awesome freezer meals?

[Miss Whimsy]

I searched a little in the forum and couldn't find a thread dedicated to this, let me know if I missed it!

Does anyone have any awesome recipes or tips for making freezer meals that I can just grab and defrost/cook for those nights I come home from work with no dinner plan? I will often either order delivery or (more frequently, especially if the BF isn't here) cook something pretty bland and/or disgusting out of whatever is in my cupboard. (justifying the latter with "hey, it's just fuel, just get through the meal") I figure if I can stock up my freezer a bit that would save me some money and I would be happier about what I'm eating. I'm actually a pretty good cook, so I hate eating the crummy "fuel" meals, but sometimes I just don't know what to do, especially when I come home hungry and can't think properly.

I already freeze soup when I make a big batch (in fall/winter) and lasagna or baked ziti or shells, but is there anything else that jumps to mind as a good freezer meal?

Just a note, my BF is a vegetarian, so I tend to cook mostly meatless but I do eat meat so I'll take any ideas you all have.

EDIT: or, alternately, if you know of any "oh man don't freeze this food it becomes disgusting" I would love to hear that too so I don't ruin anything!

 

[lovesmurfs]

I searched a little in the forum and couldn't find a thread dedicated to this, let me know if I missed it!

Does anyone have any awesome recipes or tips for making freezer meals that I can just grab and defrost/cook for those nights I come home from work with no dinner plan? I will often either order delivery or (more frequently, especially if the BF isn't here) cook something pretty bland and/or disgusting out of whatever is in my cupboard. (justifying the latter with "hey, it's just fuel, just get through the meal") I figure if I can stock up my freezer a bit that would save me some money and I would be happier about what I'm eating. I'm actually a pretty good cook, so I hate eating the crummy "fuel" meals, but sometimes I just don't know what to do, especially when I come home hungry and can't think properly.

I already freeze soup when I make a big batch (in fall/winter) and lasagna or baked ziti or shells, but is there anything else that jumps to mind as a good freezer meal?

Just a note, my BF is a vegetarian, so I tend to cook mostly meatless but I do eat meat so I'll take any ideas you all have.

EDIT: or, alternately, if you know of any "oh man don't freeze this food it becomes disgusting" I would love to hear that too so I don't ruin anything!

Some of the best things I've found to freeze are things that I've made for dinner that I'd doubled or had leftover -- like you said, I'll dish out extra lasagna or casserole (shepherd's pie) and freeze it.

Some stuff that freezes well (and is easy to make in large batches) include chili, barbecue pork, sloppy joes, etc. I'll also roast a turkey breast or chicken, or brown extra hamburger and freeze the meat for use later in meals such as burritos, tacos, etc.

You can also make marinades for meat (not fish unless the recipe says you can -- a lot of the marinades partially cook it "ceviche" if there's citrus) and freeze the fresh meat (chops, chicken, etc.) with the marinade so that it marinates as it thaws.

In terms of what doesn't freeze well, I've had trouble with gravy, etc. that has cornstarch -- it separates -- as does stuff like milk, sour cream, yogurt, etc.. Veggies freeze well, but stuff like squash, watermelon, etc. gets icky because they have a lot of water in them. Also, I think cooked potatoes are icky when frozen and thawed -- it's a texture thing for me -- but mashed potatoes seem to work okay.

I've found it's all about planning ahead and keeping stuff in the freezer/pantry that I can use. I'm much less likely to order delivery if I have a plan for dinner.

 

[GatorMama]

I love Budget Bytes' Louisiana Style Red Beans served with white rice. I freeze that easily. I also love her Roasted Vegetable Burritos. I make double batches and freeze as quick lunches for me. I make my own spaghetti sauce and freeze. Make meatballs and freeze. I have done trays of enchiladas and lasagna and freeze in disposable dishes. Those are also great for taking to new moms when I barely have time to cook for my own family. I also have a six bean casserole recipe that makes A TON and we love th but almost never have an occasion to make them and eat them all so I freeze in mason jars and use as if they were canned.

Last fave with a real recipe is the PF Changs Chicken Lettuce Wraps recipe. I make a triple batch (and add shredded carrots) and freeze in portions for other meals.

 

[arminnie]

I'll make a big batch of meatballs and freeze them on a cookie sheet so they don't stick together and then place them in a bag. I can take out as many as needed for spaghetti or a meatball sub.

I also freeze stuffed shells this way so I can take out as many as needed. I don't put the sauce on until I am ready to cook them.

I loved stuffed peppers. There are many vegetarian versions too. They freeze very well.

 

[manning]

My friend the Foodsaver vacuum sealer

I buy ground beef at Costco which is cheaper than at grocery store.

It's minimum of 3 pounds. I make several meatloaf and hamburgers, vacuum seal and freeze them.

 

[aliceindisneyland]

Most of the stuff I freeze is meat, but one thing you could make vegetarian is egg burritos. They reheat beautifully in the oven frozen or thawed (keep them wrapped) but they taste terrible if you try to microwave them!

You could make several styles with different veggies, potatoes, etc.

Frittata also freezes very well and heats up much more quickly than the burritos (again, use the oven or heat in a skillet with a lid - microwaves are no friend to eggs!)

I make packets of prepped veggies and freeze. I put about 1/2 cup in snack size baggies (then keep them all in a gallon ziploc) Diced onion/minced garlic/shredded carrot/sliced celery [sautee before freezing], minced onion, minced garlic and basil in olive oil, shredded mozzarella in 5 oz packs for pizza, etc.

I freeze cooked pasta. It's not as fabulous as cooking it fresh, but you can cook a pound of a short pasta, rinse, cool, and freeze in a gallon ziploc, and you can just shake out what you need into a bowl, soup, etc. - no waiting for water to boil and noodles to cook! You can flash freeze long pasta in mounds on a cookie sheet.

The prep work is the thing that I hate dealing with when I'm in a rush and hungry.

 

[Miss Whimsy]

thanks for all of the great ideas, guys! I might try to do enchiladas next, I have a lot of beans and cheese right now for some reason.

 

[barkley]

bean based dishes freeze well (I will be freezing containers of ham and beans today), as do chili (with or without beans), meatloaf (I get very small foil containers at the dollar store and make up multiple smalls which I cook completely, cool and freeze to take out for a couple of meals or a meal and a couple of lunches), shepherd's pie (though I don't freeze it with the mashed potatoes-they end up an odd consistence so I just make some quick instant to top it with while the oven is preheating), and enchiladas (again, make several small trays w/like 4 in each to pull out for a quick dinner for 2, or dinner for one and lunch the next day).

w/ your dbf being a vegetarian have you tried substituting ground meat with morning star crumbles? my kids attended a school that required vegetarian lunches (and pot luck food)-I made many traditional foods that call for ground beef and substituted crumbles. chili, pasta sauce, sloppy joes (which also freezes well), enchiladas and shepherd's pie. all lend themselves to making larger batches that can generate frozen meals. a tried and true vegetarian dish that freezes really well is the traditional green bean casserole-we just make small batches, freeze-then add the onion topping after it's defrosted and going into the oven.

hands down-one of the tastiest vegetarian cookbooks that this meat lover has found is the 'apple a day' series (old school home style recipes).

 

[Marionnette]

I'm watching Rachel Ray's "Week in a Day" on the Food Network channel right now. I'm not a big fan of her "Everyday with Rachel Ray" recipes because they lack any depth of flavor, but these recipes actually sound good. The episode that I'm watching is from 2011, so you can get the recipes from the Food Network website, along with recipes from other episodes in the series. It might be a good jumping off point for you if you want to cook multiple meals in a single session in the kitchen.

 

[dromio42]

Brown rice freezes really well (sometimes I add wheatberries too for extra texture)

You may find that a week's menu on the fridge is more helpful than frozen food. It takes the guess work out and automates the meal.

Quick cook meals include and pasta with sauce (you can add meatballs to yours and meatless meat balls too from the freezer) If you cook a double batch of pasta you can make peanut noodles a day or two later (peanut butter mixed with newman's own seasame ginger dressing coating the pasta then add scallions or peppers and chicken for you.)

I usually make a quick menu for the week with things that go into the next meal, so if I buy cabbage and carrot mix (slaw) I make fish tacos (frozen fish), pulled pork(frozen) with slaw over brown rice (frozen) and fried rice (frozen rice, with cabbage carrots and any other frozen or fresh veggies plus egg) with potstickers (frozen)....does that make sense?

 

[Miss Whimsy]

thank you ALL for the tips! you've given me a lot of ideas!!

You may find that a week's menu on the fridge is more helpful than frozen food. It takes the guess work out and automates the meal.

I'm actually really bad at meal planning, because I either over- or under-estimate how much I will eat, and sometimes I am cooking for my BF and sometimes not. I usually plan 3-4 meals for the week, and with leftovers that is either just the right amount or not quite enough. So I'm hoping that having some frozen meals on hand will help on the weeks when it's not quite enough, or the days when I have something half-planned but don't have the energy to execute it.

hands down-one of the tastiest vegetarian cookbooks that this meat lover has found is the 'apple a day' series (old school home style recipes).

oooh thanks I will check it out!