Freezer Cooking for One...For a Month

My new husband is off to med school and I am staying behind because we have a house and I have a job here. Because of this new transition we are 1. Trying to save some $$ and 2. Attempting to not fall victim to the cereal for dinner rut. So to combat my inclination to have cereal, PB&J, or go out for dinner I have gone on a freezer cooking free for all!
I got a variety of recipes off pinterest and arranged them into a nice and neat table. I also divided them between my meals and my hubby's meals because he likes a lot more diverse food then I do.



Check out my board on Pinterest for more recipes 
http://www.pinterest.com/jessica_brink/frozen-and-to-go-food/

note that most of these are made for families so if you are making it for one or even two then you may want to divide it into more than two portions... just making it into three is more realistic for me to eat.

Some Tips

So when I was making the meals for my husband I cut up all the veggies and put them in the appropriate freezer bags which I had already labeled with ingredients and directions. Then I worked on wet ingredients, seasonings and the meat. When I assembled for myself the recipes were less intensive so I worked one recipe at a time and put them in reusable containers.

I will keep you posted on which I like better but at the moment I kind of like the containers since I have the freezer space and I can reuse them. Although the bags work well for the hubby since he shares a freezer with a roommate.

All of the recipes are meant for the crockpot or to just be reheated but they all need to defrost before trying to cook them up. Also they should be paired with a rice or pasta and probably a frozen veggie...I see a lot of rice and broccoli in my future.

It takes a bit of planning ahead but sacrificing a day for the saving on work later is so worth it to me. (Don't believe the pinterest posts that say you can do it all in 4 hours. It took me about an hour to 2 hours to shop for it then if you are using fresh veggies it takes a bit to chop them all up).

So far I have made two different recipes but since it was just me, one recipe lasted me three days.

My Recipes
Here are my favorite recipes that I have adapted a bit. Make sure to change the amount based on how much you need.

Lasagna

2 pkg No-Boil Lasagna Noodles

2 C Green Bell Pepper (chopped)

1.5 C Onion (chopped)

6 Cloves Garlic (minced)

4 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

104 oz Pasta Sauce

2 tsp Dried Basil

30 oz Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese

8 C Shredded Mozzarella

4 Eggs

1 C Grated Parmesan Cheese

In a large saucepan, cook peppers, onion, and garlic in oil. Stir in pasta sauce and basil; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Mix together ricotta, 2 C mozzarella, and eggs. Grease your baking dish and coat the bottom with tomato sauce. Add the following ingredients to the dish in layers: no-boil lasagna noodles, ricotta mix, sauce, and Parmesan cheese. Repeat layering, and top with the remaining 2 cups of mozzarella cheese.

(doubled to make 2 meals) Label lasagna with name of dish, date, and the following instructions: “Thaw in fridge. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes (or until warmed through) in a 350-degree oven. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.” Cover dish and store in freezer until ready to thaw.

Turkey Chili

1 lb. ground turkey

10 oz. frozen corn

1 yellow onion

28 oz. diced tomatoes

16 oz. tomato sauce

4.5 oz. chopped green chilies

15 oz. red kidney beans

2 tbs. cilantro

2 tbs. chili powder

1.5 tsp. red pepper flakes

Combine ingredients and separate into containers based on portion sizes. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Teriyaki Chicken

6-8 boneless chicken breasts

1 cup teriyaki sauce

1 cup water

2/3 cup brown sugar

3 cloves of garlic

Combine ingredients and separate into containers based on portion sizes. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Mongolian Beef

1 lb. stew meat

2 tsp. olive oil

1 onion, thickly sliced

1 tbsp. minced garlic

1/2 cup soy sauce (I used wheat free tamari)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. fresh minced ginger

1/2 cup hoisin sauce (I used The Wizard's brand gf)

Freezer directions- dump all ingredients into a labeled freezer bag, seal, mix up, freeze flat. It's as easy as that!

When you're ready to cook- take the bag out of the freezer the night before and let it defrost in the fridge. The next morning dump the bag into the crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. If you're going to be longer just add a bit more water so it doesn't dry out. Serve with fresh slice green onions and rice. Yum!