https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 25 Apr 2026 12:05:38 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-freezer-meals#post-2794748 Wed, 03 Jan 2018 09:18:24 +0000 LadyDi 2794748@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@gingerbebe: Perfect, thank you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-freezer-meals#post-2794060 Fri, 29 Dec 2017 12:25:58 +0000 gingerbebe 2794060@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LadyDi: I package it in freezer bags while still hot, lay flat, and freeze. The steam and moisture freezes with the rice. When you reheat, just open a small steam vent and nuke for 90 seconds to 2 minutes.</p> <p>When it’s in the portioned containers with entrees and veg, there’s enough moisture in the surrounding food to keep it moist during reheat.</p> <p>Cold rice is great for fried rice or to get dumped into soups! :-) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-freezer-meals#post-2793998 Fri, 29 Dec 2017 08:01:23 +0000 LadyDi 2793998@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LemonJack: Thank you!<br /> @gingerbebe: When you freeze cooked rice and thaw it, does it dry out? Or how do you keep it from drying out? I feel like if I have leftover rice that I refrigerate and then use later in the week it ends up being too dry.<br /> @jhd: The Aldi jarred curry sauce is one of my favorites and is a lifesaver for quick meals. Thanks for the suggestions! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-freezer-meals#post-2793943 Thu, 28 Dec 2017 18:44:14 +0000 jhd 2793943@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I like to do similar things to what @gingerbebe: suggested. I prefer to cook something and then freeze leftovers in individual portions so my husband or myself can just grab something from the freezer when we are hungry. Or cook meat ahead of time and freeze and add starch and veggies later. I do this all the time, but it’s especially helpful when I’m pregnant and tired. Hoping it will continue to work well for us when baby 2 arrives. </p> <p>For example, yesterday I baked 5-6 lbs of chicken breast in the oven. For dinner I made rice in the rice cooker, sautéed some veggies, added some chicken, and topped it with a jarred curry sauce from Aldi. There were 2 portions leftover and they went into the freezer for DH to eat for lunches next week (we like leftovers but we don’t like eating the same thing 3 days in a row!) The rest of the chicken I cut into 3-4 oz portions, wrapped them up, and put it in a freezer bag so I can grab cooked chicken to add to stir fry, pair with a baked potato and veg, etc later this week or next.</p> <p>Another easy favorite is individual taco or burrito bowls. I put rice, beans, meat, veggies in individual containers and freeze. Then we keep those individual wholly guacamole packs in the fridge. Add salsa, tortilla chips, lettuce etc later I’d you have them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-freezer-meals#post-2793930 Thu, 28 Dec 2017 17:09:18 +0000 gingerbebe 2793930@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I actually don't like freezer meals where you have to thaw and then cook the meal later. For some reason, it never seems to actually save time for me. So I like to either completely freeze pre-cooked meals (sorta like a homemade TV dinner) or I batch-cook components of meals and freeze them in portioned bags.</p> <p>I freeze spaghetti meat sauce and chili flat in gallon sized bags - they take up less space that way and they thaw in a snap. </p> <p>I will freeze portions of cooked, crumbled ground beef or turkey (plain or taco), cook shredded chicken (usually with some salsa and chicken taco seasoning in the crock pot or IP, drained of excess liquid), plain pulled pork (to add BBQ sauce to later or use as carnitas), and shredded beef (I use the Mississippi Roast recipe all over Pinterest). I usually fill quart size freezer bags with about 1.5-2 cups of meat and that is enough for a meal and they also thaw fast or can go directly into the pot frozen.</p> <p>Before each of my kids were born, I bought black plastic take-out containers on Amazon and just froze individual portions of whatever we ate for dinner in the third trimester. I made meals that freeze well, like rice based dishes. Jambalaya, red beans and rice, any kind of curry over rice (Thai and Indian curries with chicken or chickpeas) - all of those would have veggies thrown into the mix, like peas, onions, bell peppers, zuchinni, and green beans, which also freeze and reheat well. </p> <p>I also made lots of meat entrees that freeze and reheat well. Meatballs, meatloaf, smothered pork chops, cooked slice sausages, all would get portioned and then I'd add a scoop of still-frozen veggies and a starch (literally like rice or a scoop of mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes from the tub that you buy at the store, or stuffing). Trader Joes also sells frozen pucks of mashed sweet potatoes and regular mashed potatoes that I've also used.</p> <p>If we ate turkey or ham, I'd make a few dinners that were more "feasty" like, ham/turkey, some Stove Top stuffing, some frozen corn and green beans. Then I just keep a packet of gravy mix and a small can of cranberry sauce in the pantry just for this purpose!</p> <p>Rice freezes and reheats well. I have a rice cooker with a warm setting for my Asian short grained rice that I always have on hand, but whenever I cook basmati, jasmine, or Spanish style rice, I almost always double or triple it and freeze them in quart size freezer bags. They nuke up in a few seconds.</p> <p>Brothy soups freeze the best for me. I usually make a big crock of vegetable beef soup or chicken and veggie soup and just add potatoes, noodles, or rice later on. The New York Times also has a recipe for a red lentil soup with lemon that is fantastic and freezes well too.</p> <p>I'd just double whatever our dinners were and then pack up half of it in portions and freeze. (Yes, we have a chest freezer). </p> <p>After my kids were born, my meals were totally random and snacky for months, but my husband needed real meals, so having these meals portioned and frozen were a godsend for us. He could dig into the freezer and pull out 4-5 different meals and put them in the fridge where they would thaw and then he would have lunches and dinners sorted out without me having to think about it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-freezer-meals#post-2793897 Thu, 28 Dec 2017 13:32:42 +0000 SweetCaroline 2793897@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: Great ideas, thanks for sharing! All my freezer ideas are so hearty and heavy--I think that's what holds me back from stocking my freezer any more! You've given me some good inspiration now...I just picked up a big bag of shrimp from Costco. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-freezer-meals#post-2793887 Thu, 28 Dec 2017 12:33:46 +0000 LemonJack 2793887@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LadyDi:<br /> Pot pie:</p> <p>-3 tablespoons butter<br /> -minced onions &amp; celery if desired<br /> -1/4 - 1/3 c flour<br /> -1 1/4c chicken broth/stock<br /> -1/2 - 1/3 c evaporated milk<br /> -1 package frozen veggies (I use soup mix)<br /> -rotisserie chicken<br /> -salt, pepper, garlic, parsley, thyme, poultry seasoning, Italian herb mix, oregano (I use a combo of these...whatever I feel like)<br /> -pie crust </p> <p>-melt butter over low heat, add onions and celery and cook until onions are translucent<br /> -add flour and stir<br /> -pour in chicken broth and stir, allowing to thicken<br /> -add salt, pepper, and other seasonings to taste<br /> -add in evaporated milk and stir<br /> -mix in veggies and chicken, and allow to cook a few minutes<br /> -pour into pie pan and cover with crust<br /> -bake for 30-35 mins at 400 F</p> <p>I don't have exact amounts for a lot of the stuff because I wing it. I usually use one small/medium sized onion. I add a few stalks of celery if I have it. I usually use a Costco rotisserie chicken, and don't use all of it (maybe 3 c worth?). When I use a smaller rotisserie chicken from a regular grocery store I use it all.</p> <p>I will usually make a few at a time and just freeze them uncooked. If you do that, usually two Costco rotisserie chickens are enough for three pot pies.</p> <p>When cooking, really it's just reheating them then, because the rotisserie chicken is pre-cooked. Just keep in mind it takes a few days for them to defrost. You can cook them from frozen too, but it takes a lot longer, and I turn the oven down to 325. I've also made individual pot pies before, which is nice since they cook much faster from frozen. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-freezer-meals#post-2793884 Thu, 28 Dec 2017 11:46:22 +0000 LemonJack 2793884@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yoursilverlining: That's good to know. I've always been nervous about doing that, feeling like the texture will be off. I'll have to try to freeze some next time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-freezer-meals#post-2793883 Thu, 28 Dec 2017 11:37:39 +0000 yoursilverlining 2793883@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LemonJack: I do; but I don't add cream to it before I freeze (tho I don't know whether that really makes a big difference??). I make big batches, blend and freeze into individual servings and then when I reheat it I'll add in a bit of cream to make it creamier. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-freezer-meals#post-2793879 Thu, 28 Dec 2017 11:17:43 +0000 LemonJack 2793879@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yoursilverlining: Do you freeze your potato leek soup? That's one of our favorite winter meals, but I'm leery about freezing it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-freezer-meals#post-2793872 Thu, 28 Dec 2017 10:52:07 +0000 LadyDi 2793872@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: These are great suggestions, thanks! @LemonJack: I would definitely take the pot pie recipe. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-freezer-meals#post-2793868 Thu, 28 Dec 2017 10:36:41 +0000 yoursilverlining 2793868@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Agree with @Looch on buying frozen fish/shrimp. So many freezer meals are super heavy casseroles or ground beef recipes, which we just don’t really eat normally so that makes it harder. </p> <p>Additional ideas:</p> <p>Beef barley soup (I cook the barley separately and when it’s just a tad underdone add it to the soup only in the last 15 minutes or so of cooking the soup, then cool and freeze immediately so the barley doesn’t soak up all the liquid and become mushy while frozen/reheated.)</p> <p>Potato/leek soup</p> <p>Borscht </p> <p>Korean beef (slice it super thin and freeze in the marinade) then just steam up some broccoli and cook rice. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-freezer-meals#post-2793865 Thu, 28 Dec 2017 10:26:32 +0000 LemonJack 2793865@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We end up with mostly heartier meals frozen because those seem to freeze the best. Right now we have:</p> <p>-chicken pot pies<br /> -lasagna<br /> -spaghetti sauce<br /> -black bean burgers<br /> -ground beef for tacos or enchiladas<br /> -chicken noodle soup<br /> -pulled pork crock pot meal<br /> -frozen fish and shrimp</p> <p>Of all of those, we go through the black bean burgers and fish the fastest.</p> <p><a href="http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2009/02/homemade-black-bean-burgers.html?m=1" rel="nofollow">http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2009/02/homemade-black-bean-burgers.html?m=1</a></p> <p>I can also give you the pot pie recipe if you'd like it. It uses rotisserie chicken and some evaporated milk. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-freezer-meals#post-2793850 Thu, 28 Dec 2017 09:33:39 +0000 oldschooolmama 2793850@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Following! I plan to stock up on a bunch of freezer meals prior to the baby arriving. </p> <p>I will add I also plan to stock up on some of the awesome trader joes frozen meals. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-freezer-meals#post-2793848 Thu, 28 Dec 2017 09:31:32 +0000 LemonJack 2793848@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: Good ideas! We end up just buying pre-marinated frozen fish from Costco, but I might try your ideas too! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-freezer-meals#post-2793845 Thu, 28 Dec 2017 09:26:39 +0000 looch 2793845@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I find that the typical freezer meals are beef/chicken/pork heavy and I like to eat seafood some nights, so I'll post some seafood ideas, since the standards are always covered in these kinds of threads.</p> <p>I buy a bag of the individually frozen shrimp. I can defrost those in about 10 minutes (in a bowl of cold water) and sauté them quickly in a frying pan with a bit of chopped onion, parsley and olive oil. I buy bags of frozen onions so I don't have to chop them and I freeze herbs too, sometimes with stock.</p> <p>I like to buy filets of fish, like salmon and tilapia. I will marinate them and freeze them. If I remember to take them out the night before, I can defrost them in the fridge and they cook through in the oven in about 15 minutes. I will place them in a shallow baking dish with the contents of a bag of frozen vegetables (Asian or Mediterranean mix). I like to use the broiler feature in the oven to brown them nicely on top.</p> <p>I am always looking for new ideas, sometimes I see whole scallops on sale. They're great in the oven, with a sprinkle of breadcrumbs and paprika on top, I just freeze them with a bit of butter in the bag to make my life easy then I just shake the breadcrumbs on top when I am baking them. This is delicious with pasta.</p> <p>I have found I can't do chopping during the week, but I have no issue throwing a few things together and then doing the actual cooking. </p> <p>For rice, I buy Veetee brand packages from Amazon. Yes, they are expensive compared to bulk bags, but for the 2 times a month we eat rice, it's worth it to me. I don't bother with cooking and freezing rice, I don't have the space for that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-freezer-meals#post-2793842 Thu, 28 Dec 2017 09:03:49 +0000 SweetCaroline 2793842@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Following! I'm in a routine groove of preparing 6-8 "batches" (each batch makes about 2 meals, we usually eat half for dinner and the other half for either lunch or dinner the next day) of the following:</p> <p>Meatloaf<br /> Fully Cooked Meatballs (use with spaghetti sauce or a stroganoff/mushroom sauce)<br /> Chicken Pot Pie<br /> Stuffed Shells (I should be doing lasagna too)<br /> Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole<br /> Sloppy Joes<br /> Beef (or Venison) Taco Meat</p> <p>Basically, I never just prepare ONE of the above, I always produce them in mass quantity. I love allrecipes.com for batch cooking, you can easily multiply the recipes using their website.</p> <p>Also, I freeze tons of bags of chicken breast strips in marinade. We thaw in the fridge starting the night before, then stirfry the next night. I keep coordinating bags of rice on hand and add a veggie for a complete meal. For example, marinate chicken in lemon or lime juice and cilantro, use cilantro lime rice. The rice is stupid expensive in those little bags, but its worth the convenience to me. I've heard people have good luck with batch cooking brown rice and freezing too!</p> <p>Thanks for starting this thread, I need more recipes to add to my freezer collection. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-freezer-meals#post-2793840 Thu, 28 Dec 2017 08:40:21 +0000 LadyDi 2793840@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am sure there are plenty of other threads for this, but what are your tried and true freezer meals? I am going to spend this weekend doing some food prep before baby #2. I already have frozen sauce and meatballs. I plan on doing chili, pulled pork, and meatloaf. Crockpot or instant pot "dump" meals and hearty soup recipes would be appreciated! </p>