This is probably Easy Food Prep 101 but gotta share...

[ChristyMarie]

We're going on vacation (renting a house) soon and I decided I did NOT want to cook and clean a kitchen every day. So I have been making things to freeze, take and just reheat.

So I'm like, DUH, let's just make a double batch.

Which has lead to me realizing a lot of things I make can easily be doubled and frozen.

Today I pulled out the first of my freezer meals and some frozen muffins since we ran out and I didn't have time to bake today and I am SO happy. WHY did I not think of this sooner?

So if you have this at the back of your mind (you know, oh yeah, one day that would be a good idea...) START NOW.

[sunnysandiegan]

We are eating a quiche tonight (PDT) that I made two weeks ago and froze. (I made two that night.) We do it for the meals that lend themselves to it (lasagna, quiche, enchiladas), but we haven't gotten into the idea from the perspective of making it a goal. KWIM?

I need more ideas on what specific meals are good for the freezer and reheating and staying a good texture and flavor.

[ChristyMarie]

Originally Posted by sunnysandiegan

I need more ideas on what specific meals are good for the freezer and reheating and staying a good texture and flavor.

Me too. I'm really new at this.

So far I've done:
muffins
banana bread
lasagne
pasta sauce
soup
gumbo
jambalaya
chicken enchilada casserole
chili
sweet potato bake (just a side)
meatloaf muffins

I took the chicken enchilada casserole out for tomorrow night. Everything else is still in there.

What helps is we bought a vacuum food saver thing to seal the stuff really well.

I've also been writing heating instructions on the freezer package for anything that isn't a soup.

[sunnysandiegan]

Thanks, ChristyMarie!

Our chicken enchiladas are prepared casserole style now, too.

Banana bread and muffins are great ideas. We usually make a double batch and then eat it all. Portioning it out would be better.

I'd love to hear more about gumbo, jambalaya, and sweet potato bake. I have heard of those, but don't actually know what they are.

Meatloaf muffins sound fun! Do you cook those first, then freeze? Then, reheat? Or do you just prepare them and freeze?

[ChristyMarie]

Originally Posted by sunnysandiegan

Thanks, ChristyMarie!

Our chicken enchiladas are prepared casserole style now, too.

Banana bread and muffins are great ideas. We usually make a double batch and then eat it all. Portioning it out would be better.

I'd love to hear more about gumbo, jambalaya, and sweet potato bake. I have heard of those, but don't actually know what they are.

Meatloaf muffins sound fun! Do you cook those first, then freeze? Then, reheat? Or do you just prepare them and freeze?

Meatloaf muffins...Well I baked them with the thought of just warming them up. Not sure how it will work yet. They cook more evenly and stay more moist than a loaf style so I hope it works.

The gumbo, jambalaya and sweet potato-cranberry bake can be found on www.cookinglight.com For the gumbo and jambalaya I held back the shrimp and will add those whenever I defrost and warm up.

[skybluepink02]

We just ate a chicken pasta alfredo out of our freezer. I just started doing this recently too. One tip is if you're doing noodle dishes, only half cook the noodles before mixing it. Once you put it in the oven, they will cook the rest of the way and not be mushy.

[sunnysandiegan]

Thanks for the link. I checked out a half dozen recipes. I think we could adapt the jambalaya a bit and really enjoy that dish. DD loves sweet potatoes and I think I could figure out a way to make a potato bake she'd enjoy (she's not fond of pineapple nor cranberries, so that exact recipe would not excite her). Gumbo. Hmmm...

Makes sense on holding back the shrimp. Shrimp is yummy, but doesn't seem to hold up well to reheating.

Meatloaf muffins are intriguing. I think we'll try those sometime soon!

[JamieCatheryn]

We don't use the oven for dinner this time of year. Any ideas for things that don't need it? We do it with sauce or grilled chicken strips (served cold with salad).

[proudmomof4]

Here's a list what I often put put in the freezer:
- lasagna (as mentioned before)
- homemade spaghetti sauce
- minestrone (If you're planning for another meal, follow the advice on pasta below.)
- pumpkin soup
- brown rice (tastes almost like fresh - also great for adding to soups)
- salad or soup herbs (parsley etc.)
- soup greens (celery, onions, carrots, parsley - mince and freeze for quick soups)
- homemade dumplings
- bread (Depending on the size of your family it might make sense to not freeze a whole loaf but packages of e. g. 4 or 6 slices.)

[wife&mommy]

We do this, too! It does save a lot of time!

[velochic]

There is a 30+ page thread HERE about feeding the freezer that has been alive here at MDC for almost 4 years, in case anyone needs more ideas.

[sunnysandiegan]

Originally Posted by velochic

There is a 30+ page thread HERE about feeding the freezer that has been alive here at MDC for almost 4 years, in case anyone needs more ideas.

Thanks!