recipes that freeze well

[luvmyfam444]

I wanna make some meals for my daughter to have in her freezer...what do you suggest?

 

[AnnaS]

I freeze just about everything. Good container and an extra wrap on that also/produce bag/zip loc.

I don't cook as often, when I do , I make sure I have extra meals for another night. Meatloaf (freeze two slice portions), chicken parmigiana, plain breaded chicken cutlets (have them cold, warm or sliced over a salad), baked ziti portions, mashed potatoes (if I bother to make any or have leftovers), zucchini pie (cut quarters), sausage and peppers, baked chicken thighs, stew, lentil/split pea soup, meatballs, sauce (not from a jar) too many to mention.

 

[HeatherC]

I love having freezer meals to pull out when you don’t feel like cooking.

Some that I do are casseroles like chicken and rice, enchiladas, chicken pot pie, shepherds pie, beef stew, chili, stuffed peppers, premade flatbread pizzas. These all freeze very well.

I also freeze homemade mashed potatoes and just add some milk to them when reheating.

Another hack I just learned and tried this week was to buy a couple rotisserie chickens. I get them at Costco. Throw them in the freezer and then when you want to use them just plop them into a crockpot with a little water on low all day. I did this yesterday for the first time and will definitely be doing again. I was skeptical the chicken would be dried out, but it wasn’t. You just have to turn it off when the chicken gets hot.

 

[LoveDaisy]

I do a lot of meal prep and freeze food. Things I make regularly include lasagna, meatballs, homemade chicken tenders, enchiladas, chicken pot pies, and casseroles.

I have also precooked and portioned pulled pork, ground meat for Mexican food, and chicken.

I have precut veggies and froze them for dinner kits and have cleaned chicken and froze it in the marinade so I just have to defrost and add to the dinner kit or grill.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

When I was pregnant with my triplets, my aunt made me a few different things (lasagna, turkey tetrazzini, a chicken bake). What was absolutely clutch for us was that she cut them into individual portions and froze them that way: showed up to my baby shower with a whole cooler to bring back to the house.


When we were in the thick of it during NICU and newborn, there's no way I would have wanted to deal with defrosting and heating a whole lasagna. Heck, usually my husband and I weren't even eating at the same time because we were tag teaming. But, being able to pull just one serving to bring to the hospital for lunch or toss in the microwave was amazing.

Which is all to say, I don't know your daughters situation or how many people she's feeding each meal, but think about freezing things in such a way that she can pull them out in portions.

 

[snowwite]

I wanna make some meals for my daughter to have in her freezer...what do you suggest?

American chop suey, lasagna, chili beef stew, corn chowder, chicken soup, pancakes, chicken and rice , meatloaf

 

[LuvOrlando]

Turkey Dinner with all the fixins in single serving containers, single serving containers of meatballs and sauce to go over fresh pasta or rice, chicken soup, taco meat, chili, meatloaf - most meats freeze well but starches do not.

Any protein on top of fresh rice made with a $20 rice maker from Walmart cooks in 20 min and has a warming feature. I put broccoli crowns on top as it cooks for a well balanced quick meal and usually make the rice with chicken broth and some kind of Indian Spice from a box found at Wegmans - easy peasy.

 

[barkley]

Another hack I just learned and tried this week was to buy a couple rotisserie chickens. I get them at Costco. Throw them in the freezer and then when you want to use them just plop them into a crockpot with a little water on low all day. I did this yesterday for the first time and will definitely be doing again. I was skeptical the chicken would be dried out, but it wasn’t. You just have to turn it off when the chicken gets hot.

they freezer really well! I tend to debone them and put them up in ziplock bags that we can pull to defrost in the fridge overnight to make quesadillas or other items that are quick to throw together like pasta (while pasta is cooking I heat chicken in melted butter and a little white wine in a pan then drain the pasta to toss in for a few minutes).

I have also precooked and portioned pulled pork, ground meat for Mexican food, and chicken.

this is a big one for us (and to send home with our oldest)-unseasoned cooked ground beef that can be used for tacos, burritos, added to some pasta or manwich sauce (and if the user is into using a crockpot with one of the many recipies that call for a variety of canned goods and ground beef they are good to go). we also do pulled pork as well as similarly shredded beef (I use the crockpot method that employs a single can of soda)-this can be used for enchiladas, bbq beef sandwiches and with some pasta sauce as potroast.

 

[Genie+]

Beef stew holds up surprisingly well too. It may look the gravy part was ruined after thawing, but it goes right back to normal after heating it through.

 

[disneyseniors]

I do a lot of meal prep and freeze food. Things I make regularly include lasagna, meatballs, homemade chicken tenders, enchiladas, chicken pot pies, and casseroles.

I have also precooked and portioned pulled pork, ground meat for Mexican food, and chicken.

I have precut veggies and froze them for dinner kits and have cleaned chicken and froze it in the marinade so I just have to defrost and add to the dinner kit or grill.

Have you had trouble with freezing pre cooked veggies? I find that mine turn out "watery" when I thaw them out? That's the only thing I seem to have trouble freezing.
Any and all help would be appreciated Love this thread.

 

[Deb]

has anyone noticed meals that were well seasoned when fresh, seemed bland when defrosted? I made porcupine meatballs that were really good right after cooking. The two packs I pulled out of the freezer were just blah. They were vacuum packed and not in the freezer overly long

 

[jdb in AZ]

Another vote for Costco rotisserie chicken. Works well with BBQ sauce and dinner rolls.

Also my version of Wendy's Chili can be frozen in whatever portions you need.

WENDY’S CHILI

3 lb low-fat hamburger, browned
1 large sweet onion
3 ribs celery
1 green bell pepper
1 cup water
28 oz canned dark red kidney beans, drained
28 oz canned pinto beans, drained
7 oz can diced green chilies
3 cans (14 oz ea) stewed tomatoes
10 oz can Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chilies)
14 oz can tomato sauce
2 tsp cumin
3 T chili powder
1-1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp salt

Combine in large crockpot; cook on low til onions and celery are softened. Freeze leftovers,

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

I steam dumpling(asian) often and whenever I do I freeze a boatload in bags. Its great when I need meal or little more than leftover Im taking to work etc. Just need to shake them as they are freezing so they dont all frreze together.