arnold Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 In just under 2 weeks I will be having surgery that will require 3 to 4 in the hospital followed by 3 to 4 weeks of recovery. I need suggestions for dishes I can prepare now, freeze, and have my husband defrost/warm for dinners. I have 4 small kids, no food allergies or restrictions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southern Ivy Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 See if your library has the book Fix Freeze Feast. They have fabulous freezer meals! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddcrook Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 Here are some recipes that might work for you: http://www.pinterest.com/jolanthe/freezer-cooking/ Hope your surgery and recovery goes well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 See if your library has the book Fix Freeze Feast. They have fabulous freezer meals! Thanks! My library has it and I can't wait to check it out! OP, I've had good luck making blocks of soup and freezing dinner rolls. Also lasagna, chicken and rice casserole (like chicken pot pie), and meatloaf. I try to incorporate frozen vegetables or spinach so that a separate dish is not required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Um_2_4 Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 I used to do 6 weeks of cooking at a time. Do you have a crockpot?? What are family favorites?? I used to do mini-meatloaves and put sauce in baggies. Mash potato casserole can be frozen. So can corn casserole. Taco meat in baggie, deforst and serve with cheese,tomatoes and lettuce. Slow cooker fajitas. BBQ chicken in crockpot and sides. Make a few pasta trays and freeze. Make soups and chili and freeze, Oh I made a chicken alfredo with broccoli and you could serve with pasta. Get some of those frozen micro-ready veges for quick sides. Now I have seen some that are a bit better (as in fewer additives, more natural). I have a lot saved on my pinterest board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arnold Posted October 17, 2014 Author Share Posted October 17, 2014 I used to do 6 weeks of cooking at a time. Do you have a crockpot?? What are family favorites?? Make a few pasta trays and freeze. Oh I made a chicken alfredo with broccoli and you could serve with pasta. Yes I have a crock pot. Were not picky, kids eat almost anything I make. Do you include the pasta when you freeze the dish, or add after it's defrosted? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Um_2_4 Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 Yes I have a crock pot. Were not picky, kids eat almost anything I make. Do you include the pasta when you freeze the dish, or add after it's defrosted? I cook the pasta by itself and use the chicken/sauce as a topping. I also add the broccoli in the last 2-3 hours (on Low in the crockpot) versus at the beginning. So I bag the chicken and sauce ingredients in one bag and rubberband a bag of broccoli florets to it. So I dump the chicken and sauce in crockpot, then 2-3 hours before serving add the broccoli. Mini meatloaves are great, because they quickly reheat if you forgot to defrost something the night before. Those and meatballs (I make big batches by baking them in the oven). My kids like breadless chicken nuggets. I just marinate them and saute in a pan with a bit of olive oil. Then I offer some sauces or mustard for dipping. Those could be frozen and then defrost as many as you need for quick dinners and serve with a couple sides. If you have a dollar tree nearby, they sell different size foil pans with covers that are great for freezing sides and heating in the oven. And one trick I learned is to use a plastic pitcher to hold up the gallon size ziploc bags to fill. That makes it a lot less messier when dealing with sauces, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storygirl Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 I often make a large batch of meatballs and freeze them. My kids will eat them reheated with some jarred pasta sauce, with or without noodles. Sometimes I will put them in a dish with sauce, top with mozzarella cheese, and heat through to make an easy meatball casserole to serve with garlic bread. We also put them on a bun and make meatball subs. You can change it up and use Alfredo sauce instead of marinara. You could marinate and grill some chicken breasts and put in the freezer. You can just reheat and eat them as an entrée, or slice them up to put on a salad, inside a quesadilla, or in a tortilla with some onions and peppers to make a fajita (you could cook the peppers and onions ahead and reheat). Also good on bun with some cheese. I make a double batch of lasagna and freeze it in serving size portions, but that's a lot of work for me, because I make the sauce from scratch. If you use a jarred sauce, it wouldn't take as long. You can make side dishes like mashed potatoes, rice, and noodles ahead of time and freeze if you need them to go with an entrée. I regularly freeze chili, taco soup, ham and bean soup, and quiche. You can make taco meat ahead of time and freeze it. Eat it on a salad or a baked potato or use it to make tacos. I've also prebaked calzones and just reheated them after freezing (used the Pioneer Woman's recipe). The kids especially loved them. If your husband will cook hamburgers in a skillet or on the grill, you can preform the patties and freeze them so that they are ready to go. If you have some crock put recipes that your husband can get ready quickly in the morning, you can precook the ingredients (precook the chicken or brown the ground beef, sauté the veggies, etc.) and freeze them in baggies, so that he can just dump things in the crock pot, add the broth or other easy ingredients (canned goods), and turn the thing on. You can even premeasure the spices and have them ready to dump in with the rest. As convenient as the slow cooker can be, it still can take some time to get things ready in the morning, so I often prepare some of the ingredients in advance. This year, due to my children's many activities, I am usually walking in the door at 6:30 pm, so I'm always trying to think of things I can have ready ahead of time. I'm not always as organized as I could be, but these are some of the ideas I use. Oh, don't forget breakfast for dinner. You can make pancakes ahead and freeze them. Just reheat in the oven. Scrambled eggs may be easy enough for your husband to make once a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 Easy peasy non-frozen dinner is: 1 can black beans (drained) 1 can corn (drained) 1 can diced tomatoes 1 cup shredded cheese Tortillas Mix filling to fill tortillas and then heat through for a yummy burrito. Just have the cans on hand, and the cheese and tortillas in the freezer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.