The Freezing Spells section contains my ideas and information about freezing most everything you cook.
This post may seem like a big DAH, but I have talked to many people who had never thought of it or perhaps thought it was too time consuming. Freezing food is the best way to have quick nutritious meals when short on time. They also make great lunches for school or work, and easy to prepare meals for teenagers and children.
This post may seem like a big DAH, but I have talked to many people who had never thought of it or perhaps thought it was too time consuming. Freezing food is the best way to have quick nutritious meals when short on time. They also make great lunches for school or work, and easy to prepare meals for teenagers and children.
First, the best kitchen appliance for this is a vacuum sealer. If you don’t have one, use freezer bags of good quality and make sure you remove as much of the air as possible when sealing. The freezer life of food is much shorter in freezer bags opposed to a vacuum sealed bag. I usually freeze items in one or two proportions. This way it allows everyone in the family to have what they want for dinner or eat at different times. It also gives you a large selection for lunch.
This is what I do: I pick one weekend a month. Typically it only takes one day once you have a good base of product in your refrigerator. I purchase all of the necessary groceries on Thursday or Friday night so I can jump into cooking early on Saturday morning (by early I mean 10 a.m.)
These items freeze very well (I will add more as I think about them):
Enchiladas – any kind, with or without sauce. Add extra sauce or cheese before sealing the bag.
Taco meat – ground or shredded chicken, ground beef, shredded pork
Shredded or cubed chicken – can be used as a standalone when cooked with spices or mixed with veggies or rice. I also freeze left over chicken, removed from the bone, which I use for sandwiches or soup.
Rice – any kind
Lasagna
Pasta dishes – any kind with any sauce type slightly undercooked. Just remember to add a couple tablespoons of additional sauce when bagging.
Soup – any broth based. Cream soups do okay, just remember they will thicken a bit more once thawed and warmed.
Cookies, cheesecake, fudge, caramel.
The best thing about using frozen vacuum sealed meals for lunch is that refrigeration isn’t necessary. If you place the frozen meal in your lunch bag it will be mostly thawed by lunch time (about 4-5 hours). Just pop in the microwave for a few seconds to one minute and you have a nice hot meal for lunch (don’t forget to cut a small vent hole in the bag or it may explode in the microwave.)
Please feel free to comment on this post if you have other items or tips for freezing meals.
Corn
When corn is in season, freeze it for the winter. Remove all the husk, place in a vacuum bag with a pat of butter and seal it. When needed, just place it in the microwave for about 1 minute (or less depending on your microwave.) Remove from bag and eat...tasty!
Corn
When corn is in season, freeze it for the winter. Remove all the husk, place in a vacuum bag with a pat of butter and seal it. When needed, just place it in the microwave for about 1 minute (or less depending on your microwave.) Remove from bag and eat...tasty!
