ISO: ISO: Looking for great one-dish make and freeze meals (more)

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cath-in-v

Well-known member
I recently went to one of those businesses where you can prepare dinners selected from a monthly menu, package them for freezing and put in your freezer until ready to use. The dishes are wonderful –like peanut chicken with sweet heat coconut rice, Memphis BBQ spiced pork loin roast, greek stuffed turkey burgers. These are mighty handy to have on a worknight, but I’ve decided that they really have to be a one dish thing to throw in the oven and forget (or go for a walk, or work in the garden, etc), to be really useful to me. The ones I purchased

It got me to thinking that there are a couple of recipes that I’ve tried that would work perfectly for this, that I could prepare at home. The beef encilladas from a recent Everyday Food mag was great and I plan to prepare some more of these for the oven. Also, someone suggested Marbella Chicken would be wonderful, too – I make that often, but didn’t even think about freezing in dinner for two portions, to cook.

I’m trying to get organized for the Fall. Does anyone have any other suggestions of great make & freeze one- dish meals – other than standard lasagna?

Thanks

 
It's amazing what you can freeze. Coq Au Vin, Beef Burgundy>>>

Enchiladas. I make a great thick chunky (what I call) Southwestern Soup that is just fantastic and freezes great. I make tostadas to go along with the soup. Let me know if you want any recipes.

 
Cath, I have to do freezer meals about twice a year as we have

company that stays for two weeks and I don't want to spend too much time in the kitchen. Before they get here I get large amounts of ground beef, roasts, chicken breasts, chicken legs and thighs, pork chops and start preparing frozen meals over a couple of days. (I also freeze mashed potatoes.) With the ground beef I make meat balls, meat loaf, sloppy joes, taco meat, shepherd's pie. I cook it all and put it in foil pans, cover with extra heavy foil and place it in the freezer. With the chicken, I make strata, king ranch chicken, chicken fajitas, creole chicken, chicken pot pie, and other chicken casseroles. This, too, I cook and place in foil pans and freeze. I use a pork chop recipe that I found online for a pork casserole. If you google "freezer meals" you'll find lots of ideas. There are also some good recipes in T&T that you can freeze. (Joe's recipe for chicken drumsticks are one of our favorites, I even freeze those and reheat in the oven.

 
Homemade chicken pot pie (single serve) is one of my favorites...

but also lasagna, soups, stews, chili, coq au vin, chicken tagine, even leftover duck from a confit with some roasted vegetables, etc. Nearly always when I roast a chicken, I make chicken pot pies with the leftovers, or roast a second chicken alongside specifically for making freezer leftovers. The white corn's been really wonderful here, so I made pot pies using that, roasted red bell peppers, caramelized onions and some fresh garden herbs. It's one of my favorite combinations and a perfect, what I call 'lazy night', dinner. Gee, Summer's still here and I'm already craving Fall food.

I specifically use the small souffle dishes, a single serving size (sometimes sold as a large ramekin), so I can pull out only as many servings as I need. I just put some buttermilk biscuit dough, or a circle of puff pastry, on top before popping them in the oven. Make a salad while it's baking and I'm all set. I invested in a lot of these dishes, a quarter apiece at a local importer warehouse, but soup bowls with handles would work well too. I have them stacked, very tightly, with a thick divider between (I use several layers of heavy cardboard, wrapped), I can fit about 18 meals-ready-to-bake into a very tight space in the freezer (tighter than other methods I've found) and I've even entertained from this 'stash' too. I keep a list on the outside of the freezer of what's left, the dish and how many servings, which I find helpful when I'm planning the night's meal but sometimes it's just so nice to come home on a rainy night knowing dinner will be in the oven in under 5 minutes (and will be 10x better than that lousy $25 delivery pizza!).

 
Rec: Chicken Tetrazzini

Chicken Tetrazzini from Southern Living


1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 medium-size sweet onion, diced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1 teaspoon seasoned pepper
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
4 cups diced cooked chicken
12 ounces vermicelli, cooked
1 (6-ounce) jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1 cup soft breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Melt 1/2 cup butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add diced onion, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender.
Whisk in flour until smooth, and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually add milk and wine; cook, whisking constantly, 5 to 6 minutes or until thickened.

Add bouillon granules, seasoned pepper, and 1 cup cheese. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute or until bouillon granules dissolve and cheese melts. Remove from heat. Stir in chicken, pasta, and mushrooms. Spoon into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

Bake chicken mixture, covered, at 350° for 20 minutes.
(Can freeze at this point. Just defrost 24 hours in fridge. Add the cheese and breadcrumbs and butter on top and bake at 350 until heated. If still partially frozen, may take 40-50 minutes)

Stir together remaining 1/2 cup cheese, breadcrumbs, and 2 tablespoons melted butter, and sprinkle evenly over casserole. Bake casserole 10 to 15 more minutes.

 
There's a great book called "frozen assets" that discusses

freezer cooking, also called Once a Month Cooking. Even if the recipes aren't to your liking, the book's tips on freezing and what does/doesn't freeze well are great!

 
What Foods Can't Freeze

I found this on the web by Deborah Taylor Hough, who wrote Frozen Assets.

http://www.stretcher.com/stories/980629c.cfm

Frozen Assets
What Foods Can't Freeze?
by Deborah Taylor-Hough
DSimple@aol.com
Search our Site!

One of the most common questions I hear from people who are interested in freezer-meal cooking is: "How do I know what will freeze well, and what won't?"

If you're unsure of how well something will freeze, then freeze a single serving when you prepare the dish for a regular family meal. This way you can check on how well the item holds up to freezing and reheating.

The following lists should give you a good start at identifying potential freezing problems with various food items.

Don't Freeze Well:

* Greasy foods (they just become greasier)


* Cake icings made with egg whites


* Cream fillings and soft frostings


* Pies made with custard or cream fillings


* Fried foods (they tend to lose their crispness and become soggy)


* Fruit jelly on sandwiches may soak into the bread


* Soft cheese, such as cream cheese (can become watery)


* Mayonnaise (it separates; use salad dressing instead)


* Sour cream (it becomes thin and watery)


* Potatoes cooked in soups and stews (they become mushy and may darken. If using potatoes, cook until barely soft and still firm; then freeze quickly.)

Change During Freezing:

* Gravies and other fat-based sauces may separate and need to be recombined by stirring or processing in the blender


* Thickened sauces may need thinning after freezing; thin with broth or milk


* Seasonings such as onions, herbs and flavorings used in recipes can change during freezing. These are best added during reheating to obtain accurate flavors


* Vegetables, pastas and grains used in cooked recipes usually are softer after freezing and reheating (Undercook before freezing, or add when dish is reheated)


* Heavy cream can be frozen if used for cooking, but will not whip


* Some yogurts may suffer texture changes


* Raw vegetables lose their crispness, but can be used for cooking, stews, etc.


* Many cheeses change texture in the freezer. Most hard cheeses turn crumbly (which makes them okay for grating, but not for slicing)

 
Rec: Twice Baked Potatoes

Twice Baked Potatoes

4 large russet potatoes, each about 3/4 lb.
each, scrubbed and dried
2 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup sour cream
1 block Neufchetal cheese
1 bunch scallion, finely chopped
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
chopped cooked bacon - one pack
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the potatoes directly on the rack in
the center of the oven and bake for 30
minutes. Pierce each potato in a couple spots
with a fork and continue to bake until
tender, about 30 minutes more. Remove
potatoes from the oven, and turn the heat
down to 375 degrees F.

Hold the potato with an oven-mitt or towel,
trim off the top of the potatoes to make a
canoe-like shape. Reserve the tops. Carefully
scoop out most of the potato into a bowl.
Take care to leave enough potato in the skin
so the shells stay together. Mash the potato
lightly with fork along with 2 to 3
tablespoons of the butter, Neufchetal cheese, cheddar cheese and sour
cream.
Stir in the scallion, bacon and season with
salt and pepper, to taste. Season the skins
with salt and pepper. Refill the shells with
the potato mixture mounding it slightly.
Brush the reserved top with the
remaining butter and season with salt and pepper.

(can freeze at this point and either reheat from frozen or defrost in fridge and then bake)


Set the potatoes and lids on a baking sheet,
and bake until heated through, about 20
minutes. Serve immediately.

 
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