Good recipes to freeze?

FriedPicklePrincess

I am slowly beginning my weight loss journey and need some help with quick/easy recipes I can make on the weekends and freeze. My biggest issue is being too tired after work to make a healthy meal during the week - so I end up at a drive-thru.

So any recipes that freeze well and cook up fast would be awesome!

And any freezing tips you can throw in there would be helpful, since I've never done it before.

Here's to being proactive!

britishstar41

bump

sarahsmom1

Hi I make a big batch of chicken noodle soup, navy bean with ham hock soup, and stew. I put them in cool whip containers in 2 cup servings. I just grab one out and heat it up

becca0211

Chicken with Salsa

Cook diced chicken in a pan with olive oil, onions and garlic. Once cooked add a jar of your favorite salsa and frozen corn. I divide it up into containers to freeze for future meals!

This can been served over rice or on a salad. Sometimes I add some shredded cheddar cheese on top.

Sarahcuda

Soups, chilis, and stew are always good ones. I also do spaghetti a lot. Freeze in single serving size (lay flat when freezing to make storage easy) and then just throw into warm water for 20-30 minutes to thaw and then heat.
I've also tried freezing some casseroles, but haven't had the greatest luck... but that doesn't stop me from trying!

Good luck!
-Sarah

ellenangel

My all-time favorite to cook and freeze... Not unlike a ratatouille, but the tomato sauce is richer. The thing I love most is that this is so easy- literally just throw everything in a pan at once and can easily make giant batches and freeze them in zip-lock bags of individual portions.

■ 1 can of crushed tomatoes
■ 1 onion, chopped
■ 1 clove of garlic, crushed
■ 1 /2 cup vegetable bouilliuon
■ 2 tsp Italian herbs
■ 1 tbsp paprika
■ 1 tbsp sugar or sweetener
■ 1 /2 tsp mustard
■ few drops lemon juice
■ 1-2 tsp black pepper
■ 1/4 cup tomato puree
■ 1 each large chopped eggplant and bell pepper

Just throw it all together in a large pot, cover and simmer for 30 mins, stirring occasionally.

Then add any extra ingredients with shorter cooking times (zucchini, mushrooms, beans, tofu, etc), uncover and simmer until it’s thickened up and the vegetables are cooked.

This is such a versatile and forgiving dish- you really can’t go wrong. I never measure anything and often forget the lemon juice or mustard- as long as you have the tomato ingredients, paprika and sugar, it comes out great. You can omit all the vegetables except the onion and just use it as a pasta sauce, or load it up with a ton of different ingredients for a thick hearty stew. Endless possibilities! My favourite uses are:

- with cottage cheese on a baked potato
- with kidney beans and brown rice
- with chicken, over pasta or spaghetti squash
- straight up, bulked out with a small portion of filled pasta (spinach and ricotta tortellini works really well!)
- with breaded chicken or fish and salad
- with roast chicken (my whole family request that I bring this as a side dish for dinners now!)

For two servings (large servings!) using basic recipe, it is around 200 cals, and > 2g fat. 15-ish g fiber! Then depends on what you add in for protein or whatever. I could eat the whole pot myself but the recipe easily serves 4-6 as a side dish!

ellenangel

Another one that is great to freeze is lentil dahl!

- 1/2 cup uncooked red lentils
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- oil spray
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp curry power
- 3/4 tsp ground cumin
- 3/4 tsp ground paprika
- 1/2 ground turmeric
- fresh coriander/cilantro (optional

1) Fry onion and garlic in oil until cooked
2) Add curry powder, cumin, paprika and turmeric- cook for further 2 minutes
3) Add stock and lentils and bring to boil
4) Simmer for 35-45 minutes until liquid absorbed and add fresh coriander

2 portions but easily doubled/halved. Each portion is around 200 cals, 11g protein, 8g fiber.

I usually have it over rice with a dollop of fat free Greek yogurt, but it's also delicious over roasted eggplant (cut in half and bake face down for 40 mins).

Foxworth81

I make Chicken Tortilla Soup in the crock pot and freeze the leftovers. It's great to pull out on cold rainy days or when I have a craving for Mexican food. It's also very versatile. I use this recipe but it's really flexible so you could add in or omit anything you want. http://www.food.com/recipe/amazing-chicken-tortilla-soup-108231.

meadows654

Bump!