Cooking for the Freezer..

BitterAndTwisted

lozza1985 wrote: »

Ok thanks for your help, I think I'm going to give it a try, just need to get some containers for this

Eh, you've probably got appropriate freezing containers in your home already, it's just that you haven't recognised them.

One way to cut down on precious freezer-space is to line a cut-down 4-pint plastic milk container and line it with a freezer bag. Throw it in the freezer until solid and then take it out. Hey-presto! Ready-meals all the same shape and easy to stack. MSE! This idea was stolen from another clever but now unnamed MSEer

VfM4meplse

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

One way to cut down on precious freezer-space is to line a cut-down 4-pint plastic milk container and line it with a freezer bag. Throw it in the freezer until solid and then take it out. Hey-presto! Ready-meals all the same shape and easy to stack. MSE! This idea was stolen from another clever but now unnamed MSEer

Good idea if you've only made enough extra for a serving or two - but you'll need to save up lots of these containers if you fill a 26" stockpot with soup / stew etc! In which case the 99p shop does come in handy.

Pink.

Hi Lozza,

As your thread has dropped down the board I've added it to our main thread on cooking for the freezer which may give you more ideas.

Pink

BitterAndTwisted

VfM4meplse wrote: »

Good idea if you've only made enough extra for a serving or two - but you'll need to save up lots of these containers if you fill a 26" stockpot with soup / stew etc! In which case the 99p shop does come in handy.

I dunno: how many 4-pint milk containers would you need for a great big 26-inch stock-pot? Three? Still, they do sell milk in six-pinters as well.

In any case the OP was asking about what I took to be single portions. They are free to accept or reject my very money-saving suggestion as they see fit. I'm all for reusing things rather than buying new ones.

debbym

Just found an interesting looking site for Once a Month Cooking called Once A Month Mom- has lots of different kinds of seasonal menus, although it is (alas) American so I'll have to cost things out to see how the prices of the meals pan out from UK supermarkets.:)

threemuttleys

Hmmmm...does that even make sense? In my cold fuddled head it does LOL

I am now working Ft, which is great, but it does mean that all things domestic are having to be done as and when (Flylady) but I am also finding that we are resorting to grabbing dinners on way home (Take aways, Pizza from the Co Op, Pasta and sauce) which is great once in a while, but OBV its getting a bit daft, expensive and not very healthy.

So, what do you ladies make in advance and freeze, or do for those days when you are really up against it? I had an idea of using those foil trays, but they are not cheap are they?

I use Ocado for shopping (Main) and then tops ups at Tesco, and aldi

Help much appreciated ;-)

floopnoodle

I cook bolognese, chilli and curry and freeze it in plastic takeaway containers which cost pence on ebay.

They take 5 minutes in the microwave to defrost and cook and can be had with rice or pasta if desired.

I usually cook 10-20 in one go, the base is the same,

Loads of chopped veg in a pan, cover in water, boil off the water, fry the veg, add chilli and garlic, add passata and reduce slightly then split into 2-3 pans depending on how many different dishes you intend to make and add specific spices/sauces from there.

bargainbetty

I have frozen HM ready meals (it make perfect sense here) stashed in the freezer all the time!

I buy the foil trays in a pound shop - you can usually get a pack of 10 single portion ones for £1. You can get larger ones for family meals too. I save the plastic ones from every takeaway, and ask family members to do the same.

Currently, I have about four shepherds pies, a cottage pie, two lamb massumun (with noodles), one thai green chicken (with rice), several chillis (with rice), a two person lasagne and smaller pots of mashed spuds to go with whatever I need. If I know I'm unlikely to have time to cook, I leave a tub out in the morning. The foil trays are better for lasagne/shepherds pie, as it can be cooked in the oven. Plastic tubs do for anything that needs reheating in the microwave.

Cheaper, healthier and just involves cooking larger portions but less often. I love it!

RosyRed

As the above posters,chilli,curries,bolognese either on its own ready to heat up with pasta,or baked as in lasagne/pasta bakes.My family like roast type dinners,so I usually buy a big brisket joint to cook in the slow cooker,have some that day then freeze portions sliced in gravy,I do the same with chicken/turkey/pork.Sometimes lamb but thats a bit dear for us.
I make big batches of soup,plate meat pies,stews,shepherds pie too.When I cook I always try and cook double so there is one to freeze and it soon mounts up.

Pink.

Hi threemutleys,

I do a lot of batch cooking and baking for the freezer. Most things freeze really well and some things (chilli, curry etc) taste even better after freezing.

For things that need to be frozen in a shape (cottage pie/lasagne etc) line the dish with clingfilm or foil before freezing then once frozen remove from the dish and wrap well. This leaves the dish free to use in other cooking and when you lift the meal out of the freezer it will fit neatly into the orignal dish.

These threads have lots more ideas:

Cooking for the Freezer..

Batch cooking ideas please

Freezer containers (merged threads)

What foods can/can't you freeze?

I'll add your thread to the first link later to keep the suggestions together.

Pink