ksr5377 Posted February 13, 2020 Share Posted February 13, 2020 I would like to make up about a dozen or so freezer meals to take to my brother and sister-in-law next month when I visit. She's pregnant and due mid-April and since I don't live local, I thought it would be a good way to help out. However, every single time I have ever frozen something it seems like it's just mush when I thaw it and cook it - especially every crock-pot freezer meal recipe I have tried. So, if you have a recipe that you trust to turn out and that a lot of people have enjoyed, I would so appreciate if you would share it! Please let me know how you freeze it as well as the thawing/cooking directions as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted February 13, 2020 Share Posted February 13, 2020 Make this breakfast casserole the morning before you go over, don't freeze it and tell them to cook it the next morning. 2 lb beef tips, 1 can cream of mushroom, 1 can wine wine. This is a slow cooker meal and you need rice or egg noodles but that's easy for them. Burrito pie Uncooked meatloaf Steak fajitas Cream cheese chicken chili needs rice Coconut shrimp soup Also make a huge salad, batch of cookies or homemade bread, burgers or hot dogs and a frozen lasagna. I'll pm you my address for when mine is born in September. Thank you. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted February 13, 2020 Share Posted February 13, 2020 8 hours ago, Slache said: I'll pm you my address for when mine is born in September. Thank you. Hahaha! Congratulations! OP, I do Spinach-Mushroom Lasagna and Vegetable Bean Tamale Pie from ATK's The Best Make-Ahead Recipes (? That might have been the chapter title. They have so many books!) I have also had success with the things I've tried from Seriously Good Freezer Meals (also at our library) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted February 13, 2020 Share Posted February 13, 2020 I double the meatball mix of this recipe, divide it into thirds, and freeze each third flattened to about a half-inch thickness in a Ziploc bag. Flattening the meat makes it thaw faster, and freezing as a slab instead of as meatballs seems to keep the texture better. When it thaws, I cut or pinch it into small meatballs per the recipe. The sauce is half an onion, a T of Italian seasoning, a large can of whole tomatoes and a cup of tomato sauce, so super-easy and fast. Serve it over gnocchi (refrigerated is way better than the stuff on the pasta aisle). Gnocchi takes maybe 5 minutes to cook. I've tried multiple freezer meals over the years, and this is the only one I keep in constant rotation. Once the mix has thawed, it is maybe 20 minutes to the table. When I had more kids at home, I also made and froze baked ziti regularly, and it was great, and I still recommend it when you need to feed a crowd. I got out of the habit, though, because my recipe dirtied every pot and required mixing in a storage bin because none of my mixing bowls were big enough. But it did freeze well and could be baked from frozen with no loss of quality. If it is to their taste, the Pioneer Woman's chicken spaghetti recipe freezes well. It has cream of mushroom soup, so if you're anti-canned soup, it's not the one for you. Also, it makes a ton, so you would want to split it up for a small family, but it's tasty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bambam Posted February 13, 2020 Share Posted February 13, 2020 I make this one. I prebake the bottom crust - maybe 6-8 minutes before I dump the stuff in. I then put the top crust on, put a couple of slits in the top crust (I use store bought), wrap it in Al foil, put it in a freezer bag. I just write the cooking instructions on the bag itself - the ones from the recipe are correct - add 5-10 minutes if cooking from frozen. Note: I cheat and use store bought frozen peas & carrots. It's fine. This tends to be a hit with kids. I usually take a block of cheddar cheese to eat with it. We like it that way. I take a bag salad too. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/26317/chicken-pot-pie-ix/ I also make this one. I make 1.5 times the amount of sauce because I think it needs it. I also typically toss in some Italian or Mozzarella cheese in the sauce. I've been thinking about tossing frozen green peas in it to try to make it more of a one-dish meal, but I haven't tried that. I freeze it before I bake it. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/17646/chicken-tetrazzini-iv/ We make these muffins a lot. I sub applesauce for the oil. I don't use coconut. We do add some wheat germ. Nuts are whatever we have on hand. These freeze really well, and you can just take 1 or 2 out when you want them. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/20995/easy-morning-glory-muffins/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieJ Posted February 14, 2020 Share Posted February 14, 2020 Chicken Divan. No specific recipe as some use mayo and lemon (my favorite) and some use cram soups. Just find one that looks good and fits your lifestyle. I do put a layer of rice in the bottom of the pan to make it a more complete meal. Turkey/chicken tetrazzini is a true freezer meal. I have often made this for other families when a meal is needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth S Posted February 14, 2020 Share Posted February 14, 2020 My go-to is a thick Taco Soup mixture. It's easily frozen in a large margarine tub. The recipients can make burritos, taco salad, put on top of rice, or thin it down for soup. It also is easy to work around for dietary restrictions. Add a bag of taco chips and shredded cheese. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted February 14, 2020 Share Posted February 14, 2020 Breakfast burritos she could microwave. I just did no bake lasagna (recipe on box) that turned out well. Beans and rice mixture for burritos. You can send little quacamoles to top it. They freeze well and thaw quickly. Walmart/sams Club has them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksr5377 Posted February 22, 2020 Author Share Posted February 22, 2020 A belated thank you to all the replies! We ended up needing these recipes sooner that I expected as the little guy decided to come at 32 weeks! He's still in NICU but doing well and my brother and SIL have been so thankful for these meals. I'll probably do another batch once we know when he'll be coming home. They have loved not needing to get takeout every night and since all the work is done, my SIL's grandma has been able to pop things in the crock-pot or oven for them. And thank you for the breakfast ideas! I did the casserole, frozen waffles, the breakfast burritos and several dozen frozen muffins. They have commented that being able to grab something quick and small has been great. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted February 23, 2020 Share Posted February 23, 2020 Oh, good luck! Also, not a recipe but an idea: we've had great luck with frozen quesadillas. Prep them until the cheese has just melted, transfer to foil, let cool, pop in freezer. Presumably you could do this without melting the cheese as well, but then you can't microwave them after. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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