I'm in need of advice on freezer meals..

[mythreesons]

I want to make a lot of already prepped or already made meals since I will be getting a new freezer soon..I have made many freezer meals over the past several years but not what I just posted below.

I would like to freeze homemade lasagna, pizza, breakfast type foods etc..

How would I prepare these listed?

I would love to hear what you prepare for your freezer meals..

I also can't figure out how to freeze homemade pasta..like do I let it dry on a cookie sheet then put it in a freezer bag or would I flash freeze it fresh on a cookie sheet then put a freezer bag?

 

[AriadneCastro]

Have you tried a search on Youtube? There are millions of recipes and good videos, it's great for learning!

 

[mythreesons]

Thanks..I did look at youtube videos after I didn't get a response from anyone here..

 

[AmayaOkami]

Not sure if you are still interested, but I had found this link and saved it for myself

Meal Prep 180 - 6 Recipes - $2/meal https://imgur.com/gallery/RNZzq

Not sure if it was what you were looking for, but thought I'd share just in case

 

[bachbach1]

I really like to vacuum bag bulk food for the freezer. Many types of foods will keep for 3 years vacuum bagged, it eliminates freezer burn. Finding small containers that can be used as a molds helps. What I do is to pre freeze single or meal portions, then vacuum pack the pre frozen food. Any food that freezes well works well with this method. You can also heat the food in the bag. I like using water at about 200 degrees, or a crock pot on high. That makes it a lot easier to warm them up.

 

[wyoDreamer]

We had a friend who would take the divided paper plates and make freezer meals for her son who was in college. He was working two jobs as well as going to school full time. Simply place the leftovers in the plate and slide the whole thing into a vacuum seal bag. Stack them in the freezer. He would pop them in the microwave for a quick, mom-made supper.

 

[Blooie]

We had a friend who would take the divided paper plates and make freezer meals for her son who was in college. He was working two jobs as well as going to school full time. Simply place the leftovers in the plate and slide the whole thing into a vacuum seal bag. Stack them in the freezer. He would pop them in the microwave for a quick, mom-made supper.

DREAMER!!!! I popped in to offer some things I like to do for freezer meals and there you are! Oh, how I've missed your dog, too! Look at his grin!!

Okay, back to topic...For long term freezer storage, I don't think you can beat a Food Saver. Yep, there's an initial outlay for the appliance, and the rolls and bags, but It takes no time to recoup that investment - and we aren't talking years here but a couple of months!!

When I cook for me and Ken, I still cook as if we had all the kids home. Soups, chili, stew, meat loaf, stuffed peppers...just about anything can be put in those bags and frozen. Divide the leftovers into meal sized portions and bag 'em. I mean, you're cooking anyway so why not make extras, right? Leave the bags standing open in the freezer overnight so that when you vacuum seal them you don't end up with a wet mess in your Food Saver. Mark them with the contents and the dates. I have a separate shelf in my fridge freezer for prepped meals so I can just grab and go. Most of the time, like with the soups and such, I just put the bag into simmering water while I whip up the side dishes....mashed taters and a veggie with the meat loaf, some cornbread with the chili, maybe a salad and some rolls with the beef soup.

One thing I have noticed......many pastas don't freeze that well. Between the first cooking, the freezing, and the reheating they can get kinda mushy. Don't know why that is, but it's not even that big a deal to me.On days when time is available, I'll make a huge pot of base for goulash (Ken's favorite) or Spanish Rice base, then divide it up and freeze the base. It's usually some tomatoes, veggies, burger meat, spices, etc, which of course depends on what you are planning to do with it later. Then when we want it I get a bag of base out, open and toss the contents into a pot and get it going (or you can get the base out earlier in the day and put the entire bag in a pan of cold water to thaw slowly all day) and just before we are ready to eat I'll make up whatever pasta or rice is going to be added, toss it into the reheating base, let it simmer together a few minutes and we're ready to eat. With my beef vegetable soup, while it's cooking away I'll toss a handful of noodles in it if we want beef noodle soup, or maybe add a handful of barley. Because you're working with a base, the harder, time consuming stuff is already done. Comes in so handy during the odd schedules we tend to keep, especially this time of year.

My son found a excellent way to freeze sweet corn when it's in season. He doesn't even blanch it first. I know, I know.....but it works! When the corn is ready to put in the bags (we bought him a Food Saver last Christmas and it's become his best friend!) he puts the corn in with a big blop of butter and freezes it. When they are ready to use it he just puts the bag(s) in a pot of simmering water to cook. The corn never touches water so the yummy isn't diluted! Partway through the simmering process he flips the bag so the butter coats every kernel. You talk about some good corn!!

Pre-cooking and taking advantage of a freezer is so smart! Here I don't have the storage space for the results of lots of canning, but I do have a large freezer on my kitchen fridge, another one in the fridge we replaced which now lives out in the garage, and the upright freezer on the back porch so I have plenty of freezer space. If I could give just one hint, though, for using your freezer efficiently it would be this: ROTATE,ROTATE, ROTATE!! Regardless of whether you use Food Savers or regular freezer bags, mark those bags with contents and dates and use up the older stuff first!! You'll be happy that you did!

 

[mythreesons]

Thank you all for your tips.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I also make double batches of taco meat so I can freeze it for lunches. 4 ounces in a sandwich bag, a bunch of sandwich bags in a gallon Ziploc. Throw a baggie in the lunchbox in the morning. Great for a couple of tacos, a beef burrito or a taco salad. .

I do the same thing with B-B-Q shredded beef. Love shredded beef sandwiches.