How to Prepare Freezer Meals

 

I have received several requests from blog readers asking for my Freezer Meal Recipes. I have avoided this question as much as possible and I am finally going to come clean. I don't really have written Freezer Meal Recipes. I do have a few resources I use and I have posted a few of my recipes (I will include links to these at the bottom of this post). For the most part, I make-up recipes using ingredients I have in my pantry.

The basic recipe for a Freezer Meal is :

• raw meat
• 1 can cooking soup
• 1 soup can water (sometimes milk)
• seasoning.

Place all of the ingredients in a Ziploc freezer bag and lay flat in the freezer. To prepare, run warm water on the bag until you can break it into several pieces. Place in the crockpot and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

For example, one of the basic recipes I use is for Sunday Chicken. This consists of 1 lb. raw Chicken Breasts, 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup, 1 soup can water & 1 packet of dry onion soup mix. I serve this with either mashed potatoes or rice and a veggie (usually green beans).

 Some of my favorite cooking soups are:

• Cream of Mushroom
• Cream of Chicken
• Cream of Onion
• Cream of Chicken & Mushrooms
• Cream of Chicken with Herbs
• Cream of Mushroom with Roasted Garlic
• Golden Mushroom
• Cheddar Cheese
• Fiesta Nacho Cheese
• French Onion
• Tomato
• Cream of Shrimp

I did not include Cream of Celery in my list because I personally do not like the flavor of it but it can be used too. You can also use Tomato Sauce, Chicken Broth or Beef Broth in a freezer meal.

 A Freezer Meal does not have to be complicated. You can add 2 cups Spaghetti Sauce (homemade or store bought) to a ziploc bag and add 1 lb. of raw chicken. Now you have Chicken Parmesan. Simply add the contents of the bag to your crockpot and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Serve over pasta and top with cheese.

I have also taken 2 cups of salsa and added 1 lb. raw chicken. This makes yummy Chicken Tacos or can be served with Mexican Rice. There are no limits to the Freezer Meals you can create. Use ingredients your family likes and combine with ingredients you have in your pantry.

One time I made a Freezer Meal & labeled it Itailan Chicken. It was delicious!! Unfortunately I had no idea what was in it. I am guessing that I probably had some leftover ingredients and I just tossed them in the bag and labeled it so you might want to include a list of ingredients on the ziploc bag so this doesn't happen to you!

This is one of our favorite Freezer Meals. I buy the boneless Country Style Ribs and put them in a frezer bag. I then add barbecue sauce and a little water and freeze. These can be cooked in the crockpot for 4-6 hours, in the oven at 400 degrees for 1 hour or on the grill.

My best advice is to get creative & don't be afraid to experiment. There are no right or wrong recipes, just use your family's taste to determine what ingredients you use in a Freezer Meal.


Here are links to some of the freezer meal recipes I have posted:

• Crockpot Asian Chicken
• Spiced Cranberry Turkey
• Crockpot Chicken Curry
• Easy Cheesy Dump & Go Chicken
• Crockpot Chicken & Dumplings
• Taco Roast
• Easy Crockpot Sunday Roast
• Meatballs 

Here are some of my freezer cooking resources:

• Campbell's Kitchen
• Once a Month Mom (website)
• Once a Month Cooking (book)
• Once a Month Cooking Family Favorites

This post is linked to:

• What's Cooking Wednesday
• Cast Party Wednesday