Freezer Friendly Meal Ideas!?!

Soup, chili, etc...

Every year in the Fall, I make the following and place it in individual serving size containers and we use it for the winter since my husbands has an odd schedule with all of the overtime he gets in the winter.

Chili
Vegetable Soup
Sloppy Joes
2 huge lasagnas
Navy beans and ham
Pulled pork

We make a variation on 1-point veggie chili from Weight Watchers! I use TVP for protein, but you could use whatever you wanted - it comes out to about 160 calories for two cups.

The chili includes zucchini, celery, canned tomatoes, green and red peppers, veggie broth, TVP, and a can of beans. Add whatever veggies you have on hand! The full recipe is here: http://lovewwrecipes.blogspot.com/2007/10/one-point-chili.html

I just freeze them all in individual containers and microwave.
Too many to type out all recipes so let me know which ones you are interested in and I send them.
They are all a good helping that I pair with a big salad and other veg. my whole dinner usually comes in at 400 cals for a dinner plate full plus a big salad on side
Soups are all 2-3 cups per serving

Vegetable Dumpling Soup - 222 cals per serving
Meat patties with potatoes- <200cals
Minestrone Soup-179cals
Barley Soup - 116cals
Alfredo- 358
Spinach Lasagna Rolls - 300cals
Meatload & potatoes- 260cals
Chicken Parmasan & Noodles-295
Broccoli Soup- 176 cals
Broccoli Quinoa Burgers -262
Oringinal Quinoa Burgers - 244cals
Buffalo Wing Quinoa Burgers - 267
Chicken Pot Pie Soup - 192 cals
Pot Stickers -167cals
Fried Rice- 253 cals
Asian Meatballs & Rice -292cals
Sheppards Pie - 350cals

All freeze and reheat really well (trust me,i'm super picky about how something tastes once frozen)

You can get chili down in calories pretty easy. Use extra lean beef, or ground chicken. Cut the amount of beef and add in a lot more vegetables (onions, mushrooms, carrots, corn). Doesn't work so well if you don't like chili by itself and have to eat it with tortilla chips, cheese and sour cream. I also make mine spicy which makes me drink a bunch of water and a small bowl ends up filling me up just fine.

Other things I currently have in my freezer: spaghetti sauce, a few kinds of soup, two different kinds of burritos (chicken and quinoa/veggie--I individually wrap them), taco meat, flank steak + peppers and onions, and chicken and rice in individual portions.

I like to make my own frozen dinners of a protein, a starch, and some veggies so that in the time it would take me to heat up a packaged meal I can have something homemade. I'm a college professor, and some weeks I work 50 or 60 hours and don't have time to cook, so I'm trying to be good about stocking the freezer during less busy weeks so I don't fall prey to temptations when I'm busy.

I eat morning star stuff when I dont have time to cook. You can buy it and its premade so thats a huge plus and you just heat em up in the microwave. if you have a single black bean burger and bread ect its only like 250-300 calories and is very filling

I have included the potato recipe at the end. I put 2 scoops (6Tbsp worth) with each meat patty
Meat Patties (makes 5)
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 egg
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 clove garlic, minced
4 tbsp. onion, minced ( I used 2 Tbsp dried onion)
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika

Combine all ingredients in a bowl until well combined.
Divide into 5 even patties
cook over medium high heat until cooked through.
let cool then freeze

Gravy - for meat patties (included in cals I gave you)
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. flour
1 cup beef broth
pinch ofpepper

melt butter in small saucepan
add in flour and whisk continuously until well cobined with the butter and begins to slightly change to a toasted colour
Whisk in stock and allow to boil until reaches desired consistency.

Chicken Parmesan - makes 4
1 egg, beaten
panko bread crumbs - about 1 cup but only use some of it
flour - about 1/2 cup but only use some of it
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lb boneless chicken breasts - I cut and pound mine into 4 oz thin pieces
2 cups pasta sauce
4 oz pasta - I use angel hair pasta
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

preheat oven to 375 degrees
lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking oil(oruse parchment paper)
cut and pound chicken until about 1/4 inch thick
in a bowl, beat egg, set aside
on a plate combne flour, salt and pepper
on a different plate combine bread crumbs and remaining spices
dry chicken off and place in flour, then , egg, then bread crumbs.
pplace on baking sheet and repeat with rest of chicken.
Lightly spray the top of the chicken with cooking spray
bake for 10 minutes
flip chicken and lightly spray other sde with oil
bake additional 10 minutes until done

cook pasta as direction.
cool completely by running under cold water and draining completely
divide noodles between 4 containers
top with 1/2 cup pasta sauce and 1/4 of the chicken
top with 2 tbsp. parmesan cheese on each

Potstickers

http://www.food.com/recipe/best-vegetarian-pot-stickers-32783 ( I used 6 per meal)

Asian Meatballs

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/01/asian-turkey-meatballs-with-lime-sesame.html
For this one I did not use the lime sauce and added 1 serving (1/4 cup uncooked) rice that I cooked to each one.I enjoy mine with plum sauce, but whatever you fancy will work.

Mashed Potatoes
http://www.theyummylife.com/slow_cooker_mashed_potatoes

These froze really well. I used 2 scoops(6 tbsp. per serving) and got 31 servings on it for 49cals each