What are your fave recipes for freezable, make-ahead items?

[rickgregory]

So it's lunch time and I just went out and bought a burrito. For $10. It's a good burrito, but I kind of hate to spend $10 on things like this that I could make at home (and likely better).

BUT... I don't have the fixing right now. Nothing for the filling, in fact I'm out of burrito sized tortillas. Which brings me, finally, to the point.

For a while I've been thinking of making things like burritos ahead of time and freezing them. So... do any of you this? What are your favorite things to do this with? Do you vacuum seal things or just bag them? Any lessons learned on what not to do?

Inquiring (but currently full) bellies want to know.

[CandySueQ]

Do this frequently! My favorite is chorizo, toasted gold tater cubes, onion, red bell pepper, cheddar cheese and sometimes scrambled eggs wrapped up in an Ole low carb tortilla. Freezes well, reheats even better. Also sometimes if there's extra beans and rice, add some cheese and roll those up too. Chicken chili -- the possibilities are limitless!

[Rod]

It's not a a meal by itself, but I like to get a Costco rotisserie chicken and shred it. Then vac seal and freeze single portions. I then go to Salad and Go for lunch at work quite often and get a salad with no protein added. Just come back to work and dump the Costco chicken in it. Salad and Go's chicken doesn't taste like chicken. It tastes like the can it is packed in, but the salads are always great and fresh. They are pretty big salads and adding good chicken holds me over until dinner easily.

[ecowper]

we do burritos, enchiladas, soups (think potato leek, for example), stocks, chili are stuff we routinely make ahead and freeze.

[Mosca]

Chili and pasta sauce ("spaghetti sauce"). Sometimes soups.

[RonB]

Spaghetti sauce, chili, bread, soups and sometimes spaghetti with cooked noodles in it - single serving size.

[rickgregory]

Thanks all!

A bit of clarification since I forgot this... soups etc are assumed. But sometimes you're tired of soups, stews and the like. You want food but not soup or a sandwich. You could cook something but you don't want to (you're busy, tired, whatever). What do you do?


I guess I'm looking for ideas that aren't soup/stew/chili, aren't sandwiches but are a) filling lunches and b) things that can freeze well at home.

Love the idea of buying rotisserie chicken and shredding it off the bone.

[ecowper]

I buy the rotisserie chicken at Costco that's already off the bone. I smoke it for about 30 minutes, then my wife makes enchiladas. We freeze them into dinner sized portions.

[SmokingPat]

How about _____ fried rice (shrimp, beef, chicken, pork ... tofu)? It's good for leftover protein of all kinds. I happen to have one more serving of ham fried rice in the refrigerator now.
On the subject of rice, how about a bowl of the Korean dish 'bibimbap'? Tasty, and pretty to look at. Well, until you're halfway through it. 😄

[Huskee]

Dang, all I've got is tea ice cubes and beef love cubes.

[Mr. Bones]

Still lamentin none us 11 kids ever got down Gandma's receipt fer Ice Cubes.

They was a rare, an powerful good treat, on a hot Summer day...

[Attjack]

I make pizza dough and sauce and freeze it regularly. I've thought about freezing a whole pizza but have yet to try that.

[Huskee]

Freezing a pizza? This idea could be worth meelions!

[STEbbq]

We don’t usually freeze food but more eat leftovers for a few days from the fridge.

That said, from reviewing this sub, I would say the sky’s the limit on ideas. I’m seeing a lot of chicken curries (Thai, Korean etc.) , burritos, and stir fry. Lots of ideas with pics.

https://reddit.com/r/MealPrepSunday

[ecowper]

stir fry seems an odd one to freeze. I wouldn't expect the noodles and cooked veggies to freeze well.

[STEbbq]

You are probably right. I interpreted his question to be more related to meal prep than the actual freezing element so maybe he would freeze some stuff and some food he would prep for the fridge.

[DavidNorcross]

We freeze just about everything we can. We vacuum seal always. If I had to pick one thing it would be breads most of all. Loaf bread, rolls and biscuits. Spaghetti sauces, meatballs, etc. Many times we always make double as well and seal and freeze.

[SheilaAnn]

Chili, chile verde, stocks, soups. When my CSA was getting out of control, I would roast and freeze sweet potatoes. I have also blanched and froze other veggies, too. And we have a food saver as well. Oh and lots of fruit. Freeze it on a tray first, then into the food saver.

[rickgregory]

"...I would roast and freeze sweet potatoes"

I'd never have thought of doing that...

[Caffeine88]

We had a very large fam gathering planned this summer, and my wife made ahead a very large number of dinners which she froze in 6-person portions to make it easy to feed a variable size crowd on short notice. Some take a little effort to complete, and some where heat and go. You could riff off some of these ideas....

Lasagna, chunked into serving size portions
Chicken pot pie. Bake in individual foil pans or an 8x13 and cut out servings
Chili - duh
Beef borgeniouanerionaeen (Whatever - it's a really good french version of beef stew that takes a whole bottle of wine. Look it up here). She also made mashed potatoes. OMG. Freezing this in lunch portions would be amazing.
Pulled pork w/ mac-n-cheese. Another easy leftover that portions well and reheats well.
Spaghetti Bolognese
Butter chicken with rice. To be fair, she left out the dairy before freezing and then finished on the day of serving. I think it would do fine portioned for lunch sizes, though. It is really really good. https://foodess.com/butter-chicken/

[Caffeine88]

And you can spell. Or Google. Whatever... 🙄🙄

[fzxdoc]

Ina Garten's Boeuf Bourguignon is a winner. It's been my go-to for many years. I love the part where she has you light the Cognac.

According to my family, Ina's recipe is better than Julia's (heresy, I know).

ecowper 's Stacey's version is right up there as well. I tried it and we loved it.

Kathryn

[Murdy]

I used to have a beef bourguignon recipe that I found on one of the mass recipe sites (like Allrecipes) that was fantastic. Can't find it anymore, and I know I printed it out but haven't seen it in years. Someday, I suppose, I'll run across it folded up in a cookbook or magazine or something. Sigh.

[Attjack]

Caffeine88 reminded me that I sometimes make single serve pot pies in mason jars. I've done this with leftover turkey or with chicken. I press the dough into short mason jars, add the filling, add the dough for the top, and par bake. Then they go into the freezer.

[Attjack]

SheilaAnn freeze them with the lids off after they have cooled. Once frozen you can add lids. You can take them straight from the freezer (lid off) and into a preheated oven.

[Attjack]

Here they are par-baked, cooled, and ready for the freezer.

[CandySueQ]

Love this! I am so going to do it. The short wide-mouth jars are perfect. Thanks!

[HawkerXP]

I excel at these....

[Caffeine88]

That's a damn fine lunch. Not so good frozen, but they come in easy single serve packages.

[bbqLuv]

OH no, I enjoy beer just above ice cold, I like the flavor of the beer.
I do like the way you think.