HGP - Feeding the Freezer

[AuntJamelle]

So, part of the HGP includes stocking the freezer with meals for busy days during the holiday season.

This is perhaps the most difficult part of the HGP to nail down for me. I constantly struggle with what to make/freeze in light of the health needs of our household.

I have learned a lot over the years though, and thought it might be fun to just start a thread where we can share general tips and tricks, links, even recipes.

I will take any help I can get in learning how to use my freezers more efficiently!

Any thoughts or suggestions on lower carb freezer meals would be great too!

How do you store items in the freezer? Bags? Containers? How do you keep things organized?

 

[AuntJamelle]

Storage Tip:

This may be old news to many, but I think one of my favorite tips for freezing meals is the one for lining your baking dish in heavy duty aluminum foil - filling it with recipe and freezing - then lifting the foil out of the pan to wrap and insert in a ziplock for long term storage.

This frees up the baking dish to go back in the cupboard for normal use. Once time to make the freezer meal rolls around, just pop the foil right back into the dish for baking.

Extra Tip:

To easily shape aluminum foil to any shape baking dish, turn dish upside down and set on counter. Shape sheet of foil to the underside of baking dish. Carefully lift foil off. Turn dish back over and insert the preshaped foil into the dish.

It should be very easy now to snug the preshaped foil into place with no tearing.

 

[MinnieCo]

I don't think full meals are necessary. Just prepping basic meat is a huge help to me. So I will cook a big batch of ground beef. Some I'll make into taco meat, most I'll pack in 1 or 2 pound bags. I'll grill chicken. I'll leave some plain, but some cook with Greek seasoning and some with garlic. Making some meatballs in advance is good for sandwiches and spaghetti. In the fall, I'll start double cooking several recipes. If I make chile, I'll make enough to freeze. I'll make a meatloaf and make an extra. Things like that...
Tip: always double freezer bag your items.

 

[ejagno]

I store items by shelf. In my large upright the
top shelf is for vegetables
2nd Shelf - Seafood
3rd Shelf - Beef
4th Shelf - Pork
Bottom - Poultry
Door - Butter, cheese, concentrates

My freezer in the kitchen side by side is used strictly for prepared meals and snacks as well as a few gel packs for an emergency. Right now I'm planning to clean this one out this week to designate a shelf strictly for my holiday items such as pecans, coconut, whole ham, turkey roast, dressing mix made ahead of time and things like this. We live in a very hot climate and I find that my various nuts and such stay much better if vacuum packed and put into the freezer.

For fantastic low carb ideas go to the atkins site. I try to limit my carbs by mainly substituting rice and potatoes for cauliflower. I especially like the cauliflower mashed potatoes, loaded.

 

[AuntJamelle]

Good ideas!

I have also done a lot with freezing what I call meal components. The pre-cooked meats, pre-chopped veggies, etc.

This is great.

What I struggle with there is that when we are tired, stressed out or sick - we end up getting take out anyway because we don't want to assemble a meal - even though some of it is pre-prepared.

Just trying to find a balance there...I'm tempted to start stocking the freezer - discretely - with some fully assembled meals that fall into the "not terribly healthy but not as bad as fast food" category.

I've avoided this in the past because I felt like I would be planning for us to "fail" - but the cold hard truth is that we not only end up eating foods that aren't "good" for us but we spend crazy $ doing it.

I've been sick this past week and we have eaten out a lot. We've been doing so good at avoiding fast food for months now - but it all fell apart.

I was shocked at how much these places are charging now. It is insane! And the portions seem smaller too.

 

[ejagno]

AJ "Planning to fail". That is the absolute opposite of what we do when we stock our freezers. When you buy home insurance are you planning to have a disaster? No, you are preparing to take care of your family the best way you can by preparing for life's eventualities. Unless of course you think you are exempt from anything tough ever happening in your life right. We are just realistic and we know that life will in fact throw us some unexpected situations where there's just no time to cook. Why won't your prepared freezer meals be the healthiest? If you prepare spaghetti tonight, make extra and freeze it (less the pasta noodles). If you prepare breakfast burritoes, make extra and freeze it. The list goes on of healthy meals that we eat every single day that are totally freezer safe. The only failure is failing to prepare for life's rough patches.

One vegetable I cook in bulk and store in the freezer is smothered cabbage. Let's face it, it's good but cooking it smells up the whole house. LOL I also buy my bacon in bulk and cook all of it at one time. After draining well I freeze our portions wrapped in wax paper and put the whole thing in a gallon zip lock bag. I chop several bunches of celery and place them all on a pan to flash freeze. Once they are frozen I transfer them to a large ziploc so that it's quick and easy to use. I do the same with bell peppers, onions, green onions, and parsley.

 

[AuntJamelle]

ejagno - You are so right! I do need to give myself a little bit of a break on this.

The reason that our freezer content is so challenging for me is the long list of things DH shouldn't eat or can't eat.

There aren't many recipes, let alone freezer recipes, that I've found that are:

- Low/No Carb
- Dairy Free
- Nothing acidic or spicy (no tomatoes, green chiles, etc.)
- No "gassy" foods - i.e. broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, etc.

Add to that the fact that the man doesn't like onions or peas and I have a heck of a time trying to put together "healthy" meals without breaking our grocery budget

I try to pre-roast or grill various types of meat and freeze those.

Unfortunately, many of the meat options that are great for DH are pretty high in fat and calories which is not so great for me.

Then there is our toddler who will only eat chicken nuggets, fish sticks, hotdogs, pizza or tacos. Plus fresh fruit, of course.

Good times. Good times.

I'm to the point where I am planning to make and freeze meals that I can eat in single serving portion sizes. I will pre-roast various meats for DH.

And I will make a short list of items/meals to have in the freezer that we can indulge in if need be - instead of spending $ on take out.

 

[AnnieClaus]

AuntJamelle- A- ha! It was you that posted that fabulous tip about lining the pan with foil and then lifting the casserole out! Last year I thought it was KimLovesSnow and she said it wasn't.

This is such a timely post! I was thinking about this over the weekend.

* To me, the prepped, in the freezer meals work the best when you look at your holiday schedule and know on a particular day that things are going to be hectic and crazy, so you can pull out your meal a few days before hand.

* I think broth based soups freeze well and are easy to re-heat. Split pea freezes and defrosts well too. A big batch saved me last year, the few days after Christmas when noone wanted to cook. Homey and comforting, and all I had to do was take the container out of the freezer and heat it up!

* I also think pre-cut up onions and green peppers are very helpful. And I keep a whole head of garlic in the freezer and just peel off a clove, set it on the counter and let it defrost before mincing.

* My brother is very good at making various breads- banana, pumpkin, zucchini, etc. and freezing them. When you have company, you can pull them out in the afternoon and they're ready for breakfast in the morning.

I definetly want to have a couple of casseroles on hand this year. All I can think of is lasagna. Was thinking Teachermomof2's Stuffed Pepper Casserole might be good. What other casserole's do people freeze?

Annie

 

[AnnieClaus]

AuntJamelle- Don't feel too bad about resorting to fast food. It happens to me when my schedule gets too hectic.

The important thing is to get back on track.

What makes me feel better is saying: Heck, most of society eats this way full time! Which is really gross when you think about it!

Annie

 

[ChristmasPir8]

I'll try to add more later but I'm posting from my phone and its slow going.

I have a section on my Pintrest for freezer foods. Some are so easy and there is even one for baggies of meals to put in the crock pot. Quick and easy.

When we but meat at BJs in bulk I put some of the pork in marinades and with the ground beef I leave some alone and brown the other 1/2 for quick use. Also when ever possible double what you are cooking to freeze. Even w/ my big house we often dont finish a full size casserole so I use two 9x9 pans. Cook one freeze one.

 

[AnnieClaus]

Shannon- I like that idea of baggies of meals ready to go in the crock pot.
I'm picturing cubes of meat, potatoes, veggies.

I'll check out your pinterest! TFS!

Annie

 

[luludou]

AJ I updated my freezer list this weekend! I too have a 'freezer board' on Pinterest. I never thought of freezing the onions & the garlic. Lana made me think of onions last time & now Annie of the garlic. yay!

I freeze leftovers for lunch portions. I try to always have some ground cooked meat with onions mixed in it for quick preps as well as diced cooked chicken. I prepped some beef cubes with marinade to do some kabobs this summer.

For the holidays I prep my fudge, and cookies & freeze the lot. When visitors arrive I go downstairs to the freezer and fill a plate with assorted cookies, fudge & sucre à la crème.

This year though I have a new canning pressure cooker that I want to use so I have more space in the freezer. I want to make spaghetti sauce with it & beans as well as some soups. That way all is ready instantly and dd is going away to University and I want to send her some stuff. I want to cook chicken & pork and put them in the Mason jars too.

Now what I need - I have a chest freezer is a way to ORGANIZE it all properly. see what is in there without having to move tons of things.

 

[missjane]

I have a chicken pot pie recipe that I make the filling for, then just thaw it and put it into a pie shell. I'm sure any pot pie filling would work. I also pre-cook some meats, make out HB patties and freeze them on cookie sheets, then put them into a zip-loc bag.

I'm like AJ, though, I haven't had much success with freezing entire meals. Does anyone else have a problem with it not tasting as well as freshly cooked? Maybe I need to double bag like MinnieCo said.

 

[sierra_mtns]

This year I'm concentrating on making beef base, ground beef base, and poultry base (plain) and poultry base (with green chiles) along with red sauce base. Plus I'm going to concentrate on some make your own mixes like all purpose mix, gravy mixes, brownie mix, cornmeal mix, cookie mix and soup/bean mixes.

Lunches are a real issue for me after September 1st because I am either shopping, wrapping, sewomg or crafting during my lunch hour. So Sunday will be a batch cook day of preparing breakfasts for the week (egg burritos, egg quesadillas, egg muffins, whole wheat waffle sandwiches, etc.) and preparing lunches (soups, sandwiches, crudites) and cooking something large like a pan of lasagna or enchiladas or meatloaf or roast that will feed us two nights and a couple of lunches.

 

[AnnieClaus]

Missjane- Chicken pot pie filling- genious!!!

Funny you should mention the meals not tasting the best. I just defrosted a pot roast- meat, potatos, carrots, onions and it wasn't looking good at all. In fact it's sitting in my fridge and I have a feeling it's going to get tossed. Which I hate doing that!

I think it's the way I stored it, though. Right in the tuperware container.

I think I need to try MinnieCo's suggestion as well.

Lucie- I always mean to write out a detailed freezor inventory list with what is exactly in there, with the date it was put in there. So, even though things may be placed on top of each other, I can look at my list and pull out what I want.
If I do more of these freezer meals- this will be a MUST have!

I plan on calling it: Ice, ice baby.

Annie

 

[ejagno]

Annie; Other casserole ideas would be chicken enchilada, pizza casserole, chicken & broccoli, pot pie and a ton of breakfast casseroles.

I know it's more expensive but ladies, a food saver is absolutely wonderful for storing freezer meals without getting that off color or freezer burn taste to you meals. I make my meals and freeze it in the container overnight. I then take it out and vacuum pack it in the food saver bags and label. Since I've begun doing this instead of the foil and zip locks I haven't had a single bad freezer meal. Rotating is very important as well.

 

[AuntJamelle]

Annie - I am pretty sure I learned that pan lining tip on the old OC boards, but I am happy to keep passing that one along!

Good tips on freezing soups! And freezing the garlic heads and breaking off as needed is BRILLIANT! Love it!

I have done the same thing with gingerroot with pretty good success.

Lucie - I hear you on wanting to can some of this stuff as well! It is a nice feeling to know that at least some of your hard work doesn't depend on the electricity not going out!

I also have a chest freezer and it is filled to the brim right now. I only have a sketchy idea of what is in there. I really need to work on organization too!

missjane - The pot pie filling idea is fantastic!

sierra mtns - I also have tried making and freezing breakfast items like that to help us through busy weeks. Need to do that again!

I also have been making and freezing chili in single serving sizes for my lunches. I'll take a fresh salad too - but I just pull a container out of the freezer the night before (or morning) of and by lunch it is ready to heat up in the microwave.

Ejagno - I have been considering a food saver for some time now. Need to put some more thought into that, especially in light of next year's garden plans. Although I do a lot of canning when I garden, I freeze a lot too and that would be a really nice tool to have.

 

[Christmaslvr]

I know it's more expensive but ladies, a food saver is absolutely wonderful for storing freezer meals without getting that off color or freezer burn taste to you meals. I make my meals and freeze it in the container overnight. I then take it out and vacuum pack it in the food saver bags and label. Since I've begun doing this instead of the foil and zip locks I haven't had a single bad freezer meal. Rotating is very important as well.

I have to say the same thing...it is initially more money but if you can swing it I would also recommend the Food Saver. Food stays longer in the fridge and freezer and come out looking and tasting great. We got ours at Kohl's, on sale then had a 30% coupon. Actually need to start looking around for sales on the rolls, we're just about out.

 

[AuntJamelle]

Random Freezer Tips:

- Keep a cheap pair of warm gloves handy so your hands don't freeze when rummaging around in the freezer. You won't tend to hurry as much that way and possibly leave things messy because you just can't bear to keep your hands in there any longer!

- Bundle meal components together. Meat in marinade in one bag; Veggies in another; Both inserted into yet another ziplock, for example.

- In addition to marking bags/containers with contents, also write down cooking temp, time, and any additional instructions.

- Use dry erase board/markers to keep running inventory of freezer contents. Hang up near/on freezer. NOTE: I've seen some folks actually write on the lid of their chest freezer with dry erase. I'm nervous to try this - does anyone know if it still wipes off after being left on a while?

 

[AuntJamelle]

I'm so excited! Just found a great article about making/freezing veggie kabobs for the grill!

http://bbq.about.com/od/sidedishes/a/aa061805a.htm

I have a yummo dish I make my brushing veggie kabobs with Italian dressing (I mix up my own from a packet usually) and this would work great as something to make and freeze ahead because it is SO time consuming to cut and thread all those veggies onto skewers.

I also usually marinate chicken chunks in some of the dressing before threading them onto their own skewers as well. After grilling/roasting the skewers I mix the cooked meat in with the veggies and add some feta cheese - toss the whole thing and we EAT!

Healthy for both DH and I and very good!