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Freezer Meals

17 years ago

Could you give me some suggestions for completed entrees that freeze well? We're stocking a freezer for a family with a very ill parent who is no longer able to cook. I need ideas for meals that will appeal to kids as well as adults. TIA

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Comments (13)

lindac
17 years ago
What comes quickly to mind are things like you find in commercially frozen meals...like sliced roast meats with gravy, mashed potatoes and simple steamed veggies.
Or things like mac and cheese and cooked carrot buttons, lasagna, ham, scalloped potatoes and applesauce.
I'm sure others will have other suggestions...
did you mean to freeze these in individual meal trays?
Linda C
blueiris24
Original Author
17 years ago
I haven't quite figured out the best way to freeze them, but no, it would be a family-size serving at a time.
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I am happy to share, Sheilaaus. Some of my recipes have been adapted or borrowed in total from others' recipes (I talk about them as if they are truly my friends.. Ina, Giada, Julia). Those recipes are exact. This recipe is completely my own so I will give advance warning that the quantities are estimates. I did document this recipe for a family cookbook so it's likely pretty close. A few notes about this recipe. First, I developed it many years ago when a then bf and I were on the South Beach diet. He was missing (being a big baby) his favorite comfort foods -- like chicken parmesan. This was my healthy replacement for that -- and I actually like it more than the chicken parm. The recipe calls for two kinds of parmesan-- wrapped inside the chicken is the better parmesan. Shred yourself or you can use the fancy shredded parm that's prepackaged. You do want meltable parm though. Coating the outside of the chicken (in place of traditional breading) is plain old green can parmesan .. or you can use the fresh kind but it does need to be in powder form. One final note, I no longer bother with the egg wash before coating the chicken with parmesan. The wetness of the chicken and a little pressure is sufficient to coat.. this does result in a paler color when done. Ingredients 4 skinless chicken breasts 3 c fresh spinach ripped into small pieces 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese 1 medium onion, minced (a little finer than chopped) +/- 1 tsp minced garlic 1 Tbl olive oil 1 egg +/1 1/2 c parmesan from a can oregano (fresh or freeze dried) Parsley, chopped paprika 1 additional Tbl olive oil 1. Preheat oven to 375 deg. Coat a ceramic or pyrex baking dish with a light layer of olive oil. Prepare Filling: 2. Sauté garlic and onion in olive oil until onion is soft and translucent. 3. Add spinach and minced garlic. Continue sauteeing until spinach is wilted. 4. Remove from heat and add grated fresh parmesan. Mix the sauted vegetables and cheese with salt, pepper and a touch of oregano. Prepare the Chicken Rolls: 5. Pound chicken breasts between layers of saran wrap until about 1/4 think all around. Try to maintain a somewhat oblong shape. 6. Spread 1/4 of the filling in each of the 4 chicken breasts. The layer doesn’t have to be thick and do not take filling the whole way to the edge. Roll the chicken breast starting at a short end. Tuck any stray pieces in or under to make a nicely shaped package. Coat the Chicken Rolls: 7. In a flat dish or casserole, combine the parmesan from a can with a shake or two of your favorite herbs. I use garlic powder, oregano and parsley. Set aside 8. Beat the egg loosely in a wide shallow bowl. 9. Dip the top and sides of the chicken roll first in the egg, then in the parmesan mixture and place in the baking pan open side down. Be sure to cover much of the breast in parmesan. Repeat for each roll. 10. sprinkle a little paprika on top of each roll. Bake 11. Bake the chicken for 25-30 min. The top will be a golden brown and the chicken will be cooked through. Serve You can serve as is, with a dollop of your favorite tomato sauce or cool slightly and slice into spiral coins for a prettier presentation (or for appetizer portions)
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teresa_nc7
17 years ago
Main dish ideas that come to mind:

lasagna
chicken tetrazzini
chicken or ground beef enchiladas
chicken and noodles or the slider type dumplings
chili or chili with macaroni
King Ranch chicken
shepherd's pie
tuna noodle casserole
Italian meatballs in tomato sauce
Swedish meatballs and noodles
pork fried rice
meatloaf and Twice Baked Potatoes

Undercook noodles just a little bit if freezing them with the sauce on them. Cubed cooked potatoes do not freeze well. Mashed or Twice Baked Potatoes do better when frozen.

Here is a link that might be useful: Once A Month Cooking main dish recipes at Recipezaar
doucanoe
17 years ago
Many, many soups freeze well. I would just avoid those with pasta or potatoes in them. I have also found that celery takes on a strange texture in soups that have been frozen, but it's not terrible.

Lasagne
Meatloaf
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Beef Stroganoff
French Dip Sandwich filling
Meatballs
Scalloped Potatoes
Baked Beans

And don't forget desserts

Brownies
Cookies
Pie
Cakes
Cobblers
Sorbet

Linda
pickles_ca
17 years ago
My saved recipes have disappeared- so I'll have to hunt them down again. but I wanted to mention that I make freezer meals for busy nights and smaller ones for my daughter in university. I use the tin containers from the dollar store. They are different sizes and you can usually get them with cardboard lids - so they close well and then you identify each meal on the top. You can tape a baggie with shredded cheese or bread crumbs on top, if they are called for.
Just remove the lid and pop in the oven.
lindac
17 years ago
And trays of cooked and sliced things like turkey, roast beef, roast pork will freezev ery wellw hen moinsened with a little broth..or gravy.
colleenoz
17 years ago
I used to make frozen meals for my parents when Mom was still alive. I got those Glad foil containers which were a good size, stackable and you can write on the lid in nice big letters.
In addition to the above, I used to do veal olives, stews and casseroles and chicken Divan.
blueiris24
Original Author
17 years ago
Here is another ignorant question - I obviously don't freeze many things -- if I make chicken divan or tetrazzini, etc, what instructions do I give for heating it up? I worry that the chicken will get overcooked in the reheating process and be dry. Help this naive one!
Terri_PacNW
17 years ago
The key to freezer casseroles is sauce. If you have plenty of "saucey" insides, the meat will not get over cooked.

For a standard 9x13 from frozen about an hour covered. If thawed overnight maybe 40 minutes..

Here is a link that might be useful: Found this blog..3 great kid friendly meals
colleenoz
17 years ago
Well, since they're meals that are designed to be heated in the oven anyway, you just make them up to the point they go into the oven and then freeze. I would cook from thawed, personally, but that's just me.
blueiris24
Original Author
17 years ago
Ok, so you put the chicken in the freezer raw? I wasn't thinking along those lines - I guess that would help the reheating problem! Colleen, did you think those containers sealed well enough to avoid freezer burn? TIA
colleenoz
17 years ago
No, with Chicken Divan and as far as I recall (it's been a while) tetrazzini the chicken is cooked, sauces/vegetables added, cheese on top and then into the oven for heating through. The chicken is not dry. For the freezer you cook the chicken, add the sauces and vegetables, cheese the top and then freeze.
I tend to leave very little airspace which IMO can contribute to freezer burn. Certainly I never had any complaints.
rob333 (zone 7b)
17 years ago
I've been on this obnoxious diet with prepackaged foods. I keep thinking, I could make this! and normally do. I just need to make smaller portions. What I do love about the diet is this... I can just grab the individual meals out of the freezer and go. So, what am I thinking about doing is.....

First, I've kept the plastic dishes they come in
Second, I'll make several plates at one time
Last, I'll vacuum them in their plastic containers for later use

Does this add to your thinking at all?

Here is a link that might be useful: Vacuum sealing deal

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