The Everything Freezer Meals Cookbook (23 page)
Freezing Day
Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Freeze in freezer bag.
Reheating Instructions
Defrost marinade in the refrigerator overnight and use as desired.
PER SERVING
Calories: 827 | Fat: 72g | Protein: 11g | Sodium: 4872mg | Carbohydrates: 35g | Fiber: 0g
This marinade is perfect for both fish and chicken. Pour the marinade over the uncooked food and freeze. You can cook the meat by broiling, grilling, or cooking in a skillet.
INGREDIENTS | YIELDS ½ CUP
½ cup orange juice
1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon minced onion
Freezing Day
Combine all ingredients and freeze in a freezer bag or Tupperware.
Reheating Instructions
Defrost marinade in the refrigerator overnight and use as desired.
PER SERVING
Calories: 67 | Fat: 0g | Protein: 1.5g | Sodium: 2mg | Carbohydrates: 15g | Fiber: 0g
Add this Ginger Marinade to beef and make a delicious beef and vegetable stir-fry that tastes fantastic served over rice. The marinade also works well with pork.
INGREDIENTS | YIELDS ABOUT ¾ CUP
½ cup balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons cooking sherry
4 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
Freezing Day
Combine all ingredients and freeze in a freezer bag or Tupperware.
Reheating Instructions
Defrost marinade in the refrigerator overnight and use as desired.
PER SERVING
Calories: 172 | Fat: 0g | Protein: 0.5g | Sodium: 6mg | Carbohydrates: 41g | Fiber: 0.5g
Building on the Marinade
This ginger marinade recipe stands well on its own, but ginger goes well with a variety of other flavors you may want to include in your marinade. You can include: curry, honey, lime juice, scallions, basil, chili peppers, cilantro, cumin, lemon, mint, sesame oil, or turmeric.
Keep a supply of this sauce in your freezer for a quick and easy meal. It tastes delicious served over fettuccine.
INGREDIENTS | YIELDS 2–2½ CUPS
½ onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1½ cups shitake mushrooms
3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup Marsala wine
1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1/3 cup milk
Freezing Day
In skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the onion, pepper, and mushrooms in olive oil for 5–10 minutes. Add garlic and sauté an additional 1–2 minutes. Cook until vegetables are tender. Add Marsala wine, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. In separate bowl, combine the soup and milk. Whisk until smooth. Add to skillet and stir to mix. Immediately remove from heat to cool. Freeze in a freezer bag.
Reheating Instructions
Defrost sauce in the refrigerator overnight and use as desired.
PER SERVING
Calories: 719 | Fat: 59g | Protein: 12g | Sodium: 1664mg | Carbohydrates: 39g | Fiber: 3g
Upgrading Marsala Sauce
Want to take this, or any, Marsala sauce to the next level? To begin, be sure to use an authentic imported Italian Marsala wine. Use the wine to deglaze the pan from whatever meat you cook and add a couple tablespoons of real unsalted butter (and optionally sliced mushrooms). Cook on medium heat until the mixture thickens into a sauce-like consistency.
This is a great marinade to have on hand to marinate a pork roast. You can also inject this marinade into your pork.
INGREDIENTS | YIELDS 1½ CUPS
1 cup apple juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1½ teaspoons hot sauce
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon cumin
¾ teaspoons salt
Freezing Day
In a saucepan combine apple juice, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, oil, lemon juice, and hot sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add dark brown sugar, cumin, and salt. Whisk until dry ingredients are completely dissolved. Remove from heat, cool, and freeze.
Reheating Instructions
Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and use as desired.
PER SERVING
Calories: 369 | Fat: 14g | Protein: 0g | Sodium: 2104mg | Carbohydrates: 63g | Fiber: 0g
Marinating your chicken lets it soak up delicious flavors until you are ready to cook. Slice up the chicken and wrap it in a burrito with enchilada sauce, or put it on top of a green salad.
INGREDIENTS | YIELDS 1 CUP
2 teaspoons soy sauce
¼ cup chicken broth
½ cup lime juice
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
Freezing Day
Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Freeze in a freezer bag.
Reheating Instructions
Defrost marinade in the refrigerator overnight and use as desired.
PER SERVING
Calories: 523 | Fat: 54g | Protein: 2g | Sodium: 3082mg | Carbohydrates: 9g | Fiber: 0g
To make Swedish Meatballs, defrost the desired number of Basic Meatballs (Chapter 15) and heat in sauce. Serve over egg noodles.
INGREDIENTS | YIELDS 3½ CUPS
6 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup flour
3 cups beef broth
1/3 cup heavy cream
Freezing Day
Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add flour to butter, a tablespoon at a time. Whisk each tablespoon in with the butter before adding the next. Whisk for 1 minute more until the flour and butter are mixed and it turns a golden color. Add the broth, slowly whisking as you pour. Continue whisking 8–15 minutes until the sauce thickens. Stir in the cream. Remove from heat and cool. Freeze in a freezer bag or plastic container.
Reheating Instructions
Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and use as desired.
PER RECIPE
Calories: 1076 | Fat: 98g | Protein: 13g | Sodium: 3421mg | Carbohydrates: 37g | Fiber: 1g
Transforming Swedish Meatball Sauce
Swedish Meatball Sauce is a variation of a standard white sauce that can be used in many dishes. You can easily adapt this sauce to a variety of recipes; for instance, add some sautéed mushrooms and serve over chicken, add some red wine and serve with beef, or add lemon or lime and serve over fish.
Want a spicier alternative? Add 2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes or 4 shakes of Tabasco to give this marinade some extra zest.
INGREDIENTS | YIELDS 2½ CUPS
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
1 (16-ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
¼ cup honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger powder
Freezing Day
In a saucepan, mix apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, soy sauce, and dark brown sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat and add pineapple, honey, garlic, and ginger powder. Mix well, let cool, and freeze in ½-cup portions in freezer bags or Tupperware containers.
Reheating Instructions
Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and use as desired.
PER SERVING
Calories: 586 | Fat: 0.5g | Protein: 11g | Sodium: 4880mg | Carbohydrates: 137g | Fiber: 5g
Understanding Citrus Marinades
Citrus-based marinades provide flavor as they tenderize. The citric acid breaks down protein fibers, making the meat more tender. Be careful not to leave the meat in the marinade too long as it can make the meat mushy. When thawing meat frozen in a citrus marinade, remove the meat as soon as it is thawed.
Tzatziki is a Greek sauce also known as cucumber sauce. It is made from yogurt, cucumbers, and fresh dill. Greek yogurt is used in this recipe because it is a thicker yogurt and doesn't need to be strained of water like regular yogurt.
INGREDIENTS | YIELDS 1 2/3 CUP
1 cup finely chopped seedless cucumber
8 ounces Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon fresh dill
1 clove garlic, minced
Freezing Day
Press the extra liquid out of the cucumbers. Mix cucumber with Greek yogurt, lemon juice, salt, pepper, dill, and garlic. Freeze in a freezer bag or plastic freezer container.
Reheating Instructions
Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and served chilled.
PER SERVING
Calories: 165 | Fat: 8g | Protein: 16g | Sodium: 1278mg | Carbohydrates: 14g | Fiber: 1g
Add a fruity flavor to your pancakes and waffles with this simple topping. You can also use it as a topper on ice cream, cheese cake, or mixed with yogurt. Try adding almonds to the topping for a nutty treat.
INGREDIENTS | YIELDS 1 CUP
1 cup fresh strawberries
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Freezing Day
In a food processor, mix all ingredients. Freeze in a freezer bag or Tupperware. For single servings, flash freeze in a plastic ice cube tray, then transfer cubes to a freezer bag.
Reheating Instructions
Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and serve.
PER SERVING
Calories: 127 | Fat: 0.5g | Protein: 2g | Sodium: 7mg | Carbohydrates: 32g | Fiber: 5g
Mix and Match
Spicy Refried Beans
Divide the beans into portions to make vegetarian bean burritos, or put them on your tacos with meat. Use them as a layer in South of the Border Lasagna (Chapter 8), a topping for nachos, or a dip for chips.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 8–10
6 (15.5-ounce) cans refried beans
2 (10-ounce) cans enchilada sauce
1 (4.5-ounce) can green chilies
Freezing Day
Mix all ingredients together, separate into desired portions, and freeze in a freezer bag or plastic container.
Reheating Instructions
Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, heat, and use as desired.
PER SERVING
Calories: 314 | Fat: 5g | Protein: 15g | Sodium: 1539mg | Carbohydrates: 53g | Fiber: 16g
Keep this on hand, in 1 pound portions, for easy meals. Mix with Gravy for Any Occasion (Chapter 15) and serve over open-faced biscuits. Make a meaty dip by combining with Queso Dip (Chapter 13), or add Basic Marinara Sauce (Chapter 15) and make a quick spaghetti dinner.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 30–32
8 pounds ground beef
½ cup onion, chopped
4 batches Ground Beef Seasoning Mix (Chapter 13)
Freezing Day
Brown ground beef with onion. Drain pan if necessary. Add 4 batches of Ground Beef Seasoning Mix and simmer for 5–10 minutes. Divide mixture into 8 equal portions and freeze in freezer bags.
Reheating Instructions
Defrost meat in the refrigerator overnight and use as desired.
PER SERVING
Calories: 309 | Fat: 19g | Protein: 31g | Sodium: 103mg | Carbohydrates: 0g | Fiber: 0g
Freezer Burgers
Instead of browning the ground beef, mix the raw beef with the seasoning mix and form into hamburger patties. Flash freeze the patties on a baking sheet, and then transfer them to freezer bags. Separate layers of burgers with wax paper to keep them from sticking together.
Keep a batch on hand to use in a salad or to wrap in a burrito with refried beans and salsa. It also tastes great on the Easy Stuffed Crust Pizza (this chapter), with Alfredo Sauce (Chapter 14), Roasted Garlic (this chapter), and mozzarella cheese.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 12
3 tablespoons sage, crumbled
1 tablespoon leaf thyme, crumbled
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
6 pounds boneless, skinless chicken
3–5 tablespoons olive oil
Freezing Day
Mix all spices together. Cut chicken into cubes and season the cubes with the desired amount of seasoning. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken. Brown chicken on all sides about 3–6 minutes until it is fully cooked and no longer pink in the middle. You can either flash freeze the chicken pieces and put into a freezer bag, or divide the chicken into portions and freeze.
Reheating Instructions
Defrost chicken in the refrigerator overnight and use as desired.
PER SERVING
Calories: 315 | Fat: 9g | Protein: 54g | Sodium: 127mg | Carbohydrates: 1g | Fiber: 0g
NO DEFROSTING NEEDED!
INGREDIENTS | YIELDS 1 PIZZA
1 package refrigerator pizza dough
6–7 pieces mozzarella string cheese
Freezing Day
Take out your pizza pan. (You will be forming the crust in the shape of your pizza pan so on reheating day it will be a perfect fit. Make sure your pan will fit in the freezer because you will be using it to flash freeze the crust.) Lightly grease pan. Open pizza dough and, with your fingers, press it outward to fit pan. Continue to press it so it overhangs pan by 2 inches. Lay string cheese along inside edge of pan. Bring overhanging dough over string cheese and use your fingers to seal the edges into the dough. Wet fingers if needed to create seal. Partially bake crust at 400°F for 6 minutes or until it is very lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool. Put in freezer to flash freeze. Once frozen, wrap well with plastic wrap and return to freezer.
Reheating Instructions
Add desired toppings and cook at 400°F for 15–30 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Cooking time depends on the thickness of dough and size of pizza.
PER PIZZA
Calories: 1441 | Fat: 38g | Protein: 80g | Sodium: 1957mg | Carbohydrates: 198g | Fiber: 10g
Frozen Pizzas
You can also load your pizza crust with toppings before you put it in the freezer. Simply add desired toppings after browning your pizza crust and then put the pizza in the freezer to flash freeze. This pizza can go directly from the freezer to the oven. Cook at 375°F for 15–25 minutes, depending on the thickness of your crust.
This basic gravy recipe can be used with any type of broth, and as a complement to a variety of dishes. To make this gravy, you can use broth (or meat juices) from the dish you are cooking, canned broth, or even make broth from bouillon cubes.
INGREDIENTS | YIELDS 1½ CUPS
3 tablespoons cornstarch
½ cup cold water
2 cups broth
¼ cup milk
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
Salt and pepper to taste
Freezing Day
In a small dish, combine cornstarch with cold water. Mix well. Add broth to a saucepan. Slowly stir in the cornstarch and water mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until gravy begins to boil. Add milk, margarine, and salt and pepper to taste then remove from heat. Let gravy cool, and freeze in a freezer bag.
Reheating Instructions
Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and heat gravy.
PER SERVING
Calories: 466 | Fat: 37g | Protein: 6g | Sodium: 2175mg | Carbohydrates: 27g | Fiber: 0g
This versatile chicken should always be kept on hand. It can be used in Mini Chicken Turnovers (Chapter 2), Curried Chicken (Chapter 4), Chicken Verde Wraps (Chapter 4), and many more recipes. Try mixing it with barbecue sauce and serving it on a toasted garlic roll for an easy dinner.
INGREDIENTS | YIELDS 8 CUPS
4 large bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic powder to taste
½ cup chicken broth
Freezing Day
Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Put in slow cooker with chicken broth. Cook for 6–8 hours. Remove chicken from slow cooker and let cool. Separate the chicken from the skin and bones, and shred. Freeze chicken in 2-cup portions. Strain the broth in the slow cooker and freeze in small portions.
Reheating Instructions
Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and use as desired.
PER SERVING
Calories: 435 | Fat: 9g | Protein: 83g | Sodium: 469mg | Carbohydrates: 0.5g | Fiber: 0g
NO DEFROSTING NEEDED!
INGREDIENTS | YIELDS 1 (10″) PIE CRUST
1 cup flour
Pinch salt
1/3 cup shortening
3–8 tablespoons water
10″ aluminum pie tin
Freezing Day
In a food processor, combine flour and salt. Add shortening and pulse until mixture has a mealy texture. Add 3 tablespoons water to mixture and pulse about 5 times. Check consistency by pinching together the mixture with your fingers. If it holds together, you have the right amount of water. If it doesn't hold together, continue to add water until it does. Roll dough into a ball. On a floured surface, roll dough into a 12″ circle. Place rolled out dough into the aluminum pie tin. Crimp outside edge of crust by pinching crust all the way around so it forms a wavy line. As an alternative to crimping, use a fork and press down outside edge of pie into side of pan, leaving tine marks along the edge. Wrap well with plastic wrap and freeze.
Reheating Instructions
Use frozen pie crust according to pie recipe.
Perc rust
Calories: 1053 | Fat: 69g | Protein: 13g | Sodium: 584mg | Carbohydrates: 95g | Fiber: 3.5g
How to Transfer the Dough to the Pie Tin
To check the size, lay your pie tin upside down over the crust. You should have an extra 2″ all around. Gently fold your crust in half, then fold in half again. Lay the crust in the pie tin, with the pointed end of the crust in the center. Unfold and use your fingers to push the bottom into place.
This recipe contains enough sauce to make 4 pizzas, so freeze the sauce accordingly and you'll always have just the right amount for pizza night!
INGREDIENTS | YIELDS SCANT 3 CUPS
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
2 teaspoons basil
2 teaspoons oregano
1½ teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon sugar
Freezing Day
Add all ingredients to a food processor and mix well. Divide into 1-cup portions and freeze in a freezer bag.
Reheating Instructions
Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and use as desired.
PER SERVING
Calories: 326 | Fat: 2g | Protein: 14g | Sodium: 286mg | Carbohydrates: 72g | Fiber: 19g
Pair this fruit filling with the Easy Pie Crust (this chapter) for a delicious homemade pie or use the fruit as a topping on ice cream and other desserts. You can even put it in the blender and make a fruit syrup to pour over the Chocolate Chip Pancakes (Chapter 7).
INGREDIENTS | YIELDS 1 QUART
1 quart fruit of your choice
½ cup sugar
Freezing Day
Wash and dry fruit and remove any that are bruised or have bad spots. In large bowl, mix fruit and sugar together, coating thoroughly. Freeze in freezer bags.
Reheating Instructions
Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, and use as desired.
PER SERVING
Calories: 717 | Fat: 2g | Protein: 6g | Sodium: 6mg | Carbohydrates: 181g | Fiber: 12g
Crepes can be used for either sweet or savory dishes. To make a delicious and easy dinner, stuff crepes with spinach and feta cheese, or mozzarella cheese and tomatoes.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 2–4
4 eggs
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla, or to taste
1 cup water
1 cup milk
2 cups flour Cooking spray
Freezing Day
In a mixing bowl, whip the eggs and oil until foamy. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Spray a small skillet with cooking spray. Heat skillet to medium high, and add enough batter to coat bottom of preheated pan. Tilt skillet so that batter spreads evenly on the bottom of the pan. Flip after 1–2 minutes when edges separate from pan sides and bubbles appear on surface of crepe. It only needs about 30 seconds on the second side. Cool on a plate and keep adding new crepes on top. Freeze in a freezer bag and use wax paper between the crepes.
Reheating Instructions
Defrost by carefully separating the crepes, then defrosting at room temperature. Use according to recipe.
PER SERVING
Calories: 466 | Fat: 22g | Protein: 14g | Sodium: 94mg | Carbohydrates: 52g | Fiber: 2g
Banana Crepes Dessert
Spread cream cheese over the surface of crepe. Add cinnamon and sugar and drizzle melted butter over it. Put banana in and wrap it up. Roll in melted butter and a cinnamon sugar mixture and place seam side down on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F until golden brown, 5–10 minutes. Top with caramel sauce.
Because this chicken broth is made from chicken breasts, you get multiple meals from the recipe in addition to the broth. The chicken is used to make the broth, and is then frozen and can be used in any recipes calling for cooked chicken.
INGREDIENTS | YIELDS 6–7 CUPS
2½ pounds bone-in chicken breasts
5 sprigs thyme
5 sprigs parsley
1 bay leaf
8 whole peppercorns
2 quarts cold water
2 ribs celery
2 onions
2 carrots
1 clove garlic, peeled
Freezing Day
Put chicken breasts, thyme, parsley, bay leaf, and peppercorns in stockpot with 2 quarts cold water. Cut up celery, onions, carrots, and garlic into chunks and add to water. Bring to a boil, turn down heat, and simmer 4 hours uncovered. Skim foam off the top of the water throughout the cooking time. Remove chicken from water and set aside to cool. Remove chicken from bones and freeze for another use. Strain broth and put it in refrigerator overnight. In the morning, remove and discard fat from the surface of the broth. Divide broth into 1 cup servings and freeze in a freezer bag or plastic container.
Reheating Instructions
Defrost chicken broth in the refrigerator overnight. Boil for 2 minutes and use according to recipe.
PER SERVING
Calories: 102 | Fat: 1g | Protein: 18g | Sodium: 633mg | Carbohydrates: 6g | Fiber: 0g
Caramelized onions make a great topping for burgers like the Blue Cheese Burger found in Chapter 10. You can use them for soups, sandwiches, or as an addition to a vegetable dish.