Recently, with the help of my mom, we were able to fill the freezer. Here's what we prepared:
4 packs of taco meat
2 packs of maid rites
2 pans of lasagna
20 homemade waffles (individually bagged)
1 batch of chili
1 batch of chicken noodle soup
2 batches of homemade noodles
2 batches of chicken fajitas
1 batch chicken and vegetables for crockpot
2 batches of chicken taquitos
1 meatloaf
1 batch of sweet and sour chicken
1 dozen + ears of sweet corn
Homemade granola bars
Chocolate covered banana slices
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| A glimpse. Read more on my other blog post. |
As requested, I'm going to share some of these recipes. I'll go through the list and break down what I did. If you have further questions, let me know!
Step One:I plan out my meals for about 2 months. (I blogged about this before, check it out in the link at the bottom of the page) I like doing this because it allows me to ensure that we aren't eating the same thing every week, and it makes grocery shopping easy. Based off my menu I have planned, I look at what meals I can easily make in advance and get in the freezer.
Step Two:I go through each recipe and compile a master grocery list. I tally how many pounds of ground beef and chicken breasts I will need, and make sure I either have the necessary items in my pantry or get them on my shopping list. This is important so you don't miss a key ingredient while shopping (like I have done in the past). Next, get your groceries and watch for sales!
*NOTE:Make sure you grab freezer Ziplock bags (I used quart and gallon size) and any disposable foil baking pans you may need. Maybe check and make sure you have wax paper, foil, and press and seal wrap on hand too?
Taco Meat:My kids love tacos and I realize that tacos aren't super time consuming to make, but when you can cut that time down to about 5 minutes, wouldn't you?! To freeze taco meat, all I do is make a large batch and cook it like I normally would. No fancy recipe here, I just use Ortega taco seasoning. Allow it to completely cool then put it in freezer bags and label it. To reheat, you can cook on the stovetop or microwave if desired (On Sundays I look at the meals I have planned for the week and pull all the meat out of the freezer and put it in the fridge to thaw).
Maid Rites/ Sloppy Joes:I love sloppy joes but my husband does not. So for that reason, we usually have maid rites. To freeze sloppy joes or maid rites it's just like taco meat- cook as you normally do, allow it to completely cool and then bag it. Reheating is the same process as taco meat.
Lasagna:I have found that a 9x13" pan of lasagna is too much for my family of four. It's very filling and we are left with lots of leftovers. A 9x9" pan is more what we need. So when I make lasagna I just take my recipe and divide it between two 9x9" pans. Freezing is simple and reheating doesn't take much effort. If you pull the lasagna out of the freezer a day or so in advance and allow it to thaw in the fridge it will greatly help the day you go to cook it. Before popping it in the oven, I would allow it to sit at room temperature for just a bit to make sure the middle gets fully cooked.
Banana Bread: I love banana bread. It makes a a great breakfast or snack. An alternative to making it in loafs is baking it in muffins. Below is my favorite banana bread/ muffin recipe- I typically will double it because it's so yummy! To freeze, wrap bread or muffins tightly in press and seal wrap/plastic wrap and then put in in a freezer bag. To thaw, simply leave at room temperature.
Waffles:I like having something that is quick and easy for the kids at breakfast time. Cereal isn't exactly healthy or filling, in my opinion Poptarts are cookies/dessert -not breakfast, and I don't have time to make omelets and bacon each morning. Waffles are "something more" and will fill the kids up. I really like using the prepared mix, Kodiak Cakes, because it's packed with protein which is a great healthy choice and also will help keep tummies full! I made a bunch of waffles using my waffle iron, allowed them to completely cool, then individually bagged them (making it easy for the kids to grab in the morning), and threw them in the freezer. To reheat, simply pop in the toaster! If you want to try your hand at homemade waffles, here is a recipe I really like:
Soup:I like freezing soup. It's easy and so yummy on cold days. When I froze my homemade chicken noodle soup, I froze the broth/chicken together and left the noodles out. I didn't want my noodles to be mushy when I reheated it. I made homemade noodles and froze them uncooked, separately. When I go to reheat the soup, I will put the broth/chicken in the crockpot and boil the prepared noodles separately, adding them to the broth once cooked.
Meatloaf:My mother is a great cook... I learned from the best! But meatloaf is one thing she did not succeed at. My husband loves meatloaf and thank goodness his mom had a recipe I could steal. Personally, I'm not a fan of meatloaf- it's too dry and I'd much rather refer to it as "meat brick". I'm guilty of sneaking things in meatloaf to make it more moist. Because of this, my family can't seem to agree on what makes a good meatloaf. Below I will share with you my husband's beloved version of meatloaf and my "sneaky version" of meatloaf. You be the judge.
*NOTE: To freeze meatloaf, prepare 'loaf' and sauce separately but do not pour sauce over meat. Pour sauce into a small freezer bag and freeze along side the meatloaf. To reheat, thaw meatloaf and sauce in fridge for a day or so, allow it to sit at room temperature and bake as directed.
What to read more?? "What's For Dinner?" <-- Blog post about meal planning https://susiehomemakerwannabe.blogspot.com/2017/02/
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