Hi Friends!
You guys know I love my food prep, right? Well, today we’re taking that a step further and talking about freezer prep. Over the past few weeks I’ve been making an effort to stock our freezer with some meals, snacks and meal components to have on hand for those first few weeks after Baby Bean decides to make an appearance.
Here’s the deal. I will share everything I’ve prepped so far but there are a few things you need to keep in mind:
Let’s talk briefly about how I approached my freezer prep:
So what did I make?
Lentil Beef Bolognese Sauce (fully cooked, freezer meal)
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups vegetables, chopped
1 1/4 pound ground beef (or turkey)
2 cups cooked lentils
2- 17oz cartons of tomato sauce – no salt added
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
Directions:
Cook the beef, vegetables and garlic until beef is cooked through. Add the sauce, spices and lentils and stir to combine. Let cool completely, split into two ziploc bags and freeze.
Notes:
– Adding lentils helps stretch the beef in this recipe and gives you enough for two batches. You can leave them out and use half the sauce and a little less veggies for a simple meat sauce.
– Thaw this sauce out and serve with spaghetti noodles or use to make lasagna or stuffed shells!
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Lentil Chicken Curry (fully cooked, freezer meal)
1 pound chicken, cubed
4 cups vegetables
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cooked lentils
2 Tbsp red curry paste
1 cup coconut milk
Directions:
Cook the chicken, vegetables and garlic until cooked through. Add the lentils, curry paste and coconut milk and stir to combine. Let cool completely, pour into ziploc bag and freeze.
Thaw, reheat & serve over rice or with some naan!
Notes:
– This is similar to my Lentil Veggie Curry that I make all the time. I haven’t tried it from the freezer yet.
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Cranberry Chicken (uncooked, crockpot meal)
1 pound chicken breasts
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium apple, chopped
1 medium sweet potato, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup apple cider (or another cup of broth)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup fresh cranberries
2 Tbsp mustard
black pepper & paprika to taste
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a ziploc bag. Freeze.
When ready to serve: Thaw overnight, pour into crockpot and cook on low 4-6 hours until chicken is cooked through. Shred the chicken before serving.
Notes:
-I haven’t tried this yet but have made something with similar ingredients and it had great flavor.
-This could be cooked from frozen in the crockpot for a longer amount of time.
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Chicken Fajitas (uncooked, crockpot meal)
1.5 pounds chicken breasts
1 large red pepper, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
3/4 cup broth
1-2 tsp cumin
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a Ziploc bag. Freeze.
When ready to serve: Thaw overnight, add to crockpot and cook on low 4-6 hours until chicken is cooked. Shred the chicken and serve with tortillas and other toppings such as tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, avocado, etc.
Notes:
-This could be cooked from frozen in the crockpot for a longer amount of time.
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Stuffed Peppers (uncooked, crockpot meal)
1.25 pounds raw ground beef
2 cups vegetables, diced (I used carrots, onion and mushrooms)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp McCormick seasoning (or your favoring seasoning)
6 bell peppers, tops and seeds removed
Directions:
Mix everything but the peppers together. Divide evenly between the peppers. Freeze in a ziploc bag.
When ready to serve: Thaw, place in crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hours or until ground beef is cooked. Top with cheese if desired and serve with rice.
Notes:
– To help the pepper stay standing, cut a thin slice off the bottom to create a flat surface.
– I’ve made stuffed peppers before but have not tried them in the crockpot yet.
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I made the following (click the recipe names for the recipe!)
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And just in case you want more ideas. Here are some other things that were on my list that I haven’t gotten around to make yet:
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So there you have it! Hope that helps!
And for those of you that asked, no I don’t have a giant freezer. We have a the kind of fridge that’s a fridge on top, then has a fridge drawer in the middle and then a freezer drawer at the bottom. The freezer drawer has a top drawer within it, which is where I fit all of the stuff I prepped (on the left in the pic below), along with a batch of Sweet Potato soup and some homemade veggie broth. In the two main freezer compartments (on the right in the pic) I have other things like bread, frozen fruits and veggies, etc.
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–