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Growing up, we ate a lot of meals from the freezer, but mostly because my mom just loves to freeze everything and anything (love you mom, you're perfect!) Once, a few years ago, I had a freezer cooking day with friends when we lived in Ohio (love you, Dayton friends!), but we never got around to doing it again.
I forgot all about it for a while, then my friend Joy (who runs the fantastic Facebook group called Fearless Freezer Cooking) asked if I wanted to join her freezer co-op here in GA. I joined for a few months and then decided it wasn't a great fit for our family at the time.
After all of this, I began to figure out what I like about freezer cooking and what I don't. I like to freeze things that I can just pull out of the freezer in the afternoon and be ready for the evening meal. I like to freeze things that can thaw quickly and easily. I don't like freezer meals that I have to put in the fridge the day before to thaw. I am all about the convenience of freezer cooking, not just the stocking up part.
So as I've been preparing for baby #2 (any day now would be great, baby, really), I've finally figured out what I like stocked in my freezer. And that's what I want to share with you today. I don't know if it's just me, but freezer cooking seems to be a hot topic lately (just search for it on Pinterest, I mean, really).
Firstly, let's talk breakfast items. I love having muffins, pancakes and waffles stocked in the freezer that I can easily defrost in the microwave, toaster or on the counter. Most baked goods freeze really well if they've been fully-baked and will thaw easily at room temperature.
Coconana Mini Muffins (vegan)
Sour Cream Whole Wheat Pancakes (pictured. when I freeze these, I usually make 3-5x the recipe)
Next up, breads and doughs. I really enjoy having frozen, uncooked pizza dough in the freezer as well as fully-baked and sliced loaves of bread. These are family meal staples for us. As you know, I tend to substitute at least half of the flour in most recipes with whole wheat or white whole wheat flour (just a reminder since this is not reflected in some of the links).
Pizza Dough (pictured)
Lastly, full meals or meal components. Let me say again that I like meals that I can put right into the oven from the freezer or meal components that can be easily thawed and added to meals. My husband loves having these burritos on hand that he can take to work for quick lunches if there aren't any leftovers around. My favorite item here is the turkey meatballs- no thawing required! You can broil them or brown them in a pan, then use them in whatever application you'd like.
Pureed Vegetables (pumpkin, squash, applesauce)
I really went all out this time with my freezer cooking- I usually just make extra batches here or there and refill it gradually. There are lots of different methods of freezer cooking, but I can guarantee that you'll find one that works for you. It really is nice to have a few things on hand in a pinch of you haven't thought about dinner or you find out you're getting a few extra guests.
That's just a few of my thoughts on the subject. I'd like to make freezer recipes more available in the future here on the blog- I'm sure I'll be doing more of it as our family grows. There are tons of other great freezer cooking resources out there. Feel free to share your favorite websites, books or recipes in the comment section below!
13 comments:
You have one crazy organized freezer. I am super jealous, and aspire to achieve that some day. Perhaps once I have a baby on the way, I'll have more motivation to get on top of that. :)
Look at you! You were just a baking and cooking machine! Saving this post to Pinster so I know where to look when I need to freeze some meals!
I long for the day when we have enough room for a freezer! I do as much freezing as I can with my limited space right now and it makes life so much easier. There are only 2 of us in the house and I will often cook more than we need, seal it up in freezer bags and viola, we have an easy lunch or dinner!
When my family was bigger I never had leftovers to freeze. Now that it's mostly just me I still make big batches and freeze the excess. It really comes in handy when I'm too busy or tired to cook. It also comes in handy when the kids come home so I'm not just cooking and washing dishes while they're here.
This is genius. I love to cook and bake but I usually don't want to do so when I get home from work and am totally exhausted/starving so this is perfect for me. I will definitely give this a shot!
I need to start doing this. I used to be so good with freezing meals for my toddler...now I have been getting lazy on the weekends but need to do it for the whole family!
I'd love for you to share: http://tutusandteaparties.blogspot.com/2012/01/pinteresting-party-week-24.html
My biggest problem with freezing stuff is freezer burn and ice crystals...how do you prevent this?
Great idea!! Thanks for sharing. And to Unknown - you use the items within 6 months...any longer and that's why you get freezer burn. Or if you leave your freezer open for things to thaw out, then that will happen too. :)
OMG, your recipe for baked ziti has me drooling! I noticed its one of the items in your freezer and I was wondering if you just froze the leftovers or if you made it to a certain point before baking and then froze it. Either way, how do you thaw and reheat it? I also have problems with my reheated pasta being tough. Thanks!
i was wondering when you freeze the meals...do you assemble everything then freeze it and thaw it out and cook it, or do you cook everything ahead of time and then freeze it so that you just thaw and heat?
Anonymous- for the ziti, I make it up until you would put in the oven, but i let it cool and then freeze it instead. you can either defrost it in the fridge or put it right in the oven, you'd just need to adjust the time to be longer if you do it straight from the freezer.
Becky- every recipe is different, so it depends. Check the individual recipes for instructions!
More motivation, possibly... Less time, definitely! Haha. Good luck. I agree, though. Totally jealous! 4 kids, a mom (me) who works evenings and a husband who works midnights... This is what we need.
Great post! I take a similar approach to freezer cooking - I like to take it from the freezer and stick it in the oven. I usually do a 1-2 session on Friday night or Saturday. It sure makes the week more enjoyable! Love your site, and will def. be trying some of your recipes! :)
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