Freezer Cooking 101

It's a Snow Day....or I should more correctly say "ice day" so I thought it would be the perfect time to revisit freezer meals. I hope to put some together later today to "feed the freezer" so to speak.

Containers for Meals:

• Freezer Bags: Obviosly the most "space friendly" storage container is a Ziploc freezer bag (for freezing I tend to us a name brand rather than generic because I feel like they are better quality for freezing but use your own judgment). Make sure you squeeze all the air out of them and that they are sealed completely. Once they freeze they stack nicely on a shelf and they are GREAT for crockpot freezer meals.
• Aluminum Pans:  Pictured above are some aluminum pans I picked up at Dollar Tree. I haven't used them yet but I think I will wrap them in foil also as a double layer of protection. Pans are great for casseroles to freeze.
• Plastic wear. There's lot of freezable plastic ware out there. My main problem with it is storage. If it's not full in the freezer it takes up a lot of space and a lot of organization on my part to keep up with it. It also tends to take up more space in the freezer too and I have limited space. It is still an option though for those that like using it.

Cooking sessions:

A couple years ago I came across a "cooking session" that outlined step by step the way to create about 7 meals using chicken and ground beef. Most of the meals were stored in freezer bags. The most important thing about your cooking sessions is that it is important to plan them out and have things on hand for your session. To do this pick 3-4 recipes that you know you like and that will freeze well. Make an ingredients list and have all the items on hand. Then start cooking!  I also find it very helpful to brown extra ground beef and keep it in freezer bags for tacos, spaghetti sauce etc. It's not a whole freezer meal but it saves lots of time!

A Favorite Recipe:

Pineapple Dump Chicken:

 

1/2 lb  chicken pieces (breasts or thighs)
1/2 cup  onion, chopped
1/4 cup  butter, melted
1/2 cup  ketchup
1 cup  pineapple preserves      
2 teaspoons  dry mustard
1 cup  pineapple tidbits

Directions:

For immediate cooking: Pre-heat oven to 350°F Place all ingredients into a large baking dish, turn chicken to coat. Bake until chicken juices run clear (45-60 minutes for chicken pieces, or 20-30 minutes for chicken breasts).

For freezing: Place all ingredients into a 1 Gallon freezer bag. Lay flat in freezer.
To thaw and cook: Take the bag out of the freezer the night before, make sure the bag is sealed completely.

For the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F Empty the contents of the bag into a large baking dish and bake until the juices run clear (45-60 minutes for chicken pieces, or 20-30 minutes for chicken breasts).

For the crockpot: cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6 or until done. 

On the grill: cook over medium heat until juices run clear.

 

Recipe Source: Food.com

 

I don't think this is the site I original got the recipe from but it has the same ingredients as the one I use. I freeze this in a freezer bag and usually make it in the crock pot. I like to serve it over fluffy white rice. Yummy!