ideas for some quick, easy freezer meals?

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godblessourhome
godblessourhome Posts: 3,892 Member
in Recipes
i am having abdominal surgery on april 4th and i would like to freeze a few meals beforehand. any suggestions?
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  • mektnf04
    mektnf04 Posts: 22
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    Lean Cuisine...around 300 calories and most of them are excellent!
  • godblessourhome
    godblessourhome Posts: 3,892 Member
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    thanks, those might work in a pinch. i think i'd really prefer something i make myself and freeze ahead of time though.

    i was planning on making a chicken pot pie and a lasagna (both of which we'll get two meals out of). not sure if goulash or tatortot casserole freeze well. maybe sloppy joes?

    i need some help brainstorming ideas. i'm kind of braindead at the moment. lol.
  • aljernon
    aljernon Posts: 6
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    How about some chili ?? I made huge batches of it and portion it out in freezer bags all the time. It freezes well and can be used in a variety of ways when you thaw it out.
  • jsmjboertlein
    jsmjboertlein Posts: 267
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    Turkey chili
  • jsmjboertlein
    jsmjboertlein Posts: 267
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    HAHA Chili on the brain!
  • north35
    north35 Posts: 70
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    Here are some ideas :)

    Chili
    Beef Stew
    Soups
    Spaghetti sauce
    Goulash
    Meatloaf
    I make a lot of meals in my crockpot and freeze them.
    I wish you a speedy recovery!
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 MFP Moderator
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    goulash does indeed freeze well for short-term storage, most I've left it is a month I believe.
    mac and cheese freezes just as well, if lean cuisine can freeze it and it be good for 2 years I can freeze mine and have it be good up to a month.
    I enjoy my hamburger casserole, though some tell me it's shepherds pie so I dunno I just call it casserole since it's about the only thing I use my casserole dish for. Bottom layer is a can of vegetable soup, layered with browned ground meat (take your pick) and then topped with mashed potatoes. Cook until the vegetable soup bubbles up through the potatoes, since everything is cooked before you assemble it that's plenty of time, I've frozen this for up to 6 months
    Just cook a bunch of chicken breasts so they're ready to go in a pinch and freeze them, again I've done frozen them for about a month.
    Pancakes freeze very well, I'll double or triple a batch when I'm making them and freeze them in serving sizes of 2 or 4 to a bag they reheat just fine in the toaster just like eggo's do.

    Those are just some quick ideas from me that I use myself regularly.
  • godblessourhome
    godblessourhome Posts: 3,892 Member
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    chili is a great idea! and super easy to make too.

    keep them coming. my recovery time is 4 weeks so i'd like to have 2 weeks worth of meals in the freezer.
  • Blondie1984
    Blondie1984 Posts: 75 Member
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    My favorite to freeze and re-heat would be fajitas. Very easy just fry up chicken and green pepper and red pepper and onions. Add in fajita sauce package then freeze. You just need to put in the freezer then pull them out when u are hungry
  • godblessourhome
    godblessourhome Posts: 3,892 Member
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    goulash does indeed freeze well for short-term storage, most I've left it is a month I believe.
    mac and cheese freezes just as well, if lean cuisine can freeze it and it be good for 2 years I can freeze mine and have it be good up to a month.
    I enjoy my hamburger casserole, though some tell me it's shepherds pie so I dunno I just call it casserole since it's about the only thing I use my casserole dish for. Bottom layer is a can of vegetable soup, layered with browned ground meat (take your pick) and then topped with mashed potatoes. Cook until the vegetable soup bubbles up through the potatoes, since everything is cooked before you assemble it that's plenty of time, I've frozen this for up to 6 months
    Just cook a bunch of chicken breasts so they're ready to go in a pinch and freeze them, again I've done frozen them for about a month.
    Pancakes freeze very well, I'll double or triple a batch when I'm making them and freeze them in serving sizes of 2 or 4 to a bag they reheat just fine in the toaster just like eggo's do.

    Those are just some quick ideas from me that I use myself regularly.

    pancakes! my mom used to do this; i had completely forgotten about it. :) thanks for reminding me and for all the other ideas too.
  • godblessourhome
    godblessourhome Posts: 3,892 Member
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    My favorite to freeze and re-heat would be fajitas. Very easy just fry up chicken and green pepper and red pepper and onions. Add in fajita sauce package then freeze. You just need to put in the freezer then pull them out when u are hungry

    great idea!
  • godblessourhome
    godblessourhome Posts: 3,892 Member
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    Here are some ideas :)

    Chili
    Beef Stew
    Soups
    Spaghetti sauce
    Goulash
    Meatloaf
    I make a lot of meals in my crockpot and freeze them.
    I wish you a speedy recovery!

    i totally forgot about meatloaf. my family complains that i never make it enough so they'd be very happy.
  • melodyg
    melodyg Posts: 1,423 Member
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    Chicken spaghetti (let me know if you want a recipe!) or any kind of pasta dish usually freezes well. Soups, though it may be getting warm for those.

    Not a freezer meal, but some other easy meals which involve very little cooking are taco salad (cook chicken in taco seasoning and dice up the vegetables -- or get someone else to!), turkey burgers (an idea I got from someone else on this site -- mix together 20 oz ground turkey, 1/2 packet of taco seasoning, 1 small can chili peppers and grill. Serve with avocado/tomato/pepperjack cheese), or baked potato bar.

    You also might want to check out onceamonthmom.com -- lots of freezer cooking ideas and links to freezer-friendly recipes.
  • taletreader
    taletreader Posts: 377 Member
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    Soups and stews work very well.

    You could also freeze pasta sauce, which is very versatile -- not just for pasta, but also for casserole dishes with chicken, fish prepared in a deep pan on top of the sauce, in wraps...
  • red01angel
    red01angel Posts: 806 Member
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    Turkey meatballs in spaghetti sauce.

    Thaw them for meatball sandwiches or spaghetti and meatballs
  • eggplantlover
    eggplantlover Posts: 8
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    here are some I have used when getting ready to have a baby

    taco meat
    meatballs
    soups
    homemade mac n cheese with sausage
    salisbury steak
    chicken/tureky pot pie
    manicotti
    muffins/breads and quiches

    Hope these help!
    Good luck:)
  • theatremack
    theatremack Posts: 52
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    I always make Chicken Divan for friends that need meals that can freeze. Just take a few chicken breast and boil them and then cut them up. Cool some broccoli florets and put with the chicken. Then you take one can of cream of chicken soup (can be fat free), 1 cup of mayo (again fat free if you want) and then add about a Tablespoon of curry powder and a squirt of lemon juice and mix up and pour over the chicken mixture and put cheese on top and cook for 30 minutes at 350 if frozen cook 45 - 60 minutes. Good luck.
  • tristalin
    tristalin Posts: 108 Member
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    I actually do a freezer co-op once a month. This is our blog & it is filled w/freezable recipes. Of course, you will need to tweek your recipes to make them as healthy as you want, but there are a ton of recipes to choose from! HTH & good luck!

    http://mealsmadeahead.blogspot.com/

    (To search for recipes, scroll down to the drop down menu that says "select a category"...this will allow you to search for recipes by ingredient, time of day, etc.)
  • godblessourhome
    godblessourhome Posts: 3,892 Member
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    okay, i am planning:

    WEEK ONE
    chicken pot pie
    lasagna
    chili
    fajitas
    gouda burgers
    pancakes/waffles
    goulash

    WEEK TWO
    chicken enchiladas
    spaghetti
    potato bar (broccoli cheese soup)
    chicken taco salad
    meatloaf
    homemade breakfast 'hot pockets'
    sloppy joes

    thanks for all the help!!! (and if anyone wants to continue to add ideas, please do, i may need them.)

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