Freezer Cooking

Plan meals that use the same ingredients in different ways to cut costs and prevent food from spoiling.
GOOD freezer bags are also a necessity!

With Bryson's arrival [hopefully] less than 2 months away, I have started nesting hardcore. I have plenty of projects around the house, but Pregnancy Brain Syndrome makes concentrating on one thing nearly impossible, so I decided to buckle down and knock out the least time consuming- prepping some meals for the freezer.

Friday night, Clay had a friend over, so I spent 2 hours in the kitchen chopping and bagging. Because of those 2 hours in the kitchen, I have about 2 weeks worth of meals frozen and ready to go! Since we eat foods that are low on the glycemic index, foods that are typically considered convenient aren't for us, so this will make our lives much easier! 

 I've had a few people ask for recipes and/or what I put in the bags, so here you go! 

On the menu: 

Teriyaki Chicken 

Meatloaf 

Roast 

Beef Stew 

Paleo cheese steak 

Pork tenderloin 

Marsala sauce 

Beef Stir-fry 

Chicken Stir-fry 

Stuffed Bell Peppers 

Spinach Lasagna

The ingredients listed below are what's actually in the bag/foil. I labeled each bag and if you don't know how to make the dish, writing instructions on the bag is helpful. Unless otherwise noted, nothing is pre-cooked. 

Teriyaki Chicken 

Baby carrots 

Red onion, chopped 

Pineapple 

Garlic 

Chicken breasts 

Teriyaki 

-- Directions: Toss everything in the crock pot with water or chicken broth and cook on low for 6 hours.

Meatloaf 

1 pound ground beef 

1 pound ground turkey 

1 egg 

Yellow onion, diced 

Dale’s 

-- Prep Notes: I actually added a ton more than this because I had extra stuff. I tossed in diced tomatoes, minced mushrooms and minced bell peppers. They'll add flavor, moisture and nutrition, so if you have anything left from any recipe, toss it in! I lined a meatloaf pan with foil, formed the loaves, then popped the foil out and froze the loaves in gallon-sized bags. Without the pan, there's so much more room. 

-- Directions: Thaw completely.  Bake in a 350 oven for 20 minutes. 

Roast 

Pork sirloin roast 

Baby carrots 

Cubed red potatoes (Normally don't use these, but will need some carbs)

Frozen cut green beans 

1 onion, chopped

-- Directions: Pour the contents in a crock pot and cover with beef/chicken broth. Cook on low for 8 hours. 

Beef Stew 

2 pounds beef, diced 

1 onion, chopped 

1 bag green beans 

Few stalks of celery, chopped 

1 can diced tomatoes 

-- Directions: Pour the contents in a crock pot and cover with beef broth. Cook on low for 8 hours. 

Paleo Cheese Steak 

3 pounds steak 

2 onions, sliced 

4 bell peppers, sliced 

Worcestershire sauce 

Wing sauce 

-- Prep Notes: This actually made three bags, so you can definitely change up the ingredient amounts. 

-- Directions: Preheat a skillet with a tablespoon of olive or canola oil. Pour the contents of the bag in the skillet. Cover with lid [or foil]. When the onions are translucent and meat is cooked through, top with shredded mozzarella cheese and place under broiler for a few minutes, until cheese is melted.
Source

Pork Tenderloin 

1/2 cup pineapple juice 

Soy sauce 

Ground mustard

Ground black pepper 

Minced garlic 

-- Prep Notes: I thawed a few pieces of the frozen pineapple I had for the teriyaki chicken, then smashed it with a fork to release the juice. No need to buy cans of pineapple juice that you won't use AND you get some yummy chunks. 

-- Directions: Thaw thoroughly, then wrap in foil. I like to slow roast on 300 degrees for 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature is roughly 145 degrees (the recommended safe cooking temperature for lean pork is no longer 160 FYI). 

Marsala Sauce 

8-10 white mushrooms, sliced (or 1 small pre-sliced container) 

1.5 onions, sliced 

1 can reduced sodium chicken broth 

Marsala cooking wine 

-- Prep Notes: This is pre-cooked and just makes an easy topping for chicken. Before bagging, allow the sauce to cool. Lay the bag flat in the freezer until it's frozen through, then you can stand it up like a book. 

-- Directions: Slice mushrooms (or buy them sliced) and onions. Cook the onions on medium-high heat in a preheated pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. Once they begin to soften, add mushrooms. Cook for a few minutes, until mushrooms release their liquids. Pour in a can of chicken broth and marsala cooking wine to taste. I eyeball this, so I have no idea how much I use, but I'd guess between 1/4 and 1/2 cup. Season with salt and pepper. If there isn't a lot of liquid, add more broth. Bring to a rolling boil and leave it for roughly 2 minutes, then turn down to a simmer until the liquids have reduced by roughly half. 

Beef Stir-Fry 

1 pound lean beef 

1 bag stir-fry veggies 

1 small can water chestnuts 

Stir-fry sauce 

Soy sauce, to taste (can be added after cooking instead) 

-- Directions: Heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet or wok and toss in the contents of the bag. Cover with lid or foil until cooked through, stirring occasionally. 

Chicken Stir-Fry 

3 chicken breasts, cubed 

1 bag stir-fry veggies 

1 small can water chestnuts 

Stir-fry sauce 

Soy sauce, to taste (can be added after cooking instead) 

-- Directions: Heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet or wok and toss in the contents of the bag. Cover with lid or foil until cooked through, stirring occasionally. 

Stuffed Bell Peppers 

7 bell peppers 

1 pound ground turkey 

1 onion 

Roasted red peppers 

Mushrooms, diced 

1 small can crushed tomatoes 

Worcestershire sauce 

-- Prep Notes: Brown the ground beef and allow it to cool before combining with other ingredients. Mix all ingredients, then place in bell peppers. To ensure the peppers don't fall over, cut the very bottom of each pepper, but not too far up. You just want to level the pepper off, not cut a hole in the bottom. I froze each pepper in its own bag. 

-- Directions: Thaw the pepper(s) completely. Take out of the bags and place in a casserole. Bake on 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Spinach Lasagna

1 pound ground turkey

1 small tub part skim ricotta cheese

1 jar no sugar added spaghetti sauce

1 bag frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 egg

-- Prep Notes: This is not cooked through, but the ground turkey is browned.  Freeze in a disposable foil container for easy cleanup.

-- Directions: Brown ground turkey and drain.  Allow to cool completely.  Combine thawed (and drained) spinach with ricotta cheese, egg, and seasonings (I use Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper).  Put half the meat on the bottom of the dish, layer with the ricotta mixture, then top with spaghetti sauce.  Repeat the layers.  When you're ready to cook, allow it to thaw completely, then bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until warmed through.

Make sure your bags are clearly labeled.