Freezer Meals

ivyvines6 · November 2015

Is anyone else starting to prep for when baby arrives? I'm mostly doubling soup recipes for now, and will make other things that won't last as long in the freezer later.

ivyvines6 · November 2015

Today I'm making Squash taco soup, which freezes really well, and you just add yogurt (or sour cream) to it after reheating.

1 Butternut squash, or squash of choice
(Roast for 1 hour at 425°)

In a large pot, at the 30 minute mark, add:
1 15 oz can diced, Tomatoes (I prefer garlic, fire Roasted)
A can of water
Taco seasonings (I have my own blend, but you can use a packet)

Bring ingredients to a simmer until squash is done. Add squash to pot, and blend thoroughly. (Be careful, squash is hot, mmkay?)

At this point I add in about a 1/2 cup of yogurt, but since I'm freezing half, I'm going to divide it, and only mix in 1/4 cup.

This pairs well with grilled swiss cheese sandwiches, and spinach salads with chicken. (I have a weird thing about salad paring)

RoseShadow873 · November 2015

I'm not really preparing yet but I have this cookbook "Don't Panic Dinner's in the Freezer" and it has some good freezer recipes and tips on freezing meals! It is definitely a good idea!

thaisac1 · November 2015

Knottie9983816 said:
Is anyone else starting to prep for when baby arrives? I'm mostly doubling soup recipes for now, and will make other things that won't last as long in the freezer later.

Wow, you're early! You must have a huge freezer ?!?

mrstrax · November 2015

NOLA520 said:
I'm starting to prep insofar as pricing out chest freezers.

Our "Christmas present" chest freezer from the ILs was delivered last week. Now to plug it in and start prepping

momofmanyinthemitten · November 2015

We have a full upright freezer in our basement. I made 30 days worth of dinners, plus soups and some breakfast items for baby #2. I didn't make nearly as many for #3, but she was an easy baby, so I had more time to cook in the beginning. Having frozen meals really was a lifesaver for me. Our church brings 2 meals/wk for a month, which is also really helpful. I usually don't start cooking/prepping until I'm a month or two away from my EDD.

AmadorRose · November 2015

I'm planning on starting after the new year. MIL will be doing lots of cooking when baby comes but after I go back to work, DH will be home full-time and I can't live on spaghetti and tacos. I love that man, but he needs to expand his horizons! We're really lucky that our rental actually has an extra freezer - I just need to make sure it works before I go home for Christmas and bring back a bunch of meat.

@Knottie9983816 where do you find your freezer meals? I've been browsing Pinterest but I hear there's more to life than pinning...

mojomama6 · November 2015

I am so unbelievably jealous of you ladies with freezer space. If I make freezer meals, it literally takes my whole freezer. We do a lot of spaghetti, tacos, and easy soups when we have new babies. Oh, and my firstborn like to make grilled cheese, so that's a plus. Haha. Her therapist actually told me this week that I should teach her to cook... Guess I'd better get on it!

K&Elizabeth · November 2015

I'll probably start in March. I have spring break starting on the 7th, so I should have a good 2 weeks to get stuff done. I'd love to start sooner, but DH hates it when the freezer is full and I know I'll go through them before baby gets here haha. I've got a mental list going of things I want to make:
2 creamy Italian chicken
2 applesauce bbq chicken
2 Hawaiian chicken
1 cilantro lime chicken for tacos

*we eat a lot of chicken and I feel like it holds up better than beef in the freezer*

Motiejmr · November 2015

I wish I had the freezer space to do meals this soon. Luckily my mother in law cooks for an elderly couple so she feeds us a few times a week after baby. But I have a really awesome grill that means SO can grill meats with rice and a veggie a couple times a week as well. As we get closer I will do some meal prepping I'm sure.

Poppy16 · November 2015

I'm going to start doing this after the new year. I used to make double batches of things and freeze 1/2 all the time, but I got out of the habit. It's a great habit to be in, that way there's no excuse to eat out or eat bad food. I usually do ground beef/chicken + rice/veggie type dishes, since they freeze the best.

@mojomama6, my 2 oldest kids like to cook, I really need to teach them to cook a meal for the family! Or at the very least, get breakfast together for their little sisters.

dayj11 · November 2015

Won't be starting to do this till early March. I'll be doubling my soup, chili, spaghetti sauce, enchilada and lasagna recipes and setting half aside in the freezer to make things easier. I did this for the last pregnancy and did it use it as much as I thought I would while I was off. Honestly I think I'll be using the meals more when I first go back to work. Still good to have the options of a super easy meal

amaniupendo · November 2015

Nope. We have a tiny freezer.

ivyvines6 · November 2015

@thaisac1 I actually don't have that big of a freezer, but we literally keep nothing in it anyway. We don't even use ice.

@AmadorRose I just kind of make things up as I go. I started cooking huge meals when I was six (mom was on bedrest for an entire pregnancy) Sorry, I know that's not very beneficial to the group... When I make stuff I'll post recipes though?

I kind of want to start now because I'm already incredibly uncomfortable, and the thought of doing it close to my due date (3/26) is scary, especially with every pregnancy in my family going at least two weeks early!

emgee27 · November 2015

I hadn't even THOUGHT of this! We have an average size freezer so could accommodate some meals but if I'm honest, I'm kind of a procrastinator and see myself totally forgetting this and making nothing to freeze before the baby comes.

Thank goodness DH is a fabulous cook, as is my mother!

ivyvines6 · November 2015

NOLA520 said:
Should we make this thread a dump for recipes also? Or maybe a separate thread in a couple months when people are starting to stockpile?

I like recipes... I already posted one!

DeeJ88 · November 2015

I've never thought of this, such a great idea! I actually have tons of freezer space in my garage that I've never thought to use. I try to cook extra now to refrigerate because some days Im too exhausted. How long can you freeze these means for? Is there a special way to package the meals? I just took up cooking recently (the men in my relationships were always the cook) so I'll definitely be writing down these recipes. My DH is so appreciative that it makes me want to continue, plus it will be much easier after this 3rd pregnancy.

RoseShadow873 · November 2015

My problem is I make and freeze the food but never eat it because thawing it is a pain! It takes FOREVER!

ivyvines6 · November 2015

@NOLA520 I love pioneer woman as of late! Thanks for the massive list of recipes to tweak and play around with

@DeeJ88 It depends on what you're freezing. Most ready made meals can be kept for up to 3-4 months. I use freezer storage bags, but you can use Tupperware, or Pyrex, as long as there isn't a lot of air in the containers. (Pro tip: Putting hot food in your freezer can cause ice crystals to form, making your food less flavorful when you go to reuse it. Also makes freezer burn happen quicker, which no one likes. Put whatever you're freezing in the fridge overnight, then transfer in the morning)

NachosAndPeaches · November 2015

@NOLA520 can you please email me that lost? I'm mobile and want to save all of it. Send me a message on here and we'll figure it out.

@RoseShadow873 freeze in ziplock bags and lay flat. Thawing is so much faster! Or take it out the evening before.

DeeJ88 · November 2015

@Knottie9983816 that's great to know, thanks!

mrspumpkinfields · November 2015

I think a recipe/stockpile thread sounds great! I will probably start prepping in a few months so the meals last me longer when I am huge and for after baby. I just bought a chest freezer for the garage because it was an amazing black friday deal…we really needed a deep freezer for extra space between DH's hunting, freezer meals, and (hopefully) I can store breast milk in there too. I'm going to look around for some inexpensive foil pans to make lasagnas and casseroles in so I can just put them in the oven, freeze, then toss when done.

AEG84 · November 2015

One of my favorite places for freezer meals is New Leaf Wellness - lots are free, or she also has several e-books that are quite cheap. I love that there's no "crap" in her recipes - no canned soup, very little processed stuff, etc. I am hoping that I'll be able to make some in the month or two leading up to delivery. I've been horrible the last few months because nothing sounds good at night with the nausea. No chest freezer, though, so we'll be a bit limited on how much we can stock up.

BrittaDJ · December 2015

I will be once February hits. I made these awesome freezer burritos last time. It was so nice to stuff my face with delicious, no-prep food in those early newborn weeks.

ivyvines6 · December 2015

@BrittaDJ Recipe for burritos?

ivyvines6 · December 2015

AEG84 said:
One of my favorite places for freezer meals is New Leaf Wellness - lots are free, or she also has several e-books that are quite cheap. I love that there's no "crap" in her recipes - no canned soup, very little processed stuff, etc. I am hoping that I'll be able to make some in the month or two leading up to delivery. I've been horrible the last few months because nothing sounds good at night with the nausea. No chest freezer, though, so we'll be a bit limited on how much we can stock up.

Oh that is awesome! The only canned foods I usually use are black beans (because although I like the taste and texture of home cooked beans better, convenience) and coconut milk. On occasion I'll use diced tomatoes as well, but that's really it.

AmadorRose · December 2015

This is actually what I'm doing right now! I'll have 10 meals and each will be enough for two meals + lunch, and I only spent $150 (and even got some snacks!). This is totally the way of my future.

ivyvines6 · December 2015

Side note: Can someone please explain to me this foreign concept of not spending a million dollars a week on groceries?

blonde151188 · December 2015

Knottie9983816 said:

Side note: Can someone please explain to me this foreign concept of not spending a million dollars a week on groceries?

I would love to know this as well. I'm going to try to start planning better and shopping at aldi to hopefully offset some of our expenses.

blonde151188 · December 2015

I will probably start meal prepping either late January or February, I need to make some freezer room first. I always feel so accomplished when I do prep and freeze meals, so I will definitely be doing it again this time around.

AmadorRose · December 2015

@Knottie9983816 I don't have any specific instructions and I don't coupon, I'm just conscious of pricing. For example, I usually buy frozen veggies but I found canned green beans for like $0.15 shortly before Thanksgiving, so I stocked up. I do the majority of my shopping, especially for baking supplies, at Aldi. Aldi's produce section has become exponentially better over the years and they're often cheaper than HEB or Walmart (the only other groceries in the area). Their canned goods are usually cheaper, and though I prefer fresh, I'm simply not going to prep enough tomatoes for 6 QTs of homemade spaghetti sauce.

I also try to buy my meat in semi-bulk from a butcher. I like to cut out the middle man and I just hate meat from grocery stores. I don't do super bulk shopping like Sam's club because it's just DH and I right now. I've also always lived like I'm poor because I've just gotten used to it. I don't go out for grocery runs in the middle of the week; if I don't have the ingredients, I get creative and make do without.

AGK2015 · December 2015

Knottie9983816 said:

Side note: Can someone please explain to me this foreign concept of not spending a million dollars a week on groceries?

I buy what I can in bulk when it's on sale, and shop multiple grocery stores for different items. I know that the Mexican market has cheaper produce, so when I need something fresh I get it there; my staples are cheaper at Jewel so I buy them there. I buy bagged spices in bulk from one of our local ethnic markets instead of canisters from the grocery store for a fraction of the cost. Typically I stay away from fruits or veggies that are out of season, and when it comes to meat it had better be super on sale (or one of the buy-it-now-before-it-spoils butchers' specials). I also check multiple aisles for things I need; for instance, we recently found Goya-brand honey in the Mexican food aisle for much cheaper than any of the honeys near the peanut butter and jelly. Cooking from scratch makes a difference, and meal-planning around what I've already got in the pantry and freezer does, too. Substitutes for expensive ingredients also help (water+bouillon cubes instead of actual broth), as does cooking some things from scratch that most people prefer to buy (yogurt is a big one).

When we're in super-savings mode, redefining "meal" also helps out... I can make a loaf of fresh bread for about 15 cents, and pairing it with peanut butter is delicious, filling and includes enough protein to tide us over (it's also stupid easy and fast and involves basically no dishwashing afterwards). Ramen soup doctored with spices and topped with a fried egg is about 50 cents, and works fine. It's not fun to eat like that every night, but the savings are sometimes worth it.

It took about a year, a couple of bigger-than-preferable grocery bills to stock up on the basics at first, and plenty of storage space to get established, but our average grocery bills now are a fraction of what I hear some people claiming they spend; if I spend more, it's typically because I've decided to make something fancy and splurged on specialty ingredients. YMMV.

AmadorRose · December 2015

AGK2015 said:

Knottie9983816 said:

Side note: Can someone please explain to me this foreign concept of not spending a million dollars a week on groceries?

I buy what I can in bulk when it's on sale, and shop multiple grocery stores for different items. I know that the Mexican market has cheaper produce, so when I need something fresh I get it there; my staples are cheaper at Jewel so I buy them there. I buy bagged spices in bulk from one of our local ethnic markets instead of canisters from the grocery store for a fraction of the cost. Typically I stay away from fruits or veggies that are out of season, and when it comes to meat it had better be super on sale (or one of the buy-it-now-before-it-spoils butchers' specials). I also check multiple aisles for things I need; for instance, we recently found Goya-brand honey in the Mexican food aisle for much cheaper than any of the honeys near the peanut butter and jelly. Cooking from scratch makes a difference, and meal-planning around what I've already got in the pantry and freezer does, too. Substitutes for expensive ingredients also help (water+bouillon cubes instead of actual broth), as does cooking some things from scratch that most people prefer to buy (yogurt is a big one).

When we're in super-savings mode, redefining "meal" also helps out... I can make a loaf of fresh bread for about 15 cents, and pairing it with peanut butter is delicious, filling and includes enough protein to tide us over (it's also stupid easy and fast and involves basically no dishwashing afterwards). Ramen soup doctored with spices and topped with a fried egg is about 50 cents, and works fine. It's not fun to eat like that every night, but the savings are sometimes worth it.

It took about a year, a couple of bigger-than-preferable grocery bills to stock up on the basics at first, and plenty of storage space to get established, but our average grocery bills now are a fraction of what I hear some people claiming they spend; if I spend more, it's typically because I've decided to make something fancy and splurged on specialty ingredients. YMMV.

What do you use instead of yogurt? Tell me your secrets!

ivyvines6 · December 2015

I really should find a local butcher and buy meat in bulk that way, but I care way too much about where my food comes from to buy the prepackaged bulk meats at the grocery store... And I live in Florida... Our produce range is ridiculously small, and I can only eat so much zucchini before I can't deal with it anymore >.<

I honestly wish my fiancé was more cool with us eating more vegetarian meals, because it ends up being so much cheaper than trying to eat meat so often.

@AGK2015 you should totes post your recipe for bread BTW

Is it bread machine, or oven?

AGK2015 · December 2015

@knottie9983816 - For bread: in a decent sized bucket, add 6 cups of flour, 3 cups of warm water (110-115 degrees F), 1 tablespoon of yeast, and up to 1 tablespoon of salt (I usually do less). Mix it up so the dry ingredients are all wet (I usually just stir with a fork for a minute or two). It will look super shaggy, not at all like bread dough. That's fine, you don't need to knead it or anything. Cover it and let out rise at room temp for 2 hours, then throw the whole thing in the fridge. From then on, any time you want bread grab a handful of dough out of the bucket and shape it loosely into a ball, throw it down on some cornmeal, and let it rise for about a half an hour. Cut a couple dents in the top then bake in a 400 degree oven (I put it on a pizza stone) for about 30-35 minutes. I put a dish of water in the oven with it to keep the oven air moist. Boom. Bread.

It's adapted from the artisan bread in 5 minutes a day recipe. 6 cups is for all purpose flour; you may need to adjust the flour water ratio a little if you use different types. I do about 2 cups of bread flour and 4.25 of all-purpose to get the right texture. It makes about enough for 4 or 5 small but hearty loaves (enough for a light dinner for husband and I).

@AmadorRose - I warm up my oven just a little,, then turn it off. Meanwhile, I heat 1/2 gallon of milk (nothing fancy or organic, just the cheap stuff) in a cast iron dutch oven to between 185 and 200 degrees, stirring constantly with a spatula so it doesn't stick to the bottom. After that, I let it cool to about 110 degrees, and whisk in 1/2 a cup of yogurt (either leftover from my last batch or store-bought). I put the lid on my Dutch oven, wrap the whole thing in a giant towel, and toss it in my still-warm oven for 4 top 8 hours. You can just pour off the whey, or even strain the whole thing through cheesecloth for thicker Greek-style yogurt. Boom: about 2 weeks worth of yogurt for way less than Chobani. If I'm feeling fancy, I'll eat out with frozen fruit or honey that I got on sale.

ivyvines6 · December 2015

AGK2015 said:
@knottie9983816 - For bread: in a decent sized bucket, add 6 cups of flour, 3 cups of warm water (110-115 degrees F), 1 tablespoon of yeast, and up to 1 tablespoon of salt (I usually do less). Mix it up so the dry ingredients are all wet (I usually just stir with a fork for a minute or two). It will look super shaggy, not at all like bread dough. That's fine, you don't need to knead it or anything. Cover it and let out rise at room temp for 2 hours, then throw the whole thing in the fridge. From then on, any time you want bread grab a handful of dough out of the bucket and shape it loosely into a ball, throw it down on some cornmeal, and let it rise for about a half an hour. Cut a couple dents in the top then bake in a 400 degree oven (I put it on a pizza stone) for about 30-35 minutes. I put a dish of water in the oven with it to keep the oven air moist. Boom. Bread.

It's adapted from the artisan bread in 5 minutes a day recipe. 6 cups is for all purpose flour; you may need to adjust the flour water ratio a little if you use different types. I do about 2 cups of bread flour and 4.25 of all-purpose to get the right texture. It makes about enough for 4 or 5 small but hearty loaves (enough for a light dinner for husband and I).

@AmadorRose - I warm up my oven just a little,, then turn it off. Meanwhile, I heat 1/2 gallon of milk (nothing fancy or organic, just the cheap stuff) in a cast iron dutch oven to between 185 and 200 degrees, stirring constantly with a spatula so it doesn't stick to the bottom. After that, I let it cool to about 110 degrees, and whisk in 1/2 a cup of yogurt (either leftover from my last batch or store-bought). I put the lid on my Dutch oven, wrap the whole thing in a giant towel, and toss it in my still-warm oven for 4 top 8 hours. You can just pour off the whey, or even strain the whole thing through cheesecloth for thicker Greek-style yogurt. Boom: about 2 weeks worth of yogurt for way less than Chobani. If I'm feeling fancy, I'll eat out with frozen fruit or honey that I got on sale.

How long does the dough keep in the fridge? Also totally going to be making yogurt now...

AGK2015 · December 2015

@Knottie9983816 - It lasts about a week, week and a half. Two weeks is pushing it. If I ever got beyond 9 or 10 days I'd probably just bake the rest as a large loaf. I usually bake just enough for us to eat fresh right away, but the bread keeps fairly well if you want some for sandwiches or toast or something... large loaves wouldn't be an issue.

ivyvines6 · January 2016

I'm revamping this thread because we are all actually at a point where it will be beneficial

Since my fiancé is going to be using his two weeks paid vacation after LO arrives, I made a list of what freezer meals I am going to make over the course of the next month, as well as a list of meals he can easily throw together/make in his own. I'm only making 12 meals because there will be leftovers from some, and we will most likely order in a bit if he's solely in charge of feeding us XD

The plan is to have all this ready by Mid March, including all the grocery shopping (minus the fresh vegetables, and baguettes, which he'll have to manage getting without me on the weekly trip for drinking water)

For the freezer:
1: Potato Soup (Needs to thaw, add about 1/2 C Water, and reheat) with a baguette

2: Vegetable Beef Soup (Thaw beef broth, brown 1LB ground beef, add one bag of frozen mixed veg, simmer for an hour) with grilled cheese

3: Shepherd's Pie (Going to make this next week) Reheat frozen pies at 375 for an hour, from frozen.

4: Italian Meatloaf (Making two, one for the freezer, raw) Bake at 350 for an hour, from frozen, with Salad

5: Lasagna (Same as above, except making steamed spinach in the side instead of salad)

6: Stuffed Peppers (Probably make 8 altogether and freeze four) Bake at 400 for 40-50 minutes

For Meals he can make I have:
1: Pork Chops+Baked Potatoes+Sautéed Snap Peas

2: Steak over Salad+Baguette

3: Meatballs+Spaghetti Squash (I'm drooling thinking about this... We might have it next week too)

4: Chicken (of some kind) +Rice+Garlic Almond Spinach

5: Buffalo Chicken Pizza+Sautéed Zucchini

6: Goulash+Salad

RoseShadow873 · January 2016

I'm hoping to make all this:

Dinners:

-Apricot chicken tenders

-Orange chicken

-Orange beef lettuce wraps

-Continental beef

-Lasagna

-Pizza

-Chili

-Chicken tortilla soup

-Chicken noodle soup

-Minestrone with beef

-Mexican lasagna

-Three cheese baked ziti with spinach

Other:

-Burritos

-Muffins

-Pesto

-Crepes?

-Breakfast burritos

AmadorRose · January 2016

@RoseShadow873 I just made and froze a bunch of breakfast burritos and I am loving them! French toast and waffles also freeze really well.

cmjenkies · January 2016

Does anybody have recipes for their freezer go-tos and/or kid-approved freezer fares? I'm not great at prepping ahead but in thinking about financials while I'm on leave, this needs to happen. I need things that can preferably be reheated in smaller batches (2 servings). Also tips for storing/prepping for the freezer. I buy meat in "bulk" from Sam's every now and then bu the last time I bought chicken and ground beef and portioned it out, it got freezer burn and I legit cried. The best laid plans..

My only successful freezer meal to date is a spinach/ricotta lasagna roll up deal that can be individually frozen.

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