Hello there ladies and gentlemen. I have a couple of things to inform you about before we get to the very important and earth shattering content of this post.
ZIPLOC BAG
Did you know that it is MUCH MUCH MUCH easier to freeze saucy things, and soupy things in a ziploc bag if you take a lovely large cup
place a quart sized ziploc bag inside the cup
and fold the top of the bag up and over the lip of the cup. Then use a large glass measuring cup to pour the sauce or soup or chili into the bag. Carefully lift it up and out of the cup, seal the top of the bag and then lay it flat inside the freezer. It really makes things super easy and a lot less messy.
When you are ready to reheat, just take a pair of scissors and cut the top off of the ziploc bag. Pull the bag off of the frozen meal, place the food in a microwave safe bowl and heat it on up, stirring occasionally. I really like freezing soups in the quart sized bags. It will give you about 2 servings, perfect for taking to work for lunch. The bags also take up a lot less space than freezing food in gladware containers.
The following 6 meals should be completely cooked, and allowed to cool before freezing. I recommend only freezing the meat portion of the meal. For example, freeze the French Dip Sandwich Meat in a quart sized zip loc bag, don’t freeze the sandwich buns with the meat.
These 8 soups should be completely cooked and allowed to cool before freezing.
36 comments
YAY!! I'm part of a freezer meal group exchange and this will be GREAT! I've done your Beach Street Lemon Chicken as a freezer meal too and it was FABULOUS! 🙂
First of all… CONGRATULATIONS for your conference and workshop coming soon! Also, thank you so much for these recipes. I love to cook, but I live far away from where I work so it's soooo difficult for me to cook during weekdays. And I've been searching for recipes that freeze well so I can cook during the weekends and have great homemade meals for weekdays. Really awsome post!!
Have I ever told you how fabulous you are? I wish I lived in Utah (not really:) but just so I could meet you. I feel like I know you and you are so fun. I think whomever gets to be around you all the time must love it:) Thanks for all of your fabulous ideas. I love that you have done this. I often wonder what can and can't go in and what I should put it in. Another thing that I have problems with is how to cook different vegetables. If you ever have good ideas I would love to try them. I feel like I am stumped on that all of the time.
Thanks so much for this post! Im a new email subscriber and I really enjoy looking thru all of your recipes!
Congratulations and have fun at your conference!
Planning meals is such an easy thing to do and takes sooo much stress off of me dunrig the week I need to remember to do it! Another thing that takes the stress off try to make an extra whenever you cook. Saturday I made lasagna for supper, and made an extra pan for the freezer. When I brown hamburger for a casserole I often brown extra, again to freeze, to save a time-consuming step next time I make a casserole or soup. It’s a great feeling to know I can just pull something out of the freezer on a busy day. Thanks for the reminder!
What a great post! I am going to try a bunch of these ideas. Thank you!
Love your recipes and thanks for all the ideas. I am visiting my son in a few weeks who is away at college and wanted to bring him some food for the freezer. Never thought about cookie dough but I thank you for the ideas and I'm sure he does too! 🙂
You rock. I am telling all my friends about this post. So great for you to put it all in one place!!
What great ideas! Thank you for posting this so some of us can retain that little bit of sanity on those crazy days when you need something for dinner and you didn't defrost anything! Thanks 🙂
In fact, I would even say that some meals actually get better when they've been in the freezer (I freeze a huge batch of chili every three or four months and I swear it tastes better every time I defrost a bag).
YES!! Found your blog from Pinterest. I HATE all those stupid pins from people that think they can freeze anything and everything…. anyways a great list!
Hint: I use an empty #10 can when I fill a gallon size ziploc bag. It works GREAT.
I found this on pintrest and I am so glad I did! I already freeze pulled pork, post roast and spaghetti sauce. This list gives me some new things to add to my freezer stash! I can't wait to see what else you have on your site! Thanks!
Excellent ideas! I need to do make ahead meals more to make my life easier.
So glad I found your blog! following now 😉
Calli: dear God no! It’s a new pkcaet. I think the last time that pkcaet was used was when Fi made a potato bake. I’m not quite sure why she didn’t use the rest of it as there’s only a very little bit left in it.kt: Yep, wait until I get round to posting a picture of the contents of my pantry! I have cans of Spam galore! I used to be healthy
How long can the meals be frozen for? Thank for the great recipes!
It depends on the recipe, and how fresh the ingredient are when you prepare it. Do you have a particular recipe you are wondering about?
Saw you at the USU Eastern Women's Conference – you did a great job!
How long can the meals be frozen for?
Spaghetti
Meatloaf
Chicken Enchiladas
Baked Ziti
Crispy Cheddar Chicken
Lasagna
Casseroles
Hi Misty,
I would imagine that they would be perfectly fine for at least 3 months. Good luck!
~Jamie
Please help! I am trying to bring your Sloppy Joe Meat recipe for freezer meals and it is not coming up on the new website. I have made this before and LOVE it! Thank you!
Hi Erin,
Give this link a try.
https://jamiecooksitup.net/2010/09/sloppy-joes-flavorful-fabulous/
Thanks!
~Jamie
PIZZA: Lean Cuisine Brick Oven Style Roasted Garlic Chicken PizzaHere’s a great way to soothe pizza canrivg without worrying about the 2-slice cut-off! The flatbread crust is topped with creamy garlic sauce, chicken, and cheese. And it crisps up perfectly in the microwave.340 calories, 7g fat (2g saturated), 49g carbohydrates, 670mg sodium, 2g fiber, 20g proteinENCHILADAS: Amy’s Black Bean and Vegetable EnchiladasDig into two corn tortillas filled with black beans, corn, zucchini, tofu, and bell peppers, all covered in mild enchilada sauce. Note that there’s a low-sodium version of this meal: 380 mg vs. 780 mg in the regular recipe. Smart. High salt hits are hard to avoid in most frozen food, so take advantage.380 calories, 12g fat (1g saturated), 44g carbohydrate, 380mg sodium, 6g fiber, 10g proteinBURRITO: Cedarlane’s Low Fat Beans, Rice, and Cheese Style BurritoThis almost sounds too healthy to be fun, but even our burrito junkies loved this dish of pinto beans, soy cheddar cheese, tomatoes, and organic brown rice, wrapped in a warm wheat tortilla. For extra zing, top it off with your favorite salsa.260 calories, 1g fat (0g saturated), 48g carbohydrate, 490mg sodium, 7g fiber, 13g proteinPANINI: Lean Cuisine’s Chicken, Spinach, and Mushroom PaniniOkay, it’s not quite the same as the corner bistro’s, but a little perspective here: eating just half of Panera Bread’s Frontega Chicken Panini would cost you 440 calories, 21g of fat, and 1150mg of sodium! This is faster, cheaper, much healthier, and surprisingly satisfying.280 calories, 8g fat (3.5g saturated), 32g carbohydrate, 690mg sodium, 5g fiber, 21g proteinTHAI NOODLES: Seeds of Change Spicy Thai Peanut NoodlesYou don’t have to be a nutritionist to figure that large servings of noodles drenched in peanut sauce are hazardous to your waist. Not these. The linguini is made with healthy semolina wheat flour, and there’s plenty of zippy ginger-peanut sauce flavoring the noodles, veggies, and tofu (done just right nice and firm).350 calories, 9g fat (3g saturated), 620mg sodium, 51g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 17g proteinRAVIOLI: Lean Cuisine Butternut Squash RavioliThis indulgent-tasting dish features pillowy squash raviolis with a creamy pumpkin-like filling, surrounded by yellow and orange carrots, snap peas, and chopped walnuts, all covered with a light cream sauce. Bonus: It gives you almost all the vitamin A you need for the whole day.350 calories, 9g fat (3g saturated), 56g carbohydrates, 660mg sodium, 6g fiber, 13g proteinMAC N’ CHEESE: Smart Ones Macaroni and CheeseEvery now and then you need a taste of your favorite childhood dish. If mac and cheese is yours, this one will soothe your inner 5-year-old’s needs for just 270 warm, creamy calories.270 calories, 2g fat (1g saturated), 52g carbohydrates, 790mg sodium, 2g fiber, 11g proteinSOMETHING DIFFERENT: Kashi Lemongrass Coconut ChickenA delicious bowl of tender snow peas, carrots, broccoli, and grilled chicken breast on a bed of seven whole grains that are flavored with a lemongrass-coconut sauce this meal smells almost as good as it tastes.300 calories, 8g fat (4g saturated), 38g carbohydrate, 680mg sodium, 7g of fiber, 18g protein
My mom uses a bread machine to make dough for dinner rolls and has never had any problems with freezing, then cooking the dough. We have 2 uncles who love my moms rolls and we give them a batch of the dough frozen into balls as a thanks for working on our cars (they won’t take money but gladly take some rolls)! We just instruct them on how to defrost and bake and have never had complaints!
If I went ahead and started making some of these now , would they still be okay to eat in March when my baby gets here? I don’t want to wait to close to time in case I lack the energy:)
These recipes are so yummy! I have tried several of them. My mom came over and helped me make a bunch just before my son was born. It was so great to just go to the freezer and grab one out. thank you!
I can’t seem to get the links to work for some of the meals, for instance sloppy joe meat. Am I doing something wrong?
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for letting me know. I will look into it. Last fall my site moved from Blogger to Wordpress…there are still a few old links that didn’t make the transfer over. Hoping to have this post fixed by the end of the day. You can also find the Sloppy Joe meat under Beef in my recipe file.
Thanks,
~Jamie
I can’t get any of these links to work. the site tries to redirect me, and then says the link doesn’t exist.
An intriguing discussion is worth comment. I do believe that you ought to publish more
about this issue, it might not be a taboo subject but usually people do not talk about such subjects.
To the next! Many thanks!!
i am looking for freezer meals that can be reheated in the microwave. I work nights and am trying to find options that can go with me to work for dinners??? any good ideas??
Does the chicken and gnocchi soup freeze well?
Can I make this with out a Crock-pot? if so what would you suggest?
Disregard the question please. I meant to ask it with the soup recipe. Thanks you!
French dip sandwich recipe link doesnt work.
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