Freezer Cooking

This is not my freezer, but how exciting are all those meals!

 

 

Over the past couple of years, I have fallen in love with freezer cooking!  I used to think about making a bunch of meals for the freezer, but they all seemed to be casseroles or meals that were just okay- nothing special.  Then I found two cookbooks I love- "Don't Panic- Dinner's in the Freezer" and "Fix, Freeze, Feast."  I love to have a big cooking day every couple of months, and get my freezer stocked with great meals.  There is nothing better than coming home from work and not having to do more than stick something in the oven that's already ready to go.  I usually plan out our dinners a week at the time on Sunday night.  The night before, I take the meal out of the freezer and put it in the fridge to thaw.

Chicken breasts were on sale at Ken's IGA this week, so I bought about 12 pounds plus a couple of pounds of pork chops that were reduced for quick sale.  That meant a freezer cooking day for me today!  I picked my recipes, made a shopping list (only 7 items since I had lots on hand), went to the store, and only spent two hours in the kitchen.  Now I have 13 meals in the freezer waiting on me! 

Here's what I made (I made 2 or 3 batches of each): 

• Cajun Braised Skillet Chops (from "Don't Panic- Dinner's in the Freezer), also found here
• Monterrey Chicken found here at freezermealsforus.com
• Chicken with Black Bean and Corn Relish found here
• Buttermilk Herb Chicken (from "Don't Panic") and found here
• This makes some SUPER moist chicken.  I love it cooked on the grill pan!
• Cranberry Chicken (from "Don't Panic" and found here
• When I first read this recipe, I thought it sounded awful!  I finally gave in because my husband thought it sounded good.  It turned out great.  I really like it served over rice.
• Tex-Mex Chicken Fingers (from "Fix, Freeze, Feast") and found here
• We love these, and I always make these last on my cooking days when I'm using chicken breasts.  I can make a few or a ton based on how much chicken I have left, and it's a great way to use any small or oddly cut breast pieces leftover from other recipes. 
• Mashed potatoes (yes you can freeze them easily!)

A few tips from me on freezer cooking:

• I like to stick to one type of meat for a cooking day (ground beef, chicken breasts, etc.). 
• For recipes like chicken enchiladas, etc. that required cooked chicken, I usually use whole chickens or bone-in pieces and boil.  Then you have great chicken broth you can freeze too! 
• I freeze things like lasagna in aluminum pans with aluminum lids I buy at Sam's, but most things I freeze flat in freezer bags. 
• I like to include everything I'll need to cook the meal in one bag.  For example, if I make a chicken dish that has a sauce and gets topped with cheese, I put the sauce in a quart bag, the cheese in a sandwich bag, and put them both inside the gallon bag with the chicken. 
• Read all the recipes first and find like ingredients and preparations.  If you have to chop onions for several recipes, chop them all at once.
• I have recently started freezing mashed potatoes, and I can't believe I used to do it any other way.  When Yukon gold potatoes are on sale (my favorite for mashed potatoes), I buy two bags, dump them straight into a big pot of water, and turn it on the boil.  That's right- I don't peel or chop them.  When they are soft, I drain them, mash them with my potato masher, add some butter, salt, pepper, some kind of garlic and herb seasoning, and chicken broth and mash away!  Then I put them in freezer bags, spread them out flat in the bags, and pop them in the freezer.  When I want them for a meal, I thaw them overnight, dump them into a baking dish, and reheat them in the oven.  I dot the top with a little butter.  I love the slight crust they get when baked!