Freezer friendly meal prep ideas

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soontobesam
soontobesam Posts: 714 Member
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Hi everyone, it's shaping up to be a gloomy lonely weekend in Atlanta so I'm looking for ideas for meals, snacks, or anything that I can prepare over this long weekend and pop into the freezer for a later date.

Ideas?

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  • soontobesam
    soontobesam Posts: 714 Member
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    I'm going to prep and freeze some meatballs and also turkey burgers. :)
  • Bobbie8786
    Bobbie8786 Posts: 202 Member
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    I stumbled across the below link the other day. I think a lot of it could be tweaked to be healthier.

    http://www.ringaroundtherosies.net/2012/02/freezer-cooking.html
  • soontobesam
    soontobesam Posts: 714 Member
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    Thank you!!

    I'm pretty sure the recipes I found can be tweaked too but I might as well test them right?
  • kristengraham
    kristengraham Posts: 59 Member
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    bumping :D i'd love to hear some ideas as well!
  • soontobesam
    soontobesam Posts: 714 Member
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    I haven't made these yet and they may turn out to be not so great nutritionally but I just want to get in the habit of preparing my own quick freezer foods. These are what I plan on making this weekend (so far anyways):

    Meatballs (recipe is for sauce as well)

    http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/ziti-meatballs-00100000085226/index.html

    Broccoli Calzones

    http://www.marthastewart.com/313608/broccoli-calzones?center=0&gallery=274277&slide=313608

    Turkey Burgers

    http://www.marthastewart.com/341356/turkey-burgers?center=0&gallery=274277&slide=262252

    The calzones and burgers are both from a list of freezer friendly items on the Martha Stewart site - there's a bunch of other recipes there someone else may want to try / tweak. :)
  • HelensBeads
    HelensBeads Posts: 79 Member
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    Delia's Ragu http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/cuisine/european/italian/an-authentic-ragu-bolognese.html
    Just cut the oil down, can add in more tomatoes if you want, I tend to use passata these days.

    Sweet and sour chicken (or pork, use pork loin)
    Chicken breasts
    3 tbsp vinegar
    1 tsp soy sce
    2 tsp honey (I always forget this bit)
    pinch ground ginger
    1 8oz tin pineapple rings (juice and rings cut into pieces) (or about 100ml pineapple juice)
    2 1/2 fluid ounces tomato juice (or same amount of tinned toms or passata) (can you see how long I've had this recipe?)
    carrot, cut into strips (optional)
    Sweet pepper, cut into strips (optional)
    can water chestnuts, drained (optional)
    can bamboo shoots, drained (optional)
    1-2 tsp cornflour

    Slice chicken breasts, mix with next 6 ingredients and leave to marinade for 4 hours to overnight. Remove chicken and dry fry until it's sort of half cooked, add marinade and veg, cook for a couple of minutes. Thicken sauce (to taste) with slaked cornflour. Serves about 4 (original recipe without veggies).
    Easy to double up quantities for the sauce, add more or less chicken depending on how much you eat and how much sauce you want. Serve with rice/fried beansprouts/veg/salad.

    Curries:
    Chicken breast
    Curry paste (or individual spices if you prefer)
    Onions
    Peas
    Carrots
    Other veg you like
    Milk/cream/water/coconut milk to make the spice into sauce, whatever you prefer.
    Thicken sauce if necessary with a bit of cornflour.

    Braised red cabbage
    Whole red cabbage, sliced
    cooking apple
    couple of onions
    Some of your favorite spices
    knob of butter
    couple of tablespoons of cider vinegar.

    Into a crock pot for the day or an oven while you're cooking something else for 2-3 hours


    All of these freeze well. I tend to fully cook the meals then freeze them in individual portions in boxes which stack well in the freezer (and really well in the cupboard when they're not being used). Then when I want lunch or dinner I take a pot out and nuke it along with veggies for the meal.

    The pots I use are here..... http://www.lakeland.co.uk/p15648/Stack-a-Boxes (400ml ones are single portion (2 portions for Delia's ragu), 750ml are double portions)

    And I forgot to say up there: Delia's ragu makes good lasagne as well. Take a couple of 2 person pots out of the freezer, defrost, add some more tomatoes, layer the ragu with lasagne sheets and white sauce (milk thickened with cornflour, salt and pepper to taste), in 4 single serve sized oven-proof dishes, top with cheese, bake in the oven for half an hour or so while your veg is cooking. If you need to, wrap the finished dish in foil and pop back in the freezer.
  • soontobesam
    soontobesam Posts: 714 Member
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    That sounds amazing!!! I already did my shopping for the three things I mentioned above but I think I need to head out again and try this out. :)
  • ddmyfitnesspal
    ddmyfitnesspal Posts: 2
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    Bump
  • Orchestra
    Orchestra Posts: 15
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    i literally freeze anything that isnt a salad-like thing!

    whether it's a curry, vegetable bake or burgers then i'll put some portions in the freezer. it's just me and my partner so i cook enough for at least 4 people so we each 2 portions and freeze 2. we have a freezer half full of meals!
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    Oh my
  • lil_pulp
    lil_pulp Posts: 701 Member
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    Bump because I want to have more healthy options available for nights that our dinner plan doesn't work out (or doesn't exist in the first place!).

    Things that we often make a lot of and freeze: turkey chili, whole grain waffles, chicken or turkey soup, veggie-filled spaghetti sauce.
  • samtregunno
    samtregunno Posts: 1 Member
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    This a lovely warming healthy family friendly meal :smile:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/vegetarianchilli_6544
  • BeCali
    BeCali Posts: 69 Member
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    Bump - these all look great. Always need more ideas of what to put in the freezer.
  • RachyD21
    RachyD21 Posts: 83 Member
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    Some great ideas here guys! Thanks :)

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