What are some of the best meals to freeze?
I'm going to visit my brother, sister n law and adorable 13 month nephew next weekend. Besides taking care of the little guy they both work, oh and he just started walking so he is an extra handfull now.
During my visit I would like to make some meals for them to freeze so they don't have to order in so much or stir up pasta late at night for themselves. What food/dishes freeze best? Thanks for your help.
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19 Comments:
Soups and stews. Lasagna and casseroles. Meatballs.
(Just a few suggestions... I'm sure there will be plenty of others!)
Kerosena at 10:15AM on 01/30/08
one of my favorite things to make and then freeze are soups and stews.
ceforrester at 10:16AM on 01/30/08
I've stocked freezers for friends/family with newborns or those facing big life challenges. The most successful has been lasagna. I use the recipe for Lasagna Bolognese in Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. Always a hit.
Soups and stews do freeze well and are so much healthier than the canned nonsense on grocery store shelves.
Anything braised (short ribs, lamb shanks, beef burgundy).
I like to tape a post-it or index card with reheating instructions and if there is a side item that I have also included in the freezer.
Enjoy your nephew!
wookie at 10:44AM on 01/30/08
Enchiladas freeze well. Pasta sauce is nice to have on hand. And casseroles ... mac & cheese, shepherd's pie. And as a nice parting gift, how about leaving the fridge stocked with day or two's worth of fresh food, like veggies & sauces cut for a stir-fry or two.
kjgibson at 11:16AM on 01/30/08
Meatloaf...plus you can make them the right size for the family.
jolene278 at 12:32PM on 01/30/08
One of my most successful food gifts is an assortment of homemade cookie doughs. They freeze beautifully and with the right doughs... oatmeal, chocolate chip, sugar, etc. you can just slice off and bake as many or as few as you want and leave the rest frozen. Or, if you're like me, you can just whack off a hunk of frozen cookie dough and eat it for a quick snack.
You could also add some savory slice-and-bakes, like cheddar/herb crackers.
elizabethw at 2:23PM on 01/30/08
Oooh, also quiche or a frittata. Cook and cool, then cut into slices- some small ones for snacks and larger ones for meals. Freeze indiviually or in packs of 2,3, or 4. Easy to take out of the freezer and heat up quickly.
Kerosena at 3:54PM on 01/30/08
Being a family of two has it's portion challenges. We love to make fresh pasta and in order to not over-indulge because all recipes usually make a very large amount, we spread the pasta out on the granite island with a bit of flour or semolina, then divide the pasta and only cook half for our meal. Let the rest dry a bit and then freeze it in large containers. You can cook it right from the frozen state and it doesn't really take any longer than from fresh. Fresh gnocchi also freezes extremely well on a sheet and then put it in a freezer bag when ithey are individually frozen. We can usually have a couple different kinds of pasta ready to go at any one time. When you have the craving for starch and carbs, you just gotta have it!
We also put half of a casserole-type dinner in the freezer for the next week on a busy night so we don't have to get sick of a dish we really like by eating it for 3 days straight.
Also found out for the holidays that gougeres freeze very well to have on hand for a quick and really impressive appetizer. I had extra pastry left from Thanksgiving pies so I made mini-tarts and froze them. At Christmas we took out the baked shells, filled them with Roquefort cheese and topped them with caramelized red onion-balsamic marmalade and popped them in the oven. Wow, the guests were impressed with those little apps. But you can really use your ingenuity with an infinite number of fillings. Pastry freezes exceptionally well.
frederika at 5:18PM on 01/30/08
My FAVORITE thing to give is soup. I prefer carrot soup, split pea, minestrone, alphabet, chicken - you can give just the soup, or you can delight your receivers with a complementary salad, always warm bread, and a batch of cookies. Soup has an excellent "feel good" quality that can be separated out into individual portions, and, depending on the recipe, can be considered quite gourmet and rather impressive.
MrsMcCorkle at 7:04PM on 01/30/08
Lasagne, any kind of casserole, soup, quiche, meatballs
Basically, if you can stick it in the oven or in a pot on the stove, and wait an hour or so for it to heat through, it's going to work well defrosted.
ChristineB at 1:45AM on 01/31/08
I like to freeze uncooked stuffed peppers. Just pop them in a freezer bag with tomato juice to protect them. When I want one for dinner, I get it out in the morning and put it in a baking dish in the refrigerator. When I get home from work I can put them in the oven even if they are still partially frozen, and while they cook, I finish dinner. It works for cabbage rolls, too.
cucinacecilia at 10:55AM on 01/31/08
Paella freezes and thaws nicely.
phaelon56 at 12:16PM on 01/31/08
sloppy joe mixture. Pulled pork
aharste at 2:19PM on 01/31/08
Lasagne, soups, stews (as mentioned above), dolmades, spring rolls, chinese dumplings etc etc etc.
ssnmr77 at 7:52PM on 01/31/08
I make a yummy spaghetti sauce that takes a ton of fresh tomatoes and prep work so when I do it I make a lot, enough for 4+ meals and then freeze it in separate containers. Thaws nicely over the course of the day if put in the fridge first thing in the morning.
lindygirl at 2:14PM on 02/01/08
Chicken soup with matzo balls!
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 3:31PM on 02/01/08
Stuffed Pasta Shells
Whenever I make stuffed shells (one of my daughters favorite meals) I always make double the amount I need. I fill the shells with the cheese filling, place in a devilled egg plastic container that I have and keep in the freezer. On the day I want to cook them for dinner, I take them out of the freezer and put in the fridge before I go to work. When I get home from work they are ready to pop into the oven. I also usually have some marinara sauce thawed as well. It makes for an easy yet delicious work night meal. Also a very nice treat for a friend with a new baby or medical condition.
Angie_Earthy at 9:23PM on 02/01/08
Angie_Earthy, what a great idea using the deviled egg container for the shells. I never use it for actual deviled eggs anymore. It would work for anything that you want to individually scoop. Perfect!
frederika at 9:55PM on 02/06/08
oooh, that reminds me... i have a pan of christmas stuffing in the freezer! chestnuts, sausage, and pecans!
cybercita at 12:04AM on 02/07/08