Does any one have any recoomendations for dinner that can be made to freeze? I have made pasta sause, lasanga and meatballs so far but wantfew other items to add to my freezer to make it easier during the week and my budget
stormbaby,
Jul 17, 8:07am
Hamburger patties are good, pizza bases (make the dough in the breadmaker if you have one) are quick to defrost and a quick meal. Freeze grated cheese with a sprinkle of cornflour in big zip lock bags and shake to free flow whilst freezing, good for quick meals like omelets, pizza, tortillas. I buy the big plain packs of tortillas and slice up shopping bags, putting a piece between each tortilla. When you pull them out of the freezer they take very little time to thaw. Meat stews are great, I double and triple crock pot recipes and freeze into portions for meals. Macaroni cheese freezes really well too. Pies are easy to make and freeze, especially smaller ones. I have a piemaker, so I roll out pastry, cut to size and freeze with plastic inbetween and freeze the pie contents (chicken and mushroom, left over stew) in small portions so the pastry defrosts very quickly, the contents in the microwave, making a quick and tasty meal. You can also make pasties and family sized pies. I try and do all this in a two day period, filling the spare freezer. I only have to do it every 6-8 weeks to make it easy during term time.
najopito,
Jul 17, 8:12am
lol. I forgot to mention i have a stew as well.
I will try making mac and cheese to freeze then. I will use my bacon i froze but forgot to take out of the packetso it turned to a soild lump I could not use for bacon and mushroom pasta
stormbaby,
Jul 17, 8:19am
I used the Alison and Simon Holst recipe for Mac Cheese, but use only 2 cups cheese instead of 3. I make it up to double, it takes 2 hours in the crockpot and then I put into a dish with grated cheese, breadcrumbs and butter dotted on top and grill to finish. I find if I double the recipe I get another dinner for the freezer. If freezing bacon, roll the individual slices and freeze into a shallow container like a chineese food dish. You can then snap off the bacon you need and defrost really quickly. I do the same with ham.
toadfish,
Jul 17, 8:45am
Toadies Famous Macaroni Cheese
Fry 1 onion and 4 rashers of chopped up bacon in 2 tbsp of butter. Add 2-3 tbsp of flour and cook for a minute and add milk to make sauce. Add 1 tsp of wholegrain mustard and 1 ~ 2 cups of grated edam or colby cheese Mix through 1 packet of cooked San Remo pasta elbows. Put in a large oven proof dish and place finely sliced tomatoes on the top and sprinkle with a little grated cheese and a few breadcrumbs. Bake until golden (or just grill if you are in a hurry). About 15 mins from cupboard to plate.
toadfish,
Jul 17, 8:48am
Added to whats above... I also make 2 cottage pies at a time. I brought cheap ovenproof dishes at op shops ($2-$4 each), so i can freeze it in what I serve it in. Chilli con carne, this can be had with Nacho chips or rice. Devilled Sausages Soup
najopito,
Jul 17, 9:33am
Thanks. I will have to buy some more freezing cotainers. It is just for me so can't freeze in oven dish
stormbaby,
Jul 17, 11:46am
I find that putting in a favourite oven dish, freezing, then removing when frozen and putting in a plastic bag works. When you go to reheat, just take out of the plastic bag and put into the original dish. It should have frozen into that shape. I do this with stews and macaroni. Mind you, I am also the queen of Tupperware and have a dish for every known recipe! !
toadfish,
Jul 17, 7:47pm
You inspired me... got up early this morning and on my bench now are 2 x family sized & 1 individual serve lasagnes for the freezer.
I guess my el cheapo lasagne dishes save me the double handling. I just get them out of the freezer in the morning, remove the gladwrap. . pop them in the oven and set the automatic timer... come home to the house smelling of dinner... can't beat that feeling.
Najopito - Don't forget containers you would normally throw away. I find salsa/Peanut butter Jars are perfect "Cup a soup" size. When I make a huge pot we have it as a meal and I also freeze a few Jars to take to lunch for work.
Magarine containers would be great macaroni cheese or casserole for 1 size (just don't heat them up in it). Op shops have ramekins usually really cheaply. . don't go spending yourr money on containers ... get creative. Just buy a vivid marker. Pams do snaplock sandwich bags Box of 30 for under $2... that would make it about 6c per meal. . just make sure its cold when you put it in the bag, then what I do is take out all the air and then flatten them so they stack nice in your freezer. I do that when chicken breast is on special... I buy in bulk , chop it all up and put enough chopped raw chicken for the 4 of us in each bag, then they stack in the freezer nicely. Just means all the hassle is done at once... then a jar of something and you have a meal on the table in 15 mins.
najopito,
Jul 17, 9:48pm
I must admit my lasagna I used a magie mix with the tomato puree and 4 cheeses packet mix by contanital because they where prize i won. I did use good pasta and added garlic and onion to the mince. Mince on specail at countdown
najopito,
Jul 17, 9:52pm
Do you think my lasagna would be ok for Monday night? The non frozen part i put in my frigde. I froze 3 lots
veejay13,
Jul 17, 10:40pm
I freeze lots of meals-for-one - mince, beef casserole, roast chicken (with gravy), bolar/or any roast (with gravy), sausages (with a sauce or gravy). Mashed potatoes seem to freeze better than whole ones, also I cook carrots, frozen peas/beans, pumpkin.
Greens don't go so well but as they cook quickly I'll often do them fresh while the rest of the meal's in the microwave.
One of those oblong margarine containers holds a good-sized serving, but as Toadfish says, don't heat it up in it. The Red Shed has small casserole dishes - this is ideal - just slip the meal into the dish before heating.
najopito,
Jul 17, 11:23pm
Oh you mean the House of Tindal.
I purchased all my cookwear there. My 25 * 25 dish sadly does not clean well.
lythande1,
Jul 18, 4:54am
Pies, soups, all casseroles, take a look at the ready meals you see in supermarkets, then not buy them and make your own and freeze.
toadfish,
Aug 2, 6:22am
bumping for another poster
pickles7,
Aug 2, 7:13am
. .
darlingmole,
Aug 2, 8:31am
savoury mince rice rissotto (extra meat/veges) soups (bacon bone/lentils or seasonal veges) chicken casserole curries curried sausages tuna fish bake fish pie quiche/bacon'n'egg pie/frittata (all pretty much the same) meat balls vegetarian kofta balls (vege meat balls) pasta sauces goulash/stews/meat casseroles moussaka scalloped potatoes vegetarian bake on wholemeal pastry chili - beans/vege or with meat dhal (curried lentils)
sweets ... ... . . apple pie fruit crumbles homemade frozen custard/ice cream frozen fresh fruit/berries cakes cookie dough
darlingmole,
Aug 2, 8:34am
forgot to mention that mince (made 101 ways - chili, savoury, spag bol, curried, meatloaf ... bbq is the most delish way yet! ) all very freezer friendly.
spongeypud,
Aug 2, 10:21am
I've just taken out a sweet and sour pork that I made a couple of weeks ago. Sometimes on a Sunday if cooking a roast, I make extra and freeze that as well.
duckmoon,
Aug 2, 11:35am
curry
alebix,
Aug 2, 11:38am
i made butter chicken to freeze and vege soup.
Mince that can be made into nachos, spag bol and lasagne are good to freeze. .
You can pre boil up some vegies and add a jar of korma to that, mix and freeze... add that to a mince dish, chcken, lamb etc...
devilled sausages
kob,
Aug 2, 6:47pm
Hi i freeze all meals I have a tonne of Margerine containers and each night (unless we are having a salad) i freeze a meal, i have a son who lives away and doesnt wat nutricianal food so this way i know he is not surviving on 2 min noodles(40c a pkt)or alphabet soup. ( $2. 95 for 5 servings with toast). He gets currys& rice, stews, meatloaf and veg, spag bol with the noodles, pies, quiches, american hotdogs, pizzas, all different kinds of soups... ... . my motto for freezing special dinners for him is it has to be under $3 so if im walking around the supermarket and see something reduced to $3 i buy otherwise it stays that way he gets pkt meat as well, 6 pies for $3, 8 crumbed sauges $3 for 2 meals and heaps of stuff it has become my fun game when i enter the supermarket... . . if i freeze a meal for hubby & me I call it a betty croker meal if I freeze fora meal for our son its a mummy pack. his flat mats love him coming home cause i know he shares some after carefully hidding away the good ones.
najopito,
Aug 31, 8:40am
I have had great succes with mac and cheese and lasanga.
What is a good meatloaf recipe?
tabitha,
Jun 18, 1:36am
veejay13 wrote: I freeze lots of meals-for-one - mince, beef casserole, roast chicken (with gravy), bolar/or any roast (with gravy), sausages (with a sauce or gravy).veejay, what do you use to thicken gravy and sauces to freeze?
lythande1,
Jun 18, 1:59am
Soups. Stews. Pies.
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