Eazy Freezer Cooking Ideas
With the weather turning nicer and we are doing more and more activities, it seems to me that time gets shorter and shorter to prepare meals. On those evenings when I have a lot more time to cook some nights than others. When I do have extra time, I have what I like to call my easy freezer cooking ideas list, I try to cook an extra batch of food, stick it in the freezer and then just grab a meal that’s ready to be heated and served out of the freezer on the days when we’re really busy. Here’s a list of things I tend to either cook in batches, or cook while I’m working on that day’s regular dinner and then freeze for later.
- Lasagna - anything from regular meat versions to vegetarian ones. Just assemble and freeze, then bake as usual straight from the freezer.
- Soups or Stews - Almost any type of soup or stew freezes well. I always cook these in double batches and freeze one. The only exception I’m aware of is chicken and dumplings. The dumplings just don’t turn out well when they are frozen. Some soups with chunks of potatoes can also get mushy, so test a small batch first.
- Chili - You can make any type of chili. Just double your favorite recipe, remove one half before you serve it and freeze it. When you’re ready to eat your frozen leftovers, let the chili defrost in the fridge throughout the day before heating, otherwise add the frozen chili to a pot with a bit of warm water and slowly heat it up.
- Casseroles - Almost any casserole freezes well. I keep a few of these in the freezer to eat for dinner or to take to potlucks or a sick friend or family member.
Take some time this week or over the weekend to stock your freezer with a few ready to heat and serve meals. You’ll appreciate these convenient meals after a long day. Plus they taste much better, and are healthier and cheaper than the stuff you buy in the freezer section of your grocery store.
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I found you through MommyFest. Even though it’s long over, I’m still reading blogs, meeting others and enjoying the blogs I’m finding.
I found a woman who bought aluminum trays, the kind from the old Swanson t.v. dinners. She has tons of them in the freezer. She takes them out, pops them in the oven to warm and has a nice hot meal every single night for her family. Thinking ahead and planning are the way to go.
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This is a great idea! I also take the little leftovers from my meals and create “tv dinners” that are individual portions. It keeps me from having a little bit of this and a little bit of that to either reserve or toss out. Whenever someone in the house needs a quick meal alone, or we all want a little something different I can pull them out.
First, I need to clean out my freezer! I just saw something in there from when people brought food over after our baby was born . . . 19 months ago.
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I have some tamales left over from when I get together with my friends and make a dozen dozen (gross?) of them. They freeze well and even repel freezer burn because of the corn husk wrapper. try it out! - Dave
As a bachelor I tend to cook all my meals for the week at the weekend then as you suggest freeze them then just grab and go when I get back from work.
Great ideas! I need to start doing this to make the weekdays easier on my family.
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