Cooking for the Freezer..

maman

I keep a list of what's in my freezer on side of microwave with a magnet and up-date every time something goes in/out. I have it next to me when I'm doing my meal plan/shopping list each week. When it's got a lot of crossing out I just re-do it. What you choose to buy will really depend on what you like to eat. Do you want to cook for it? Just give us a few details and ideas will flood in!

If it was me, I wouldn't just buy £150 worth of food at this stage. I'd gradually fill it with bargains. If you're worried about it being empty, buy reduced bread.

Glamazon

I tried batch cooking for first time ever!!

Would highly recommend it - all my cooking done, big pots used and washed up! Just need to remember to take teh stuff out the night before - have started to meal plan so this should help me remember.

I made 18 portions of chilli and bolganese using 1kg mince using this recipe

http://frugal-cooking.co.uk/recipe/193/batch-bake-minced-beef-recipe

Then made 6 portions of HM curry which we had 2 portions for tea last night and froze the other 4.

When I go to ASDA I pick up any Birds Eye Chicken or Fish that is offer at a£1 and throw it in my big freezer. Easy to cook if you fancy a jacket potato or wedges type meal.

Also stock up on ice-cream and loliies when they are on offer.

debtfree2011_3

HI ALL!
love the thread..anyone got any tips for frozen prawns? have a big big bag tiger prawns my friend gave me..im thinking stirfrys.
do i take them out the night before, how long do i defrost them for?
any tips would be much appreciated and any recipes too!
thanks

stressed_mother_of_one

thanks so much foe everyones advice. im going to have a look at batch cooking now

southernscouser

Don't buy into all this rubbish about not being a 'good cook'.

I'm not a 'good cook' but I can cook meals that are bloody lovely.

Cooking can be whatever you want it to be.

Gaia

I batch cook and freeze all sorts of things so that I have home-made ready meal eg chilli, curry, bolognese, lasagne, soup, humus etc.

Another thing that I do is to batch cook and freeze down pulses such as chick peas, red kidney beans etc. That way I have bags of them ready for when I want them and it's cheaper than buying tins of them!

Oh - and finding woopsies (on their sell by date) and freezing down straight away - meat, cheese, milk, fish etc.

There#s no need to go and spend lots of money to fill up your freezer, you'll have space for when you find the bargains or want to batch cook.

Enjoy

cliffordx5

could you give me your suggestions for your money saving freezer tips i,e what you can freeze and how
I have just found out how to freeze mased pots and dds love it
I find it hard to do family meals as 1 dd loves meat and 1 dd prefers fish/cheese
thankyou all

Janae

Hi
If you go to the sticky "Welcome to Old Style" and scroll down to "cooking" there are several links to useful threads re: cooking and freezing foods. I've found batch cooking very helpful and now make large amounts of meals such as spag bol, chilli, lasagne, casseroles and then freeze them as individual portions.
Welcome to the Forums.
kj

Pink.

Hi clifford,

There's an earlier thread with lots of ideas that should help so I've added your post to it to keep the suggestions together.

This thread may help too:

What foods can/can't you freeze?

Pink

Lois_and_CK

I'm about to swap a home office for a real office (boo). So to avoid takeaway madness I'm building up my freezer supplies of meals.

So far I have:

Chilli
Curry
Chicken casserole
Shepherd's pie filling
Beef stew

Any ideas/recipes?

Will cooked rice or pasta freeze? (Yes, I'm THAT lazy when I get in from work)