Hello y'all! I am fairly new to the group and have just started real meal planning. I was looking around but couldn't find any freezer meal recipes. Is there a tab for them and I haven't seen it yet?
It's unfortunate, but we don't. Ido double baking, half for that night's meal and freeze half for another night. Most casseroles like baked ziti, lasagna, shepherd's pie, also meatloaf and chicken pot pie, soups and stews will all freeze well.
Here's some hints I got from a friend in another group
Here's a tip... brown about 5 lbs of ground beef and drain (I add onions and green peppers in with mine), then let it cool. Put it in five individual freezer bags and freeze... pull one out when you want a quick meal, defrost in the microwave.
1.) add to 1 lb cooked pasta and a jar of sauce.
2.)add a big can of chili beans, an envelope of chili seasoning and 28 oz can of diced tomatoes for chili.
3.) add a can of tomato juice, an envelope of onion soup mix, a few cans of your favorite veggies, a couple of potatoes and a couple of carrots; throw in the crockpot for a few hours and you have vegetable soup.
4.) add a bag of prepared egg noodles and a couple of cans of cream soup and a can of mixed veggies for a quick and easy casserole.
5.) Add prepared (about 3 cups) rice, an envelope of taco seasoning, a can of rotel tomatoes and some shredded cheese for spanish rice casserole.
6.) add a can of cream of mushroom soup and a half of a soup can of milk, spoon over mashed potatoes.
*Use frozen meatballs... they can save so much time!
1.) throw in the crockpot for a few hours with spaghetti sauce, serve in sub buns topped with shredded mozzarella cheese.
2.) Cook in crockpot for a few hours with a can of mushrooms, a can of mushroom soup, and a cup of sour cream, add some parsley flakes, serve over prepared egg noodles for swedish meatballs.
3.) Cook in spaghetti sauce, spoon over cooked spaghetti.
4.) throw in crockpot with a jar of brown gravy, and serve over prepared egg noodles or rice.
5.) Mix 1/2 c bbq sauce, 1/4 c grape jelly, cook in skillet until jelly melts. Add in 1 lb frozen meatballs, peppers and pineapple. Cook 10 minutes, serve over rice for sweet and sour meatballs.
This freezes well
Bird's Nest Pie
1 (8-ounce) package spaghetti noodles
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 cup sour cream
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 pound Italian sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (6-ounce) can Italian tomato paste
1 cup water
Cook spaghetti noodles in boiling, salted water for the shortest time recommended on package. Drain. Mix warm spaghetti with eggs, Parmesan, butter and parsley. Press into a round greased foil pan. Mix sour cream and cream cheese. Spread on top of spaghetti crust. Sprinkle with Mozzarella. Brown sausage with onion. Add tomato paste and water. Simmer 10 minutes. Pour on top of cheese. Cover, label and freeze. 6 servings.
To serve: Thaw. Bake covered for 45 minutes at 350. Uncover and top with Mozzarella cheese. Bake 5 minutes.
Here's more hints:
Buy large quantities of meat on special.
After determining what's on special, make your grocery list for all the recipes you'll be preparing. In addition to meat, purchase any other ingredients needed, such as spices for rubs or marinades. Be sure to check the pantry and spice rack to avoid duplicating items you already have.
Shop one day; then prepare food for the freezer the next. This will make your to-do list for each day manageable. Chop any vegetables you'll need for your recipes, such as onions, mushrooms, and peppers, and line them up on your counter for easy assembly. Then move on to the meat preparation.
1. Baked, grilled, or stir-fried chicken: Buy several pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Make four or five different recipes of marinades and rubs. Prick chicken several times with a fork to allow marinades and rubs to penetrate the meat. Combine marinade and breast halves in labeled freezer bags. Seal bags, and knead the pieces of meat to circulate the marinade. Lay bags flat with pieces of meat side by side in a flat pan with sides. Marinate meat for desired time in refrigerator. Place pan in freezer; freeze bags flat. Remove frozen bags from pan, and stack in freezer. For kabobs or stir-fry, cut breast halves into cubes or strips, and follow the same instructions.
2. Cooked chicken for casseroles, wraps, chicken salad, etc.: Bring 2 whole chickens and enough water to cover to a boil in a large stockpot. Add 2 celery ribs, 2 carrots, 1 onion, and 4 garlic cloves. Reduce heat; cover and simmer about 40 minutes. Remove chicken, and discard vegetables, reserving broth. Remove chicken from bones, and shred. Place 2 cups shredded chicken in labeled quart-size freezer bags. Seal and freeze. Strain broth, cool, and refrigerate. Freeze broth in airtight containers or freezer bags for soups and other recipes.
3. Ground Beef: Economical and versatile, ground beef is excellent for investment cooking. Prepare meat loaves, hamburgers, and meatballs, and freeze them uncooked. Or cook the meat with onions and garlic, and freeze it to use as a base for other dishes. On cooking day, just heat the base and add other needed ingredients to create quick tacos, sloppy joes, or beef stroganoff.
Apple Roast Pork Sandwiches
1 (4-pound) pork roast
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 cup apple juice
½ teaspoon salt
Place roast in dish or pan barely larger than roast. Douse roast on all sides with Worcestershire sauce. Press brown sugar on sides and top of roast. Pour apple juice into baking pan but not over top of roast. Cover tightly with extra heavy foil. Place roast in pre-heated 400 degree oven. Immediately reduce heat to 275. Bake for 5 hours. Remove and allow to cool enough to handle. Meat should pull apart easily. Shred meat and sprinkle with salt. Place meat and broth in freezer bag or container. For individual servings, spray a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Fill muffin cups with meat and broth. Cover and place in freezer just until frozen. Pop out and place in gallon freezer bag. Label and freeze. 12 servings.
To Serve: Thaw and heat. Spoon onto warm rolls. Serve with sliced apples or applesauce.
Chicken Casserole
4 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 4 breasts)
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
3/4 cup crushed baked potato chips (about 2 ounces)
Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine chicken and next 4 ingredients (through water chestnuts) in a large bowl; stir well. Combine mayonnaise and next 5 ingredients (through black pepper) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add mayonnaise mixture to chicken mixture; stir well to combine. Spoon chicken mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray, and sprinkle with cheese. Top cheese evenly with chips. Bake at 400° for 13 minutes or until filling is bubbly and chips are golden.
Alfredo Fettucine
8 ounces Cream cheese -- cut in bits
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese -- grated
1/2 cup Butter or margarine
1/2 cup Milk
8 ounces Fettuccine; cook -- drain In large saucepan combine cream cheese, Parmesan,
butter and milk, stirring constantly until smooth. Toss pasta lightly with sauce, coating
well. Freezes well.
This recipe in the new Taste of Home Special Edition Freezer Cookbook. I haven't tried it yet.
Pesto Chicken
Makes 2 Casseroles (Each serves 6)
1 package (16 oz) Penne pasta
6 cups cubed cooked chicken
4 cups (16 oz) shredded italian cheese blend
3 cups fresh baby spinach
1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 jar (15 oz) jar of alfredo sauce
1.5 cups 2% milk (I used 1% and it came out fine)
1 jar (8.1 oz) prepared pesto
1/2 cup EACH seasoned bread crumbs and grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
1) Cook pasta to package directions
2) Meanwhile in a large bowl, combine the chicken, cheese blend, spinach, tomatoes, Alfredo sauce, milk and pesto. Drain pasta and add to chicken mixture. Toss to coat the pasta
3) Transfer to 2 greased 8in square baking dishes. In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs and the oil. Sprinkle over casseroles.
4)Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Cover and bake the remaining casserole at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until bubbly
To Use Frozen Casserole: Thaw in the fridge overnight. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes
Doesn't this sound good? This recipe makes 14 servings. Eat part then freeze the rest in two bags! Three meals at once?
Sloppy Joes
3 lbs ground beef
3 cups ketchup
2/3 cup sweet pickle relish
1 envelope onion soup mix
Hamburger buns
Cook beef over medium hugh heat until no longer pink. Drain. Stir in the ketchup, relish and soup mix; heat through. Spoon about 1/2 cup onto each bun. Or cool and freeze for up to 3 months.
To use frozen sloppy joes: Thaw in refrigerator; place in a saucepan and heat through
I do this, too.
Quote:
Ido double baking, half for that night's meal and freeze half for another night. Most casseroles like baked ziti, lasagna, shepherd's pie, also meatloaf and chicken pot pie, soups and stews will all freeze well.
5/23 What's for dinner?
- Truebesos
on Jul. 29, 2012 at 11:35 AM