Freezer Cooking

One of the reasons that the American diet is so packed with convenience foods these days is that most people just don't have the time to do much cooking. During the week, it's a dash from work to pick up the kids, get home, feed them, and shuttle them back out to their weeknight activities. There is just no time to dice, chop, simmer, and saute.

Around this time vacuum, several solutions have been created. Of course there is take-out food, but everyone knows that's not a healthy way to go. Then there are prepared, packaged meals, loaded with preservatives and additives. Recently there are also services like Plated or Blue Apron, where all of the prep work is done for you and fresh, perfectly portioned ingredients are delivered to your door, but these cost more than many families can reasonably afford on a regular basis.

20 meals, prepped and ready to freeze

The best solution I have found is called freezer cooking. This is where you buy your own fresh ingredients and do all of your prep work in one session, then freeze the recipes before cooking them. During the week you just thaw the meals and pop them in the oven/slow cooker/skillet. I like this option because it gives you complete control over what you're putting on your family's dinner table. And often you can prep many meals in just a couple of hours.

Over the weekend, my husband and I worked together to prep 20 crockpot freezer meals in a little over 2 hours. This means for the next month (roughly) most of the cooking work is already done.

But how to manage such a daunting task? There are as many options as there are cooks who go this route. If you're already planning your meals in advance, it doesn't take much work to convert your favorite meals to freezer meals. There are just a few things to keep in mind.

First, how to store all of these great recipes until you're ready to use them? Unless you have a stash of casserole dishes and storage ware that rivals your local kitchen store, you're probably going to need another solution for storage. As you can see above, I often go the freezer bag route, but you can also use foil baking pans. These tend to be relatively cheap at your local grocery store, and since you store and bake in the same disposable dish, they make cleanup a snap. With either of these methods, you can use a sharpie to write on the outside any cooking/finishing directions to help keep yourself organized.

Next, how do you convert recipes for freezer cooking? This works best on recipes that are one-dish meals, but of course you can also prep and freeze separate main dishes and sides. You also want to be aware that some ingredients may not freeze very well:

• Potatoes: the texture gets a little odd in the freezer. Not a big deal really in a long-cooking soup or if you're using shredded potatoes like hash-browns, but you don't want to stick your whole baking potatoes in the freezer. Some say other high-starch items like pasta also should not be frozen, but I've done plenty of casseroles and soups with pasta included and never had a problem. 
• Sour cream, cream sauces: these can work out okay if they're used in small amounts in something like a casserole, but often they will separate when frozen so use sparingly.
• Sauces thickened with flour or cornstarch: these will separate, so mix up your sauce as usual and freeze, but wait to thicken it until just before serving. 
• high-water-content veggies and fruits (think celery, cucumber, lettuce, melons, etc.)
• mayo

So what to do if your favorite meals contain the above ingredients? No problem! Just prep the rest of the ingredients and save the tricky bits for the day you're planning to serve the meal. It takes very little time to dice up a couple of potatoes and throw them in the pot when the rest of the recipe prep is already done.

Of course, you can also use resources found online to make your freezer meal prep even easier. I have a collection of recipes already altered for freezer prep on my Freezer Meals pin board to help get you started. If you're at all unsure about how this freezer meal thing should work, I highly recommend using these resources the first time around.

Then there is the super easy and quick way: pre-planned freezer meal sessions. There are a lot of bloggers out there who have already done all of the work for you and sell entire freezer meal prep session instruction packets. The 20 meals we prepped this week are from one of I Am That Lady's Aldi Meal Plans. For just $4 she has already created meal plans with complete instructions and a great system for assembly-line-style prep. Well worth the money in my book.

However you choose to do it though, with all the busyness of back-to-school, this is a great time of year to start a freezer meal plan!

Lemon Chicken and Broccoli

I adapted this one from a recipe by Life in the Lofthouse. Her version is super simple and yummy too, but I wanted to turn it into a full meal.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp Italian herb blend
• 3-4 Large boneless, skinless Chicken breasts, cut into tenderloins
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 packet Italian dressing/seasoning mix
• ½ cup fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 2 cups frozen, chopped broccoli, thawed
• 1 cup jasmine rice
• 1½ cups chicken broth

Steps

1. Mix the Italian herb blend with the flour and place in a wide, shallow bowl.
2. Rinse the chicken pieces with water, and then lightly coat them in the flour. You don't need perfect coverage, just make sure that some of the flour sticks to all sides of the chicken (see below left). Set aside.
3. Heat 2 Tablespoons of oil in a large skillet, over medium-high heat. When oil is runny, add half of the flour-coated chicken pieces. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Cook chicken for 3-4 minutes or until slightly brown on each side. The chicken doesn't need to be cooked all the way through, just enough to make the breading stick well (see below right).

4. As pieces get done (larger ones might take a little longer, so they may not all be done at once), place them in the bottom of your crock pot and turn it on low.
5. Add the remaining oil to the skillet, and cook the rest of the flour-coated chicken pieces, then add them to the crock pot.
6. Sprinkle the Italian dressing/seasoning mix evenly over the chicken. Pour the lemon juice and ½ cup of chicken broth over the it all. Cover with lid, and cook on low heat for 3-4 hours. If you haven't already, this is a good time to take the broccoli out of the freezer.
7. About half an hour before you are ready to serve, dump the chopped broccoli on top. No need to stir, just set it in there.  
8. 15 minutes before meal time, bring 1½ cups chicken broth to a boil in a medium sized sauce pan. Once it is boiling vigorously, lower heat to a simmer and stir in rice. Cover and cook for 15 min. 
9. Serve the chicken and broccoli combo over rice, with sauce. You can either serve the chicken pieces whole or shredded (as above). Enjoy!

Top Ten Spices in My Kitchen

photo credit: Knoflook
via photopin (license)

1. Garlic

If you've read anything at all on this blog before, you probably know that I'm a huge fan of garlic. What you might not know is that in addition to the fresh garlic that I always have handy, I also keep some of the powdered stuff for when I just want to add a little more of that flavor to a dish that's already been finished. I also like to stir it into a little melted butter and dip Italian bread.

photo credit: #Zingiber #officinalis
#Zingiber #ingver #džumbir
via photopin (license)

2. Ginger

Again, this one I like to have both fresh and powdered. The difference in flavor between the two is enough that it's almost like having two completely different seasonings. Ginger has an interesting history. It's a big part of Chinese traditional medicine and was also very commonly used in the Middle East. At one point it was so popular in Europe that it was a standard part of any table setting, like salt and pepper today. In English pubs it was sprinkled on top of beer, providing the origin of the popular soda that shares its name. I love it for the distinctly Asian flavor fresh ginger can give to any meal, and of course it's great in baking too!

photo credit: Old Bay
via photopin (license)

3. Old Bay Seasoning

This is my go-to all-purpose blend. When I'm doing something super simple like frying up pork chops, I'll sprinkle them with a little Old Bay for flavor. It's a very versatile mix of spices and I haven't found anything it doesn't suit. This particular blend is relatively new to the culinary world, having been developed in 1939.

  photo credit: Italian Herb Mix
via Wikimedia Commons
(license)

4. Italian Herb Blend

This was my fave before I discovered Old Bay. I still use it a lot if I'm looking for more of an Italian flavor to a meal, or if I'm wanting flavor but no heat.

photo credit: paprika
via photopin (license)

5. Smoked Paprika

Paprika is one of the most under used and under appreciated seasonings in this country, in my opinion. I sprinkle a little on top of my baked mac 'n' cheese, add it to the breading when I'm frying chicken, and sprinkle it over top of steamed veggies. It's got a great smokey flavor that I simply adore. And if you're lucky enough to live in a country where paprika potato chips are available, you have to try them. They're kinda similar to the BBQ chips available here in the US, but way better.

photo credit: Fresh Basil 340/365
via photopin (license)

6. Basil

Fresh basil is great for adding amazing flavor to dishes at the last minute, but I rarely have it on hand. I hope to change that soon when I get my herb garden started, but that project has been on the to-do list for way too long to think I'm going to get around to it anytime soon. So mostly I cook with dried basil. Quality makes a huge difference here, and I'd say if you can afford to buy the fresher (but typically more expensive) stuff, you will not regret the investment.

photo credit: Ρίγανη

    via Wikimedia Commons    

(license)

7. Oregano

Oregano is one of those herbs that is actually better dried than fresh. No really. Drying out the leaves actually brings out their flavor. And who doesn't love that flavor? I often cook with basil and oregano together because they compliment each other so well.

photo credit:
  Canela en rama, stick cinnamon.  
via photopin (license)

8. Cinnamon

I know many people probably think of sweets and baked goods when they think of cinnamon, but I also use it in savory dishes. Lots of Mediterranean and Mexican foods are amazing with just a little thrown in. Want to take your Greek cooking to the next level? Grab the cinnamon. Looking for a Mexican twist on hot cocoa? You guessed it. Just add cinnamon. I also sprinkle it on my coffee or tea in the morning, or top off a bowl of yogurt with it, and of course who doesn't love cinnamon toast?

photo credit:
  Clagett Farm Cayenne Peppers 
via photopin (license)

9. Cayenne Pepper (or Chili Powder)

When you want to add a bit of heat to a dish, you can't really go wrong with these peppers. Think of it like a much, much stronger version of paprika. And the bright red color really adds to the visual appeal of a dish too!

photo credit: Cumin
via photopin (license)

10. Cumin

Cumin is one of the oldest seasonings still in common use today. It was originally a staple of ancient Egyptian culture, then adopted by the Greeks, spread by the Roman empire, and found a home in India, Portugal, Spain and Mexico. Any spicy food can benefit from the addition of cumin, but it can overpower more delicate flavors so use with caution.