Entrees You Can Freeze!

[ratgirl]

I'm getting burnt out really fast actually cooking 3 meals a day! What are your favorite types of things that you can make huge batches of, freeze, and reheat?

I made a bunch of enchilada sauce the other night (thank you, corn starch!), a batch of potato soup (scared of how this will reheat, though), and beef stew. All are in my freezer in single serve containers for easy real food fast! I found myself eating so many tortilla chips and rice and other food that did little other than fill my tummy those first few weeks after being diagnosed, I need some real food routinely now!

[missy'smom]

I make and bake meatloaf in muffin tins and freeze for single servings or lunch box entrees. Various flavors of meatballs(cooked), breaded chicken cutlets for chicken parmesan(uncooked), breaded chicken strips(uncooked) and tortilla casseroles in the round pyrex dishes that are the same diameter as the corn tortillas. I layer tortillas, refried beans, enchilada sauce, cheese(or vegan version for CF) and southwest blend frozen veg. and sometimes spanish rice or something similar. Freeze and bake or nuke before eating. Also make and freeze uncooked veggie or reg. seasoned burger patties and uncooked croquettes.

[JNBunnie1]

I mad eggplant 'parmigiana' casserole. You start browning a pound of ground meat, and slice the eggplant 1'4 inch thick. Layer one layer of eggplant in a greased casserole. Add a jar of sauce to the browned meat, stir and let it bubble with esome extra seasonings to yur taste if you like, or just take it straight to the casserole. So, one layer eggplant, one layer meat sauce, nothe rlayer eggplant, nother layer meat sauce, bread crumbs & cheese. The recipe called for parmesan, I used mozzarella. WOW! I baked for 1 hour at 350, twice or triple the recipe would take longer I'm sure.

[dandelionmom]

I make big vats of soups and chili in the crockpot and freeze the leftovers in individual servings.

[Phyllis28]

I like to freeze:

Spegetti sauce or chili over rice or rice pasta.

Cooked chicken, I put it into the refrigerator to defrost a day in advance and eat it cold. This should work with any cooked meat that can be eaten cold.

Soups and Stews.

[rpf1007]

I also do pasta sauce and soups. Some pasta dishes freeze well too.

[susieg-1]

I'm getting burnt out really fast actually cooking 3 meals a day! What are your favorite types of things that you can make huge batches of, freeze, and reheat?

I made a bunch of enchilada sauce the other night (thank you, corn starch!), a batch of potato soup (scared of how this will reheat, though), and beef stew. All are in my freezer in single serve containers for easy real food fast! I found myself eating so many tortilla chips and rice and other food that did little other than fill my tummy those first few weeks after being diagnosed, I need some real food routinely now!

I routinely use gluten-free lasana noodles as they can be layered with almost anything in small containers then froze for quick microwave meal whenever I want. Often in middle of week I cook noodles then pull leftovers out of frig and start creating interesting and quick gluten-free microwave lunches. I keep wegmans gluten-free sauces in cuboard for these creations and have come up with many tasty meals. Hope this helps!

[Green12]

I make huge batches of things, but I freeze them in single servings (or at the most 2 servings).

I make ahead all of my proteins, beef hamburger patties, brisket, roasts, meatballs, grilled or baked chicken breasts flavored/seasoned all different ways, ground turkey or beef for Italian dishes (cooked with Italian seasonings), and ground turkey or beef for Mexican dishes (cooked with garlic and cumin).

I also make batches of brown rice and different types of legumes (i.e. beans, split peas, lentils) to use for soups or other dishes. Rice can be a little tricky to reheat though, unless you resteam it just right it will be a pot of mush. But it has worked well for me to not have to make fresh rice all the time.

Then I just mix and match for meal time. I grab something out of the freezer and have it thawing in the fridge the night before. For example you can take a grilled chicken breast and serve it with a side of rice pilaf and a vegetable, or slice it in strips and add it to a big salad, or make chicken salad with a little gluten-free mayo and put it in a tomato cup. The Italian ground beef can be added to jar marinara sauce and served over rice pasta. I make taco salads with the Mexican ground turkey or beef, or use as filling for burritos or quesadillas with rice tortillas. The possibilities are endless.

Casseroles also freeze very well, I have had success with lasagnes and spagetti casseroles that I have modified to be gluten-free by using rice pastas. Also casseroles that are potato based (i.e. frozen hash browns).

[HiDee]

Soups are great to freeze, pea soup, vegetable soup, bean soup, lentil soup etc. As some others have mentioned meatloaf, spaghetti sauce, and chili work well frozen. I cook up large amounts of ground beef or ground turkey and freeze in sandwich bags and they are the perfect size for pulling out and adding to quick meals like spaghetti or taco salad or whatever you use ground meat for. That way all you have to do is thaw it quickly in the micro instead of cooking up the ground meat for your meal. I also bought an extra turkey at Christmas and cooked it about a month ago, sliced it and have all of the meat in the freezer ready to pull out a few slices for an easy meal. I also have all of the turkey stock in the freezer ready to be used for quick soup. Casseroles usually freeze well although I did freeze a sour cream potato casserole once that didn't have the same consistency after reheating, the sour cream did something weird after being frozen. I don't know if that will happen to your cream of potato soup, hopefully not.

For snacks I make and freeze muffins a lot and homemade "granola" type bars that I keep in the freezer as well. Good luck!

[Wonka]

I don't freeze to many things but I always have a supply of chicken and beef stock for soups. I freeze left over soup, pasta sauces, pot pies (I make these when I make chicken stock with stew hens). I freeze waffles and pancakes so that the kids can just pop them in the toaster. Mostly I do a lot of summer freezing, stawberries, raspberries, blueberries, green beans (I make pickled beans and freeze the uneven beans cut small to throw in stews or antipasto),corn and tomatoes (these are great for a quick tomato soup in the winter).

This year I'm going to buy as many baby artichokes as I can for freezing. We don't have a source for frozen artichokes here and I'd love to eat them throughout the year not just when they are in season.

[Sweetfudge]

I don't freeze to many things but I always have a supply of chicken and beef stock for soups. I freeze left over soup, pasta sauces, pot pies (I make these when I make chicken stock with stew hens). I freeze waffles and pancakes so that the kids can just pop them in the toaster. Mostly I do a lot of summer freezing, stawberries, raspberries, blueberries, green beans (I make pickled beans and freeze the uneven beans cut small to throw in stews or antipasto),corn and tomatoes (these are great for a quick tomato soup in the winter).

This year I'm going to buy as many baby artichokes as I can for freezing. We don't have a source for frozen artichokes here and I'd love to eat them throughout the year not just when they are in season.

Do tomatoes freeze well outside of sauces? I hadn't thought of freezing my excess garden tomatoes!

I like to freeze my cooked meat in portions to make meals easier. I also like to freeze zucchini slices and shreds. I will make a couple loaves of bread or some pancakes and freeze them in single serving baggies.

[Wonka]

Do tomatoes freeze well outside of sauces? I hadn't thought of freezing my excess garden tomatoes!

Tomatoes freeze fine. I just wash then dry them and stick them in a ziploc bag. When I want to use them I dunk them in boiling water and the skiins slide off easily. Then just use them for soups or sauces.

[Darn210]

I've never had any luck freezing potatos (like in a stew or soup) they seem to fall apart and mess up the texture. On soups or stews, take out what you want to freeze before you add the potatoes and freeze it that way.

Things I freeze on a regular basis . . .

Chicken strips/nuggets

Cupcakes

Chicken and Rice Casserole

Lasagne

Browned ground beef

Diced cooked chicken

Muffins

Cinnamon Rolls

Pancakes

The last three are fast breakfast options which I take out of the freezer and pop into the microwave, heat & eat.

I have also frozen cookie dough in individual portions . . . I hear that's suppose to work well . . . however, I wouldn't know, 'cause I just kept visiting the freezer and eating frozen dough until it was gone

Love the idea about meatloaf in the muffin tins!!!

[missy'smom]

Do tomatoes freeze well outside of sauces? I hadn't thought of freezing my excess garden tomatoes!

You can make a roasted tomato sauce that's so easy and freeze it. Basically throw tomatoes, garlic, onion olive oil, salt and pepper and herbs, if desired into a pan and roast it 'till carmelized a bit. You can puree or not. Put in containers and freeze. Add to soups or as a pasta sauce.

[Green12]

I will make a couple loaves of bread or some pancakes and freeze them in single serving baggies.

Tomatoes freeze fine. I just wash then dry them and stick them in a ziploc bag.

What would we do without ziploc baggies?!?!?!

This recipe freezes very well, I used Amy's Family Marinara Sauce for the sauce:

Open Original Shared Link

And this one, I used Tinkayada fettucini:

Open Original Shared Link

[hannahp57]

i have an idea for an easy meal. i havent frozen it but ihave refridgerated and that works fine. but they're so easy its not necessary.

make a hamburger patty and season to your tastes

place it on a sheet of foil, on top of a thin layer of onion (if you like oion taste)

add raw veggies (potatoes, carrots, green beans, corn, squash...whatever you like)

added salt and pepper)

then you can take one of your foil wrapped dinners and bake for 45 minutes at 400 degrees. i have increased the temp to 450 and it doesn't do anything to it. you just want to check it at about 30-40 minutes to make sure it gets done enough. right before you cook it you add cheese or butter, if you like. i like mine pretty plain though.

[nasalady]

I make big batches of chili and Mexican lasagna (gluten free tortillas torn into strips, layered with salsa, cooked ground beef or turkey, beans, and cheese) and freeze them in one-dinner-sized containers. These are a couple of my kids favorite meals and it's SO helpful to have something ready to go if you're having a crazy day.

I also spend part of the weekend making large quantities of homemade bread, hamburger buns or sandwich rolls, and muffins....there's just no time during the week to do any of that. All of them freeze well.

[NicoleAJ]

has anyone ever frozen fried fish? If so, how did you reheat it. I just made the most delicious fish and chips for dinner tonight with wild cod, but we couldn't finish it, so I stuck it in tupperware in the freezer. I guess I was just hoping that it would be a bit like fish sticks--that it would hold up to freezing and then heating back up in the oven. What do you think?

[Juliebove]

has anyone ever frozen fried fish? If so, how did you reheat it. I just made the most delicious fish and chips for dinner tonight with wild cod, but we couldn't finish it, so I stuck it in tupperware in the freezer. I guess I was just hoping that it would be a bit like fish sticks--that it would hold up to freezing and then heating back up in the oven. What do you think?

I have not frozen fish that I've made...not that I've made any fish! But I have bought gluten-free fish like for fish and chips and you bake it in the oven.

[Juliebove]

i have an idea for an easy meal. i havent frozen it but ihave refridgerated and that works fine. but they're so easy its not necessary.

make a hamburger patty and season to your tastes

place it on a sheet of foil, on top of a thin layer of onion (if you like oion taste)

add raw veggies (potatoes, carrots, green beans, corn, squash...whatever you like)

added salt and pepper)

then you can take one of your foil wrapped dinners and bake for 45 minutes at 400 degrees. i have increased the temp to 450 and it doesn't do anything to it. you just want to check it at about 30-40 minutes to make sure it gets done enough. right before you cook it you add cheese or butter, if you like. i like mine pretty plain though.

I have made this with cubed steak, sliced onions and a sliced potato. I personally found it to be boring but husband and daughter loved it! Not sure how well it would freeze though because potatoes don't necessarily freeze well. I wouldn't complain about them but some people might.

[Juliebove]

I don't freeze a lot of stuff any more because there is no room in my freezer. Most days I have a box of Ian's chicken nuggets for lunch. I always keep at least one box of Ian's fish sticks and a kid's meal for my daughter. Husband eats a ton of ice cream and frozen pops so that pretty much takes it all up!

I do occasionally cook up some chicken breasts with nothing more than salt, pepper and parsley. I also cook up some hamburger patties. These can be thawed and put in the microwave to reheat. I also cook up crumbled ground beef and freeze it in 1 pound packages. This is the right size for my family. For myself, I will freeze smaller bags of ground beef seasoned for taco salads which I make upside down. The frozen cooked meat is put in a large bowl, heated in the micrwave then topped with the salad ingredients.

My husband's family eats eggs and peppers for lunch almost every day. Sometimes for dinner. They use a type of pepper that is called Italianelle, Cubanelle or sometimes just frying peppers. They have a thinner skin than bell peppers. You can use bell in various colors if you can't find those. The taste won't quite be the same, but it works. They either grow them or buy them on sale, cut in strips and freeze them. When ready to make the meal, they put some oil in the pan, then throw in the peppers and cook till soft. Then add a bit of garlic (the usually use the powder or pre-chopped in a jar) and plenty of eggs that have been whisked for scrambled eggs. Cook until the eggs are set. This meal is often served with corn on the cob (also frozen if not in season) and maybe some buttered bread.

I sometimes make a quick chili with three different cans of beans, a can of corn and a large jar of salsa. This can be doctored up by adding a spoonful or two of cocoa powder, some chili powder, extra tomatoes, onions, peppers, or whatever you have that you might want to get rid of. You can also add cooked chicken or beef to this. It freezes quite well.

I used to freeze cooked pasta, but don't know how well the gluten-free pasta would freeze. Certainly you could freeze spaghetti sauce though.

I have successfully frozen meatloaf. When I make it, I don't follow an exact recipe so it never comes out the same way twice but there is always way too much of it! We can't have eggs or dairy, so I use gluten-free oats that have been ground in the Magic Bullet, also some ground flax and a can of tomato or V8 juice for the milk. I also add a large amount of ketchup or chili sauce and tons of chopped vegetables. I once added so many vegetables that you couldn't taste the meat! Oops. I have to try to restrain myself there. I make individual loaves that are sort of oval shaped on Release foil lined baking sheets.

[Cheri A]

Has anyone ever made and frozen meatballs? I've never done that before, but I'm going to be trying it soon.

[jerseyangel]

Has anyone ever made and frozen meatballs? I've never done that before, but I'm going to be trying it soon.

I do this quite often. I bake my meatballs on a cookie sheet in the oven, and I've frozen them both right after baking, and after adding sauce and simmering. They freeze wonderfully either way

[sixtytwo]

Weight Watchers and Lean Quisine have a few gluten free items now, all of the allergens are listed on their ingredients and on the WW ones it actually says gluten free. That is the lazy way to have frozen stuff from the freezer when you have not had time to put stuff away for later. I am finding the WW ones handy as I am doing WW online.

Barbara

[missy'smom]

has anyone ever frozen fried fish? If so, how did you reheat it. I just made the most delicious fish and chips for dinner tonight with wild cod, but we couldn't finish it, so I stuck it in tupperware in the freezer. I guess I was just hoping that it would be a bit like fish sticks--that it would hold up to freezing and then heating back up in the oven. What do you think?

I will sometimes buy fresh fish, like halibut or cod, cut it into sticks or portions, bread it and freeze it, then defrost gently in the microwave-or not- and fry it in the pan or deep fryer.