glad 8C freezer containers. They hold about the amount our family will eat for one meal. The Chili, BBQ, Pot Pie filling, and refried beans are frozen in gallon or quart ziplock freezer bags.

 

The above recipes will make 36+ meals for 8 which will last us about 3 months - we'll have 3 or 4 freezer meals each week, soup only 1x per week. In January I'll have another go with a few new recipes for the freezer.

Edited September 6, 2012 by Susan in TN

[Tammyla]

I do double batches in the cooler/cold months. I've only froze pre-cooked meals, some are a little undercooked. I just thaw in the refrigerator and reheat the next day. My fav. recipe books are the old LLL ones.

[Forget-Me-Not]

I do it, but don't really plan heavily for it. I just try to get into the habit of doubling some of my meals and freezing the extra. For example, it is just as easy to make 2 pans of lasagna as it is to make one. Or HUGE pot of soup instead of a half pot.

 

Same here. I currently have homemade beef and chicken taquitos (those will be dinner tonight I think. . . ) and chili in my deep freeze. The taquitos were made from leftover meat from other meals that I didn't want to waste.

 

I freeze a lot of dough/batter for baked goods too. I scoop cookie dough out onto cookie sheets, freeze, then transfer the dough balls into a freezer bag. You can pop them into the oven frozen and just bake a few minutes longer. Same with cake batter in cupcake papers. Freeze in the cupcake pan, then transfer to a bag when solid.

 

I make bread dough and do the first rise, shape into rolls or loaves, and then freeze. On the day I want to use it, I thaw it/do a second rise on the counter and bake. It's perfect for days when we'll be super busy; I put some soup or a roast in the crockpot, set my pre-shaped bread dough out to thaw and rise in the morning, and then bake it in the last 30-60 minutes before we're ready to eat dinner. ( IME, yeast doughs really don't last beyond about 3 months in the freezer--after that they don't rise well anymore).

 

I regularly make 30 freezer meals at a time and freeze them flat in my regular freezer in zip-loc bags. Or, for something like lasagna, I freeze it in a 9x13 pan lined in freezer foil, then I pop the lasagna out, wrap it up in freezer paper and when I go to bake it, I place it frozen in the original pans (sans the foil wrap), thaw it and bake it.

 

I line a pan with aluminum foil, put the food in it and stick it in the freezer. Then once it's frozen, I take it out of the pan (using the foil as a "sling"), stick it in a gallon ziploc bag or food saver bag and pop it back in the freezer. That way I can still use my pan.

 

Brilliant! I was going to go buy some disposable foil pans to do lasagna so I wouldn't tie up all my Pyrex, but I like this idea even better!

[Susan in TN]

I don't like to cook and freeze so my latest thing is crockpot freezer meals. You assemble the ingredients, bag and freeze. Then just throw in the crockpot and cook when needed.

 

http://www.six-cents.com/2012/06/crockpot-freezer-cooking-101.html

 

If you google crockpot freezer meals you'll get tons of results.

 

This looks really good - at least for ideas on what kind of ingredients will freeze/slowcook well and lots of recipes that I might be able to tweek. (We can't have canned soups or peppers of any kind :tongue_smilie: .) Years ago I used to buy those frozen slow cooker meals at the grocery store - very convenient but so expensive!

[lovinmomma]

:lurk5: