Have any delicious and easy freezer-friendly recipes?

[leannvv]

My best friend is about to have a(nother) baby and asked if I had any good recipes she could make and freeze ahead as well as any easy casseroles.
Do YOU have any worth sharing? I've sent her a slew of ring recipes already!
Thanks!

 

[gilliandanielle]

I have been doing the "power cooking" shows but billing them as "Stork the freezer" shows for new moms. Friends and family get together and assemble the meals and each chip in around $10 to pay for ingredients. It is great for second and beyond babies when moms-to-be still want attention and everyone together, but don't necessarily need a full blown shower. I don't have any of my recipes typed up, but just wanted to share that I do shows around this concept.

 

[nikked]

My Favorites

• "Instant Baked Spaghetti": Make a big batch of spaghetti; then put into foil pans for size you will be baking in; add mozzerella, parmesean, cheddar (whatever type) cheeses. Bake to reheat.
• "Make Ahead Roast": If she has the Roasting Pan, she can do 3-4 roasts at one time, including gravy. I freeze them in Gladware type containers, then just make rice in the Rice Cooker. Recipe is attached...just multiply accordingly.
• Soups: Any of our soups from the Soups, Stews & Chilis cards are great to make ahead and freeze. Chicken Vegi Alfredo, Turkey/Chicken and Wildrice Soup, and the Oven Chiptole Chili are my favorites, but I know the Easy Corn Chowder is awesome also.
• Meat: Again, using the Roaster if she has it, brown up 7-10 pounds of hamburger, then freeze into one pound packages. Can be added to hamburger helpers, spaghetti, chili, or thawed and used for taco ring or Cajun Cornbread Chili Bake (name?). Lots of options here.
• Chicken: Same as above, but roast 3 at once, then debone and freeze in 1 cup portions for recipes.
• Chicken Stock: Use the bones from chicken above, boil ALL DAY (or as long as possible) with onion, bell pepper, celery, whole peppercorns, whole garlic cloves, etc. I cut everything into LARGE chunks so it's easy to strain. Let cool and skim off any fat (won't be much). Freeze in ice cub trays; when frozen solid, pop out into ziploc bags. Homemade stock for recipes at your fingertips!

MMMMmmmm, time to get cooking! I have been neglectful in my "bulk" cooking, and our "eating out" budget is showing it!

Gillian, love the idea about "Storking the Freezer". That is awesome!

HTH!

 

[DebbieSAChef]

Here are some helpful freezing tips I found online. I would also like to recommend these recipes that I received after I had babies number three and four. They were delicious!!

Tater Tot Casserole
2-3 lbs. ground beef
1 Liptons Onion soup mix packet
I can mushroom soup
Large bag of frozen tater tots
Bag cheddar cheese

Brown meat, drain and add soup mix packet, and soup. Mix thoroughly and pour into a 9 x 13 stone rec. pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 min. or until bubbly and cheese is completely melted. This is so good!!! And freezes well. You could even just freeze it before baking it and get them to bake it for the 45 minutes so it will be fresh. Or you can bake it and get them to reheat it for about 15-20 minutes at 350-375.

Your favorite lasagne recipe would be good.
Also the pronto bake recipe from PC is delicious and so easy to make.
Beef stew
Even some breakfast casseroles like hashbrown casserole, french bread casserole.

Debbie

http://busycooks.about.com/library/lessons/blfreezer.htm

 

[nikked]

Tater Tot Casserole! Yum!

...Tater Tot Casserole...

Oooohhh, I love this recipe! The one that I have uses 1 or 2 cans of Veg All (or any combination of mixed vegis), which makes it a truly "one dish" meal. I usually make it with one can of corn and one can of greenbeans, because DH hates most vegis!

 

[pcleah]

Usually anything I cook, I cook in doubles! I always have a stockpile in the freezer. Meatballs and sauce, pot roast (2 fit in my crock pot), any soups. I feel if I am making the mess of a meal, we should at least get double meals out of it. i also always have cooked chicken in the freezer. I buy them a few at a time at costco (already cooked) and de-bone and chop up the meat and freeze in plastic bags. It is easy to throw together a ring, pot of soup, Quick Chicken Chili, Tacos, add to a salad etc.

 

[gilliandanielle]

Everytime I hear Tater Tot Casserole I think of the Duggar's from the Doscovery Health show "14 Children and Pregnant Again". They made it in these HUGE commercial pans!! I think they have 16 kids now!!

 

[jenniferknapp]

http://busycooks.about.com/library/lessons/blfreezer.htm

This website mentions "eggs or egg substitutes" ....you can freeze eggs? I didn't know that, but it would be awesome because I don't use them enough to keep them "fresh" in my fridge! Does anyone have any tips about this?

 

[Ginger428]

Everytime I hear Tater Tot Casserole I think of the Duggar's from the Doscovery Health show "14 Children and Pregnant Again". They made it in these HUGE commercial pans!! I think they have 16 kids now!!

YIKES!!!!

 

[gilliandanielle]

It is such a cool show to watch and see how she handles 16 kids and she HOMESCHOOLS!!!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

This website mentions "eggs or egg substitutes" ....you can freeze eggs? I didn't know that, but it would be awesome because I don't use them enough to keep them "fresh" in my fridge! Does anyone have any tips about this?

You have to break them, and mix the yolks and whites together really well, but then, yes, you can freeze them!
However - the sell-by date on the carton of eggs is not a "use by" date. You can keep them for up to 4 weeks after the sell-by date if you are storing them in the refrigerator!

 

[jenniferknapp]

Good to know!! I always get worried that they are going to go bad...I try to get 6 pks...but then sometimes that isn't enough!!Thanks

 

[Karen Hodge]

Check out this site. Lots of awesome sounding recipes for freezer meals.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/30DayGourmetFreezerCooking

 

[mary k]

Freeze ahead casseroleWhen I do a baby shower I have the invited guest each bring a casserole dish that will freeze well instead of gifts.

 

[SillyChef]

My favorite recipe is:

Upside-Down Pizza Casserole

Prep: 20 mintues
Bake: 15 mintues

Ingredients:

1-1/2 pounds of ground beefI seasoned the beef with Pampered Chef Italian Seasoning. I also used 3lbs. beef.
1 15-ounce Italian-style tomato sauceI used one 26.5oz Hunts Spaghetti Sauce "Garlic and Herb".
1 4-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained I used 1 (4.5oz) can
1/4 cup sliced pitted ripe olives (optional)I used 1 6oz can of large olives and chopped them with my chopper.
1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 10-ounce package refrigerated biscuitsI used 2 packages.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large skillet cook beef until brown. Drain off fat. Stir in tomato sauce, mushrooms, and olives. Heat through. Transfer mixture to a 2 quart rectangular baking dish.I used my rectangular baking stone for this. Sprinkle with cheese.
2. Flatten each biscuit with your hand. Arrange the biscuits on top of the cheese. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until biscuits are golden.I also put cheese on top of the biscuits.
3. Makes 5 servings. This mixture made about 10-15 servings.

I made this for New Years Eve and it was a HUGE hit!

 

[its_me_susan]

I have been doing the "power cooking" shows but billing them as "Stork the freezer" shows for new moms. Friends and family get together and assemble the meals and each chip in around $10 to pay for ingredients. It is great for second and beyond babies when moms-to-be still want attention and everyone together, but don't necessarily need a full blown shower. I don't have any of my recipes typed up, but just wanted to share that I do shows around this concept.

That sounds GREAT! Which recipes are you using (we can look them up)? How are you arranging the stations? What is the mom freezing recipes IN?

Thanks!

 

[its_me_susan]

• "Instant Baked Spaghetti": Make a big batch of spaghetti; then put into foil pans for size you will be baking in; add mozzerella, parmesean, cheddar (whatever type) cheeses. Bake to reheat.
• "Make Ahead Roast": If she has the Roasting Pan, she can do 3-4 roasts at one time, including gravy. I freeze them in Gladware type containers, then just make rice in the Rice Cooker. Recipe is attached...just multiply accordingly.
• Soups: Any of our soups from the Soups, Stews & Chilis cards are great to make ahead and freeze. Chicken Vegi Alfredo, Turkey/Chicken and Wildrice Soup, and the Oven Chiptole Chili are my favorites, but I know the Easy Corn Chowder is awesome also.
• Meat: Again, using the Roaster if she has it, brown up 7-10 pounds of hamburger, then freeze into one pound packages. Can be added to hamburger helpers, spaghetti, chili, or thawed and used for taco ring or Cajun Cornbread Chili Bake (name?). Lots of options here.
• Chicken: Same as above, but roast 3 at once, then debone and freeze in 1 cup portions for recipes.
• Chicken Stock: Use the bones from chicken above, boil ALL DAY (or as long as possible) with onion, bell pepper, celery, whole peppercorns, whole garlic cloves, etc. I cut everything into LARGE chunks so it's easy to strain. Let cool and skim off any fat (won't be much). Freeze in ice cub trays; when frozen solid, pop out into ziploc bags. Homemade stock for recipes at your fingertips!

MMMMmmmm, time to get cooking! I have been neglectful in my "bulk" cooking, and our "eating out" budget is showing it!

Gillian, love the idea about "Storking the Freezer". That is awesome!

HTH!

THANK YOU everyone!!!! My head is spinning with recipes to try.

 

[sillylittlechef]

This is an awesome thread! I am not a very good cook, and am always scrounging at the last minute to figure out what my family is going to have for dinner. I really like the idea of power cooking shows and the baby shower one. I know a lot of people who go to that Dinner by Design and spend a fortune to make ahead freezer meals, that they can easily do at home. I am just not sure how to do the show? Is there a file somewhere on here that explains it?

 

[gilliandanielle]

I have been working on a file with all the recipes that I will post on here soon- but just to get you started- I do a lot of pasta dishes (slightly undercook the pasta so it doesn't get soggy when reheated) and soups freeze beautifully. Casseroles go in foil pans with lids clearly marked (remember the new moms forget everything) with what it is and how to cook it. Soups go in freezer ziplocks flat on their sides. It takes up more room to freeze, but once it is frozen you can stack them or stand them upright. Having it in this shape also aids in thawing.

I am starting now so I will have my families favorite recipes prepared and perfected by the time my baby comes!

 

[Chef Endora]

I buy the cartons of just egg whites, pour them in ice cube trays & freeze them. Then, I pop em out & put them in a freezer bag. When I want an egg wash, I just take one out & thaw. I have used this as a tip at my shows & everyone seems to think it's a great idea. Don't fill ice cube trays all the way.
A little goes a long way.