Freezer-friendly meals

ftsolk

Due to my sporadic IFing and work schedule, I typically eat anywhere from 4 to 12 meals a week that I prepare at home. Now, keep in mind that I eat at restaurants 1-3 times a week on average (usually 1 or 2). 1-2 times a week, my "dinner" is snacks/appetizers at church youth groups (but if I don't have my church group on Thursday, then I usually go out, so it's typically eating out 1-2 times per week and 2 church nights a week OR eating out 2-3 times a week and 1 church event).

My percentage of meals out does seem a bit high, but this is in part due to the fact that I rarely eat even 14 meals a week. Some weeks, I don't even eat 10 meals- it all depends on my work schedule.

This means that I find it very easy to resort to microwave meals (frozen pizzas, hot pockets) or other quick fixes. I've tried doing things like batch preparing salad toppings or making multiple meals to reheat, but this is a challenge. My favorite roasted carrots just aren't the same reheated (though they are still good). I'm not sure what can be frozen and what won't work out well. And freezing my meals is VERY important for me since I don't eat a meal I prepare every day, and I don't want to eat the same meal 4 times in a week. I'd rather make something, freeze leftovers, and be able to rotate through say, 3-4 meals during a month.

Some of my favorite meals include:

-Salads with fun toppings (Bolthouse ranch, toasted almonds, pineapple, ham, chickpeas) (lentils, balsamic vinaigrette, feta, hazelnuts)

-Chicken drumsticks with a sauce made of honey and mustard with a side of sauteed green veggies (broccoli, brussels sprouts, green beans) cooked in coconut oil, roasted carrots cooked in olive oil.

-One-pot pasta dishes with extra veggies and italian chicken sausage

-Grilled cheese on sprouted grain or homemade whole wheat bread with roasted carrot fries, a side salad of arugula, lemon juice, olive oil, golden raisins, shaved parmesan; and toasted almonds, and some grapes (maybe some sugar snap peas or grape tomatoes instead of the carrots)

-Triscuits or Crunchmaster brown rice crackers with Applegate Farms Ham (or salami-trying to get off the Hormel Pepperoni), sliced cheese (different flavors), grape tomatoes, sugar snap peas, and some fruit (maybe a Greek yogurt too- my favorites are the Fage Classic flavors)- think lunchable.

-Celery, peanut butter, raisins, apple slices, and cheese.

-Deviled eggs with raw veggies and fruit.

-Annie's Whole Wheat Organic Shells in white cheddar with nitrate free hotdogs (usually Applegate), spinach, and broccoli.

- homemade Hummus with pita and raw veggies

I assume the chicken with veggies and pasta dishes will be good frozen (as well as swapping out the chicken for say, lamb or other protein). Sauteed chicken sausage with broccoli in coconut oil will also be ok frozen and reheated. But grilled cheese? Salads? Crackers and cheese? Deviled eggs? Granted, the crackers, deviled eggs, and hummus meals are usually more last-minute/emergency meal ideas-especially the cracker stackers.

I definitely want to do more salads, but the ingredients tend to go bad before I use them all, and I don't want to have the same salad every single day for a week or something like that.

agal129

So...exactly what are you asking here?

ftsolk

How do you determine if a meal will freeze well?

agal129

Hard to say exactly. Just try it, and if it doesn't freeze well, don't do it again. You could probably do an internet search to find recipes that freeze well. Some things that I like to make and freeze: Chili, Mexican Lasagna, Italian Lasagna, Chicken Tortilla Soup (frozen without any tortilla/chips), Steak, Pasta with Sauce already mixed in, Bean/Lentil Soup.

I don't think salads/lettuce will freeze. Nor would something like grilled cheese because the moisture from the melted cheese would make the bread consistency all weird.