The Everything Freezer Meals Cookbook (6 page)
PER SERVING
Calories: 318 | Fat: 15g | Protein: 23g | Sodium: 358mg | Carbohydrates: 21g | Fiber: 2g
Although ground ginger may be substituted for fresh ginger in the correct proportion, tt does have a different flavor. Ground ginger is much stronger, so substitute ¼ teaspoon ground ginger for every 4 teaspoons fresh ginger.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4–6
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1½ cups ketchup
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup soy sauce
4 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
½ cup water
8 hamburger buns (used on reheating day)
Freezing Day
In skillet, brown ground beef and onion. Drain. Add remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Freeze mixture in a freezer bag.
Reheating Instructions
Defrost meat. Heat in a saucepan over medium heat for 20 minutes, or until desired temperature is reached. Make sandwiches using hamburger buns.
PER SERVING
Calories: 627 | Fat: 12g | Protein: 35g | Sodium: 2300mg | Carbohydrates: 96g | Fiber: 3.5g
Instead of grilling, you may prefer to broil the steak. Preheat the broiler, and then place the steak on a broiler pan 6 inches from the heat. Broil for 10 minutes, turn, and broil an additional 10–15 minutes until steak reaches desired doneness.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4–6
2-pound top round steak
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Freezing Day
Cut small slits on both sides of the steak. Push a thin slice of garlic into each slit. In separate bowl, mix lemon zest, butter, black pepper, and salt. Spread the mixture over all sides of the steak. Freeze in a freezer bag.
Reheating Instructions
Defrost steak in refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Grill over medium heat until desired doneness.
PER SERVING
Calories: 313 | Fat: 13 g | Protein: 46g | Sodium: 500mg | Carbohydrates: 0g | Fiber: 0g
Chestnuts have a sweet nutty flavor and although they can be eaten raw, they taste better when boiled or roasted. They are a seasonal nut and are most often available October through December.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4
¾ pound chestnuts
4 tablespoons butter
½ onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
½ pound mushrooms, sliced
¼ cup cream sherry
4 cups soft bread cubes (5–6 slices bread, toasted)
1 teaspoons sage
½ teaspoon thyme
1 to 1½ cups chicken broth
4 cube steaks
1 (12-ounce) jar mushroom gravy (used on reheating day)
Freezing Day
In pan, cover chestnuts with water and heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium and cook 10 minutes. Remove 3 chestnuts at a time from water, cut in half lengthwise, and peel each one. In a skillet, melt butter and sauté onions and celery. Add mushrooms and sherry. Cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
In large bowl, combine vegetables with bread cubes and herbs. Add chestnuts and mix well. Moisten the stuffing with chicken broth, adding a little at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. Lay out steaks and cover each with stuffing. Fold steak over the stuffing, and secure with a toothpick. Flash freeze on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Transfer to freezer bag.
Reheating Instructions
Defrost steak in refrigerator for 24 hours. Place in a baking dish and pour mushroom gravy over the top. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 350°F for 30–45 minutes, or until steaks are tender.
PER SERVING
Calories: 617 | Fat: 25g | Protein: 44g | Sodium: 1123mg | Carbohydrates: 54g | Fiber: 3g
Stuffed Peppers is a dish that can be found around the globe, with each country having its own version. The classic American stuffed peppers contain meat and rice and are served with tomato sauce, although there are quite a few variations.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 8
2 pounds ground beef
Ground Beef Seasoning Mix (Chapter 13)
2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 cups cooked rice (not minute rice)
½ cup sunflower seeds
8 green peppers
1 (15-ounce) can seasoned diced tomatoes (used on reheating day)
Freezing Day
In skillet, brown ground beef with the Ground Beef Seasoning Mix. Stir in the 2 cans of tomato sauce. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in rice and sunflower seeds. Cut each pepper in half lengthwise, and remove the stem and seeds. Steam peppers by placing them, cut side up, in ½″ of water. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Lay each pepper half on a baking sheet and fill with meat filling. Flash freeze and transfer to a freezer bag.
Reheating Instructions
Defrost peppers in refrigerator for 24 hours and lay them in a baking dish. Pour the diced tomatoes over the top of the peppers and around the bottom of the pan. Bake at 350°F for 30–45 minutes until the peppers are hot and start to brown.
PER SERVING
Calories: 425 | Fat: 18g | Protein: 37g | Sodium: 536mg | Carbohydrates: 29g | Fiber: 4.5g
How to Freeze Green Peppers
Many vegetables need to be blanched before they can be frozen, but not green peppers. So before you throw away another rotten pepper from your crisper drawer, freeze them instead. Simply cut the peppers in half, and remove the membrane, seeds, and stem. You can chop them, or cut them into strips. Flash freeze on a baking sheet, and transfer to a freezer bag.
Goulash has evolved over the years, but authentic Hungarian Goulash was cooked in a large cast-iron kettle over an open fire. The hearty soup was used to feed the herdsmen working in the fields.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 8–10
2 cups uncooked macaroni
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground sausage
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (29-ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 (15-ounce) cans corn, drained
2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning
Parmesan cheese (used on reheating day)
Freezing Day
In large saucepot, cook macaroni 8–9 minutes until it is just under-done. Drain and return to saucepot. In skillet, brown the ground beef, ground sausage, and onion for 15 minutes, or until the meat is thoroughly cooked. Add garlic and cook an additional 1–2 minutes. Drain off fat. Add all remaining ingredients to the saucepot, remove from stove, and cool. Cool and freeze in a freezer bag.
Reheating Instructions
Defrost goulash in refrigerator for 24 hours. In skillet, bring goulash to a boil, turn heat down, and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with Parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top.
PER SERVING
Calories: 432 | Fat: 19g | Protein: 27g | Sodium: 357mg | Carbohydrates: 38g | Fiber: 3g
When you bake your meatloaf, put 2 pieces of bread underneath it to soak up the grease while it cooks. When you are ready to serve, simply throw the pieces of bread away.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4–6
2 pounds lean ground beef
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 onion, chopped
¼ cup celery, chopped
2 teaspoons seasoning salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup Saltine crackers, finely crumbled
2 cups ketchup
2/3 cup ketchup (used on reheating day)
½ cup brown sugar (used on reheating day)
1½ teaspoons prepared yellow mustard (used on reheating day)
Freezing Day
Combine beef and eggs. Blend in onions, celery, seasonings, cracker crumbs, and ketchup. Mixture will be smooth and moist. Flash freeze in a 9″ × 5″ loaf pan. Once frozen, remove meatloaf from pan, wrap well, and return to freezer.
Reheating Instructions
Defrost in refrigerator for 24 hours. Cook at 350°F for 1 hour. In a small bowl, mix ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard. Spread on meatloaf during last 20 minutes of cooking time.
PER SERVING
Calories: 590 | Fat: 23g | Protein: 50g | Sodium: 1800mg | Carbohydrates: 47g | Fiber: 1.5g
The secret to the perfect loose meat sandwich is to crumble the ground beef as small as possible. When browning it, use your spatula and break up the chunks.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4–6
2 pounds ground beef
2 green bell peppers, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup celery, finely chopped
1 cup water
1 cup chili sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
1 teaspoon salt
Kaiser rolls (used on reheating day)
Dill pickles (used on reheating day)
Dijon or yellow mustard (used on reheating day)
Freezing Day
In skillet, brown ground beef, bell peppers, onion, and garlic. Drain. To the skillet add celery, water, chili sauce, mustard, barbecue sauce, and salt. Remove from heat and cool. Freeze in a freezer bag.
Reheating Instructions
Defrost in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Heat in a saucepan over medium-low heat for 25 minutes. Serve on kaiser rolls with dill pickles and mustard.
PER SERVING
Calories: 380 | Fat: 10g | Protein: 35g | Sodium: 1043mg | Carbohydrates: 48g | Fiber: 3g
Fresh grilled pineapple is delicious when paired with the teriyaki marinated sirloin steak and vegetables. Serve the kabobs over rice.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 6–8
1 cup Teriyaki Marinade (Chapter 14)
2 pounds sirloin steak cut into 1½″ cubes
2 green bell peppers, cut into 2″ pieces
1 sweet onion, cut into 2″ pieces
½ cup Teriyaki Marinade (Chapter 14) (used on reheating day)
1 fresh pineapple, cut into 2″ pieces (used on reheating day)
Skewers
Freezing Day
Prepare a double batch of Teriyaki Marinade, or defrost if it is already prepared. Put steak, peppers, and onions in a freezer bag. Pour 1 cup marinade over the top and freeze.
Reheating Instructions
Defrost steak, peppers, and onions in refrigerator overnight, or in microwave, and discard the marinade. Prepare the skewers by threading on each a combination of steak, peppers, onions, and pineapple. Prepare another batch of Teriyaki Marinade. This will be used for basting during grilling. Grill the skewers over high heat for approximately 10 minutes. Baste with Teriyaki Marinade.
PER SERVING
Calories: 380 | Fat: 29g | Protein: 38g | Sodium: 624mg | Carbohydrates: 27g | Fiber: 3g
This award-winning chili tastes fantastic served over rice. Have toppings such as grated Parmesan cheese, shredded Cheddar cheese, sliced jalapeño peppers, sour cream, and oyster crackers available for even more flavor.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 20
5 pounds 80/20 or 75/25 ground beef
1 large sweet onion, diced
3 tablespoons jalapeños, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons cumin
3 tablespoons cocoa
5 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons salt
2 cups beef broth
3 tablespoons oregano
8 tablespoons minced, dried onion
½–1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, according to taste
2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste
4 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies
1/8 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
Freezing Day
In skillet, brown ground beef with the diced onion, jalapeño, and garlic. Drain. Transfer meat to stockpot, and add all other ingredients. Mix well. Simmer on low 60–90 minutes. Add water as necessary to achieve desired thickness. Remove from heat, cool, and freeze using freezer bags, or plastic containers.
Reheating Instructions
Defrost chili in the refrigerator for 24 hours (less time for small portions). Heat chili in a saucepan over medium-low heat for 20–30 minutes, or until it reaches desired temperature.
PER SERVING
Calories: 348 | Fat: 20g | Protein: 32g | Sodium: 1157mg | Carbohydrates: 9g | Fiber: 1.5g
Thoughts on Chili
Cooking chili is all about getting the right balance between the heat of the chili and the savory of the meat and spices. Purists will maintain that real chili does not have beans and that it should make you sweat, even if it's just a little bit! Chili is a great food to experiment with to develop your own personal recipe.
Sirloin is the preferred choice of beef for this dish because it is tender when cooked. If you use a tougher cut of steak, be sure to cut it thin and tenderize it with a meat mallet before freezing.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 6–8
4 cups fresh broccoli, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups beef bouillon
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
¼–½ teaspoon red pepper, to taste
1 pound beef sirloin, sliced thinly across the grain
3 tablespoons oil (used on reheating day)
1 green onion, sliced (used on reheating day)
1 tablespoon cornstarch (used on reheating day)
2 tablespoons cold water (used on reheating day)
Freezing Day
Blanch the broccoli: Bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl filled with ice and water. Put the broccoli in the boiling water for 3 minutes. Remove and put in the ice water for 3 minutes. Drain well and put in a freezer bag. Set aside.