homemade freezer meals

iysys

the husband and i have decided to really nip out eating out budget for the next couple of months. it is very easy to eat out in a healthy manner here but not in a cheap one :-)

i want to get a small stash of freezer meals for those night i just don't feel like spending an hour in the kitchen. most days i love to cook a gourmet meal but a couple times a week i am just not feeling it!

we don't much like soups...though stews i can get behind. i have done a fair amount of searching online but most of what i see if recipes for pasta dishes, breaded things, rice, lots of high calorie low nutrient items. :-(

anyone have any tips? tricks? recipes they would like to share?

Grimmerick

A nice veggie chili freezes well

shanolap

Spaghetti squash freezes really well. I bake 2 at a time and freeze in 4 containers. Defrost and add spaghetti sauce, pesto or whatever for a quick and healthy meal.

Also grill up a bunch of chicken and freeze for later.

trailgetter

Turkey and Red Bean Chili stores nicely in the freezer.

Stuffed Chicken Breast (spinach, feta, pine nuts)

moushtie

Whenever you make a meal like a stew or something, make double and freeze it.

The other thing I do, is half prepare meals, like if I'm making a meat and veggies in tomato sauce for pasta, I'll double the meat, brown it all off, then put half in a freezer box. As I add veggies and tomatoes to the sauce in the pan, I add them to the freezer box, chopped but still uncooked. That way you get the "freshly cooked" flavour out of them, rather than the reheated taste and texture. It seems less effort to me to double prep.. only have to wash the chopping board and pan once, for a start.

lfcutie

i get ground turkey and make turkey burgers then freeze them...i pop them in the microwave whenever i dont feel like cooking and eat it as a burger or just the patty by itself with a salad yum!

kathy0317

I cook batches for food for my daughter at university. Cook it up in a slowcooker and then freeze in batches. Stews, & chili freeze well and you can control what you put in it.

With the chili, I even make a 'red' one and a 'white' one. Basically they are both: 2lb lean ground meat, 2-14oz cans kidney beans, 1 28oz can or fresh tomatoes, chopped pepper, mushrooms (if I have them) and cumin, pepper and chili powder. With red: use ground beef, red beans and red pepper. White: ground turkey, white kidney beans and green (or white if you find them) peppers.

Stews: start with cubes of meats and add whatever vegetables work for you: carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes/yams, celery work well.

PlanetVelma

Whenever you make a meal like a stew or something, make double and freeze it.

The other thing I do, is half prepare meals, like if I'm making a meat and veggies in tomato sauce for pasta, I'll double the meat, brown it all off, then put half in a freezer box. As I add veggies and tomatoes to the sauce in the pan, I add them to the freezer box, chopped but still uncooked. That way you get the "freshly cooked" flavour out of them, rather than the reheated taste and texture. It seems less effort to me to double prep.. only have to wash the chopping board and pan once, for a start.

I do this....

I also make my own turkey meatballs, but when I make turkey meatballs I make a BUNCH and divide them up in freezer bags and into the deep freezer they go! You can defrost them whenever you want to make yourself spaghetti & meatballs or whatever....sometimes I just like meatballs with marinara and a side salad (very filling).

Meatloaf freezes pretty well, but I generally try to cook one and freeze one (uncooked), just seems to come out better. I do a lot of my cooking on the weekend so we have a ton of leftovers to eat during the week. It really makes it nice and less work for everyone.

Good luck!

cramernh

Whenever you make a meal like a stew or something, make double and freeze it.

The other thing I do, is half prepare meals, like if I'm making a meat and veggies in tomato sauce for pasta, I'll double the meat, brown it all off, then put half in a freezer box. As I add veggies and tomatoes to the sauce in the pan, I add them to the freezer box, chopped but still uncooked. That way you get the "freshly cooked" flavour out of them, rather than the reheated taste and texture. It seems less effort to me to double prep.. only have to wash the chopping board and pan once, for a start.

I do this....

I also make my own turkey meatballs, but when I make turkey meatballs I make a BUNCH and divide them up in freezer bags and into the deep freezer they go! You can defrost them whenever you want to make yourself spaghetti & meatballs or whatever....sometimes I just like meatballs with marinara and a side salad (very filling).

Meatloaf freezes pretty well, but I generally try to cook one and freeze one (uncooked), just seems to come out better. I do a lot of my cooking on the weekend so we have a ton of leftovers to eat during the week. It really makes it nice and less work for everyone.

Good luck!

I do the same thing! Bulk prepping and cooking! Im already accustomed to doing it this way where I work as a Chef for a living and what a difference it makes when I come home, most of the prep-work is done already and its easy to throw a meal together! My veggies and herbs have been prepped ahead, homemade marinara made ahead, sauces are easy to do on the fly, meats are already portioned, cut the way I need them, season-rubbed, marinated, whatever preparation, its a done deal!

cramernh

Kacee - I have a cupcake-pan specifically for making individual meatloaves... My husband LOVES this! He can just take one out of the freezer, reheat in the microwave, and use it for making a meatloaf sandwich....

PlanetVelma

Kacee - I have a cupcake-pan specifically for making individual meatloaves... My husband LOVES this! He can just take one out of the freezer, reheat in the microwave, and use it for making a meatloaf sandwich....

That is too funny! I use my cupcake pans for meatloaf too (AND my homemade meatballs)!

JoLeeFA

grilled fish does good too.

I will put about 4 oz in a freezable/microwavable bowl. I throw in some frozen bagged broccoli or cauliflower. Freeze and when needed, I just pop it in the microwave. By NOT cooking the veggies before freezing, you can still get the "fresh cooked" texture.

ALSO - I do kind of a sloppy joe meat, but more bbq like and out of ground turkey or chicken. Pop it out and have just enough for a couple sandwiches.

iysys

thanks for the ideas folks. i found a few great one ones my own too.

i should have mentioned i don't own a microwave so i was looking for pop straight in the oven meals. i have an all or nothing approach to cooking. if i feel like boiling a pot of water i feel like standing in the kitchen to cook for an hour :-)

i'm going to start with storing up a shepherd's pie with ground turkey lots of veggies and laughing cow mashed potatoes, beef & vegetable stew over polenta, grilled chicken and roasted veggies over quinoa and some mini meat loafs i can serve iwth a quick salad.