Freezer Meals Class

Types

There are 4 basic types of freezer meals

1-crockpot- these are preassembled crock pot meals that you freeze uncooked and cook the day of in your crockpot

2-oven meals- these are preassembled non cooked  freezer meals that you cook the day of in your oven

3-precooked meals- these you cook before you freeze.  All you have to do is thaw and if needed reheat before serving.

4- meal components- these are not entire meals but components that you cook ahead of time and freeze to make meal prep faster

Supplies needed:

Containers to freeze your meals in: Ziploc bags work well for crockpot meals, tin oven containers work well for oven meals- that way your few casserole dishes are not unavailable.  Some people will line their casserole dish with plastic wrap or foil, freeze in the dish and then once frozen pull out and wrap and store in the fridge.  When ready to cook they pop it into the casserole dish.  Tupperware is not recommended unless you will be filling it full, you want as little air as possible.  For some items vacuum sealing works well also, usually you want to freeze the item first.

Tips;

-Plan ahead- figure out what recipes you want to do and buy all the ingredients at once.  Set aside a morning or afternoon to assemble all at once.  It makes it faster if you can cut all the veggies for all the meals at one time etc.  Use an assembly line.

-Lay your bags flat to freeze.  They store better in the freezer.  Make sure also to get as much air out as possible

-Write your cooking instructions on your bag BEFORE you fill it.  Trust me. 

-the seasoning gets less intense in freezer meals.  You may want to adjust accordingly.

- if you are freezing individual items (like muffins, taquitos etc) freeze first in a single layer on a cookie sheet and then put in bags or other containers after they are frozen

-for casseroles put a layer of plastic wrap on top and then foil.  Be sure to remove the plastic wrap before cooking!

- you do not have to thaw before you cook but remember it will take longer to cook if you start from frozen!

- look at what your family normally eats- what can be frozen?

Good websites to start at : 

http://www.mamaandbabylove.com/2011/04/05/freezer-cooking-with-slow-cooker-recipes/

http://www.ringaroundtherosies.net/2012/02/freezer-cooking.html

http://www.mommysfabulousfinds.com/2013/06/8-easy-crock-pot-freezer-meals-make-dinnertime-easy.html

http://www.mommysfabulousfinds.com/2013/05/5-easy-crock-pot-recipes.html

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/09/slow-cooker-freezer-meals-make-8-meals.html

http://www.lovingmynest.com/learning-activities/freezer-crock-pot-cooking-day/

http://freebies2deals.com/2014/10/frozen-crock-pot-meals-save-money-save-time-2.html

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2012/06/how-to-stock-your-freezer-with-freezer-meals/

Things we like to do:

Muffins for breakfast

Taquitos

enchiladas

Breakfast sandwiches

quiche

lots of chicken with a sauce in the crock pot (sticky chicken, orange chicken, maple dijion, bbq etc)

soups

pancakes/ waffles

Recipes:

Here are a few recipes that my family likes: 

Sausage and Black Bean Stew (we just call it Black bean soup at my house) – freezer meal style

(adapted from Fix it and Forget it Lightly cookbook)

1 med onion chopped

1 bell pepper chopped

1 cup celery sliced

3 15oz cans black beans, drained (no salt added)

1 14oz can chicken broth (low sodium)

2 4 oz cans green chilies chopped

3 cloves garlic minced

1 tsp cumin  

¼ tsp  ground chipotle chili (or other chili powder) (if you like it spicier you can double it- that is what I did in the bag I kept)

3/4 tsp ground coriander

1 ½ ysp dried oregano (Mexican style best but any will do)

1 lb turkey sausage thinly sliced (the smoked sausage kind tastes best)

Salt to taste

Add all ingredients except sausage to crockpot (or put in freezer bag and freeze- put in crock pot when ready to cook- freeze sausage in a separate bag) and cook on low for 5-7 hours. Remove 1 ½ cups of mixture and puree in a blender (or use an immersion blender right in crock pot and do about 1/3) and return to crockpot.  Add the sliced sausage 30 min before serving.   We like to top with lime juice, Mexican cheese (such as cojita ) and sour cream. (if I am being super healthy I go really light on the cheese and no sour cream).

Chipolte Lime Chicken Crock Pot

Adapted from several recipes online

Serves 6

2- 3 lbs chicken (breasts or thighs- enough for 6 people)

1 15 oz can black beans (optional)

1 bell pepper sliced

1 c carrots chopped

1 c celery chopped

1 onion diced

1 8oz can tomato sauce

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes mexican style (if you can find the fire roasted ones those are yummy)

3/8 c lime juice (about 2 limes depending on size)

1 ½ TBS minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

3 cloves garlic

Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Combine all ingredients.  Cook in slow cooker on low 6-8 hours.  Serve with rice or tortillas. Top with avocado and cilantro

Not my idea but my friend Vicki  took some chicken breasts, pounded them flat, dipped in egg then panko bread crumbs and froze them. I'm guessing she put them on a cookie sheet because they are very flat then put in a freezer Baggie. She gave these ideas for serving: bake at 450 for 12-15 min(no need to thaw) flip once while cooking. Or cook in a skillet- heat 2 tablespoons of oil at med-high heat, cook chicken in batches until golden brown about 2 min per side. Here's a simple sauce she recommended: Stir in 1/2 cup half &half, 1/2 cup goat cheese, 1/4 cup chopped parsley and 1/4 tsp each salt & pepper. Serve over chicken. I'm thinking you could substitute Parmesan for goat cheese and add a little garlic for an Alfredo style sauce.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos
Original Recipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients

1/3 cup (3 oz) cream cheese (low fat is fine, avoid fat free)
1/4 cup green salsa
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 Tablespoon chopped cilantro
2 Tablespoon sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken (for extra yumminess, use grilled taco chicken!)
1 C grated pepperjack or plain jack cheese
small flour or corn tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray or olive oil

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.   You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

If using corn tortillas, work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave, wrapped in damp paper towels until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If using flour tortillas straight from the fridge, it helps to warm them in the microwave so they’re easier to roll.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1 inch from the edges.  Roll up tortillas and place seam down on a baking sheet, not touching one another.  Spray lightly with cooking spray, or lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.  Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.  Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.  Dip in sour cream, or our favorite: Creamy Lime-Cilantro Ranch.

Freezer Instructions: Prepare the taquitos through rolling them out and placing them on the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze until solid, then transfer to a large freezer bag. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425 and place the taquitos on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Yields 12-16, when using 6″ tortillas, depending on how full you make them.