Freezer Recipies?

[Katydid]

someone was reading my mind!! i was just recently thinking about freezing gluten free food. reading through this thread, i have so many questions---i hope i can remember them all. katydid--- why will sweet rice flour work better for thickening and freezing than regular rice flour? do you use sweet rice flour for thickening the same way you would use wheat flour? (2 TB. flour-2 TB butter per cup of liquid)

jen---what recipe do you use for sweet roles---i want to make some for my girls.

marciab---how do you use your millet and quinoa, and how do you cook them?

TCA---do you freeze your chicken in the marinade, or do you marinate it first, and then freeze it, and then cook it after it thaws?

how do most of you cook your rice? i have tried steaming it with a lid on, but it always boils out the top. i have tried boiling it with alot of water like pasta. i have the best luck when i use a rice cooker---plus i don't have to watch it, but my rice cooker is a small size.

christine

Hi Chrissy--Katydid here

Not sure why sweet flour works better for frozen foods. I just remembered reading that hint in one of my gluten free cook books; so I tried it, and it really works.

I freeze a ton of stuff, but one of my favorites is pizza crust and my pizza toppings. I use Kinnikinnick pizza crust mix and bake them in a pie tin. (oil your hands well to spread the crust in the pan and poke holes in the bottom first so it doesn't bubble up) Bake about 15 minutes @ 350. When baked, remove from pan to a rack to cool, then just bag and freese. For my toppings, I brown one pound italian sausage with some onion, green pepper and 1 tsp of italian seasoning and add a jar of Ragu pizza sauce. Then I divide this among 4 1-cup margarine tub containers and freeze. This is exactly the right amount for the pie tin size pizza. This is so convenient, because to start pizza from scratch when I get home from work is a bit much. All I have to do is thaw the crust 30 seconds in the microwave and thaw each margarine tub for 2 minutes in the microwave. Spread toppings on crust, add shredded cheese and bake @ 400 about 12/14 minutes. What used to be a real ordeal is now one of the quickest things I can fix. Freezer to table in under 20 minutes. If you were making pepperoni or anything that doesn't require cooking, you could just add that and the sauce right from the jar; we just happen to like italian sausage. One tip I picked up is when baking your pizza, use one of those pans with the small holes in the bottom as it keeps the crust from getting soggy.

I have a Ron Popiel pasta maker, and before the gluten free suppliers came out with such great pasta, I used to make about 10 different kinds of pasta at a time and freeze it raw. I still do that for my noodles because I haven't found a great one yet.

I make mini cream puffs, fill with vanilla pudding and freeze. I freeze pie crusts, but they are delicate so don't lay anything on top of them in the freezer.

I never throw any bread products out. I always make crumbs out of anything past its prime and freeze for casseroles or cut in cubes for bread pudding, stuffing or croutons. I make chinese noodles out of deep fried spaghetti and freeze (add some soy sauce and seasoning)

I don't think I could cook gluten free without my freezer. Next to my kitchen aid mixer and microwave, its my next best friend. Of course my first best friend is my gluten free hubby.

[TCA]

I make mini cream puffs, fill with vanilla pudding and freeze. I freeze pie crusts, but they are delicate so don't lay anything on top of them in the freezer.

[jenvan]

Jen,

What kind of flour did you use in your gravy? I would love to get mine to freeze well, but both times I tried it changed consistency and became inedible.

I use sweet rice flour.

Oh, I also have made gluten-free flour tortillas and frozen them as well. I got a tortilla press. However, now that I am cf, and no cheese--that means I'm less interested in tacos in the like!

[Smunkeemom]

I was thinking of making the girls some puffed rice marshmallow treats, does anyone think they would freeze well? My first inclination is "no", but maybe I am wrong.............

[jenvan]

Hmmm, rice krispie treats... i would think they would not freeze well... marshmallows have such a tendency to get rock hard when dried out. if you have a food saver you could keep them for several weeks... or just cut the recipe in 1/2 for a small batch...