Filling My Freezer Full Of Meals

This picture says it all organized, ready and  prepared - that is how I desire my freezer to look filled with freezer meals organized and ready to fill my families hungry appetite each night.

I found this picture on Pinterst which lead me to the blog What's Cookin, Chicago and her amazing list of Freezer meal recipes - lots of new recipes I have yet to feed my freezer with such as :

Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos

Mini Cheeseburger Meatloaves

Cornflake Chicken Tenders

Skillet Lasagna

Wondering how to begin feeding your freezer full of meals.  Try these two simple methods that I use when feeding my freezer




#1 Freezer bag Method

This method is used for your meals that are liquid-based, such as soups, chili's and stews or your semi-solid foods such as meats in marinades, stroganoffs, pre-cooked meats, etc.

Step 1 – Label your bag with date, content and quantity. Believe me, once it is frozen it can be very difficult to determine what is actually inside your now frozen zip bag or the quantity it will feed.

Sample :
Cranberry Chicken
3/20/2008
4 chicken Breasts

Step 2 – Insert food into freezer zip bags

Step 3 – Squeeze out as much of the air as possible so you can store them as FLAT bags and stack them on top of each other in your freezer.

Step 4 – On serving day, remove from freezer and either place in refrigerator on a pan or plate allowing to thaw completely or use the defrost on your microwave for seedy defrosting. Then cook the meal as directed in the original recipe.




#2 Wrap method with Foil/Plastic wrap

This method is used for your solid food items that need to hold a particular shape/form such as lasagna, meatloaf, enchiladas and casseroles.

Step 1 – Choose the pan/Pyrex dish you want to use for the proportion/size of meal you want to freeze.

Step 2 – Line it with foil wrap first then with a layer of plastic wrap (be sure to use a large enough piece of each to cover the bottom, sides and top of the dish).

Step 3 – Fill the dish with the size meal you are wanting to freeze.

Step 4 – When food is completely cooled, seal/cover with the plastic wrap, removing as much air as possible. Then seal/cover with the foil.

Step 5 – Now place the meal still in the pan into your freezer. Once the item has become frozen solid remove it from the pan and place it into a freezer bag. (Be sure to label the bag with the contents.)

Step 6 – On serving day, remove the meal from the freezer and allow it to thaw slightly. Then remove the foil and plastic wraps and place it the original baking dish. Allow to finish thawing and bake as directed from the recipe you used.


Tryout one of my families favorite  feed the freezer recipe from the Don't Panic - Dinner's in the Freezer cookbook.

Orange Teriyaki Chicken

¼ cup soy sauce
3 T. chopped onion
2 cloves garlic ( minced)
1 T olive oil
½ t. ground pepper
½ t. ground ginger
½ t. red pepper sauce
1 – 6oz. can orange juice concentrate
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Combine all ingredients except the chicken in a bowl and mix. Place the chicken breasts in a freezer bag ( the quantity you want for each meal) pour the marinade over the chicken, using the freezer bag method.

Serving Day: Thaw completely. Grill 4-6 inches from the heat source for 35-40 minutes. I have also placed these in my Oven and baked on 350 for 45- 60 minutes..

This is one of my FAVORITE feed the freezer cook books.....this is the first one I purchased over 10 years ago.



Do you have a YUMMY meal? post it in our comments and share it with the 24/7 MOMS

Make Your Own Frozen Pizza

Do your kids love pizza? Is your freezer filled with store bought pizza?  Do you prefer a fresh homemade pizza?  then you will love this how to tip:

How Make your own freezer pizzas from Freezer Dinner.com.  -  You can get step by step instructions on their web site and below you can view the how to make your own freezer pizza video. 

Ad this recipe to your feed the freezer recipes another cook once and eat twice recipe.

Click here for complete how to make homemade frozen pizza.

Taco Soup For The Crock Pot

Novotny's Taco Soup

1 lb ground beef
1 medium sized onion
2 cans whole kernel corn (drained)
2 cans Stewed tomatoes
2 cans red kidney beans
1 pkg taco seasoning
6 to 8 cups of water ( add more if needed)

Cook ground beef and drain. Add all of the ingredients and let simmer for 20 minutes or place in crock pot on low for 4 to 6 hours.

Top with grated cheese and Frito corn chips. Sour cream and salsa make a great topper as well.

**You can find  MORE great crock pot recipes and tips on our new Crock Pot Moms facebook page.  LIKE us by clicking here.

Freezer Egg Muffin Sandwich

Do your children enjoy those fast food muffin egg sandwiches?  Use this simple recipe from  Real Mom Kitchen to fill your freezer with on the go Egg Muffin sandwich's and save money.   Click here to read more from Real Mom Kitchen.

Freezer Egg and Muffin Sandwiches

12 English Muffins, toasted
1 Dozen Eggs, scrambled (I use a big electric skillet for this)
6 American Cheese Slices, halved
12 Deli Ham Slices

Scramble eggs; while eggs are cooking, split and toast muffins. (I cooked my eggs more like an omelet and then cut them into 12 squares) Once eggs are cooked, set up an assembly line of muffins, eggs, cheese, ham; assemble and allow time to cool, then wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze wrapped egg sandwiches in freezer bags or freezer boxes. I used a gallon size freezer bag to hold 4 sandwiches, these bad can be reused for each time I make them. Makes 12. To heat: wrap in a paper towel and microwave for 45-65 seconds. Be careful it will be nice and hot.

Muffins- Baking and Freezing How To's

Muffins make a great quick and easy breakfast when running late or for busy mornings.  You can make a variety of muffin flavors ahead and freeze them with this basic muffin mix recipe from Hillbilly Housewife.  One of my recent favorite muffins to make is using fresh raspberries - a definite gobble up muffin for my kids.


Basic Muffin Mix

• 2 C all purpose flour
• 1/3 C sugar
• 1 T baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 C canola oil
• 2 egg whites
• 1 C skim milk (from milk powder is fine)

Place the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Blend all the ingredients together well.

In a separate bowl blend the oil, egg whites and milk until blended completely together.

Pour into the dry mixture.

Mix just until everything is moistened.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare a muffin tin with a non stick cooking spray.

Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full of batter.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a couple of muffins comes out clean.

This is just a basic muffin recipe. You can anything you like to make these your own special muffins
choose from the below list of ideas and get baking and freezing muffins for your family.

• Blueberry
• Raspberries
• Apples and Walnuts
• Bananas and Nus 
• Blackberries
• Apples
• Apple and Pear
• Pumpkin
• Pumpkin and  Chocolate Chip
• Zucchini
• Zucchini and  Chocolate Chip
• Cranberry
• Oatmeal (reduce flour to 1 1/3 cup and add 3/4 cup rolled oats)
• Cheese (add 1/2 cup shredded cheese)

How To freeze Muffins - Hillbilly Housewife share two different ways one is freezing cooked muffins the other is freezing the muffin batter to bake your muffins later.  Click here for Hillbilly Housewife how to freeze muffins directions.

DIY Frozen Pancakes and Waffles

Today's Breakfast feed the freezer meal is DIY Frozen Pancakes and Waffles that you can easily create and freeze to simplify that morning madness in your home.

DIY Freezer Pancakes and Waffles

1. Make pancakes and/or waffles according to your box or recipe directions.  Leave pancakes and/or waffles to cool completely. ( We are a Bisquick pancake and waffle making family)
2. Place a sheet of wax or parchment paper in  a cookie sheet
3. Place the cooled pancakes and/or waffles on to the cookie sheet making  - do not allow them to touch each other.
4. If freezing  multiple  layers of pancakes and/or waffles, place another sheet of wax or parchment paper  to separate the layers.
5. Place the filled cookie sheet into your freezer. For about 4 to 5 hours allowing the pancakes and/or waffles to freeze .
6. When the pancakes and/or waffles are completely frozen, place them in a zip loc freezer bags or freezer-safe containers.
7. Be sure to mark the container/bag with date and contents using a permanent marker or freezer tape.

How to Reheat Pancakes and Waffles:

Oven re-heating:
Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet or toaster oven tray with foil or parchment paper. Place  the  number of pancakes  needed on to  cookie sheet and cover with foil. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until they are no longer frozen and heated to desired temperature.

Microwave re-heating:
Place pancakes on to a microwave safe plate and heat on high for 1 ½ – 2 minutes or until the pancakes are  no longer frozen and are heated through. ( this does create waffles to be a little soggy)

Toaster re-heating:

Place frozen pancakes and/or waffles into toaster and toast as you would a piece of toast. You may need to toast a second time if they are not  done to your likeness.

Top with butter, syrup, jams or peanut butter. Enjoy!

46 Feed The Freezer Meals In 4 Hours

My freezer is not just hungry it is starving.  Back in June we arrived home from our camping trip to a melted freezer, yes our filled freezer had turned off while we were away only to become a messy puddle surrounding our freezer. With a busy summer of traveling I had decided to wait to begin feeding my freezer  full of meals until school began again as I knew we would be on the go and our at home meals would be limited.

School is back in and the after school craziness has begun and not only is my freezer hungry but so is my family so it is time to begin feeding my freezer full of meals ready and waiting to be eaten by my family.

Where do I begin?  I found a great article that inspired me that feeding my freezer can not only save me time but money as well.  A Tutrle's Life shares her own experience creating 46 meals in 4 hours and how she saves money.  Click here to read her article.

How to feed the freezer : 

Even if you have limited freezer space or only own few freeze-able containers what I am about to share with you can and will work for you as well.

#1 – Choose recipes that freeze well

- Google recipes

- Purchase freezer cookbooks

- Check out freezer cookbooks from your local library 

- A few of our Favorite Recipes ( click on each one for full recipe)

             - Orange Teriyaki Chicken

             - Cranberry Chicken

             - Slow Cooked BBQ Beef

#2 – Make a plan

- Make a grocery list and do your shopping to prepare for your cooking time.

- Choose when you will create these meals

o Schedule a separate Cooking day or evening

o Double/triple recipes as you make your nightly dinners, freezing the 2nd or 3rd recipe you made.

#3 – Feed the freezer using TWO methods

Two simple ways to freeze your meals that take up minimal space and will now leave you with plenty of room for your Ice Cream and Eggo's

Two simple methods :

#1 Freezer Bag Method

This method is used for your meals that are liquid-based and semi solid foods that do not need to hols a particular shape. Such as soups, chilis and stews or your semi-solid foods such as meats in marinades, stroganoffs, pre-cooked meats. etc.

Step 1 – Label your bag with date, content and quantity and cooking instructions if you desire. Believe me, once it is frozen it can be very difficult to determine what is actually inside your now frozen zip bag or the quantity it will feed.

Sample :

Cranberry Chicken

3/20/2008

4 chicken Breasts

Step 2 – Insert food into freezer zip bags.

Step 3 – Squeeze out as much of the air as possible so you can store them as FLAT bags and stack them on top of each other in your freezer.

Step 4 – On serving day, remove from freezer and either place in refrigerator on a pan or plate allowing to thaw completely or use the defrost on your microwave for seedy defrosting. Then cook the meal as directed in the original recipe.

#2 Wrap method with Foil/Plastic wrap

This method is used for your solid food items that need to hold a particular shape/form such as lasagna, meatloaf, enchiladas and casseroles.

Cool your food first prior to using this method.

Step 1 – Choose the pan/Pyrex dish you want to use for the proportion/size of meal you want to freeze.

Step 2 – Line it with foil wrap first then with a layer of plastic wrap (be sure to use a large enough piece of each to cover the bottom, sides and top of the dish).

Step 3 – Fill the dish with the size meal you are wanting to freeze.

Step 4 – When food is completely cooled, seal/cover with the plastic wrap, removing as much air as possible. Then seal/cover with the foil.

Step 5 – Now place the meal still in the pan into your freezer. Once the item has become frozen solid remove it from the pan and place it into a freezer bag. (Be sure to label the bag with the contents.)

Step 6 –

Do you have a recipe that freezes well? email it to us at trisha@247moms.com and we will share it with the 24/7 MOMS

Let's Make A Meal Mondays

Welcome to our First Let’s Make a Meal Mondays –

Today I will fulfill my promise from a couple weeks ago - giving you more helpful hints and ideas on Feeding the Freezer.

One ice (road) block we have to over come is thinking our freezer space is NOT big enough to feed (freeze extra meals).

First, I want to encourage you to take 15 minutes to clean out your freezer. Toss those frozen hot dogs or last year's frozen berries that are now freezer burned. When I clean out my freezer I always have to laugh at the strange items I find and think "Why, oh why, did I place this in my freezer in the first place?!"

Let’s get started - grab a plastic garbage bag and begin tossing and organizing.

For some inspiration check out my blogger friend Sheila’s post on organizing her freezer
Next I want to give you 2 simple ways to freeze your meals that take up minimal space and will now leave you with plenty of room for your Ice Cream and Eggos

The 2 simple methods I use when feeding my freezer




#1 Freezer bag Method

This method is used for your meals that are liquid-based, such as soups, chilis and stews or your semi-solid foods such as meats in marinades, stroganoffs, pre-cooked meats, etc.


Step 1 – Label your bag with date, content and quantity. Believe me, once it is frozen it can be very difficult to determine what is actually inside your now frozen zip bag or the quantity it will feed.

Sample :
Cranberry Chicken
3/20/2008
4 chicken Breasts

Step 2 – Insert food into freezer zip bags

Step 3 – Squeeze out as much of the air as possible so you can store them as FLAT bags and stack them on top of each other in your freezer.

Step 4 – On serving day, remove from freezer and either place in refrigerator on a pan or plate allowing to thaw completely or use the defrost on your microwave for seedy defrosting. Then cook the meal as directed in the original recipe.




#2 Wrap method with Foil/Plastic wrap

This method is used for your solid food items that need to hold a particular shape/form such as lasagna, meatloaf, enchiladas and casseroles.
Step 1 – Choose the pan/Pyrex dish you want to use for the proportion/size of meal you want to freeze.
Step 2 – Line it with foil wrap first then with a layer of plastic wrap (be sure to use a large enough piece of each to cover the bottom, sides and top of the dish).
Step 3 – Fill the dish with the size meal you are wanting to freeze.
Step 4 – When food is completely cooled, seal/cover with the plastic wrap, removing as much air as possible. Then seal/cover with the foil.
Step 5 – Now place the meal still in the pan into your freezer. Once the item has become frozen solid remove it from the pan and place it into a freezer bag. (Be sure to label the bag with the contents.)
Step 6 – On serving day, remove the meal from the freezer and allow it to thaw slightly. Then remove the foil and plastic wraps and place it the original baking dish. Allow to finish thawing and bake as directed from the recipe you used.
Today's Let's Make a Meal Monday recipe is another YUMMY feed the freezer recipe from the Don't Panic - Dinner's in the Freezer cookbook.

Orange Teriyaki Chicken

¼ cup soy sauce
3 T. chopped onion
2 cloves garlic ( minced)
1 T olive oil
½ t. ground pepper
½ t. ground ginger
½ t. red pepper sauce
1 – 6oz. can orange juice concentrate
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Combine all ingredients except the chicken in a bowl and mix. Place the chicken breasts in a freezer bag ( the quantity you want for each meal) pour the marinade over the chicken, using the freezer bag method.

Serving Day: Thaw completely. Grill 4-6 inches from the heat source for 35-40 minutes. I have also placed these in my Oven and baked on 350 for 45- 60 minutes..

This is one of my FAVORITE feed the freezer cook books.....this is the first one I purchased over 10 years ago.




Do you have a YUMMY meal? post it in our comments and share it with the 24/7 MOMS

I am NOT a cook - I feed the freezer

I am not a Cook and Cooking is NOT my thing ( just ask my mom, husband and friends)....however with a family of 7 taking off the chef hat was not going to be an option ....instead I needed to come up with a method of cooking that would not only keep my family happily feed but would de-stress my role as a chef.

The solution to my “NOT my thing” cooking dilemma is what I refer to as "Feed the Freezer" for the past 10 years it has completely changed my entire cooking and meal planning STRESS.

The concept of "Feed the Freezer" is to choose my favorite freezable recipes and double and triple them so that I can begin feeding my freezer full of extra meals. After doing this several times soon my freezers is full of a variety of meal choices and makes my meal planning SIMPLE.

Now I can easily place that chef hat on as if cooking is “My Thing”.

Check back later this week to read additional helpful hints and recipes from Trisha’s “Feed the Freezer" method of simplifying your cooking and meal planning stress.

Today's "Feed the Freezer" recipe:

Cranberry Chicken - from "Don't Panic it’s in the freezer" cookbook

4 skinless/boneless chicken breasts
1 8 oz. bottle of Catalina Dressing

1 package dry onion soup mix
1- 1 lb can whole berry cranberry sauce

You can double and triple these ingredients to make multiple freezer meals.

Mix together dressing, onion soup mix and cranberry sauce. Place the desired amount of chicken and mixture together in a freezer bag. Freeze. On cooking day: Thaw completely. Place chicken with cranberry sauce in greased baking dish and bake at 350 degrees hour 1 to 1 ½ hours uncovered.Or place in the Crock Pot on low for 8 hours.

Don’t forget to write on your freezer bag what is inside and the quantity.

Check out http://lysaterkeurst.blogspot.com/ for Lysa's recipe swap