New freezer...suggestions?

OonaWingedWolf

I just got a new freezer, its a nice big upright so I can easily see what is in it. Now what should I put in there? I know that if I cook something big like a big batch of chili mac I can measure out and freeze the extra for easy meals, but I need more ideas and I know you good people can help me out!

middlehaitch

If you have just got a wonderful big freezer go and get a FoodSaver so you can vacuum pack things you bulk buy or batch cook. They keep food so much fresher.

What I keep in mine...

Chicken breasts (bought in family packs when on sale) in singles and doubles. Some are pre marinaded some are pre chopped, all are weighted.

chicken thighs, skinless and boneless, and with the above.

Pork tenderloins. (Pack of 5 at Costco is well priced) I pack them singly with their weight. Tandoori is my fav marinade.

Pot roast roasts, always have a spare just in case.

Ground beef, weighed into .5 and 1 lbs portions.

Homemade hamburger patties, chicken, vegetable, and beef.

Sausages, a number of locally made varieties.

Fruit and berries from the garden. Frozen on a sheet tray then weighed and vac packed. You could do store bought on sale.

Batch cooked curries, stews, and spaghetti Bol sauce, etc.

Pre prepared, not much. A couple of pie shells, ice cream ( sometimes as it is not something I like to have often, prefer cake), prawns, a couple of soups, oh and I had a childhood longing for fish fingers the other night so half a pack of those.


We just bought my son and DIL one as a joint birthday present and they are having trouble adjusting to bulk buying and freezing leftovers.

It takes time to get into it. Just keep bags of ice in and empty them out as you fill it, it runs more efficiently that way.

Cheers, h.

Sunnybrooke99

This time of the year, I make a huge pot of French onion soup base. Basically, about 10 lbs of onions sliced and simmered down with some thyme, a dash of sugar/salt, and a cup or so of sherry towards the end. I freeze it in ice cube trays and then put in a bag.

A couple cubes and some broth for French onion soup. A cube and some garlic, pepper, and sour cream (add mayo if you aren’t too worried ab calories) for amazing dip, add some to soup, or mashed potatoes.

OonaWingedWolf

These are great ideas! I plan on batch cooking and freezing in portions. I will look into getting a foodsaver. Thank you for the idea on onion soup base. I adore soups!

Sunnybrooke99

I dont have a very big freezer, but this is the other think I make and keep. They cost ab .25 each, and even carnivores like them. They are just easy and freeze well.

Black bean/quino burgers.

2lbs black beans cooked until very tender and thick, like retried beans
Mix with enough cooked quinoa (and ab 2 slices of crumbled bread) to make a formable paste.
Form into 1/3 cup patties and sprinkle in burger seasoning. And freeze folded in parchment paper.

Best fried, but my boyfriend just microwaves them. I also make these from left over red beans, which tastes kinda like boudin with some bbq sauce.

OonaWingedWolf

I'll have to look into quinoa, I haven't seen it here in my small town. But love the idea of black bean burgers!

Cbean08

My freezer is stocked with things for easy cooking. I always have multiple bags of frozen veggies and pre-cooked chicken. I also keep a loaf of bread in there since I don't always go through a loaf quick enough on my own. Basically, I want to be able to reach in, pull out a couple things to microwave and have a quick meal.

Oh, and ice cream. Lots of ice cream.

sgt1372

I just use my freezer to store fresh meat & seafood that I buy in bulk, like the 13# of NY Strip steak that I bought for just $4.50/# -- a real bargain. Also bought over 10# of chicken legs for just 49 cents/# recently.

Prep'd, wrapped and froze it all. The FoodSaver is one of the best things I ever bought to freeze and preserve food. The sealing wrap costs a lot but it's well worth the $. No freezer burn and defrosted meat/seafood can last well oer 6 months w/o any loss in texture/taste.

Don't like using the freezer to store soups and other prepared food because it takes up too much space. Usually, just refrig and eat such things ASAP.

However, I also ise the FoodSaver to re-wrap cheese (both hard and soft), brown sugar (to keep it for drying out), as well as some leftovers, which allows them to last seemingly forever in the frig.

AnnPT77

Staples for me:

Cooked legumes, fairly plain (just salt, or onions & salt) in glass bowls with snap-on lids, meal or two sized. Dry legumes are so cheap, nutritious & filling; when I have a free day I cook a giant batch & freeze. I doctor them up at cooking time, to make diverse dishes.

Individual crustless mini-quiches a.k.a. egg muffins: bake in muffin tins, freeze in tin, move to container or plastic bag to store longer term, microwave for a quick breakfast or lunch item.

I just froze a vast amount of roasted winter squash, which I love, also in 1-2 meal bowls because it's in season here now.

Anything that keeps well that was on sale!

Freezers are more efficient when kept full, and withstand the odd power outage better that way also. Washed-out plastic milk jugs of water are a good thing for that, and can be used as ice for a camping or picnic cooler. In summer, if I have an event coming up that's suitable, I sometimes freeze jugs of herb tea - keeps the cooler chilled, and good to drink as it thaws.

Lounmoun

My freezer typically has bags of frozen vegetables, frozen fruit, pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella, pepperoni, homemade soup, chicken breasts, bag of flour, burritos, bread.

andfivesixseveneight

I like my freezer to be full of prepped ingredients to make meal time easier. Gives me lots of choices for making meals quickly.
Buy fresh produce when it's cheapest, chop, spread out on baking sheet and freeze. Then put in freezer baggies or containers. This can be done with roasted or grilled veggies too.
I also cook big batches of beans, lentils, quinoa, or grains and spread out thin on tray, then when frozen break into chunks before storing.
I stew big pots of fresh tomatoes when in season, tastes better than canned tomato. Purée, freeze in muffin or mini loaf pans then transfer to freezer storage. Same can be done with broth, sauces, or juices. Blend fresh herbs with some water and bit of lemon and freeze in ice cube trays or mini muffin tins. So nice to eat something in the middle of winter that I got from my garden or local farmers during the summer.
With such a variety of ingredients ready in my freezer, it's easy to put together a quick meal for home or to reheat at work.

AnnPT77

Another option I've used for freezing cooked grains: Spread in a suitable size flat baking pan (such as a 9" x13" cake pan or flat tempered glass/freezable casserole dish), in a thick layer.

Before freezing, use a knife/spatula/turner to cut into portion-ish rectangles, pushing each side of the cut toward the piece a little to make a channel that will hold. Cover and freeze. When solid, break apart at indents and transfer to plastic bag or other freezer container.

For sticky-ish things, it can help to line the initial freezing pan with wax paper/parchment paper, or at least use cooking spray, so it's easier to take out.

lucys1225

Definitely look into a food saver. I buy my meat from both Butcher Box and my local farm. The meat I buy from the farm I vacuum seal and freeze. I batch cook, portion out and freeze so there's always a variety to choose from. I make a huge pot of broth every week in my Instant Pot and portion and freeze that as well.