Foods that freeze well

[Mandylubug]

So, I am considering making our meals or a good deal of meals up ahead of time. I struggle with cooking on school days and I also find we are spending too much money on my DH buying lunch out when I end up not having enough leftovers or end up fixing something simple like sandwiches for dinner. My kids are soy and dairy free. I am diabetic. DH has a very physically active job and eats a hearty portion at work, so it can't be all pasta or all rice. It needs at least 4 oz of protein, veggies and a carb/starch. Or if I fix soups, I need some form of meat or sandwich to grab to go along with it. 

 

I am cooking for "8" adult portions now currently when I have a successful meal with leftovers. I need the extra two portions for if he works a double the next day or to have a spare for another day I take the easy route.

 

Things I have considered so far for lunches alone: frozen quesadillas with a "bag" of soup from the freezer. However, I can't figure out what I would package it in for him to take to work. He does have a microwave available for him. I could thaw it out the night before and place in lunch bowl but that isn't as grab and go as I would like. I also saw on pinterest freezing soup portions in the lunch containers, then popping them out and into a bag for freezer storage. However, we do not have a spare refridgerator/freezer. Our fridge is a fairly large side by side but I am still limited in space for storage. So, all my frozen meals have to fit there. That is why I was thinking the frozen ziplock bags being a great space saver.

 

I have considered bags of frozen salsa and bags of tortilla chips in the closet pre-made where he can grab out his portion and run as well. Those would be great to go along with a frozen buritto or quesadilla for him and my kids would enjoy those as snacks as well.

 

My only hesitation about doing it this way is separating frozen meals for me and the children and frozen lunches for DH. IF I just make frozen lunches, it doesn't help me during the week. IF I am making his frozen lunches from the same meals I make the kids, I will have to make a bunch of frozen meals for the children and myself as well. So, then I start thinking, do I just separate every meal into individual servings or do I have a large portion for meals and lunch portions separated out... I'm over thinking this aren't I?

 

My other questions that I am wondering, has anyone had success in freezing veggies that are already cooked. Like green beans that have already simmered with a bit of bacon and onion (southern style) and then frozen? What about mashed potatoes or pinto beans? What about premade fried rice? Does that freeze and reheat well in a microwave?

[City Mouse]

I don't freeze much already cooked so maybe others can help.

But for lunches, I used to make up sandwiches by the loaf and freeze for the week. I would bag each in a separate sandwich bag then store the frozen sandwiches in the loaf bag.

Peanut butter and jelly (or marshmallow cream) freeze nicely. I would also freeze meat and cheese sandwiches. Either add the condiments when you take them out of the freezer or throw in condiment packets like the kind from fast food places (can buy at SAMs club)

[Mandylubug]

I don't freeze much already cooked so maybe others can help.

But for lunches, I used to make up sandwiches by the loaf and freeze for the week. I would bag each in a separate sandwich bag then store the frozen sandwiches in the loaf bag.

Peanut butter and jelly (or marshmallow cream) freeze nicely. I would also freeze meat and cheese sandwiches. Either add the condiments when you take them out of the freezer or throw in condiment packets like the kind from fast food places (can buy at SAMs club)

 

that is a great idea :) We do buy about 6 loaves of bread a week and freeze them and I know that works great. I haven't considered making up cold ham sandwiches that way. I had only considered hot sandwiches and quesadillas.

[KungFuPanda]

I LOVE frozen burritos for lunch. I purposely overdo taco/burrito fixings for dinner, then make a bunch of burritos with the leftovers. In mine, I like rice, beans, seasoned meat, bell pepper, and cheese. I also mix equal parts yogurt and salsa and add it to my burritos. The yogurt is tangy like sour cream, but freezes and reheats better. A burrito is a complete meal for me, but your DH may need two.

 

Chili is also a nice hearty food that freezes well.

[Mandylubug]

I LOVE frozen burritos for lunch. I purposely overdo taco/burrito fixings for dinner, then make a bunch of burritos with the leftovers. In mine, I like rice, beans, seasoned meat, bell pepper, and cheese. I also mix equal parts yogurt and salsa and add it to my burritos. The yogurt is tangy like sour cream, but freezes and reheats better. A burrito is a complete meal for me, but your DH may need two.

 

Chili is also a nice hearty food that freezes well.

man, I want a burrito now ;) nice tip of the yogurt and salsa mixed

[Baseball mom]

I don't do a lot of frozen meals but I will brown ground beef, drain and put in freezer bags in portion sizes I use.  Flatten the bags, takes up less space.  Sometimes I will go ahead and add seasoning to make seasoned meat for tacos etc. 

 

Also do cook chicken (boil, bake, cook in crockpot or pressure cooker) shred or pull off in big chunks and freeze like the ground beef. 

 

Makes cooking meals a lot quicker,

[Um_2_4]

Wednesday I am doing a huge freezer meal prep day. I used to freeze left overs from double batches, but that alone is not enough for us. I got most of my ideas from pinterest and google. So far I have about 30 dinners, plus I'm going to make up hamburger patties, homemade chicken nuggets and some precooked meat for me (stir fry strips, sauteed chicken) since I NEED to get back to low carb. I hope this will last 6 weeks, with some days for leftovers or the like thrown in.

 

Most of the meals I am just prepping the ingredients and will freeze in bags and will put them in the crockpot in the am and have dinner ready (- the salad, pasta or rice).

 

For lunches, I would check out clearance sales at Target now for the back to school section. They have tons of lunch box items (not all childish) that you could send soup in. When I do freeze leftovers, I would  portion them out and freeze (muffin tins work too, bigger than ice cube trays) and then pull out the night before and place in fridge then pack in the containers in the am for DH to take to work. That works for soup, stews, sauces etc. 

 

I would probably make a huge match of meaty stew, then freeze in portions and defrost as needed for lunches when there are no leftovers.

Burrittos also work. My Dh did not like frozen sandwiches, so you may want to try a few.

You can also make and freeze lunch pockets (like uncrustables) for the kids: PB and J, cream cheese, whatever.I use this :http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_products/catalog/product.jsp?productId=33&categoryCode=CE

[Mandylubug]

Thanks for the tips, y'all! I found a neat website, too. It says to keep bread from being soggy once thawed to spread each slice of bread with butter. Interesting thought. I will be trying it soon!

 

http://www.favoritefreezerfoods.com/

[Mandylubug]

Wednesday I am doing a huge freezer meal prep day. I used to freeze left overs from double batches, but that alone is not enough for us. I got most of my ideas from pinterest and google. So far I have about 30 dinners, plus I'm going to make up hamburger patties, homemade chicken nuggets and some precooked meat for me (stir fry strips, sauteed chicken) since I NEED to get back to low carb. I hope this will last 6 weeks, with some days for leftovers or the like thrown in.

 

Most of the meals I am just prepping the ingredients and will freeze in bags and will put them in the crockpot in the am and have dinner ready (- the salad, pasta or rice).

 

For lunches, I would check out clearance sales at Target now for the back to school section. They have tons of lunch box items (not all childish) that you could send soup in. When I do freeze leftovers, I would portion them out and freeze (muffin tins work too, bigger than ice cube trays) and then pull out the night before and place in fridge then pack in the containers in the am for DH to take to work. That works for soup, stews, sauces etc.

 

I would probably make a huge match of meaty stew, then freeze in portions and defrost as needed for lunches when there are no leftovers.

Burrittos also work. My Dh did not like frozen sandwiches, so you may want to try a few.

You can also make and freeze lunch pockets (like uncrustables) for the kids: PB and J, cream cheese, whatever.I use this :http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_products/catalog/product.jsp?productId=33&categoryCode=CE

Do you have a spare freezer you store your meals in? I'm struggling with knowing if I'll have space to store it all. Wouldnt that be horrible to make all of those foods and have no where to put it?!

[Um_2_4]

I have a side by side, I have been clearing it out little by little,

I now have the 2 biggest shelves completely empty. I can easily fit those 30 bags in there, my plan is to freeze flat most of the meals in large ziploc bags and then the top shelve can be the "Ready" items, like hamburgers etc. I'm not using those large foil pans like for lasagna.

I will no longer be storing many "ingredients" by themselves. I will have some frozen veggies for sides (cauliflower, green beans, broccoli), but that I will buy weekly as needed. And I will keep 2 whole chickens ready for my rotisserie oven. And I may keep a package of snapper or salmon and 1 bag of shrimp on hand.

Bottom of my freezer will be cheese, tortillas and bread (DS's gluten free only, other I buy fresh at the outlet).

 

[Susan in TN]

This past weekend I made a ton of freezer meals - generally triple batches of a few family favorite recipies. I think it would be fairly easy to divide into smaller lunch/individual meals. These are the ones I made: chili, tomato bisque, Kansas City steak soup, cream of broccoli soup, lemon tarragon chicken soup, beef stroganoff, chicken divan, apple (pork) chops, and BBQ pulled pork.

 

I have heard of people freezing food/soup in muffin tins for easy portioning.

[Um_2_4]

Mandy, Just an update. In my side by side yesterday I fit the following in using 2 1/2 shelves:

21 hamburgers

2# of meatballs (2 bags)

2# of gluten free chicken nuggets (1 bag)

2 full size meatloafs

3 bags of mini meatloafs (8 in each)

2# of taco meat (sub divided into small bags)

2# of kafta (seasoned raw ground meat for spicy meatballs)

These slow cooker meals:

2 bags fajitas 

1 bag tandorri chicken 

1 bag honey sesame chicken

1 bag green bean and lamb stew

1 bag beef stew

2 bags kung pao chicken

1 bag hungarian goulash

2 bags chili

1 bag chicken broccoli alfredo

2 bags shwarma meat (spiced meat and onion to cook in crockpot)

1 bag of lamb and white bean stew

1 bag of Moroccan lentil stew

 

Today I am going to mix some "sauces" to have it ready and just add fish/meat. (Citrus-Ginger Hot Sauce for fish, Orange Ginger sauce for shrimp and Mongolian sauce for beef to make Mongolian beef)

 

 

[Mandylubug]

Mandy, Just an update. In my side by side yesterday I fit the following in using 2 1/2 shelves:

21 hamburgers

2# of meatballs (2 bags)

2# of gluten free chicken nuggets (1 bag)

2 full size meatloafs

3 bags of mini meatloafs (8 in each)

2# of taco meat (sub divided into small bags)

2# of kafta (seasoned raw ground meat for spicy meatballs)

These slow cooker meals:

2 bags fajitas

1 bag tandorri chicken

1 bag honey sesame chicken

1 bag green bean and lamb stew

1 bag beef stew

2 bags kung pao chicken

1 bag hungarian goulash

2 bags chili

1 bag chicken broccoli alfredo

2 bags shwarma meat (spiced meat and onion to cook in crockpot)

1 bag of lamb and white bean stew

1 bag of Moroccan lentil stew

 

Today I am going to mix some "sauces" to have it ready and just add fish/meat. (Citrus-Ginger Hot Sauce for fish, Orange Ginger sauce for shrimp and Mongolian sauce for beef to make Mongolian beef)

Wow, that is a ton of food. Impressive. Mine is quite empty currently. I did freeze extra burritos this week but they have already been consumed haha. Atleast none were wasted. I will attempt to precook and freeze this weekend

[Mandylubug]

So, I am cooking away today! I will let you know what I all I get placed in my freezer today. So far I have garlic bread pizza, 5lbs of ground turkey and onions cooked (for spaghetti, tacos, burritos, quesadillas and baked ziti) 8 cups of pintos, 4 cups of white rice, and 16 mini meatloaves (in muffin pan) I need the pintos to hurry up and finish so I can add it to my burritos and quesadillas. I also need that pot to cook my chicken. I have 12 pounds of chicken breasts to cook, too :/

 

About to go make sandwiches to freeze, now. Wish me luck!

[Ameena]

I need to start doing this too - it's just dd & myself, and we normally eat leftovers for lunch, but dinner tends to be interesting if we are out all day.

 

Anyone have a good freezer recipie for a chicken alfredo? Or Lasagna? We have been buying the stoffers ones which are yummy, but not exactly cost effective unless I get them on a meal deal & other freebies come with.

[Mandylubug]

These may freeze well, lasagna wise. I haven't tried them, though! http://pinterest.com/pin/276901077062476643/

[happypamama]

double post

[happypamama]

I have a bunch of meals in the freezer right now, to make cooking easier on DH after the baby arrives. I have meatloaf in there (portioned and wrapped -- just unwrap it and cook it), buffalo chicken (sauce plus spices plus chicken breasts -- add a little water to the pan, and let it all cook for a while until it's ready to shred), Italian chicken (frozen green beans topped with diced chicken, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, and spices), burgers (portioned and wrapped individually), pork chops (one recipe is just cinnamon, applesauce, and pork chops), and other stuff I can't remember right now. Some of it's a little experimental, but it should work. Pinterest had a lot of good freezer meal ideas.

 

My DH takes leftovers for lunch, so I just plan on whatever we're having for dinner leaving enough for him to take the next day, rather than making meals specifically to freeze for him.

[Mandylubug]

Ok, my finished inventory:

 

6 chicken salad sandwiches

6 Chipotle Chicken Sandwiches

6 Honey Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

6 Chicken Salad Sandwiches

5 Chicken with yogurt salsa Quesadillas

5 Beef and Cheese Quesadillas 

5 Chicken with yogurt salsa burros

5 Beef and Cheese burros

 

16 mini meatloaves serves 12

1.5 gallons Vegetable Soup serves 12

12 Corn Muffins

2 meat and mushroom sauces for spaghetti serves 8 each

1 garlic chicken serves 8

1 taco meat makes serves 8

1 chicken pot pie serves 8

1 plain shredded Chicken serves 8

2 mexican chicken and beef for nachos/soups serves 8 each

1 bbq chicken for sandwiches serves 8

1 garlic bread pizza serves 8

 

1 gallon cooked pintos

 

Some of these will need some "secondary" ingredients cooked such as spaghetti noodles, taco shells or vegetable sides boiled such as green beans, brocolli, baked potatoes, salads made etc. 

 

I'm pleased with my first attempt at precooking and still have room for more. I am making desserts today!

[Um_2_4]

Try the alfredo recipe on my pinterest board, I haven't made it yet, but it is supposed to be freezer friendly, add some sauteed chicken strips. Make the pasta day of serving.

I did the broccoli chicken alfredo on my pinterest board, but we haven't tried it yet.

[Ameena]

Try the alfredo recipe on my pinterest board, I haven't made it yet, but it is supposed to be freezer friendly, add some sauteed chicken strips. Make the pasta day of serving.

I did the broccoli chicken alfredo on my pinterest board, but we haven't tried it yet.

 

Thanks, but I'm looking for an all in 1 with the pasta frozen recipe. I need something I just have to take out of the freezer & toss in the oven after we get home from a long day. The stoffer's one we've been using is ideal, but at $10 for what ends up being 2.5 meals for the 2 of us, it's a bit pricey for our budget. I may end up just stocking up next time they run a meal deal {our grocery will often run buy the stoffers, get garlic bread, veggies, and sometimes a dessert or soda free.}

 

I'll keep those in mind if I don't find anything else though :)

[Um_2_4]

I wondered about freezing pasta, but not sure how it would work? We use rice pasta as DS is gluten free. I may have to experiment.

[countrygal]

I am a failure at once-a-month cooking. I didn't think it was saving me much time and it didn't seem to save me much time in the long run. I have discovered some short-cuts like others have mentioned. Cook extra meat and freeze it, then you can just add your sauce or taco seasoning, whatever to it. It doesn't have to be 'completely' prepared. I cook extra chicken in the crock-pot and freeze extra bags in sizes I use for casseroles. That way when it comes to making chicken pot-pie, I don't have to mess around with the meat. If you make a roast, plan on 2 meals with it. Today with potatoes, tomorrow on buns for sandwiches. I do make extra 'batches' of meatloaf and pat it in extra bread pans, 2 stack nice. These are good for leftover meatloaf sandwiches to send with dh the next day. The burritos are a good idea, just make a double batch of taco meat and that night roll up the extras to stick in the freezer. I freeze soup as well (not milk based, it gets chunky) and that can be frozen flat. I run hot tap water into a bowl and let it sit in there to defrost some to get it out of the bag. I don't think freezing pre-cooked veggies is worth it. It's easy enough to throw them in the microwave or a pan for 10 minutes before you eat. I do chop up extra onions, peppers, celery and mushrooms and throw in freezer bags, that way if I need something, like for soup, I can just grab a handful to sauté in the pan. It saves quite a bit of time. I don't think it's necessary to have a bunch of meals all the time in the freeze, but more of a rotating supply so you have a few choices when you need a quick meal. It keeps it more organize as well, and things don't get lost or forgotten as easily! HTH

[countrygal]

I wondered about freezing pasta, but not sure how it would work? We use rice pasta as DS is gluten free. I may have to experiment.

The key to this is cooking it only 1/2 way before freezing it, otherwise it gets to soggy. HTH!

[Pippen]

I freeze soup in glass canning jars for lunches. Be sure to leave room for expansion and put the lid on after soup is frozen solid.

 

I have frozen pasta-not quite as good as fresh and it needed to be used fairly quickly.