Feed the freezer recipes - Page 28

[almadianna]

Originally Posted by Shane

Did someone already post this? Or did I get the ideas from here? I can't remember, but anyway.

Last monday I made a big ole batch of blueberry pancakes, froze them.
Yesterday I made a huge batch of apple waffles, froze them.

They are awesome for a quick breakfast. Just pull out however many you need from your bag and pop em in the toaster or microwave.

this is an awesome suggestion. i did this while preparing for kiddo 2 to be born.. i froze them in groups of 10.

[lil_miss_understood]

:
Baby's due soon and don't want to lose this thread.

[tashantx]

Originally Posted by Kleine Hexe

I just made apple rolls for the freezer. You could experiement with the ingredients. The basic ingredients are: 1 cup grated apples, 1/2 cup oil (I think I'll use less next time), 3/4 cup pure maple syrup. Boil those three ingredients until desired consistancy and remove from heat. Add 3 cups quick oats and combine. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper and let cool. Roll into balls and put in fridge or freezer. No baking. Ready to eat as is.

I rolled some balls in wheat germ and sprinkled some with cinnamon. If I had crushed nuts I'd use that too. I think nutmeg would be good and maybe some type of nut butter.

Super easy and endless possiblities.

ok I know this is old but has anyone else tried this?? I wonder if regular oats would work, I read this whole thread and just scored a food saver on freecycle so I'm gonna feed my freezer this week!
eta: would half molasses half maple syrup work? I use molasses a lot for a sweetener.

[MamaPam]

Pizza Crust Dough ?

So, I have a recipe for pizza dough/homemade pizza, and it says it freezes well. Can I freeze just the ball of dough once its made or do I need to freeze and a made and/or baked pizza? What works best? Thanks!

[lil_miss_understood]

Originally Posted by MamaPam

So, I have a recipe for pizza dough/homemade pizza, and it says it freezes well. Can I freeze just the ball of dough once its made or do I need to freeze and a made and/or baked pizza? What works best? Thanks!

My aunt always rolled hers out on the pan she'd normally use to cook it and then froze it (on the pan).
The other thing you can do if you're doing casserole style dishes is freeze them in the container you'd cook them in, then remove and wrap them in foil once they're frozen so you can continue to use the container until it's time to cook that casserole. Not sure if anyone's brought that up.

[orangefoot]

I asked this a while ago and was advised to freeze cooked pizzas. I do this and they defrost really well. I make them on a rectangular tray then slice into smaller rectangles and freeze. For the boys lunches I just take a couple of slices out of the freezer and put them in their boxes in the fridge overnight. By the time they eat them at midday they are just fine.

I have yet to reheat any from frozen but I imagine if you left the cheese off when freezing you could just top with cheese and cook for about 10 mins.

[MamaPam]

I just made Farmhouse Chicken that I got off a blog tonight. We made one for dinner and froze one for after the baby gets here. It was very yummy. I liked that it didn't use an canned condensed soup like many casserole recipes. I added half a zucchini and half a yellow squash so that it had more veggies.

[renep6]

Subbing:

[cmoma]

with number three due around the corner I figured now is a good time to start feeding the freezer. This thread is making my head spin, but in a really good way!!

SO many good recipes!!!!

I can't wait till we move and can have a stand alone freezer:

[Hazelnut]

ok why am i so excited now to feed the freezer. lots to read here..

[Hazelnut]

ok stoopid question for the experts:
any tips on the safest freezing with the least amount of plastic? I used to buy freezer ziplocs from costco when I got a lot of meat there. I got away from that. My thrifty mom reuses teh grocery bags, but they're a pain to label. do i need to worry about freezer burn if I just wrap it in saran wraP? I guess I should start collecting more containers....

[KayleeZoo]

When you make a casserole/one dish recipe that you bake- how do you freeze it if? Provided that it's not really something that you'd want to spoon into a Ziploc bag once it's cooked, kwim?

Those disposable foil pans with plastic lids? They don't seem like they'd be very airtight for freezer use.

[umami_mommy]

i chill it, cut it into servings, flash freeze and then double wrap. if it's a "scoopy" thing that can't be cut into a block, i scoop it into single serving containers and freeze or plop servings onto a parchment lined baking sheet, flash freeze and then load into a bag.

i never freeze a whole casserole unless it's uncooked.

[umami_mommy]

Originally Posted by Hazelnut

ok stoopid question for the experts:
any tips on the safest freezing with the least amount of plastic? I used to buy freezer ziplocs from costco when I got a lot of meat there. I got away from that. My thrifty mom reuses teh grocery bags, but they're a pain to label. do i need to worry about freezer burn if I just wrap it in saran wraP? I guess I should start collecting more containers....

i usually wrap in heavy duty foil and then place in a heavy duty freezer bag. i rarely use plastic wrap for anything. i wash out and reuse freezer bags. i wouldn't use grocery bags. they aren't heavy enough and i don't think they are "food safe."

[AnnieMarie]

I tend to freeze everything in glass - either jars for soups, sauces etc or those pyrex bowls that have lids. i have several that have plastic lids and seal quite well. I have seldom had a problem with freezer burn or the food picking up smells from the freezer. I find that most plastics have nasty chemicals that leech into the food during freezing - specially high fat foods and that glass is a lot safer. also all plastics, whether they are ziploc bags, saran wrap or containers are petroleum byproducts, unless they are some of those new generation eco-friendly plastics (which sadly are not available in South Africa at this stage). Plastic wrap is from what I have read particularly toxic - specially with anything with fat in it.

[bigeyes]

Originally Posted by AnnieMarie

I tend to freeze everything in glass - either jars for soups, sauces etc or those pyrex bowls that have lids. i have several that have plastic lids and seal quite well. I have seldom had a problem with freezer burn or the food picking up smells from the freezer. I find that most plastics have nasty chemicals that leech into the food during freezing - specially high fat foods and that glass is a lot safer. also all plastics, whether they are ziploc bags, saran wrap or containers are petroleum byproducts, unless they are some of those new generation eco-friendly plastics (which sadly are not available in South Africa at this stage). Plastic wrap is from what I have read particularly toxic - specially with anything with fat in it.

I do that too, but I have yet to find a solution to the frozen meat problem, and unfortunately we still buy in bulk and then cut and separate into ziplocks, which makes me cringe. I suppose I could stock up on freezer paper and tape, but does it really protect against freezer burn?

I think I'm going to have to try this because the more I think about the ziplocks the more icked out I am.

[kellid]

Originally Posted by bigeyes

I do that too, but I have yet to find a solution to the frozen meat problem, and unfortunately we still buy in bulk and then cut and separate into ziplocks, which makes me cringe. I suppose I could stock up on freezer paper and tape, but does it really protect against freezer burn?

I think I'm going to have to try this because the more I think about the ziplocks the more icked out I am.

use freezer paper then put them in a ziplock, then your food won't be touching the plastic, but still be protected.

[chann96]

Originally Posted by bigeyes

I do that too, but I have yet to find a solution to the frozen meat problem, and unfortunately we still buy in bulk and then cut and separate into ziplocks, which makes me cringe. I suppose I could stock up on freezer paper and tape, but does it really protect against freezer burn?

I think I'm going to have to try this because the more I think about the ziplocks the more icked out I am.

I buy meat in bulk and just wrap it tightly in heavy duty foil and freeze it. I rarely have any problems with freezer burn.

[Ms.Doula]

I ADORE this thread!!

[Mom2SammyJoe]

Feeding the freezer for baby #2's arrival. So far I have put away

Bean soup (4)
Chili
Lasagna (3)
Pasties (3 meals worth)
Chicken burritos (2)
Chicken soup without the noodles (2)

I cooked a turkey for dinner tonight, so tomorrow I will make the filling for a turkey potpie and "Scrumptious Turkey." (the recipe in this thread for Scrumptious Chicken looks so good that I have to try it, and I have ample turkey on hand right now). I also plan to do a couple of Shepherd's Pies and did the potatoes for those tonight as well. It has been a productive 4 days, and DH has enjoyed having hot dinners everynight.
I freeze casseroles in foil pans covered with one layer of foil. I put the whole thing with heating directions in a 2 gallon ziplock and suck out the air with a straw (old school food saver???). I figure this way I can reuse the big bag and the foil pans. I also found a great deal on the pans, so they were only 25 cents each.