Freezer Recipes?

[Mandy F.]

I was just wondering if anyone had some good recipes that I could make up ahead and freeze. Right now, all I've really got is Chili and Fried Rice (adapted from my preGF recipes ). I'm primarily looking for meals so that I can just take them out of the freezer and pop them in the microwave when I'm just too tired to cook! I have a major issue with buying a bunch of groceries and then not eating them before they go bad... but all the gluten-free premade frozen stuff is really expensive!

Thanks!

Mandy

[RiceGuy]

Have you tried Tinkyada brand rice pasta? I suppose you could make gluten-free pot pies, which should freeze quite well too. That could provide a nice variety of veggies all in one dish, unless you don't like pot pies of course. I generally like stuff with sauces, such as stews, but I'm not familiar with your food preferences or intolerances.

[bakingbarb]

I was just wondering if anyone had some good recipes that I could make up ahead and freeze. Right now, all I've really got is Chili and Fried Rice (adapted from my preGF recipes ). I'm primarily looking for meals so that I can just take them out of the freezer and pop them in the microwave when I'm just too tired to cook! I have a major issue with buying a bunch of groceries and then not eating them before they go bad... but all the gluten-free premade frozen stuff is really expensive!

Thanks!

Mandy

I used to have a recipe book that was just for planning meals for a month. You do this huge grocery shopping then the next day you cook or divide and freeze. Bake chicken legs/thighs with just salt and pepper, chill then freeze in serving size in freezer baggies. The night before put it in the fridge, when you heat it in the micro you can sauce it any way you want.

Make a roast, beef or pork. Cut into serving sizes and chill, after chilled place in freezer bags and freeze. You can freeze broth or juices from roast meats or mix them with canned broth and freeze in ice cube trays. When you want gravy in small servings as you need them.

I used to make huge pots of spaghetti and chili (you said chili lol), cool over night then the next day put in the freezer bags and freeze.

Another thing they do is take a recipe, place all the spices in a sm baggie, place veggie in freezer bag then place meat in a seperate freezer bag. Place all the bags in a larger bag along with a index card with directions. The day you have more energy/time you have a meal ready to throw in the oven.

Another thing is to brown ground beef with seasoning and onion and garlic. Let cool, place in freezer bags and freeze. When you want to make tacos or chili or spaghetti the meat is already to go, just add sauce or seasonings.

[Phyllis28]

I freeze spegetti sauce over Tinkyada brand rice pasta or ricie on a regular basis. I have frozen chili over rice pasta and rice pasta.

Grilled chicken also does well in the freezer. I defrost it and the chicken cold.

[HiDee]

I've frozen baked chicken, cooked ground beef or ground turkey in sandwich bags, shepherd's pie, meatloaf, any type of soup or stew works really well to freeze (pea soup, lentil soup, vegetable soup, beef stew, chili), rice and beans, stir fry vegetables over rice, gluten-free lasagna, gluten-free pizza, enchiladas (with corn tortillas), casseroles work well too. If you bake a turkey and slice it up in individual servings and freeze those, you can pull those out and add to salad or any meal you want (my mother-in-law does this every few months and they use the turkey in spaghetti, salads, casseroles, sandwiches, you name it), you can also freeze the turkey stock for soup later or make up the soup and freeze that. I make a big batch of banana muffins frequently and freeze those so I have a great snack after warming it in the micro for a few seconds. I also make my own "granola" bars with lots of nuts and fruit and freeze those for snacks.

[VioletBlue]

How about making a big pan full of enchiladas? You can then separate them into meal size portions and freeze. I did that awhile back by crock potting a pork roast so that it cooked all day while I was at work. Then I took it out and shredded it and made enchiladas that night and froze all but that dinner's portion in reusable plastic containers.

Twice baked potato's used to be another favorite back when I could still eat potatoes. I'd bake up seven or eight large potatoes at a time, then scoop them out and mix them with either chicken or tuna and other fixings and bake them again with cheese on top. Then I wrapped each potato half in foil and froze it.

[Mandy F.]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I was kind of drawing a blank the other night when I tried to come up with a grocery list...

Violetblue: Do you have a recipe for the enchiladas? I've never made my own, but it sounds like a great idea.

Now I just need to get up the energy (and time!) to cook all of this stuff and freeze it all up!

[JNBunnie1]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I was kind of drawing a blank the other night when I tried to come up with a grocery list...

Violetblue: Do you have a recipe for the enchiladas? I've never made my own, but it sounds like a great idea.

Now I just need to get up the energy (and time!) to cook all of this stuff and freeze it all up!

At this point, the easiest thing for you to make and freeze is chili. The idea is to make a huge crapload, to save labor and time. Buy six pounds of ground beef, four cans of all different beans, one big can each of crushed and stewed tomatoes, and rice, or we use zucchini, oddly enough, if you want to make it stretch. Then just brown the beef in a big huge pot, season to taste, add the rest of it including the juice in the can, let it simmer all day long (the beans will be more tender and easier to digest) and have some for dinner and freeze the rest in dinner size packages for yourself. We use leftover yogurt containers. You can also go on recipe websites, like Allrecipes, and find soup and stew recipes that look easy for you. I recommend soups and stews and chilis because it's easy to add a slice or two of bread or a biscuit and make it even more filling. And they freeze the best.

[tgrand]

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup - very easy to make and freezes well!

2 - boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 - 4 oz can of green chilis

1 - can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 - can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 - can of whole kernel corn, undrained

1 - can of tomato sauce

2 - cups gluten free chicken broth

1 - pkg McCormick taco seasoning

1/2 - cup of salsa

Put the chicken in the bottom of the crock pot and then pour the remaining ingredients on top, except for the salsa. Stir and cook on low for 6-8 hours (or high for 3-4 hours). The last 30 minutes, remove the chicken and shred it up. Add the salsa and chicken, mix well. Optional: serve over tortilla chips and garnish with sour cream and cheese.

I was just wondering if anyone had some good recipes that I could make up ahead and freeze. Right now, all I've really got is Chili and Fried Rice (adapted from my preGF recipes ). I'm primarily looking for meals so that I can just take them out of the freezer and pop them in the microwave when I'm just too tired to cook! I have a major issue with buying a bunch of groceries and then not eating them before they go bad... but all the gluten-free premade frozen stuff is really expensive!

Thanks!

Mandy

[gfcookie]

I was just wondering if anyone had some good recipes that I could make up ahead and freeze. Right now, all I've really got is Chili and Fried Rice (adapted from my preGF recipes ). I'm primarily looking for meals so that I can just take them out of the freezer and pop them in the microwave when I'm just too tired to cook! I have a major issue with buying a bunch of groceries and then not eating them before they go bad... but all the gluten-free premade frozen stuff is really expensive!

Thanks!

Mandy

get a bunch of gladware, make homemade gluten-free soup, potatoe/broccoli/chicken. make lasagna, make a pot roast and gravy and put a piece and some gravy in each container. make a ton of gluten-free chicken fingers at once and throw them in the freezer. if you want recipies for anything, just ask.

[bakingbarb]

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup - very easy to make and freezes well!

2 - boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 - 4 oz can of green chilis

1 - can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 - can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 - can of whole kernel corn, undrained

1 - can of tomato sauce

2 - cups gluten free chicken broth

1 - pkg McCormick taco seasoning

1/2 - cup of salsa

Put the chicken in the bottom of the crock pot and then pour the remaining ingredients on top, except for the salsa. Stir and cook on low for 6-8 hours (or high for 3-4 hours). The last 30 minutes, remove the chicken and shred it up. Add the salsa and chicken, mix well. Optional: serve over tortilla chips and garnish with sour cream and cheese.

This sounds so good. I love this style of soup but never had a recipe really. When you say gluten free chicken broth, does that mean chicken broth isn't gluten free naturally? Or not anymore once it ends up in a can?

[loco-ladi]

Not so much of a "freezer" recipe but its very easy to make up a quickie stew...

freeze meal size portions of chicken and beef (seperatley of course)

When you feel like a quick stew pour in a box of gluten-free beef or chicken broth add the appropriate meat, a potato or two, then add a few frozen mixed veggies near the end.... I also sometimes add a handful of gluten-free noodles (for this I prefer hoffmans fine noodles) with the frozen veggies...

Total cooking time if going from frozen meat takes about 15 minutes from freezer to table!

[dbmamaz]

When you say gluten free chicken broth, does that mean chicken broth isn't gluten free naturally? Or not anymore once it ends up in a can?

You just have to read the labels. Some broths are thickened with wheat starch. I find that the name-brand broths are usually safer, but you always have to read the labels . . . there's a whole thread here (recently, at least) about the wierdest things that you've been glutened from, and broth was way up there.

[Phyllis28]

This sounds so good. I love this style of soup but never had a recipe really. When you say gluten free chicken broth, does that mean chicken broth isn't gluten free naturally? Or not anymore once it ends up in a can?

Not all chicken broth is created equal. You have to read the ingredients on the can or box to determine if it is gluten free. I ,personally, only buy chicken broth that is labeled Gluten Free, usually the boxes (not cans) of chicken broth are marked gluten free.

[VioletBlue]

Sorry, I don't have a recipe. I grew up watching people make them so I wing it. I use sprouted organic corn tortillas these days, fill them with which ever meat and I usually throw in some chopped black olives just because I like them but you can also throw in green chilies or roasted chillies. I've even seen them with refried beans rolled in. I put a layer of sauce down on the bottom of the pan, then roll them up and jam them in tight so they don't unroll. Then I cover them with homemade sauce and cheese. I can't stomach the canned sauce for some reason, so I usually combine a small can of tomato paste, a can of chopped tomatoes some basil oregano salt and garlic.

I'm eating some of the pork ones from the last batch now and it seems I threw in some green olives last time, LOL. Actually kinda nice taste.

There are thousands of recipes out there, each one a little different.

Thanks for all the suggestions! I was kind of drawing a blank the other night when I tried to come up with a grocery list...

Violetblue: Do you have a recipe for the enchiladas? I've never made my own, but it sounds like a great idea.

Now I just need to get up the energy (and time!) to cook all of this stuff and freeze it all up!

[Sweetfudge]

Another thing is to brown ground beef with seasoning and onion and garlic. Let cool, place in freezer bags and freeze. When you want to make tacos or chili or spaghetti the meat is already to go, just add sauce or seasonings.

I do this a lot with meat. I buy it in bulk at walmart or costco, and cook it all up at once. Very smart Just be sure and label!! I once threw a baggie full of chocolate brownies in the microwave to defrost. Not exactly taco salad topping Sure smelled good though!

get a bunch of gladware, make homemade gluten-free soup, potatoe/broccoli/chicken. make lasagna, make a pot roast and gravy and put a piece and some gravy in each container. make a ton of gluten-free chicken fingers at once and throw them in the freezer. if you want recipies for anything, just ask.

What's your recipe for chicken fingers?