This is a Guest Post by the Super Amazing One Hundred Dollars a Month reader Mel {she’s the one who made those AWESOME gift bags and shared her recipe for DIY Lemonade Concentrate}. We love you Mel!! 🙂
Freezing Four Months of Meals
There are tons of freezer cooking posts on the internet, but I’ve found that most of them assume people only need fast dinners occasionally. That approach definitely helps, but the fall is so busy for us that I need time-saving meals daily.
So, instead of tucking away a few meals for busy nights, I do a ton of freezer meal prep in the summer so that I do not have to cook dinner or weekend breakfasts from September through December. So, that’s a rough total of 120 dinners and 40 breakfasts (I usually overshoot though).
I realize that sounds crazy, and it is a little extreme, but the payoff is huge. If you have kids, back-to-school season is probably a little chaotic for you as well, and the winter holiday season tends to be nuts for everyone. Wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to think about dinner during those extra busy spells? And wouldn’t it be nice if the first crisp fall day could begin with pumpkin doughnuts and end with comforting soup—but not require as much time, mess, and effort?
My Reasons for this Approach:
1. I work in education, so fall is incredibly busy but summer is far more flexible. Why not use the downtime to get ahead? Once meals are frozen, either my husband or I can easily get dinner on the table with minimal prep and mess. I realize not everyone has summer off, but many people have some part of the year that is a bit quieter.
2. I live in the middle of nowhere. The cutoff for pizza delivery is about a mile north of us. Grocery stores are also not close by, so there’s no such thing as a quick run to the store for us.
3. We have no pantry. My only option for storing food is freezing it.
4. When I cook ahead, I cook better. I’m more likely to chop some extra vegetables for a soup, for example, so our freezer meals end up much more nutritious than whatever I could cobble together on a weeknight. And healthier dinners mean healthier leftovers to pack in our lunches for work. I also balance richer items with more healthful ones, carnivorous meals with meatless ones, etc., and having some or all of the main dish prepped frees up time for me to make homemade bread and extra veggies for sides.
5. It’s a good way to preserve seasonal produce. I freeze our garlic into garlic butter and sesame noodle sauce, our tomatoes into pizza and spaghetti sauce, our peppers and onions into burrito fillings, etc.
6. My husband loves soup. I could spend the fall waiting for a soup pot to boil, but I’d rather embrace the fact that soup freezes really well. I spend the time I save on fall evenings walking on the beach and picking up river glass for crafting.
My Strategy:
I change this up over the years depending on what else I’m doing in the summer. Sometimes I fill the freezer gradually over the course of the whole summer. This year, I knocked everything out in about 3 weeks by making 2-3 dinner recipes and 1-2 breakfast recipes a day (in between doing other stuff).
While the timing changes a bit, I always start by defrosting and cleaning the freezers and making a list of what I want to cook. I typically shop for freezer ingredients separately from our regular groceries just to keep things organized, and I usually begin cooking by making large batches of dried beans in the slow cooker since they are the basis of so many meals. (Kidney beans and beans like them cannot be made in a slow cooker, so I buy those canned.)
I sometimes make meals by tackling all the ones with similar prep methods or ingredients first, but I usually mix it up so that I’m not trying to make four soups at once and can utilize different areas of the kitchen simultaneously.
Budget:
I work freezer cooking into our yearly budget, so I have funds set aside for big grocery trips in the summer. In general, having food ready to go saves money because we don’t rely on takeout and we can buy in bulk.
We also only need a few staples and produce items each week at the grocery store, so we don’t buy more than we need, we use everything we buy, and our grocery bills are very predictable. Cooking in summer also reduces the cost for many produce items that are out of season by fall. The total cost really depends on what you make and how many people you are feeding.
Meals:
To avoid getting bored with what’s in the freezer, I freeze a wide range of meals and a total of 50-60 different recipes. I use the following categories:
Soups and Stews: My husband loves soup, so this is extensive. We often do chicken noodle soup, hamburger soup, corn chowder, lentil soup, several kinds of chili, vegetable barley soup, potato leek soup, Maryland crab soup, etc.
Meats and Proteins: This category has things like meats in marinades to grill or
put in the slow cooker, seasoned beans or meat to go on top of nachos, breaded pork chops or chicken to broil straight from the freezer, meatloaf, meatballs, black bean burgers, etc.
Casseroles: This includes lasagna, pot pie, tamale casserole, chicken spaghetti casserole, etc. I typically just freeze the fillings or sauces for these and assemble the rest when we eat them.
Fillings: This category includes burrito fillings, quesadilla fillings, etc.
Serve Over Rice or Pasta: For this category, I make the sauce or topping, and then we make fresh rice, couscous, or pasta and veggies for serving. So, Bolognese, sesame noodle sauce, red beans and rice, curry, etc.
Bread: I restock this every few weeks during the fall since it’s bulky and has a shorter freezer life than other foods. We use our French bread recipe for some sandwiches, French bread pizza, French toast, garlic bread, etc. Honey oatmeal is our usual sandwich loaf, and I make cinnamon swirl bread for cinnamon French toast and to go with apple butter. Any time I make dinner rolls, I double the recipe to freeze a batch for another night. I also make pizza dough every couple of weeks.
Breakfast: We do oatmeal during the week but mix it up on the weekend. So, in addition to the 120 or so dinners, I do 40-50 breakfasts. This includes scones and biscuits (cut but unbaked), doughnut batter, sausage patties or gravy, cooked bacon, muffin batter, French toast, and granola.
Based on these categories, a typical week of fall dinners would look like this:
Monday: Hamburger and Vegetable Soup
- Tuesday: Corn and Black Bean Quesadillas
- Wednesday: Ham Pot Pie
- Thursday: Red Beans and Rice
- Friday: Oven Fried Chicken
- Saturday: Four Cheese Spaghetti Squash Alfredo
- Sunday: Black Bean Burgers
Organization:
In the freezer, I use bins with luggage tags as labels—typically one or two bins per category above. We have two freezers, but I typically only need one in addition to a shelf or two in our refrigerator’s freezer. I try to use reusable containers, but I often use Ziplocs since I don’t have space to store too many reusable containers the rest of the year.
I try to reuse Ziplocs, but they get tend to get beat up, so I’m working on testing silicone bags. I also have a small plastic file bin I keep in the fridge to hold whatever is thawing that day and catch any condensation or leaks.
To keep track of quantities and remember where things are in the freezer, I use an app called Freezer. It lets you maintain multiple freezers and also different sections of each freezer (shelves or bins), so it fits the categories nicely. I can track quantities and make notes about cooking time or other ingredients. You can also add pictures of items, so I usually add a screenshot from the recipe or take a quick photo.
It can be overwhelming to choose from all the meals sometimes, so we use a game show wheel to “meal plan” for the week. I’m not even kidding. It has all the meals in the freezer, and I put tape over the ones we’ve used up. Once we choose what to have, I add any side items or staples we need to round out the meals to the grocery list.
Freezer Cooking Tips:
Things have to be cold before freezing and while thawing. I usually refrigerate soups and things overnight before packaging and freezing. I place freezer bags on cookie sheets to freeze flat before moving them to the appropriate bins.
I also freeze scones on cookie sheets before transferring to containers or bags. I thaw items in the fridge—usually overnight. If you forget to thaw something, you can hasten the process by putting the sealed item in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes (I just fill my thawing bin with water and keep it in the fridge for this).
Soups and sauces can be thawed in the pot over low heat with a little extra water or broth, and some items can go straight from the freezer to the oven or stove. For smaller items, I’ll sometimes defrost in the microwave and finish heating on the stove.
Air is the enemy. Press all air out of bags or wrap food well and place in the smallest container that still fits the item.
Portion appropriately. Most casserole recipes are enough for a 9×13 inch pan, so one recipe makes two freezer meals for us. I package soups knowing we will likely have bread and vegetables on the side, and I package most meals to serve as dinner and also with leftovers for lunch the next day. I sometimes freeze a few individual portions for lunches in case we don’t have leftovers to pack.
Don’t freeze anything you haven’t tried or are not wild about eating.
You don’t have to freeze the whole meal. If part of a meal isn’t freezer friendly, just freeze the part that is. For example, I freeze shrimp creole without the shrimp, chicken noodle soup without the noodles, etc. You can just add those ingredients when you’re ready to eat, which saves space, spreads out cost, and helps you work with what is in season. We love butternut squash lasagna, so I freeze the sauce in the summer to have ready when butternut is in season in fall.
Go for variety. If you freeze a huge number of meals, you don’t want to get tired of the things in your freezer. I make lots of different types of meals and also keep in mind what we’ll want at different times: pretty orange and yellow corn chowder for Halloween, slow cooker meals for lazy Saturdays, nachos for movie nights, etc.
Label Containers. I write directly on Ziploc bags in Sharpie, and I use painter’s tape (cheaper than freezer tape, available in multiple colors, and designed to adhere while repelling moisture) for other containers. Include the name of the item, the date you froze it, and any cooking directions.
Manage the risk. Freezing a large amount of food means investing time and money. To manage that risk, we use locks on our freezer doors (to help make sure they latch properly), and we have a generator if we lose power, but I also never spend so much money that losing the contents of the freezer meals would be financially catastrophic.
Somewhat Bizarre Things that I Freeze:
Breaded raw meat. I have one recipe that goes straight to the oven and one that goes straight under the broiler—no thawing required.
Muffin, quick bread, or doughnut batter (for baked doughnuts). Thaw in the fridge, pour into the appropriate pan, and bake as usual. The batter takes far less space than the baked product. I sometimes add a bit of extra baking powder, but these items typically bake up exactly as they would without freezing.
Scones or biscuits that are cut but unbaked. Bake directly from the oven on a few layers of parchment paper at the same temperature but for a bit longer.
Granola that is mixed and cooled but unbaked. Thaw in the fridge and bake as directed.
No-Bake granola bars. Store in the freezer, pack in a lunch, and they thaw to chewy perfection by lunchtime.
Cold salad sauces (chicken salad, pasta salad, etc.). Mix the sauce without ingredients that don’t freeze well (like mayonnaise) and just add those after thawing. For our tarragon chicken salad recipe, I freeze fresh tarragon in milk and yogurt when our tarragon is growing and just add the mayo (and chicken) after thawing.
Cheesecake. I made mini no-bake cheesecakes this time. They thaw rapidly and perfectly and are a great individual dessert or lunchbox snack.
Cupcake batter. I usually bring cupcakes to an event early in the semester. They are not convenient to make on a weeknight, so I mix the batter when I have time and freeze it in cupcake liners. I bake directly from the freezer the night before I need them, cool, and frost.
Baked Beans. An easy side for pulled pork (which also freezes well).
Uncrustables and Poptarts. I use homemade bread/pastry and fillings.
Twice Baked Potatoes. In the individual potato skins or as a casserole.
Dips and Appetizers. I’ve had great luck freezing spinach artichoke dip and crab dip, most puff pastry appetizers, potstickers, meatballs, etc.
Candy. In late fall, I freeze individual gift bags of chocolate cracker toffee, 5-minute fudge, etc. for the holiday season. They’re ready to go if someone stops by, and I use the others for work gifts.
Apple Butter. Most spreads that call for canning can be frozen. I sometimes can these items, but we don’t have much room to store them, so freezing works better for me.
So, that’s how I tackle stocking our freezer with four months of dinners, weekend breakfasts, and miscellaneous extras. If this kind of thing makes you question my sanity, I totally get that. If, however, you’re intrigued and have questions or want recipe ideas, just chime in the comments and I’ll do my best to help!
~Mel
Side note from Mavis… I think we all need to move next door to Mel Because HELLO, Mel, you are a rock star! 🙂 🙂 🙂
*************
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Sheila says
Wow! Thank you Mel for such a well done, informative post and lovely pictures! I’m sure everyone can gain
Some information from this to apply to their routine. I plan to reread it more thoroughly and pick a few
Things that I can add to the things I already freeze. Your wheel of meals made me laugh out loud! What a fun and creative idea. Your husband is one lucky fellow!
Mel says
No problem! I hope it’s useful. And yes, I was dubious about the wheel when my husband suggested it, but it’s been so fun!
Rox says
How about getting a food saver on qvc
Laura says
I was going to suggest the very same thing……good idea given just how many meals you place in ziplock bags.
Mel says
A Food Saver for me or Sheila? We had one and actually got rid of it. It wasn’t a good system for us. I’m experimenting with silicone bags, but I want to be sure they hold up before I invest in more. We’ll see how it goes! I know some people swear by Food Saver and other methods though.
Jeanette Duval says
I use plastic food storage boxes with lids to freeze individual servings… then, once frozen, I pop out of the little plastic container and use my food saver to make it last a long time. It is an extra step, but it allows me to freeze into stackable “bricks” that are easier to store. I prefer to freeze soups, sauces, in gallon zipper freezer bags flat, then store them upright, like a file.
For instant pot freezer meal prep, I dump all freezable ingredients into my instant pot’s pot and freeze for a couple of hours. Then pop it out and food saver it so when it’s time to use it, I can put the frozen disc into the instant pot with about 1/2 cup of water or broth and it’s good to go. … same with the crock pot… freeze in the container (you can even put it into a zipper bag and then put it into the container to freeze… then you know it will fit perfectly.
Milk and butter are both freezable as well.
Lissa says
Fabulous post!! Thanks
Mel says
Glad you liked it!
Wendy Clark says
I want to be Mel!!!!! Okay, this has gotten me motivated to at least make a plan to do something like this. I have three in college and one here full time, but the college students are always in and out and you never know when they will actually be around for supper. Therefore, I lose the motivation to cook a big meal for just three people (one who eats like a starved person one day, and then may not want to eat anything for two days). But if I did something like this I could just pull something out, cook it and, people could eat when they were home, just warm it up and eat!
Mel says
Yes, it’s super flexible! I had the same problem cooking for two, and this approach just made it so much easier. I hope it helps!
Kay says
There are no words, Mel…..you’re simply brilliant!!!
Mel says
You’re too nice! I’m probably closer to crazy than brilliant, but it works.
Cindi says
Wow! I’m blown away. Everything looks so good. And I want your recipes!
Mel says
Sure! Let me know which ones, and I can provide links.
Alice says
I second that! All the recipes please.
Angela W. says
Yes, all the recipes. I could totally see me doing this when I get my new freezer. The organization skills are thoughtful and top notch efficient! I want Mel to rub off on me. Recipes would be a great help for planning purposes. Do you also have a combined shopping list to view/download? Thanks in advance, Mel, for your time and consideration.
Mel says
Yes, I’m going to see if there’s a way to make all the recipes available. That would be a loooonnngg shopping list though. I don’t do all the shopping at once!
Norma Champlain says
Wowza!
Chrissy says
I would love all the recipes, but would really love the recipes for the no bake granola bars, Ham Pot Pie, Red Beans and Rice and Four Cheese Spaghetti Squash Alfredo. This is impressive and really helpful!
Mel says
I’m having trouble getting the granola bar recipe to post when I include it in replies, but it should eventually show in my response to Jennifer Jo below.
Four Cheese Spaghetti Squash Alfredo (I always add parsley and broccoli): https://damndelicious.net/2016/12/25/four-cheese-garlic-spaghetti-squash/
Red Beans and Rice (see the end of the recipe for different versions and tips, and know that green onions do not freeze well, so add them later): https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/stovetop-red-beans-rice
My ham pot pie recipe is adapted from an old cookbook recipe for chicken pot pie, so I can’t post it without typing it all out (I’ll ask Mavis how best to share stuff like that), but Mavis has a ham pot pie recipe—I got the idea from her! https://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/easy-ham-pot-pie-recipe/
Carla says
Mel, take a picture of the recipe with your phone then mail the picture to yourself then post the picture to this site.
Mel says
Thanks for the idea—I can do that, but I still have to send it to Mavis to post. I’m going to see if she has ideas for making all the recipes available.
linda says
I LOVE the wheel of meals!! You’re amazing. Need to get my freezer meal game on.
Mel says
Thanks! I think it could work for any meals you rotate through, but it’s especially handy for freezer stuff. Ours is magnetic and came with several inserts for the middle, so I can easily update it each year.
Debbie Knight says
Double wow! I would love some recipes too. I freeze on a much smaller scale for my elderly parents. It helps them and they really like it.
Mel says
That’s such a nice thing to do for your parents! I’m trying to figure out the best way to share all the recipes, but are there any you wanted to start with?
For smaller portions, soups, pot pies, or lasagna might be good. Soups can be divided into smaller containers, and you can find small foil loaf pans for pot pies or lasagna. You could also just start with their favorite meals and just work on making them freezer-friendly. What do they like to eat?
Jennifer Jo says
I’d love the recipe for the no-bake granola bars, please!
Also, clarification: this is for a two-person household, correct?
Mel says
I’ve been trying to reply to this, but the reply just will not post for some reason. So, since I can’t seem to post the direct link, I will try just telling you how to find it. Try searching no bake granola bars on the blog Gimme Some Oven. It’s a smaller batch but a similar concept.
And yes, we are a two-person household.
I really hope this posts!
Jennifer Jo says
Thank you, Mel!!!
Gloria says
Wow! What a comprehensive post! We only have the freezer above the fridge, but I could still make better use of that than I do now. Do you have favorite low carb soups for freezing? Would love a few recipes.
Mel says
I’m eating pasta as I type this, so I might not be the best person to ask on low carb recipes, but I think some of our favorites could be adapted to be lower carb.
Hamburger Vegetable Soup (just omit the potatoes): https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/hamburger-soup/
Sausage White Bean Soup (just omit the beans): https://damndelicious.net/2015/03/21/slow-cooker-sausage-spinach-and-white-bean-soup/
Chicken Noodle Soup (perhaps using zoodles or spaghetti squash instead of egg noodles: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/30-minute-chicken-noodle-soup/
For the chicken noodle, I add fresh parsley and a bay leaf or two. I also reduce the water since I cook the noodles separately when serving.
If beans are low enough carb, I’ll have more ideas!
Mary Ann says
We make our Chicken soup without noodles all the time (Paleo), so we just add more chicken, carrots, and celery to ours to bulk it up.
Gloria says
Thank you, so much! These are great.
Gwenn says
OMG…..You should teach a master class in this or at least create a YouTube video. You have inspired me, your idea’s are FABULOUS and I’m taking the vast majority of them. I work from home which means I often end up working 50+ hour weeks so dinner is more often than not either really late or some random stuff put in a bowl and heated up (it’s just the HH and I). Thank you so much for this.
Would you mind sharing your meal lists & recipes?
Mel says
I’m so glad it’s helpful! I usually don’t work too many hours, but my schedule is unpredictable (often I’ll get held up walking out of my office at the end of the day, so any time-intensive meal I planned would go out the window), so I run into the same issues. I’m not really set up for YouTube, but I’ve taught some friends how to do this.
I’ll have to talk to Mavis to find the best way to post a list! I’ll try to reply to requests for individual recipes for now.
Gwenn says
One more question, what exactly is the name of the App you use to keep track of the contents of your freezer? I’m an Android user and when I search the Google Play app store there are quite a few with the word freezer in them. My freezer is packed and I’m honestly not completely sure what is in there and only slightly frightened to dig to the back.
Mel says
It was just called Freezer when I downloaded it, but it looks like it’s now called “My Freezer Collection.” I’m also an Android user, so it should be available.
When you go digging, wear your winter gloves or silicone oven mitts. It makes it a bit less daunting because your hands won’t freeze!
Holley says
WOW!!! You’re amazing!!! My two daughters and I are about to try to do something like this but on a smaller scale because one is about to have a baby and the other has two small children. I would LOVE some of your recipes!!! I especially am intrigued by your sesame noodle sauce and the granola bars??? Please figure out a way to share the recipes with us!!!! THANK YOU!
Mel says
My replies are taking a little bit to post, but I replied to Jennifer Jo above with the granola bars, so it should show up soon.
For the sesame noodles, I use this recipe from Pioneer Woman, but I reduce or omit the vegetable oil and use a bit of ground cayenne pepper instead of the chili oil.
https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/simple-sesame-noodles/
I also also make it into a meal by adding shrimp, pork, or chicken and tons of veggies (raw bell pepper and edamame, stir-fried broccoli, carrots, onions, etc.) It’s great warm or as a cold salad. The rice vinegar seems to keep it from freezing completely, so make sure the container is leakproof or remains upright. You can freeze shredded or grilled chicken, pork, or beef to add and save more time!
wendyinca says
I was curious about freezing shredded cooked chicken. Is it as good after you thaw it? Like if I made a cold chicken salad with it?
Mel says
I find it to be identical, but you can always test it by freezing a small batch to make sure you like it as much.
athena says
I agree with Mel that it’s pretty much the same as before I freeze it. I love having it around as a meal starter! I do taco meat, ground meat cooked with onions, salt & pepper. Meal starters make things so much easier to get dinner on the table quickly!
Cheryl says
Do you have a blog because I think we would all follow it. That is a lot of food, how many do you cook for? I don’t work and have the time to cook. I would love how you bread raw meat and then freeze it. Do you need to thaw before cooking?
Mel says
No, I can’t possibly do what Mavis does every day, so I don’t have a blog of my own!
There are just two of us, so it seems like a lot of food, but most recipes serve at least four, so I get a lot of mileage out of individual recipes. It’s also no more than we’d eat anyway over those months, just prepared ahead.
For the breaded meat, I use this recipe, which works for pork chops (I do boneless) or boneless, skinless chicken breast. It goes straight under the broiler from the freezer and is done in about 15 minutes. https://www.marthastewart.com/314062/breaded-pork-chops
I also like this recipe, which goes straight into the oven from the freezer. https://damndelicious.net/2012/07/19/oven-fried-chicken-with-homemade-coleslaw/
This year, I’m actually using the method from the first link (pounding thin, freezing, and broiling) but with the breading recipe from the second link.
Cheryl says
Thank you very much.
Lynn Y says
I definitely will be referring back to this post. There are great tips in here. It has re-inspired me to eat our way through the chest freezer and start anew this fall. The last time there was a medical emergency in our family (with a long recovery), I had wished I had freezer meals in the chest instead of whole hams and turkey. Thanks for the post!
Mel says
I’m so glad it’s useful! We also had some emergencies last fall, and I was so grateful the freezer was stocked by the time they unfolded. Good luck!
Mary Ann says
Wow, absolutely brilliant! I work at home, so I pretty much always have time to cook, but even someone like me can take a few of these ideas and use them. Thanks!
Love that the meal wheel came from your husband. Men have a way of keeping that childlike thing going forever. lol
I will be keeping up with comments on this thread to learn even more. 🙂
Mel says
I’m so glad it’s helpful! Sometimes, freezing can make daily cooking more efficient by letting you buy in bulk or take advantage of sales, so it can help even when time isn’t an issue.
Becky says
Mel,
French Swirl bread recipe, please!!!
Thank you,
Becky
Mel says
The French bread is in an old cookbook, and I can’t seem to find an online version, but the cinnamon swirl bread is here: https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/homemade-cinnamon-bread/
We gift it to our neighbors every fall, and I bought a larger mixer just so I can triple the recipe.
Brianna says
I have never owned a deep freezer until 2 years ago and it has been a learning curve. I forget I have it most of the time too. Your post is very helpful to me. I have bins in mine by category (poultry, pork, beef, fish/seafood, vegetables, fruit, snacks/novelties, prepared, etc.) and it works well for me. I’ve had a hard time learning the best way to package raw meats or vegetables. I’ve been blanching this summer so hopefully veggies are better. The meats I’m still trying to figure out, but I’ve pretty much figured out they always need to be repackaged after purchase. I’m glad to see you use ziploc bags because I was debating on buying a food saver, but I can’t justify the cost just for a freezer. I don’t have good luck freezing sauces because they seem gritty when I go to use them and I never knew about not putting pasta in the freezer (I guess my minestrone will be interesting when I defrost it). We eat a different diet when the hubby is here vs. when he is away, so I have 2 different cooking styles and pantries and it makes things a bit more complicated.
I’d love the black bean burger recipe and granola bar one, please!
Mel says
It’s a learning curve, for sure!
I’ve found Ziplocs to be much easier to use than a FoodSaver (we got rid of ours), and it uses the same amount of plastic. Pressing the air out with your fingers as you close the Ziploc produces a similar effect.
I don’t freeze pasta just to save room and thawing time (as with lasagna) and because it seems to absorb liquid (as with soup). But, you certainly can freeze pasta, so the minestrone might be fine! Just add more broth if it looks like it absorbed too much liquid.
The granola bar recipe is trying to post in my reply to Jennifer Jo above, and the black bean burgers are here: https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/black-bean-burger/
You can thaw the black bean burgers first if you want, but I usually just put them in a pan over low heat for a few minutes to thaw and then raise the heat to cook through and crisp the outside.
WendyinCA says
I typically freeze minestrone soup, but I find that the potatoes taste more mealy and not as good than the pasta. Do you include potatoes when you freeze your minestrone?
Mel says
My minestrone recipe doesn’t call for potatoes, so I don’t have that issue there, but potatoes are notorious for changing texture when frozen but I find it either doesn’t happen or is maybe far less noticeable in creamy or cheesy dishes. So, broth soups might not stay the same, but twice baked potatoes or creamy chowders are fine.
I actually sub barley for the pasta in minestrone (for no real reason).
Christa H. says
Great post! Lots of good ideas. Thank you
Mel says
You’re welcome!
Susie Janov says
Fabulous post! I prepared & froze 45 meals when I was pregnant & “nesting” 30 years ago, so I know the joy of this. I should start doing this for my 89 year-old mom who doesn’t eat as healthily as she should. I’d love to know what’s on your “smorgasnachos”! Sounds intriguing!
Mel says
Ah yes, those are really just nachos that my husband re-named. So, chips, cheddar cheese, monterey jack cheese, black beans, taco meat, diced tomato, corn, minced jalapeno and garlic, diced onion, cilantro, occasionally lima beans (my husband is crazy, and also I sometimes buy succotash instead of corn), sliced olives, and topped with cilantro and sour cream.
In season, I just pull stuff from the garden. In the winter, I use well-drained canned tomatoes, frozen corn, etc. I freeze the seasoned meat with the jalapeno and garlic, and I freeze the beans and sometimes the cheese. It makes for quick assembly.
A says
Mel, you utterly slay me. Thanks so much for this! Looking forward to seeing your recipes. A girl like me could learn a lot from you.
I would love to see more from you here.
Mel says
Ha! I don’t think I’ve ever slayed anyone before, but I’m so glad you liked it!
Janet in Woodway, WA says
Mel, I am very impressed! Thank you for taking the time to write this post and for the recipe links! I waiting for the no bake granola bar recipe to show up.
Wow, I am inspired!
Janet
Mel says
No problem! I think my most recent response to Jennifer Jo with directions for finding the granola bar recipe went through, so you should be able to find it now!
Jacqueline says
Great article Mel! Would you be willing to share your French bread and cinnamon swirl bread recipes?? Thanks
Mel says
Sure! The link to the cinnamon bread is in my reply to Becky above. The French bread is in an old cookbook, so I’ll have to ask Mavis if there’s a way to share that and all the others.
Rita says
Thank you Mel! What a fantastic post and love that you are taking the time to respond to the comments. WTG!!
Mel says
You’re welcome! I don’t think I could respond as thoroughly if I did it daily, but it works out every once in a while.
VANIA VIOTO PIRES says
Mel, you´re ah-mae-zingggg! I should have married you, not my husband!!! :)))))
Seriously, congratulations for a fantastic job! You´ve got it all down to a science, but I´ll try to copy some of your ideas. I´ll be in the lookout for your recipes. Do you blog?
Mel says
Thanks! I unfortunately don’t blog—I couldn’t possibly do what Mavis does!
Gina says
What an inspiration! Smart time saving ideas!
Mel says
Thanks! I hope the ideas are useful!
Mimi says
Wow. Impressive to say the least! I will bookmark this post to revisit in the cooler weather – just too hot to be in the kitchen with no AC right now but I would love to try some of these ideas.
Thank you so much for all the valuable info. Again…wow!
Mel says
Thanks! We have AC, so this is a good way to pass the time when it’s to hot to be outside anyway. There are some meals that don’t require using the stove or oven, so that may help if you want to start now, but I know some days are too hot to even move!
bobbi says
Fantastic. Please adopt me.
Mel says
Ha! I totally would, but I already always end up with a flock of adopted students before the school year is over.
Rachel says
Thank you for this inspiration!! I was feeling overwhelmed by the back-to-school thought but this makes it seem like I can get ahead of it. I’m standing in the kitchen right now getting started!
Mel says
Go for it! We don’t have kids, but we still feel the back-to-school frenzy with my job. A stocked freezer really streamlines our mornings and evenings.
WendyinCA says
WOW, Mel, you have totally inspired me! We are new empty nesters, and I was trying to figure out what to do about the dinner situation, now that I’ll be cooking for just two. I love your ideas and just want to say a big thank you!!!
Mel says
You’re welcome! It’s definitely helped me be more efficient since so many recipes are written for larger groups.
MaryEllen says
I can’t find the granola bar recipe?? This is crazy amazing!! Thank you for taking all that time!!
Mel says
It wouldn’t post for some reason! I tried phrasing it differently in my response to Jennifer Jo, and it finally went through (I think). Here it is as well:
I’ve been trying to reply to this, but the reply just will not post for some reason. So, since I can’t seem to post the direct link, I will try just telling you how to find it. Try searching no bake granola bars on the blog Gimme Some Oven. It’s a smaller batch but a similar concept.
Patti says
Inspirational!
Mel says
Thanks! I hope it helps!
Kendra says
There is some out there like me, Loved this post. You have truly inspired other. Way to go girl. I am a kitchen manager, I am going to check into the app for work also. Great ideas.
Mel says
I’m so glad you liked it! I hope the ideas and the app are useful!
Carla says
Mel, great ideas and organization. I’m in awe of your work ethic and organization.
Mel says
Thanks! But it’s really so much easier than it looks. I was not in the mood for it this year, but it came together fast and easily!
Rebecca says
WOW!! Mavis is my favorite blogger (EVAH!!), but you just wrote my favorite guest post!! What amazing information, and I love your labeled freezer bins. I, too, prep and freeze a lot, but it’s mainly stuff for the crockpot. Cannot say enough about how much I enjoyed this post! You just changed my world with the pounded and breaded chicken and pork that goes straight from freezer to oven- what a game changer!! I love that you’ve included links to recipes, and I recognize a lot of the sites from other recipes I’ve tried; I know they will produce quality meals. Thanks so much for taking the time to write such an informative tutorial.
Mel says
That’s so nice! Mavis is my favorite as well, so that’s super high praise.
And yes, I was so excited when I learned about the breaded chicken trick! I’m so happy you liked reading it!
Louise says
Mel, you ARE a rock star! You have some amazing tips. I’ve been baking for 40 years & never thought to freeze uncooked quick bread, muffin, or cupcake batter. What a great idea!! It’s almost like having a mug cake recipe ready to go. I can bake 1 cupcake/muffin or a dozen at any given time. Amazing!!! Thank you.
Mel says
Thanks! And I know! That concept was life-changing for me. I found out through a post The Kitchn did about freezing cupcake batter. We usually freeze half recipes so that we can have 6 muffins for a weekend breakfast and not have to eat a full dozen (not that I frown on eating the full dozen).
Donna says
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Fabulous post!!
Mel says
You’re welcome!
Chris says
Thanks Mel! I am thoroughly inspired by your post!!! I too am in education and have the summer off. Until Friday, I working constantly in the yard and garden- then Lyme disease happened and I cannot go out in the sun for the rest of the summer. Thanks to you, I now have something productive to work on and I will channel my time into preparing freezer meals for the fall. I loved all the pictures and ideas! Thanks for the recipe links above too. I hope we get to hear lots more from you in the future. Thank you for taking the time to post such an extensive and interesting post!
Mel says
Oh, I’m so sorry to hear about the Lyme Disease, but I’m glad this is a useful outlet! And I hope it makes your school year easier. Good luck!
Jenn from MA says
Wow-just-wow. Mel you are inspiring. This post was so timely for me as I just got the book “Not Your Mother’s Make Ahead And Freeze Cookbook” by Jessica Fisher in hopes of filling my freezer before school starts. Love your recipe ideas and will be pinning to try later. Thank you :). And Mavis thanks for sharing Mel’s ideas with all of us!
Mel says
I’m so happy it helps! I don’t have her book, but I love Jessica Fisher’s freezer slab apple pie recipe.
Sandy says
You are awesome!!! Just wondering where you got the freezer containers to freeze your black bean burgers.
I would like to purchase some.
Mel says
Thanks! I got them from Amazon, but it looks like they might be out of stock. Mine are called the MeisterBurger Silicone Burger Press, but there are several similar products on Amazon.
Emily B. says
I’m off to reevaluate my life. I thought I had my stuff together but APPARENTLY there is a whole other matrix level of organization, planning, and budgeting. Uh….thanks Mel?!
Seriously, this is amazing. I wish I were a tenth as organized and disciplined to do this.
Mel says
Oh, trust me, I’m a disaster in most areas of life. I’ve just got a handle on this one little corner of things. 😉
If you want to give this kind of cooking a shot, it’s really easier than it looks! You can try just doubling what you make for dinner some nights to get started. Or, if you have a spare day, pick a few recipes, put on an audiobook or music, and go for it!
Angela Davy says
Impressive!!
I want your recipes, your shopping list, your organization skills…thank you!!
Mel says
You’re welcome!
I’m working on sending a recipe list to Mavis, so that should happen, but I do the shopping in a few trips, so there;s not a single list! I’m not super organized by nature, but I’ve learned to be better over the years.
Rebecca in MD says
Thank you so much for all of these ideas! You have inspired me to make more freezer meals.
Mel (also in Maryland) says
No problem! I hope the ideas are helpful!
Tracy L. says
Thank you, what an inspiration you are. I also will be referring back to this post. I now have health issues and get very tired by the end of the day. Hopefully making these will help us to eat a healthier meal and save some money too. I’m also interested in both of the bread recipes. And, truly a ‘mind blown’ moment when I read you could freeze batter! THANK YOU AGAIN!!!
Mel says
I’m so sorry to hear about the health issues, but I do hope this helps. I had some health issues last fall, and the meals I froze over the summer really reduced the amount of time on my feet cooking, cleaning, and grocery shopping.
And yes, I was so suspicious of the batter thing when I first read it, but then I kept trying it, and it kept working! I haven’t tried buttermilk batters (like pancakes) since they oxidize in the fridge, but all other quick breads and muffins have worked.
Here’s the cinnamon bread, and I’ll include the source for the French bread in the list I’m sending Mavis: https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/homemade-cinnamon-bread/
Carol Ann says
Wow! You are amazing! I am totally in awe of your organizational and cooking skills. I would love the recipe for your meatballs and sauce that you pictured in your post. I hope that you are able to share some of your other recipes as well! Thanks for sharing your expertise!
Mel says
Thanks! Here’s the recipe: https://www.budgetbytes.com/teriyaki-meatball-bowls/
Cornstarch sauces can get a little funny when frozen, so I add the cornstarch gradually until it just starts thickening and then stop instead of adding the whole amount. Green onions also sometimes do not freeze well, so I use minced regular onion, shallot, or chives.
Melisha Swindell says
Thank you for all the ideas! I have a new goal for my freezer! I would love a detailed list of recipes if it can be done. Questions on the ones you have listed.
1. Red Rice and Beans. Do you add rice later after bean mixture is frozen?
2. 4 Cheese Garlic Spaghetti Squash. Do you uses all the three cheese’s?
3. We love Taco’s. Can I have your taco verde recipe?
4. Pasta noodles. Do you freeze those or do you just add the bolognese on fresh pasta. What bolognese recipe do you use?
5.Random- I have a large bag of popcorn Kernels from a scout fundraiser. I plan to freeze it for less waste. I also have leftover popcorn oil. Can I combine the oil and kernels. Will the oil freeze? I hate to thrown it away.
Thanks again!
Mel says
You’re welcome!
1. We serve over rice after thawing. You can freeze rice, but I don’t bother because it takes a lot of space and is easy enough to make later.
2. Do you mean all 4 cheeses? I do. Parmesan can change a bit when frozen, but I haven’t had that happen with that recipe. You could probably melt the Parmesan in when reheating the sauce if you prefer. We make the spaghetti squash fresh when we thaw the sauce as it’s not quite in season when I freeze the sauce.
3. Salsa Verde Chicken or Pork (We build tacos with other toppings after thawing.): https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/4-ingredient-slow-cooker-salsa-verde-chicken-recipe/
4. You can freeze cooked pasta, but I don’t. Like rice, it takes a lot of space in the freezer and is easy enough to prepare the night we eat. I use this Bolognese recipe (I do a mix of fresh and dried herbs): https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/ryans-bolognese-sauce/
5. I’ve never tried freezing popcorn kernels or oil, but I think both popcorn and oil have reasonably long shelf lives out of the freezer (when properly stored and sealed and all that), so you may not need to freeze to store them. I use expired popcorn as a vase filler in the fall (for flowers, nest one vase inside another and use the popcorn to fill the space between them so they don’t get wet), so that might be a non-food option for using them up.
Lisa Millar says
I am in awe. I love having meals in the freezer for the days I just don’t want to make the extra effort. But this…
Wow.
Would you like a Working Holiday to Tasmania??? 😀
Thanks for the inspiration.
Mel says
Why yes, I would love to go to Tasmania!
And yes, I love that I can really dress up a freezer meal if I have happen to have time and energy. But if I’m not up to it, it’s still perfectly fine by itself.
Tammy says
Wow, this is amazing! I don’t have an extra freezer so I couldn’t make so many things ahead, but I could definitely utilize my freezer better.
Mel says
Thanks! And I’m still finding ways to make things more efficient even with a larger freezer.
Shelby says
Sorry if you’ve already been asked this question..but do you have a website somewhere with all your freezer recipes abs instructions?
Mel says
I don’t have my own website, but Mavis has posted the whole list of recipes and tips here: https://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/mels-big-list-of-freezer-meal-recipes-and-freezer-meal-cooking-tips/
Dorie says
Love this post, I am so inspired! We live on a farm and butcher our own meat. Just wondering it probably would not be a good idea to thaw meat and prep it just to refreeze it again. I always thought if you defrosted it, it had to be cooked before refreezing it. For example our chicken is frozen as a whole bird, if I wanted to take the breasts off and bread and freeze and use the rest of the bird for another meal. Thanks so much I am just brimming with ideas!
Mel says
I believe you can technically defrost and refreeze (assuming everything is kept at safe temperatures), but the meat may change texture or quality. Depending on how you plan to use the meat, that may not matter.
Geni says
could you provide a source/link for your Freezer app? Thanks.
Mel says
I don’t have a direct link since it looks like I may have a slightly older version of it, but the new version seems to be called “My Freezer Collection” and is made by SoftWyer.
Geni says
Thank you!
Cari Fallis says
Hi Mel:
I’m interested in your “Sesame Sauce” with garlic. What’s the recipe, and what do you use it for? Sounds delicious!
Thank you,
Cari
Joanne says
You are so generous to share your wonderful post, Mel. Thank you very much. You are an inspiration!
Nancy says
As a retired teacher I am getting goosebumps reading this! The prep work, the organization, the labels on the bins, the wheel! I just love it! So teacherly!!!
Linda Practical Parsimony says
There are only the two of us. But, I just cannot cook every day for a variety of reasons. I hope to do something like this.
Hug For Your Belly says
I have never heard that red beans couldn’t be cooked in a slow cooker before this post. As a matter of fact, EVERYONE I have ever read before, including me, has done this. Can you please elaborate why you are of that opinion? I am honestly curious.
Juli Hall says
Mel, Would it be possible for you to self publish a cookbook with your recipes? I would be willing to purchase one. Just a thought.