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August 2016 Moms
mmclark10
member
Freezer meal planning
mmclark10
member
Happy Monday!
I'm starting a list of freezer meals because I discovered after my first and going back to work that as much as I love to cook, I didn't want to whip up a fresh home cooked meal every night when I got home from work. And since I like to cook and have done most of the cooking since I finished law school, my husband is not great at putting meals together anymore. That may change with the arrival of this baby, but in anticipation and with a chest freezer that is no longer full of just breast milk, I'm making a list of freezer meals I'd like to have ready over the next 19 weeks. Does anyone have any go-to meals they freeze? I can share what I've put together if anyone is interested, they are all from Pioneer Woman and my favorite, Smitten Kitchen.
I'm starting a list of freezer meals because I discovered after my first and going back to work that as much as I love to cook, I didn't want to whip up a fresh home cooked meal every night when I got home from work. And since I like to cook and have done most of the cooking since I finished law school, my husband is not great at putting meals together anymore. That may change with the arrival of this baby, but in anticipation and with a chest freezer that is no longer full of just breast milk, I'm making a list of freezer meals I'd like to have ready over the next 19 weeks. Does anyone have any go-to meals they freeze? I can share what I've put together if anyone is interested, they are all from Pioneer Woman and my favorite, Smitten Kitchen.
Re: Freezer meal planning
I love Pioneer Woman and her Chicken Spaghetti freezes well (though it's not healthy at all). I would like to have things that I can just thaw and put in the oven or put in the crockpot. I'll definitely do a lasagna
I'm definitely interested in seeing other ideas!
Oh, and one I forgot to add that I already do often is this broccoli soup recipe: https://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2015/09/broccoli-cheddar-soup/
Yes, I'm obsessed with Smitten Kitchen. I pretty much exclusively use her site for recipes because they are good 99% of the time and easy to follow.
If anyone has go to recipes they use for freezer meals, please share!
Last pregnancy I took a day off of work and made 6 or 7 casseroles in one day. It was a TON of work, but it really was worth it. Hold on to these meals until all your visitors are gone. I made the mistake of letting my in-laws know I had done this, so they thought it would be fine for us to eat those while they visited. Definitely regret doing that b/c I had hardly any leftovers and in times where we really needed a freezer meal, we were out.
Meals that have frozen well: taco soup, enchiladas, shepard's pie, chicken pot pie, any type of pasta/spaghetti/ziti bake
I love crockpot chicken meals, and my favorite thing to make as a freezer meal is lasagna. I'll see if I can dig up the recipes...
I would highly suggest using the time now to make the recipe and test with your family. Then go ahead and make a double batch to freeze!
These were recommended to me by a mom friend and they're great! Not only do they give you tons of options, but give you proper amounts to accurately make the recipe x3, x6, or even x12. That's very handy if you want to bang out a ton of each recipe.
We would if we put it in our dining area... Do those need special plugs?
And I am planning on pumping for day care, and I've been worrying about that too!
Another thing I plan to do is pre-cook some meats to freeze. They're not full meals, but already cooked ground beef/turkey or chicken strips is great to have on hand to add to pasta, salads, for tacos, etc.
People who have chest freezers - My DH would like to know if it needs it's own breaker.
He's on board with this!
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Magic-Chef-5-2-cu-ft-Chest-Freezer-in-White-HMCF5W2/206174597
I have been doing freezer meals throughout the past year because of crazy work schedules. I purchased several sets of Snapware glass storage containers from Costco so that I don't have to worry about freezing / heating plastic and it can go into the oven in the same container.
Some of my favorites are:
Stuffed Peppers: Brown ground beef, add Herdez salsa, black beans (optional), and rice, stuff into peppers and freeze. Thaw and bake until the peppers are soft.
Beef Soup: Beef with a bone or soup bones, onions, carrots, celery, beef bullion if needed, cook then add canned tomatoes. Freeze in batches, serve with freshly cooked noodles.
Chicken Soup: Chicken, onions, carrots, celery, parsley, chicken broth. Cook and freeze in batches and serve with fresh noodles or rice.
Beet Soup: https://allrecipes.com/recipe/89057/beet-soup/ (Time / mess saving tips: use a stainless steel pot, use precooked beets and cut them after you place them in the pot, puree in the same pot after cooking with a stick blender.) I serve with unsweetened cashew milk instead of sour cream for dairy free option.
Chicken Curry: Chicken, chicken broth, onions, carrots, potatoes (optional), cook until soft, add bell pepper slices, mushrooms, pineapple (optional) yellow curry powder, ground red pepper, and cook until peppers are soft. Add coconut milk. Freeze. Thaw and serve with rice.
Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls: Ground beef browned, add a head of chopped cabbage, canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, spices. Simmer until cabbage is soft. Freeze. Reheat and serve with rice.
Meatballs: The key to a good Italian meatball is fresh celery and celery leaves. Ground beef, celery, onion (optional), garlic (optional), eggs, seasonings (add ground red pepper or red pepper flakes for a little spice if desired.) I use almond flour instead of bread crumbs to make gluten free. Meatballs are great frozen because you can serve them with spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, pasta, or on sandwich buns.
Zucchini Noodles are lots of work but you can do the work up front and freeze them but you have to blanch the squash / zucchini first. Once you have your noodles into the desired shape, freeze in plastic bags. Thaw and then pan cook in olive oil with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
In the summer time I also like to wash and freeze and fruits that we aren't using fast enough and use them in smoothies.
I usually cook, or three quarters cook a meal before freezing. Quiche is something I make and freeze all the time, and I three quarters cook it. I think it cooks for 45 minutes, so I cook it to 30-40 (allllmost done) then freeze it. That way it still needs to brown, but once it does, it's done cooking AND hot.
4-5 Boneless skinless chicken breast
1 packet onion soup seasoning
1 Can cranberries
Throw it in crockpot on low and let cook all day. Dinner time shred it and you can serve over rice or wrap it up in a tortilla or flatbread.
I was skeptical at first when I got it at a Freezer Meal Swap but its one of my faves now.
With that being said, I'm not really looking to make anything super hearty like stews or even soups. Any good recommendations specifically for the summer? I'm not exactly queen of the crock pot, meaning my experience is limited to like chili, stew, and the occasional chicken dish, so any suggestions are welcome!
As for a lighter freezer dish, I really liked this one from Smitten Kitchen with summer squash and lemon. https://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2015/06/herbed-summer-squash-pasta-bake/
She specifically made that dish because of your exact dilemma of heavy dishes in warmer months! I've tried it and thought it was great.