50 Recipes of Freezer Meals You Will Love

 

50 Recipes of Freezer Meals You Will Love

 

 

What are freezer meals?

Freezer meals are typically something that is prepped ahead of time and then put into the freezer. These meals can be made ahead of time and then frozen in individual portions. When you need a quick and easy meal, all you have to do is pull one out of the freezer.

 

Your local grocery store will usually have a freezer section or refrigerator with a number of "ready-to-cook" sections in it. These sections usually contain some sort of entree (soup, salad, chicken/beef/), sides (potatoes, carrots, green beans), or dessert (pies, cakes).

 

What foods can be frozen and reheated?

 

Basically, anything that you can cook on the stove can be frozen. All meats, vegetables, and rice dishes would be great freezer foods. Even fruit is fair game! These are items that you would likely want to cook on the stove or in the oven prior to freezing. Anything that takes too long to cook should not be frozen because it will lose nutrients and spoil easily when thawed. Also, anything with a high carbohydrate content like bread and pasta should not be frozen because they will become stale when thawed and will otherwise have a bad taste.

 

What foods do not freeze well?

Meats that are high in fat won't freeze well. Fat will leak out of the meat and cause it to spoil.

 

Fruit with a high water content (melon, grapes, juice) will not freeze well. The water content causes the fruit to turn into a big ball of ice so it is best to slice the fruit and lay it flat in the freezer for an hour or two and then put them in plastic bags for freezing.

 

How long can you keep food frozen?

 

The rule of thumb is if you don't know how long food has been in your freezer, then throw it out! Honestly, though, meat products last about 18 months and vegetables last about 12 months.

 

Don't forget about BPA! Whenever buying containers for freezing, make sure that you research what kind of plastics are being used. Some plastics can cause health issues such as breast cancer. Here is a great article on BPA.

 

What containers should be used?

 

We always use heavy duty freezer bags or glass containers with tight-fitting lids. However, if you are packing meat products in the freezer, it is best to use hard plastic containers or freezer bags that ziplock and air can move in and out without being forced out by the pressure of being frozen.

 

How long will these meals keep? There are many factors that play into how long your meals will keep in your freezer:

 

50 Easy Freezer Meals Recipes:

Before we get into the recipes, here is a little information that you may need to know before putting these meals into your freezer.

 

The length of time these meals will keep in your freezer depends on how quickly foods thaw and how long they are stored in the freezer. Meals that are well-wrapped and put into a cooler will keep better than those placed directly in the freezer without proper packaging. Here are some items that you can use to help extend the life of your meals:

 

1. Cooked Rice: Cooked rice is best because it won't turn mushy when thawed. It is best to use multi-purpose freezer bags for freezing because they have a good seal and are easier to label.

 

2. Paper Plates: If you have paper plates, don't throw them out when you get finished eating them. Instead, place the dirty plates in one bag, seal them, and put it in the freezer. You can make those frozen papers plates into disposable serving trays whenever you need one! Just pull out of the freezer, let it thaw a little bit, and then put your food on there!

 

3. Cooler: If you plan on using your freezer meals on a regular basis, I highly recommend buying something to keep them in. These coolers are great because they keep food at the correct temperature to stay good. They also have a drain so you can put water in there to help regulate the temperature.

 

4. Baking Pans: When it comes to baking, most of us use cookie sheets or similar types of pans. What happens when the dish is done cooking? You get out the soap and start scrubbing those pans! Next time you make some freezer meals, take that same pan and place it in your freezer until it is frozen solid.