The REAL freezer cooking thread

VitaLuna

None of this pinned, TB initiated nonsense ... Here's the real deal official F16 freezer meal thread.

What are you making to freeze? When will you do it? How many of each dish?

Add whatever info you'd like, and bonus points for links!

suteki325

So far I've made sloppy joes, italian chicken casserole, chicken spaghetti casserole, a cheese lasagna, and a chicken pot pie. We also put a pork shoulder in the freezer to throw in the crockpot for pulled pork sandwiches one day. I love making freezer meals, its so nice knowing that we have pre-made dinners ready to go. I may keep up doing this even after LO is older!

VitaLuna

I'm planning to do one or two sets of dishes per weekend until LO arrives (I'm 34w). I plan on doing maybe 3-4 of each of the below:

*freezer bag quiche https://www.food.com/recipe/quiche-in-a-bag-oamc-freezer-cooking-290442
*meatloaf
*sausages for this soup: https://www.budgetbytes.com/2012/12/sausage-kale-cassoulet/
*chili (will freeze in bags and reheat in the crock pot) https://allrecipes.com/recipe/16235/debdoozies-blue-ribbon-chili/
*caramel rolls (haven't tried freezing this one yet)
*banana bread
*traditional lasagna
*white lasagna
*enchiladas
*broccoli chicken rice casserole (something similar to this) https://iowagirleats.com/2011/01/26/a-man-meal-youll-both-love-i-cant-believe-im-showing-you-this/
*shepherds pie
*smoothie packs or ingredients
*cooked ground beef and onions (portioned out and unseasoned so they can go in a variety of dishes)

I also plan to make up a pancake mix and a couple lactation cookie mixes.

egraves4

I know other ladies were talking about this... But what's the best way of storing these meals so they don't get freezer burned. As I'm fresh out of college, I'm still getting into the routine of even making meals at home lol.

VitaLuna

@egraves4 Having a baby (particularly once they start eating) will fix you up right quick on that! Im a decent cook, but was a terrible meal planner until my DD started eating and I had to plan on feeding her meals every day!

*gallon freezer bags: for soups/stews, things that will go in the crock pot, meats in marinade. Lay them flat on a cookie sheet to freeze, then stack them to save space.

*vacuum seal bags (like food saver): cooked meats or things that will have airspace, even if packed tight.. Like sausages, whole fruit, cheese, etc.

*disposable tin trays: for food that goes from freezer to oven, like lasagna, enchiladas, rolls, casseroles, etc. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap AND foil (quick freeze first, then wrap so it's easier).

egraves4

@VitaLuna Ahhhh thank you!!

FriendlySoutherner

I have a 3-day a week (M, W & F) cook schedule so as of now my meals will cover 1 week (1 meal isn't listed as it wont be frozen): Potato Soup & Quiche Casserole for breakfast and Stew Beef & Rice, meat-lovers & veggie-lovers Pizza's and Spaghetti & Cheese Biscuits for dinners. Hopefully buy then I will be able to at least put something in the crockpot a few times a week. I plan to start prepping week after next.

OctoberStars

So far I've made Chipotle black bean beef and turkey burritos, and falafel ready to throw into pita. We got a vacuum food saver over Christmas and it's awesome. I'm also planning on making pulled pork and croissants (can't give up our pastry and latte weekend mornings just yet). I'm going to have to look into this freezer quiche!

lilqt3929

So far I have done chili, beef stew, cut up cooked chicken (for quesadillas), breakfast burritos, banana muffins, and corn muffins. I've also preportioned uncooked chicken in a few different marinades, ravioli, and bought a 6 pack of Naan bread for pizza shells to freeze. I plan to make pulled chicken and make a few of the things I see here!

mommaz1

So far, I've prepped and frozen chicken chili, enchilada soup, philly cheese steaks, spinach lasagna, jerk chicken, and salsa chicken for tacos. This week I'll add butternut squash soup and salsa verde. Next 3 weeks, honey mustard chicken, chicken noodle soup, roast beef, gumbo, black bean soup, lemon garlic chicken, cashew chicken, chicken and gravy, honey balsamic chicken, enchiladas, German style sausage stew, and pineapple chicken. I planned out our meals from January to May (on the silly Bump pinned post if anyone is interested). I am doing a big push for freezer meals now before baby and then again before I go back to work in May!

purpletulip

I've found that we don't like most frozen casseroles so I've been doing or plan on doing:
-spaghetti sauce (meat, jarred sauce, lots of veggies)
- freezer taco kits (https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-freezer-taco-kits-freezer-friendly-recipes-from-the-kitchn-216435)
- southwest chicken skillet- only the chicken is frozen (https://www.budgetbytes.com/2014/05/southwest-chicken-skillet/)
- chicken crock pot meals( https://newleafwellness.biz/2014/09/22/6-chicken-freezer-crockpot-meals-30-minutes/)
- muffins

Some sides like rice or roasted potatoes.

cantobean

I had great aspirations for freezer meals, but my efforts have been pretty slim so far. We have a few meals of butternut squash soup, some pasta sauce, baked mac and cheese, and turkey soup. I may try to make one or two more soups or things next weekend.

blueberrymomma

I made some in Nov but we've ate them since I work during dinner time.
This week I'm making Baked Ziti(2-3 pans), taco meat(3lbs), meatloaf (4)
I also want to make chicken enchiladas with white sauce, lasagna, French onion chicken casserole, and I have a bunch pinned
I'm way behind because 2nd trimester gave me an aversion to the smell of raw meat

brightonborn

I'm 36 weeks and my husband & I have worked on freezer meals the past two weekends...lots of soups 'cause they're easy, hoping to add some more breakfast-type stuff in the next week or so.  We also just stocked up on giant bags of frozen fruit from Target (on sale) - figured they would be good to have on hand for smoothies!

https://happyolks.com/spicy-potato-tarragon-soup/

https://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2014-09-17/recipe-white-bean-and-chorizo-soup?s_cid=social31785326

https://warmvanillasugar.com/2015/10/09/creamy-coconut-carrot-soup/

https://thefoodcharlatan.com/2014/10/02/beef-barley-soup-recipe/

https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/greek-baked-ziti-0

https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/new-tuna-casserole

plus breakfast burritos and a spinach bacon quiche

MrsSmithA

I'm 37 weeks so just a few weeks let to prepare! So far I've made lasagna, enough meatballs for 4 meals, 4 chicken/cheese/rice casseroles, mac n cheese, and 12 crock pot meals ready to be cooked. I'm making 4 chicken pot pies tonight. I also have a bunch of cheddar biscuits and banana muffins I froze.  I still would like to do chili and soups, and make some breakfast stuff. 

CompProf

I had intended to freeze a bunch of meals, but it was too much for me on top of normal things that have to be done. . . I'm freezing a bunch of prepped stuff. . . sauces and the like to make meals easier to throw together quickly (I have food sensitivities, so canned/processed foods are out of the question most of the time.)
I explained it to my husband by saying "if I do this, the first instructions for say . . . Tater tot casserole won't be -make a batch of homemade cream of mushroom soup-"

I'm freezing:
Cream of mushroom soup
Enchilada sauce (red and green)
Meat sauce (for spaghetti or lasagna)
Whatever else I come up with between now and Feb.8.

egraves4

Planning on starting tomorrow since it is my day off.  Planning on going to Sam's Club (thanks to my free membership!) and making 7 different meals (some I'm making several servings of) thanks to freecheaporfun.com.  And I'm planning on going to the dollar store to stock up on any freezing materials I'll need.  I'm nervous and excited!

I am planning on making:

4 Lasagnas
2 servings of french dip sandwiches
2 servings of enchiladas
2 servings of slow cooker cream cheese chicken
2 servings of southwestern burritos
2 servings of BBQ pork sandwiches
2 servings of teriyaki shredded pork

Not planning on making it all tomorrow, but definitely getting all of the ingredients.  A lot of them need to be in the crock pot for several hours. 
If anyone has any other great simple recipes or advice before I go tomorrow i would love the help!!

mommaz1

@egraves4 - one tip, make sure you get good quality freezer bags - double zip, specific for freezing, etc. If you get ones that are just regular gallon storage bags, there's a good chance you'll waste your time and money by ending up with freezer burn!

VitaLuna

@egraves4 we don't have Sam's Club, but if they sell the $5 rotisserie chickens like Costco does, buy a couple and pick all the meat off to use in your enchiladas or soups. It'll save you the step of cooking/prepping the chicken.

When you're done, you can make chicken noodle soup starter to freeze with the leftover carcass.

MrsCurlyFries

I moved 3 hours away from my girl squad a couple years ago but they're coming to visit me this weekend and bringing us a bunch of mystery freezer meals. I have no idea what or how many so I'll plan around that I guess! I did a trial run last fall and found we loved freezer lasagna, chicken pot pie, and meatballs but weren't fans of most Pinteresty frozen crock pot meals. I want to do mac n cheese too and maybe some breakfast stuff, depending on what I need to fill in. So I've got a good plan once I know what I still want.
PS the pioneer woman's chicken pot pie kicks ass frozen. Just defrost for 24 hours and it cooks up so tasty.

VitaLuna

I'm 8 hours in to freezer cooking today, by myself, with a toddler. WTF was I thinking??

OctoberStars

VitaLuna said:

I'm 8 hours in to freezer cooking today, by myself, with a toddler. WTF was I thinking??

That's amazing! How did it go?

VitaLuna

@OctoberStars, I managed to get 14 meals in (I feel like it should be more! That's the problem with cooking from scratch I guess). They'll all make at least one day of leftovers, some up to 3, so hopefully that lasts a bit. I might try to get some more in the freezer in the coming weeks, after I overcome the trauma of yesterday!

kateryna72

I've been slowly building up my stash by dividing recipes for awhile. So far I have:
-ham & cheese quiche
-pumpkin pie smoothie
-cranberry orange scones
-sour cream noodle bake
-mushroom risotto
-spinach & cheese baked spaghetti
-beef orzo with tomatoes & spinach
-baked ziti

Still on my list to make:
-stuffed shells
-cheeseburger quesadillas
-veggie stuffed grilled cheese
-tomato artichoke baked chicken
-crockpot Mongolian beef
-pizza rolls

OctoberStars

@VitaLuna wow that is a lot of meals! I know what you mean about expecting it to make more food. Every time I fill the slow cooker I feel like I should have food for a week but it only seems to last a meal or two. I am going to try and channel some of your marathon cooking this weekend

mommaz1

Any suggestions on lunch and breakfast ideas for the freezer? I have a banana muffin recipe that I'm going to try, but I'm realizing that, yes, I have dinners set for the first several weeks but I'm going to have to eat something the rest of the day! I'm planning on BFing and what I've read is that I'm going to be pretty darn hungry and want one-handed easy items to eat during the day and in the middle of the night. TIA!

VitaLuna

mommaz1 said:

Any suggestions on lunch and breakfast ideas for the freezer? I have a banana muffin recipe that I'm going to try, but I'm realizing that, yes, I have dinners set for the first several weeks but I'm going to have to eat something the rest of the day! I'm planning on BFing and what I've read is that I'm going to be pretty darn hungry and want one-handed easy items to eat during the day and in the middle of the night. TIA!

Leftovers from your freezer dinners I've had decent luck with small breakfast burritos, quiche in a bag (see above, no crust required), and baked oatmeal (supposedly oatmeal is good for your milk supply, too). You can also make up some pancake mix or freezer smoothie packs with Greek yogurt.

smushi

mommaz1 said:

Any suggestions on lunch and breakfast ideas for the freezer? I have a banana muffin recipe that I'm going to try, but I'm realizing that, yes, I have dinners set for the first several weeks but I'm going to have to eat something the rest of the day! I'm planning on BFing and what I've read is that I'm going to be pretty darn hungry and want one-handed easy items to eat during the day and in the middle of the night. TIA!

Lurking from March 16 but I was thinking of trying these:

Breakfast sandwiches  https://happymoneysaver.com/freezer-meal-breakfast-sandwiches/

Blueberry paleo muffins

https://paleomg.com/simple-blueberry-muffins/

Carrot Breakfast Protein Cake

https://paleomg.com/carrot-breakfast-protein-cake/

CalCorBrown

Since it is my second child (and another girl), I asked that my baby shower be themed around freezer meals and healthy or protein packed snacks. Was great! Have a full freezer with lots of variety of meals that I wouldn't have though of plus a decent supply of protein bars and easy snacks for my 3 yr old.

VitaLuna

@CalCorBrown that's a great idea!

Soon2bStaff

Following! I told DH last night that he has between now and February 15th (our next big shopping adventure) to come up with at least 7 crock pot meals. He tells me all these delicious recipes but then come shopping day, no one has a list or recipe so it just makes shopping stressful. We have a deep freezer in the garage... can I literally make this stuff and just throw it in the freezer for the whole month of March?

ETA: spelling

mommaz1

@Soon2bStaff yep! Just make sure it's sealed well with as little air in it as possible and they typically last a month or two.

VitaLuna

@Soon2bStaff if you have a deep freeze, they'll last 3-4 months in there. I freeze a small bag of ice cubes, so that if the power goes out and I don't know it or I'm not sure how warm the freezer got, I can just pull out the ice and check it. If the ice is no longer frozen in cubes (i.e. has melted and re-frozen in a blob), then I know the food went bad, too.

egraves4

My freezer pulled pork is dog approved. Feeling so accomplished right now!

bublesmiled

Just did mine today since we were stuck inside due to the snow! Most of mine were from livingrichwithcoupons.com
Teriyaki chicken
Shepherd pie
Chicken pot pie
Chicken cacciatore
Black bean fajitas
Turkey chili
Chicken with apple and sweet potatoe
Lemony garlic chicken
pepper steak
Bourbon chicken
Beef and broccoli
Lemon garlic chicken
Bacon wrapped chicken w rosemary
Cranberry pork roast
And then hubby made more chili

bublesmiled

=caenis=

I'm jealous. My freezer is pretty small and already full with "regular" freezer items. Frozen fruit and vegetables, ice cubes, ice cream, etc. No freezer meals for us. We'll just have to wing it.

Mamacat316

Ugh I am so jealous of all of you and your big American fridge/freezers. Out freezer is big by European standards but I can barely fit more than a loaf of bread and one or two Tupperware containers in there. Looks like we'll be doing take out and eating eggs a lot like we did when my son was born!

VitaLuna

@Mamacat316 @=caenis= You can still do a little prep if you wanted to.. getting some staples together like beans for soup, or all the canned ingredients for chili, extra spaghetti and sauce, make some pancake/waffle or muffin mixes, etc. I know it's not as convenient not having a freezer. We couldn't afford a big one for many years and it was hard to do meal prep ahead of time.

Vkrosa

I am not good at making ahead meals however I tried and only made sour cream chicken enchiladas. Other than that our church has set up meals every other day for two weeks. My kids are very particular and most frozen meals they won't eat so I have taught my 8yr old how to make orange chicken and anything that can be baked in an oven. Plus she's getting really good at making French toast with a fruit compote and scrambled eggs for breakfast. I think we should be okay.

MrsCurlyFries

I cooked my ass off this weekend! Yeah! Lasagnas, pot pies, meatloaves and a dozen twice baked potatoes! Hope to add breastfeeding snacks soon (peanut butter oat bars etc), samosas and calzones for easy one handed lunch. Maybe a few pans of sweet rolls for good measure. my girlfriends brought me mystery orange soup (ginger carrot maybe) and stuffed peppers. I'm on my way!