I am having some friends over in a couple of weeks for a freezer meals party. We'll prep 5 meals together while indulging in some wine and gossip. What are some of your favorite make-ahead freezer meals? You know, the kind you prep and bag in advance, then thaw overnight and either throw in the crock pot in the morning or in the oven in the evening? I'm trying to put together a good list for us to choose from. I have my favorites but want to try new things. I'm looking for things that would work in the oven as well as the crock pot because one mom cooks for just her and her son so she wouldn't use a crock pot. Hoping for a variety of chicken, beef, pork and even vegetarian, and ones that are a complete meal or need to be finished with something really quick and easy would be awesome. Not interested in anything that starts with cream-of-something soup or uses lots of processed ingredients.
Thanks for sharing your ideas!
Baked ziti, beef stew, pulled pork (made in the crock pot sooo yummy), and chili are my go to things to make a freeze.
1 Meat loaf. I make them 3 at a time and freeze the extra two. (2 lbs beef, 2 lbs turkey, 1 lb pork, mix together with Garlic and bread crumbs and egg)
2. Beef Strongonof, 1 lb round steak browned , 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 2 garlic cloves minced, 1 table spoon of worshter sauce, 1 can of mushrooms, drain the juice into a measuring cup.. once all the juice is there, add so there is 1 cup of juice/water. 1 beef boulion. ... once you get home .. either creame cheese or sour cream. and make the noodles or even rice.
I have amended these recpies because my son is gluten free, and some of the ingrediants listed above have gluten.
I also have seen this...
http://www.imaceliac.com/2012/03/gluten-free-freezer-meal...
& http://www.imaceliac.com/2012/07/freezer-meals-take-two.html
These are GF meals, but you change that peice of it.. ie the noodles etc.
My favorite, and I always have some in the freezer, if pasta sauce. I just take our favorite jarred stuff (or you can make from scratch if you want) - and I use 5 jars at a time. I sautee onion, garlic and a pound or two of ground turkey. Add the sauce, and chop up favorite veggies - we like mushrooms, green/red/yellow/orange peppers etc. If you add enough veggies to the sauce, you don't have to cook a veggie with the meal. Then you freeze meal size portions. All that's left to do it defrost it, warm it in a sauce pan and cook your pasta. It's so easy and we love it.
JB, great question, and I am looking forward to the responses since we just started a freezer group last month. The recipes I have tried that worked really well, and can be done in a crockpot or on the stove were:
Chicken Cacciatore (recipe at www.ourbestbites.com, it is a really delicious recipe but it did end up being a bit difficult to cook 8 batches of it at a time! Everyone raved about it but I do not think I will do that again due to how long it took).
Sweet and sour meatballs (recipe at ww.ourbestbites.com, this one was just right, very easy!) serve it over rice, you can cook rice ahead of time and freeze it and it just takes 5 min or so to defrost in the microwave)
I don't read ahead so if I am a repeat - sorry.
Enchiladas - you can make beef, chicken OR veggie. I put them in the disposable or recyclable aluminum trays with lids...
Spaghetti sauce - you can freeze it too....all you would have to do is boil the noodles.
Lasagne - again - tuna, beef, chicken or veggie!!!
have fun!!!
Cabbage rolls (or lazy cabbage rolls), stuffed green peppers, lasagna, meatloaf...
I love making Burritos! I keep a stash in the freezer at all times. I'll pull two out the night before for my husband's lunch (he'll eat it cold). You can also microwave it for two minutes, turning sides after one minute. I prefer to heat it in the oven for around 10 minutes at 375 or 400 (both temps work). I have also baked them sitting in canned enchilada sauce.
http://amysfinerthings.com/brown-bag-burritos
*I substitute some rice for 1lb of the beef*
When I make a favorite soup I freeze it in portion sizes in my jumbo muffin tin. It's perfect size for lunch. It also cooks faster in smaller sizes if I don't thaw beforehand.
Enchiladas, soup (chicken noodle, mushroom, potato leek), shepherds pie. Lasagna. Carnitas meat, Refried beans (I use a great slow cooker from all recipes).. Mexican rice ( all recipes, Mexican rice 2) actually is better out of the freezer!
Bread, banana, Italian.....sauces for pasta freeze great. Vodka sauce is our current favorite.
Meatballs. Meatloaf... Ribs! Just heat them up in a foil package with a little beer.
I also make mushroom pies, chicken pot pies, etc.
Meatballs! I make a double batch on the weekend, and freeze the meatballs. Then later on that month, I can pull them out, dump them in the crock pot with my favorite (jarred) sauce for 8-10 hours-easy!
Due to limited freezer space, I have learned that for me, browning beef and pre cooking chicken makes for an easy starting point for most recipes. I buy and cook the meat in bulk and then its ready for me to defrost for tacos, casseroles, soups, spaghetti etc
Browned and seasoned ground turkey/beef with spinach and tomato/tomato sauce/pasta sauce. I bag this for my toddler. It can be served with rice or pasta or potato or tortilla chips or tossed salad.
Great question!
What has worked well for me so far is lasagna ( I make a super yummy paleo one or regular with noodles), wet burritos (REALLY good, ugly name) and chili.
