I like to freeze each portion individually. In this manner if I want something and Jan or a guest wants something else, we can each get what we want without having any leftover waste.

When I first began this process I did not have a Seal-a-Meal so I used Saran Wrap and forsome items like the twice baked potatoes I still use Saran Wrap because my Seal-a-Mael has a small vacuum pump that pulls the air out of the package. The problem here is that it also sucks the packaging down and flattens the appearance to much. Just make sure you cut the Saran Wrap large enough that you can wrap two layers.

Rice & Pasta is simple. Just measure out a portion, drop it in a freezer bag, let it cool to room temp and pop in the freezer. You can then heat it in the microwave in seconds, open the pack and dump it on the plate. When making spaghetti you can put a portion of pasta in one bag and a portion of sauce in another. Heat them both in the microwave, dump the pasta on a plate, open the sauce pack, dump that on top and serve. Make a little side salad with a vinegarette, put a container of breadsticks on the table and perhaps a glass of wine, and dinner is served.

Meatloaf is super easy. First make the meatloaf, then let it rest & cool. Even overnite in the fridge is fine. Once its cool and firm you can cut 1/2" thick slices, then put one or two slices in a bag & freeze. Later reheat in the bag to retain moisture, then dump it on a plate. Careful here. At my house the meatloaf seems to dissapear. I think its the midnight fairies robbing the freezer to make sandwiches.....LOL.

Now before I give you my recipee for stuffed/baked chicken breast I have one small bone to pick with most ladies. Over the years I have had opportunity to cook in many ladies kitchens and invariably I find three essential items missing; a good meat tenderizing hammer, Commercial Salt Free Soup Base and corn starch.

Notice, I said a "good" meat tenderizing hammer. A good meat tenderizing hammer has two pointed waffle faces. A course face on one end and a finer face on the opposite end, but what is even more important, it should have a smooth surface on the sides. The weights vary from about 2oz to nearly 10oz, but I find that a 3 to 4oz head works best.

STUFFED BAKED CHICKEN BREAST-
I buy my chicken breasts in bulk packs when they are on sale, and when I cook them I usually make about 12 to 18 portions at the same time. (I usually buy skinless & boneless, but if I find a good deal on breasts with bone & skin I can easily remove the skin and debone them).

Lay a skinless/ boneless chicken breast on your cutting board with the skin side down, cover with a layer of Saran Wrap, then beginning in the middle of the breast and working outward around the breast, pound lightly with the smooth side of your meat tenderizing hammer. The idea is to pound it down to about 1/4" thick and spread out to about an 8" diameter.

Make up a small pot of Stove Top stuffing and put a scoop of the stuffing in the center of the flattened chicken breast. Now fold all the sides up and place in a shallow 10x18 baking dish with the open sides down, and continue making the breasts until you have the dish full.

Fill the dish about 1/2 full of chicken broth then sprinkle the smooth round tops of the breasts with a bit of Paparika & parsley flakes to add color, cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in a moderate oven (350degF) for about 30min then remove the foil and back a bit more until you get a light browning on the top of the breasts.

Allow the breasts to cool to room temp then lift out and individually wrap for the freezer.

And now a word about "Soup Base". Soup base is a product that appears like boulian but I find boulian way too salty for my taste.
Soup base is made in Chicken, Beef, Pork & Ham flavoring and is primarily used as the base to make cooking stock or gravy.

To make the chicken broth make a small pan of boiling water and add the soup base until you get the desired strenght of broth. (I just do it by eye, but I would guess its about 3tablespoons per pint of water.)

To make a quick gravy, begin by making the soup base, then mix a couple tablespoons of cornstarch in 4 to 5oz of cold water (NOTE-cornstarch does not blend well in hot water, it will instantly form nasty lumps)

With the broth still at a low simmer slowly add some of the corn starch water and wish briskly. The broth will begin to thichen into a gravy. Continue adding the cornstarch and wisking until you get the desired thickness in your gravy.

When I serve the chicken breasts I serve with a baked potatoe and drizzle a bit of the chicken gravy over both the breast and the potatoe.

I will tell you ahead of time, it is becoming very difficult to find the soup base. You may find it in some of the high end grocery stores, and on rare occassions they may have it at a walmart super store, but don't count on that. One good place to look for it is in a meat market that has retail sales and also supplies meats to local restaruants. The last time I bought it I had the chef at a local motel/conention center get it for me from his commercial purveyor.
The soup base comes in a small glass or plastic jar about 3" in diameter and about 3-4" high.

Great recipe lazypup!

Thanks. May I add my freezing experience?

I now cook for one. I always loved to cook, and loved it most when the kids had friends over, and I could cook a "real meal", LOL, meaning a nice sized portion.

Then we were only two, but I cooked very much for 4 or more, and froze left overs.

Now, I am cooking only for me, and I am still cooking large portions, like with my meatloaf I had 7 frozen portions.

Most of my frozen meals are a whole meal in one container, unless I know, it doesn't freeze well together. I use ziploc freezer containers.

I numbered mine. I will record the number, what's in the container, and the date it was cooked in a book.

Then, when I want to use a frozen dinner I look in my book, whats available, and pull out what I feel like eating. Mark that meal off.

It's a great system for available variety. :)

Presently I have whole spaghetti dinners, meatloaf with green beans and tators, mexican casserole and a variety of chicken breasts cooked without anything additional in the container, as well as cooked ground beef, also brocoli soup and peter rabbit casserole.

But as I said, I love cooking. With the freezing I only cook about once a week, and add to my stash. ;)

Moni

Here is a link that might be useful: ziplock freezer containers

Lazypup, you'd be happy in my kitchen. I have all the things you mentions :-) I found soup base at Big Lots, of all places! I must've used all the chicken because now I just have beef left.

Instead of a meat tenderizer, I have one of those needle things that Alton Brown uses. It actually cuts the meat/tendons etc instead of stretching. Makes the cheaper cuts more tender. I got mine at the store in Minot, but you can go on line to the Food Network to Alton Brown or kitchen tools. Very very sharp pointed needle type tool, but oh so good.
Marie from ND

Can I jump in here as well........This concept is used with the once a month cooking program and the once a week program. There is a forum right here at GW called Once a week cooking and there is lots of information. Caroline you might want to google it too as there are many websites that women have set up for this very purpose.

One of my favorites is 30 Day Gourmet......trust me they have everything you ever wanted to know on this subject. You can start out easy by just cooking twice as much every night and pretty soon you will have a stash.

Here is a link that might be useful: 30 Day Gourmet

Ruthie,,,,I have an even better idea...how about we cook the same amount but only eat half as much?

I know that would do wonders for my waist line....LOL

Yep my waistline too........It's hard not to overeat with just two of us and cooking for more than one meal but it's so nice to do it. I was complaining about my weight to my DH and his response was, don't worry about it, we blend in nicely with the rest of the seniors around.

I am sure that some people snicker when you talk about precooking pasta and rice for the freezer because it is so easy to do but I can tell you that it's wonderful to have it in the freezer ready to go........I love brown rice and I cook a big pot of it and keep it in the freezer for quick meals.

I find the soup base here at a small gourmet cooking supply store. My daughter and I love to use the beef soup base.