The Everything Freezer Meals Cookbook (5 page)

Reheating Instructions

Place the frozen slices on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 15–20 minutes.

PER SERVING

Calories: 368 | Fat: 22g | Protein: 9g | Sodium: 499mg | Carbohydrates: 33g | Fiber: 3.5g

NO DEFROSTING NEEDED!

Freezing Day

In a large mixing bowl, combine all but the olives to make dough. Add more flour or butter to dough as needed. Roll dough into balls a little larger than the size of your olives. Push an olive into each ball so it is covered completely with the dough. Place olives on a baking sheet lined with wax paper and flash freeze. Transfer to freezer bag.

Reheating Instructions

Place frozen olives on baking sheet and cook 20–25 minutes at 400°F.

PER SERVING

Calories: 240 | Fat: 17g | Protein: 9g | Sodium: 705mg | Carbohydrates: 12g | Fiber: 1.5g

NO DEFROSTING NEEDED!

Freezing Day

Defrost puff pastry on counter for about 30 minutes. Cut kielbasa into bite-sized pieces and brown in skillet for 10–15 minutes. Once defrosted, roll out puff pastry on floured surface to smooth out the folds in the pastry. Cut pastry into 3″ circles. In the center of each circle, put ¼ teaspoon of Dijon mustard (or more to taste) and a piece of kielbasa on top of the Dijon. Pull up the edges of the circles so it looks like a Hershey's Kiss. Use water on your fingers to seal the top together. Flash freeze and transfer to freezer bag.

Reheating Instructions

Place frozen Dijon Kielbasa Bites on a greased baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 15–20 minutes or until golden brown.

PER SERVING

Calories: 557 | Fat: 28g | Protein: 12g | Sodium: 800mg | Carbohydrates: 29g | Fiber: 1g

A Simple Puff Pastry Solution

Puff pastry is a layered pastry made by a time consuming and repetitive process of folding layers of dough and butter, and then letting the pastry rest in a temperature controlled environment. Frozen puff pastry is readily available and is a huge time saver.

NO DEFROSTING NEEDED!

Freezing Day

In skillet, brown sausage and onion for 7–10 minutes until sausage is no longer pink. Add garlic and sage. Roll out the pie crust to about half its original thickness and form a rectangle. Spread the sausage mixture along the long end of the rectangle. Beginning at the end with the sausage, roll the pie crust up like a jelly roll.

In a small bowl, mix the egg and milk. Brush around the outside of the roll with the egg mixture. Cut into 2-inch pieces and flash freeze. Transfer to a freezer bag.

Reheating Instructions

Bake frozen sausage rolls at 400°F for 15–20 minutes, or until they are golden brown.

PER SERVING

Calories: 384 | Fat: 29g | Protein: 16g | Sodium: 640mg | Carbohydrates: 14g | Fiber: 1g

Bake Beautiful Rolls

When you brush them with an egg and milk mixture before baking, the rolls bake shiny with a beautiful golden color.

NO DEFROSTING NEEDED!

Freezing Day

Make meatball recipe and form into 2″ balls. In separate bowl, mix ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard. Roll each meatball in prepared sauce and place on a baking sheet. Flash freeze and transfer to freezer bag.

Reheating Instructions

Place frozen meatballs in oven at 350°F and bake for 30 minutes.

PER SERVING

Calories: 624 | Fat: 31g | Protein: 49g | Sodium: 879mg | Carbohydrates: 35g | Fiber: 1g

Meatball Making Tips

No time to make meatballs? Try buying frozen mini meatballs and adding your own sauce. If you do make your own meatballs, use a melon scoop for mini meatballs or an ice cream scoop for larger ones. Your meatballs will be uniform in size and your hands are spared the mess!

These little sausages are always a hit. Vary this recipe a bit by wrapping each Little Smokie in half of a refrigerated crescent roll and spreading the sauce on the dough. Follow package directions for baking.

Freezing Day

In skillet, brown cocktail smokies over medium-high heat for 5–7 minutes. In separate bowl, mix the barbecue sauce, brown sugar, and liquid smoke. Put sauce in freezer bag, add cocktail smokies, and mix. Freeze.

Reheating Instructions

Defrost cocktail smokies in refrigerator overnight. Put in saucepan and heat for 25–30 minutes over medium heat, or in slow cooker on low for 2 hours. Serve with toothpicks.

PER SERVING

Calories: 131 | Fat: 5g | Protein: 2g | Sodium: 418mg | Carbohydrates: 19g | Fiber: 0g

Dress Up Your Platters

Are your appetizer trays looking a little bare? Try dressing them up with some color! Add fluffy greens around the outside of the tray or underneath the appetizers. Put cherry tomatoes with complementary appetizers. Cheese is a simple way to brighten up any appetizer tray and remains a favorite.

NO DEFROSTING NEEDED!

Freezing Day

Remove crusts from bread, cut diagonally into 4 pieces and toast lightly. In a food processor, combine shrimp, water chestnuts, egg white, garlic, sesame oil, and ginger. Pulse 5–10 times, but do not purée. Stir in scallions.

Spread shrimp mixture on the toasted bread slices, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Flash freeze and transfer to a Tupperware container.

Re-heating Instructions

Cook frozen Shrimp Toast at 400°F for 10–15 minutes.

PER SERVING

Calories: 170 | Fat: 2.8 g | Protein: 10 g | Sodium: 202 mg | Carbohydrates: 25g | Fiber: 1g

Dim Sum

Shrimp Toast is a Chinese dish often included in Dim Sum. Dim sum (which means “heart warmers”) consists of a variety of both sweet and savory snacks that are shared with pots of tea. In restaurants, the freshly cooked dim sum selections are brought to the tables, stacked on rolling carts and often served in steaming bamboo baskets.

NO DEFROSTING NEEDED!

Freezing Day

Make the filling: In skillet over medium heat, sauté onions and mushrooms in butter for 5–6 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 1–2 more minutes. Add chicken, cream cheese, salt, pepper, and wine. Heat over medium-low heat 5–7 minutes until cream cheese melts. Remove from heat and set aside.

Make the pastry: Sift the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening until it is crumbly. Add water, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough holds together. Make dough into a ball and roll out on a floured surface to 1/8″-thick. Cut into 2 half-inch circles. Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Put a spoonful of chicken mixture on one half of each pastry circle, and fold it over. Moisten the edge of the turnover to help seal the dough. Press around the outside with a fork. Put on baking sheet and flash freeze. Transfer to freezer bag once flash frozen.

Reheating Instructions

Place frozen turnovers on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 15–20 minutes or until turnovers are golden brown.

PER SERVING

Calories: 80 | Fat: 5g | Protein: 3g | Sodium: 94mg | Carbohydrates: 5g | Fiber: 0g

Puff Pastry Chicken Turnovers

If you prefer a simpler route, purchase frozen puff pastry. You need 2 (17-ounce) boxes. Defrost the pastry on the counter for about 30 minutes, and roll it out on a floured surface. Cut out 3-inch circles and fill with the chicken mixture. Fold, seal the edges with a fork, and flash freeze. To bake, defrost and bake at 400°F for 5 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.

These appetizers are sweet and spicy. The red pepper flakes give the bites a spicy kick, while the honey gives them a sweet flavor.

Freezing Day

Coat one side of each cube of ham with honey. Sprinkle a small amount of red pepper flakes on top of the honey, and top that with a pineapple chunk. Hold it together with a toothpick. Flash freeze and transfer to a freezer bag.

Reheating Instructions

Defrost Ham and Pineapple Bites overnight in refrigerator and serve cold.

PER SERVING

Calories: 160 | Fat: 3.5g | Protein: 17g | Sodium: 600mg | Carbohydrates: 14g | Fiber: 1g

Basil can be expensive to buy out of season, but it is easily grown at home. This herb needs about seven hours of sunlight a day, and can be grown indoors or outdoors after the last frost.

Freezing Day

With a paring knife, remove the tops and insides of tomatoes. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cheese, olive oil, basil, salt, and garlic. Mix well. Spoon the stuffing into each tomato. Flash freeze on a baking sheet and transfer to freezer bag.

Reheating Instructions

Defrost in refrigerator overnight and serve cold.

PER SERVING

Calories: 45 | Fat: 3g | Protein: 3g | Sodium: 5mg | Carbohydrates: 2g | Fiber: 1g

Fresh ginger should be kept in the refrigerator, but will last longer if you freeze it. When using frozen ginger, there is no need to defrost. Simply grate however much ginger you need, and return the rest to the freezer.

Freezing Day

In bowl, combine lime juice, garlic, soy sauce, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Put marinade in a freezer bag, add cubed steak, and freeze.

Reheating Instructions

Defrost meat and marinade in refrigerator overnight. Cut red, green, and yellow peppers into 1½-inch pieces. Place meat and vegetables on skewers and grill over medium-high heat 8–12 minutes, or until desired doneness. Serve with Cucumber Dipping Sauce.

PER SERVING

Calories: 270 | Fat: 8g | Protein: 40g | Sodium: 1500mg | Carbohydrates: 7g | Fiber: 2g

Serve the Mushroom Beef Stroganoff over egg noodles or rice. Don't forget to serve bread so you can soak up every last bit of the delicious sauce.

Freezing Day

In a 1-gallon sized plastic bag, put flour, salt, and pepper. Add beef and shake to coat completely. Heat oil in skillet. Add beef and brown on all sides, about 7–10 minutes. In separate bowl, mix soup and water. Slowly add soup and water to skillet, scraping the bottom as you mix with beef. Add mushrooms and wine.

Cook over medium-low heat for 1 hour, stirring frequently. Scrape the bottom of the skillet when you stir. Cool and freeze in freezer bag.

Reheating Instructions

Defrost Stroganoff overnight, stir in sour cream, and heat on medium-low 30–45 minutes or until it is thoroughly heated.

PER SERVING

Calories: 507 | Fat: 29g | Protein: 39g | Sodium: 690mg | Carbohydrates: 22g | Fiber: 1g

Make It Last

One of the benefits of owning a freezer is the ability to stock up on meat when it goes on sale. To help your meat taste as fresh as possible for as long as possible, rewrap it when you come home from the grocery store. Rather than put it directly in the freezer, repackage it in freezer bags or freezer wrap.

NO DEFROSTING NEEDED!

Freezing Day

In a skillet, brown ground beef and onion for 7–10 minutes or until meat is thoroughly cooked. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute. Drain if needed. Put ground beef mixture in large mixing bowl. Add bread (torn into small pieces), mozzarella cheese, ricotta, egg, milk, and Italian seasoning to the mixing bowl. Mix well. Carefully stuff each shell with meat mixture. Flash freeze shells and transfer to freezer bag.

Reheating Instructions

Put frozen shells in a 9″ × 12″ baking dish. Pour up to 2 jars of sauce over the top of shells, depending on your taste. Spread 1 cup mozzarella cheese over shells. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 375°F for 1 hour 45 minutes–2 hours until shells are tender.

PER SERVING

Calories: 911 | Fat: 31g | Protein: 46g | Sodium: 1300mg | Carbohydrates: 114g | Fiber: 13g

Stuffed Shells Two Ways

An alternative preparation of this dish is to prepare and freeze it as an entire casserole rather than flash freezing the shells and assembling the casserole on serving day.

An alternative to grilling your steak is to stir-fry it. On freezing day, cut steak into ½” strips and put into freezer bag with marinade. On cooking day, defrost steak, discard marinade, and stir-fry in a wok or skillet.

Freezing Day

Score the top of the steak by cutting slits across the grain. In saucepan, melt butter. Add onion, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, pepper, and salt. Cook on low heat 5–10 minutes. Remove marinade from heat and cool. Put the steak in a freezer bag and pour in the marinade. Freeze.

Reheating Instructions

Defrost steak and marinade overnight in the refrigerator, then discard marinade. Grill the steak over high heat until desired doneness. Let rest for 5 minutes. Cut steak into ½″ strips. To serve, layer each tortilla with steak, lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, and sour cream. Roll like a burrito.

PER SERVING

Calories: 687 | Fat: 34g | Protein: 53g | Sodium: 629mg | Carbohydrates: 39g | Fiber: 3g

Let Your Steak Rest

Ever wondered why chefs let steak rest before cutting? During grilling, the juices flow inward and saturate the middle of the steak. When cut immediately after cooking, the juices flooding the middle have nowhere to go but out. By allowing it to rest, the juices have time to be reabsorbed evenly throughout the meat.

This hearty, rib-sticking dish tastes delicious served with mashed potatoes. It is a simple dish to prepare, but tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen.

Freezing Day

Dredge steak in flour, salt, and pepper. In a skillet, brown steak for 3–4 minutes per side in cooking oil. Remove steak from skillet and sauté sliced onion in same skillet for 3–4 minutes. Return steak to skillet and add chopped tomatoes, then remove from heat and allow to cool. Freeze steak, onions, and tomatoes in a freezer bag.

Reheating Instructions

Defrost in refrigerator for 20–24 hours. Cook covered over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour or until steak is tender.

PER SERVING

Calories: 447 | Fat: 27g | Protein: 27g | Sodium: 507mg | Carbohydrates: 24g | Fiber: 3g

Flank steak is full of flavor, but it can be tough. Slice it thin and diagonally across the grain when you cut it into strips.

Freezing Day

Cut steak, peppers, and onions into thin strips. Place into a mixing bowl. Add the Stir-fry Sauce to the bowl and mix well. Put meat, vegetables, and sauce in freezer bag and freeze.

Reheating Instructions

Defrost in the microwave. Put in skillet and stir-fry over medium-high heat for 7–10 minutes or until meat reaches desired doneness and vegetables are tender. Add water as needed. Use cornstarch to thicken sauce if desired. Serve over rice.

PER SERVING

Calories: 154 | Fat: 7g | Protein: 12g | Sodium: 27mg | Carbohydrates: 10g | Fiber: 1g

How to Thicken Sauce with Cornstarch

Cornstarch is a great solution any time you have a sauce you want to thicken. Simply mix 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with ¼ cup cold water. Stir until the cornstarch is completely dissolved, and add to sauce. Stir until the sauce thickens. To multiply your sauce, you can also add 1 cup of beef or chicken broth.

This hearty stew is a great choice when you have a crowd to feed. It is popular with the kids, and goes well with a loaf of crunchy French bread.

Freezing Day

In large skillet, brown ground beef. Add minced onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook until all pan juices have evaporated, approximately 10 minutes. In separate saucepan, bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Dissolve bouillon cubes in boiling water. Add to ground beef.

In a measuring cup, mix ¾ cup water with cornstarch. Mix well. Add cornstarch mixture to skillet. Cook over medium heat 10–12 minutes, stirring frequently until mixture thickens. Add corn. Remove from heat and cool. Freeze in a freezer bag.

Reheating Instructions

In large pot, defrost beef mixture and heat over medium-low heat for 30 minutes until it is fully heated. Cook penne pasta according to package directions. Drain and add to beef mixture. Serve.

PER SERVING

Calories: 413 | Fat: 8.5g | Protein: 25g | Sodium: 440mg | Carbohydrates: 61g | Fiber: 3g

In this recipe you will be making two batches of the marinade. One will be used on cooking day to marinate the flank steak, and the second batch will be frozen and used on the day you cook the steak.

Freezing Day

With mallet, pound steak to ¼″ thickness. Combine wine, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper in bowl. Pour half the marinade into a quart-size freezer bag and freeze. Pour the other half into a shallow dish. Marinate flank steak in dish for 3–5 hours in refrigerator, turning twice. Discard marinade.

Prepare the stuffing according to directions on the box. Stir in mushrooms. Lay flank steak out on counter and spread stuffing mixture over top. Starting at one long side, tightly roll steak up like a jelly roll and secure it with string. Tightly rap rolled steak with a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze.

Reheating Instructions

Defrost the rolled steak in the refrigerator for a minimum of 24 hours. Defrost marinade in cold water for about 30 minutes, or in the microwave. Place steak in a 9″ × 13″ dish and pour marinade in the bottom of the pan. Baste the steak with the marinade. Cook steak in a 400°F oven for 50–60 minutes (until meat thermometer reaches 160°F). Baste frequently.

PER SERVING

Calories: 417 | Fat: 12g | Protein: 50g | Sodium: 659mg | Carbohydrates: 24g | Fiber: 1g

Easy Marinating

A simple way to marinate is to put the meat and the marinade in a plastic bag, and put the bag in the refrigerator. Turning the meat is easy; just flip over the bag. And cleanup takes no time at all — just throw away the plastic bag!

Worcestershire sauce is so named because it was first made in Worcester, England. It is a popular condiment made up of vinegar, molasses, various spices, and anchovies.

Freezing Day

In skillet, brown ground beef, onion, green pepper, and garlic. Add remaining ingredients except black beans. Mix well. Gently stir in black beans. Freeze in freezer bag.

Reheating Instructions

Defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Heat over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, or until desired temperature is reached, and serve over rice.

PER SERVING

Calories: 433 | Fat: 10g | Protein: 37g | Sodium: 131mg | Carbohydrates: 49g | Fiber: 11g

NO DEFROSTING NEEDED!

Freezing Day

In skillet brown ground beef, onion, and bell pepper. Drain. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs. Melt butter in a clean skillet, add eggs, and scramble. Assemble each burrito by putting meat, egg, cheese, and a spoonful of salsa inside each tortilla. Flash freeze and transfer to freezer bag, or wrap individually in plastic wrap and freeze.

Reheating Instructions

Heat frozen burrito in microwave for 2 minutes. Serve.