In need of Dishes to Freeze

dreamjewl

11 years ago

Any suggestions on premade meals that freeze well. Im too busy to cook!
Thank you all

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Comments (4)

krissie55
11 years ago
Make a large pot of soup of your choice and freeze in serving increments. Works great for me!!

Here are other dishes that freeze well"
Chili, casseroles

A crockpot is worth a lot, dump in ingredients, turn on and have a meal ready at end of day. You can get crock pots with timers or plug into an electric timer that will turn off the crock pot.

If you have the main dish pre done it is easy to toss a salad or add a vegetable or to for a complete meal.

When you do cook, make extra and freeze for future meals.
lethiapage
10 years ago
You can make huge batches of cookie dough, too...then shape it into the familiar tube for slice and bakes, or form one inch balls for ready-bakes. For the tubes: wrap in plastic and then store wrapped tubes in a large zipper bag. For balls...flash freeze in a single layer then tumble them into the bag.

Cookie dough is not at all hard to prepare and you can make a lot at a time, making the steps and mess really count. In a few minutes you have all the convenience of store bought product, customized to your preferences...and more economical too.
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Onions in my freezer are in many prepared soups, chili, etc. And similar to grainlady's list. I've not had a need to freeze fresh. I only make lasagne in the late summer/fall when the garden is over producing. I make it in my big turkey roaster and it weighs a ton! I under cook it by 1/2 hour, let it cool and set. Then slice and freeze. Re-heats lovely. I do put the most watery veggies as the bottom layers so most of the moisture adds steam while cooking. First layer bottom is mandolined sweet potatoes. Half way up is an onion and mushroom layer that are caramelized beforehand, and to sweat out the liquid of the mushroom. A bit different every year depending on what is at hand... Just an example of thinking through what might be causing your individual recipe and how to handle onions....caramelizing first will add such rich flavor to other veggies that you may want to stay a bit more 'fresh' in flavor. If i know i will be freezing something, i just prepare a bit differently sometimes. Made a pasta salad for tonights bbq. The sauce base was chilled first. All the crisp veggies and herbs i keep fresh for crunch. The same sauce could be frozen but i would simmer 20 minutes first, then freeze. Still would be delicious but just a slightly different dish...good over pasta reheated for a warm dish rather that a cold salad.
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I think the spinach dish will be fine if frozen - the potato dish not so much. If it were pureed potatoes, it would be a different story, but potato gratin is not quite the same after having been frozen. If you make a broccoli dish, freeze it before you cook it or only partially cook it. Lars
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ci_lantro, you are my freezing clone! Have been freezing in paper milk cartons for years as well. When I make similar pasta meals/soups, etc, I line the boxes with a non-zip plastic food storage bag, de-air and use a twistie. I have never had freezer burn and am still enjoying home grown frozen apricots halves from 2005. A plain freezer zip lock is not as trustworthy IMO. When packaging a pasta dish or soup for two, I simply shorten the half gallon milk cartons-since those are the main sizes I have. Keep enough ht to fold sides and front in, fold over back side and then use a strong 1/8th inch rubberband to secure. Label and stack those "bricks." When I package our home grown chickens, one cut up chicken minus back fills one carton. Cut down cartons can hold lesser amounts. Like you, storage is in the lower level between floor joists on shelves above the freezers. Half gal-flat bottomed-Breyers icecream cartons are the other favorite storage worker. They hold zip lock (snack or sandwich) portions of berries/fruits, chutneys, asparagus, chicken livers, sauces, and eggs. Before capping, a piece of closed cell foam or bubble wrap covers all. Rubberband as well. Should admit current icecream cartons are only 1.5 qts but my vintage ones are 1/2 gal. My children and grands love to comment on previous labels on their BB10 (aka blueberries 2010 crop) gifts...and the cartons are returned as they know recycling is my mantra. Try this Juliet, and let us know if it works for you.
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Adding insulation, or a longer freeze proof hose bib, will only work if the garage is heated or otherwise stays significantly above freezing in really cold weather. Of course, the hose should be removed from the spigot before weather reaches freezing so that the water can drain. If the garage doesn't stay significantly above freezing, then you need to install heat tape or a shutoff inside the house with an air break so that you can drain/blow-out the line. Those are really your only two options -- other than completely relocating the hose bib to a heated part of the house. Relocating the hose bib would avoid a lot of maintenance problems later. Heat tape will require that you run power to it. Perhaps the new stuff is more reliable than the old stuff, but I've seen heat tape fail too often. Installing the shutoff and blowing out the line is reliable if you do it well-- but it takes time and is easy to forget. If you are going to stay there, relocate the line.
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tamraallen68
10 years ago
Besides soups listed above, I also freeze chili, bean soup, chicken or turkey noodle,

Lasagna also works great. When making for dinner, prepare an extra one or two. After baking, cut into smaller, individual portion sizes and freeze. Quick easy meal. Just add salad and bread. Done

Meat loaf : instead of making a large 2 lb loaf, prepare in smaller individual loaves. Being smaller, they're easier to thaw and cook faster too.

Meat Balls: I prepare the balls. Place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or foil. Freeze. Once frozen, place individual balls in ziploc bags or containers according to portion size needed for your meals. By freezing first on cookie sheets the balls don't stick together. I realize a large cookie sheet takes up a lot of space in freezer, but only needs to freeze for a couple hours.

Love the cookie dough suggestion listed above. Gonna try with my next batch.

Any more ideas out there?
nancyjane_gardener
8 years ago
Chicken parm, eggplant parm, most pasta dishes with sauce (though I don't eat much pasta). Soups, stews, enchiladas, gosh! Pretty much everything!

I use a foodsaver. Soups and saucy wet things should be bagged and frozen, then vacuumed and frozen.

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In need of Dishes to Freeze

Comments (4)

krissie55

lethiapage

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tamraallen68

nancyjane_gardener

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