Make Your Own Frozen Meals |

Hi and welcome! New here? You might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic and other healthy fun ideas.

The frozen food section at the grocery store is full of “meals” meant to feed one but leave me hungry. Not to mention most taste fake, contain at least one of allergens and have ingredient lists I can’t or don’t want to read. It’s a scary place.

I’d love to make dinner every night at home but some days are too busy, especially craziest of work days in November and December. Instead of eating takeout every day or basic egg sandwiches and cereals…I came up with a solution:

Make my own frozen meals

Most recipes have 6 to 8 servings…we’re only two people. That leaves at least 4 servings available to save for later; unless Hunni gets to them before I can package them up. I’m not a big fan of leftovers…but freezing leftovers to eat a month of two later feels like a new meal.

A Few Tips for Homemade Frozen Meals.

Double dinner. Start your frozen meal stash making a large casserole or doubling the recipe. Most recipes you love will make nice frozen dinners. Warning! Potatoes do NOT freeze well unless in casseroles. Trust me.

Chill out. Before packing meals for freezing let them cool to room temperature. This prevents ice crystals forming from all the steam. If you want ice for dinner might I suggest a slushy.

Use Ziploc bags. Tupperware is easy for pantry and refrigerating…not so much for freezing. Ziploc bags make for easily storage. Easy to remove unnecessary air to limit freezer burn, minimal space needed in the freezer, and are easily labeled. Bonus they can be washed to reuse for more meals. Just do it.

Write it down. However you choose to store your meals *hint* see above *hint* be sure to to label them. The recipe of course because soups, stews and casseroles look the same when stored. Include the date and be sure to eat within 3 month. For families with allergies, be sure to include allergens on the label.

Store it flat. In a hurry it’s easy to throw bags in the freezer and move on with life. This one little step makes storage and reheating so much easier. Fill bag and spread food flat, removing the air. Lay the bags on a cookie sheet until frozen and stack to store. Now you have more room for meals and reheat time is minimized.

Make a list and check it off. Making your own meals provides more options but it’s harder to sort through the options when you are hungry. Keeping a list of meals on the fridge door makes a great reference.