Loving your videos. Put together 7 meals last night and have 4 or 5 more ingredient ready to make meals tomorrow. Thank you thank you for the help in making freezer meals.
I cook my hamburger in a crock pot. I have done 5 pounds at a time. I just plop it all in there, sometimes I also add diced onions. I break it up throughout the morning when I think about it and it all cooks itself while I am going about my day. I also put frozen chicken in my crockpot at night on low with a little water and then i go to bed. In the morning I ha e several pounds cooked beautifully.
Cooking pulled pork shoulder in slow cooker overnight works for me. With the ground beef, I found a recipe for slow cooker taco meat cooking 3 pounds at a time; I love it.
Thank you for the recipe ideas. I realize why you and others make a complete meal in those bags. For me this would take up too much room in my freezer and limit me in what I want to eat. What I do is just cook the beef or chicken (bacon, ham...) and bag it up into single use servings. If you feel like a pizza, taco or pasta, its already cooked ready for the rest of the spices and veggies. You can pop some cooked chicken into a salad, sandwich or soup. You can also cook and freeze rice, so a chicken fried rice is ready in minutes. Frozen Veggies, canned tomatoes and mushrooms are my staples as well as some canned veggies and makes chopping unnecessary. I also try to freeze in reusable containers to reduce plastic. But even 8 smaller bags are less waste than 8-gallon bags.
Thank you for the recipe ideas! When I have to cook a lot of hamburger up (especially if it’s still frozen), I put it in the crockpot(s) and check and mash periodically.
Wow! A huge thank you for your videos. The way you explain everything is just amazing and makes it all so easy to understand and follow. Love this and thank you again!
Your channel just recently popped up in my feed and I have to say, I’ve enjoyed your content. The first video was of you and your neighbor doing the 2 day mega freezer meal prep. I am definitely trying some of your recipes!
I always dish out a plate first and put in the microwave for the person that is not home. I definitely need to try the tater tot casserole. I've seen a sloppy Joe casserole with tater tots on top as well. Seems tasty too.
Thank you so much Anitra! I'm especially glad to hear that it's helped give you confidence. I hope you try making some freezer meals. I know you could do it!
Awesome video Sharla!! I remember Zach telling me how awesome your freezer meals were! And loving to come over for supper! I started watching and then thought to myself, “wait a minute, I know his lady !” 😅
Some people totally do! We tend to get through ours in a fairly timely manner so we haven't felt the need to go that direction but you're right! A vacuum sealer is a great way to keep your freezer items last longer. Thanks!!
just came across this video. i am looking to do some freezer meals to make December less hectic. I will definatly we trying some or all of these. I think the goulash would be improved with some tomato sauce as well as the diced tomatoes. Thanks for the ideas. Video liked! now to find the check freezer meal video.
Being a Brit, I was thinking of meal differences between U.K. and USA. For mince (ground beef) based dishes, and in our house we would probably do 1. Shepherds pie, 2. Goulash, 3. Savoury mince (Birdseye chilli, garlic, soy sauce), 4. Keema curry, 5. Meatballs & pasta, 6. Chilli, 7. Bolognaise & pasta, 8. Rice, mince, cashew nuts, tomatoes mix for stuffed peppers, 9. Burger patties in baked beans, tinned tomatoes and extra veggies. I’m dairy and gluten allergic so no cream sauces (hubby can’t have coconut milk due to gallstones) only gravy or tomato for us sadly! Lovely to see what you do with the same ingredients though, and we all pick up new ideas from each other too. Re Worcestershire sauce, we tend to just call it wuster sauce, no one ever bothers with the shire bit, we all know what it is ☺️
Thank you so much for these!! I made 2 of these ground beef freezer meals and 2 of your chicken freezer meals yesterday. I sent my daughter a pic of my prep and she wanted the recipes! She is active duty air force and really loves the easy, budget friendly meals. I can't wait to try "That Lady's Chicken". Such an interesting combination of flavors! thank you again for making our lives a little easier!
I'm starting to do meal preps & wish I had done it years ago. We are a family of 6 & now that I work part-time & have a moment to think I am starting to do meal preps & it saves money & time which is amazing. Thanks for your video now I can make dinner less dreadful 🤣
Sharla has seven kids in her family and freezer meals became a necessity! I'm glad you're able to make it work for you! Dinner CAN be less dreadful. lol
This is the first of your videos I've seen and am impressed enough to say it just might be the best food video of the hundreds I've watched. I'm a strong believer that standalone freezers are vastly underused and misunderstood. I've found that if food is sealed in an air free plastic (bags or otherwise) it can last indefinitely (I've recently cooked a corned beef that I bought seven years ago and it is still as fresh as ever). Sadly, there is not enough information available on freezing. Cooking in lots as you recommend makes so much sense, both economically and cutting down on the necessity to cook daily.
Wonderful ideas for freezer meals! Yum. Fast, easy, versatile and delicious. Is there a link for the goulash? I have recipes of my own that I would love to add into a rotation. Great idea! Thank you so much. ~Sharon from Florida
Wooster- (pronounced Wu) shire. 😊 Took me years to learn that. For the stuffed peppers I like to stuff them wrap individually in cling wrap them store in Ziploc bag. Can pull just one or all of them out to cook. Love your goulash recipe. ❤️
Welcome! Thank you for letting me know. I popped over to her channel after your comment. I love it when people actually make the meals so it was exciting to see her groceries for these recipes all laid out!
This video is freezer meals made with rotisserie shredded chicken (you could use any shredded or diced cooked chicken): ua-cam.com/video/cXo5dwhPajI/v-deo.html
Well I must say you did a great job. I am going to try this out, since I don't really enjoy cooking like I use to. I live alone with my 2 dogs, and I hate to cook every day. But If I want to eat I have to cook. So this will save me time when I don't feel up to cooking. Thanks for the recipes and tips.
Hi Bonnie! It may be helpful for you to check out some of our videos on single serving freezer meals. Here's one you might like: ua-cam.com/video/1dd9nBIK_nQ/v-deo.html
So do you just finish by putting into oven for final backing when the pasta AB’s rice is already cooked rather than using crock pot? Thank you for your videos!
Some recipes use cooked rice or pasta and then they are a simple re-heat and then we'll use the oven. Like the Spanish Rice in the video. The Beefy Rice Slow Cooker Casserole has raw rice, so you can add it in the slow cooker with some water to make sure it has enough moisture to absorb as it cooks. We don't put it in the oven after that. We just eat is as a "casserole" right from the crock pot. If you're adding pasta to a slow cooker meal, you want to either cook it separately at the end and add it in, or if there is enough liquid in your slow cooker, you can add your rice or pasta at the end and let it cook with the meal. I hope that helps!
Just found you!! Of course I HAD to subscribe!! 😉 love that you have some beef recipes. My husband doesn’t eat chicken so I have to find beef/pork recipes.
I've only recently found your freezer meals videos, and, I don't know if I've just missed it, but there wasn't any mention to how you prepare the meals (after freezing); for instance, method (oven, slow cooker or microwave), times and temperatures. I think that would be good to note on the outside of the freezer bag, how to reheat that particular recipe: method, temp and time.
They might not have been obvious in this video, but we make labels for all of our meals that include the recipe name, cooking instructions and date! If you are a member of the Freezer Meals 101 Club, you can print off your labels on Avery Shipping labels and stick them right to the outside of the bag. It's way handier than having to go back and look at the website when it's time to cook. Thanks so much for watching!
Thanks for your videos ladies, I just joined your website for a month for now, as I’m looking for freezer to plate type meals, could all your meals be done to accommodate this. We have been down the road of freezer meals for slow cookers but the issue for us is we work different hours and kids are or aren’t home so it goes to waste. So I was just wanting to know if these could be cooked then frozen.
Hi! We're so glad you could join us! Some recipes cook from frozen better than others. The general rule of thumb is to increase the cooking time by 50%, so if you have a casserole that calls to be cooked for 1 hour, you would want to cook it for an hour and a half. The hard part about cooking meals from frozen is that it always seems that the outside is as hot as lava and the inside is still frozen! I typically thaw all my meals so that their cook time will be more reliable. Instead of cooking from frozen, I would recommend meals that are ready in 30 minutes or less. In the Club, when you're searching for recipes, type in the keyword "30 minutes or less" and you'll find a LOT of meals. Alternatively, when using filters, select "skillet" and/or "stovetop" as those meals tend to be fast. I also recommend One Pot recipes because they are usually 30 minutes or less and then are a full meal ready all at once. There is a list of keywords available from the home page of the Club. Lastly, if everyone is coming home at different times, maybe individual meals are the way to go for those days. We have a whole playlist of Meals for One and Two on UA-cam. Then everyone can have what they want, when they want. I hope that helps!
These all really look good. The other day I heard a UA-camr call Worcestershire sauce "Who's your sister?" sauce. It's so hard to say that I thought it was quite humorous.
Hi I love your ideas! I've never done freezer meals, but am working on doing these and adding more to my meal planning =) By any chance, do you have a printable of the Goulash one? And how well does the cheese freeze? Also, I'm guessing these last about 3 months in the freezer, right? Thanks a bunch if anyone answers! =)
Hi Angie! You're going to love having meals in your freezer! I'm working on getting the goulash recipe up on the blog, but in the meantime, I'll leave you a copy and paste from my rough draft. The cheese freezes well. We add a bit of cornstarch when we're grating it so that it doesn't clump together. These last minimum 3 months in the freezer! 8 oz. macaroni pasta 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef, browned 1 onion, finely chopped 1 green pepper, cubed 2 cloves garlic, minced 14 oz. diced tomatoes 2 bay leaves 3 Tbsp. ketchup 1 Tbsp. worcestershire 16 oz. tomato sauce 3 tsp. Italian seasoning 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded Assembly instructions: Cook the macaroni one to two minutes LESS than the package directions. Drain, rinse under cold water. Place the shredded cheese in a medium sized freezer bag and seal. Add the browned beef and cooked macaroni to a large resealable freezer bag. Add the other ingredients. Remove excess air and seal. Staple the medium size bag to the large bag above the seal. Cooking instructions: Thaw. Place the large bag contents in a large skillet and warm on medium heat, stirring occasionally. When heated through, top with the shredded cheese.
You may want to try a different variation on your Goulash. Use an Italian spaghetti 🍝 sauce instead of diced tomatoes and no cheddar but Sprinkle with Italian cheese when served. Also, not to sound too arrogant but never rinse any kind of pasta, it’s an Italian no-no. Since you have many dishes with diced tomatoes, it may be a real treat. Also, no green pepper but if you like not too much. The kids will love this one.
This must be the Canadian version of tater tot casserole. The original American one has all the tots on top so they get crispy. Also, go ahead and stuff the peppers and freeze them. Freezing makes the pepper break down and all you need to do is heat it up.
I am in Oklahoma. I mix tater tots in with the meat mixture then I put tots on top and add cheese on top. I think Tater Tot casserole is one you can do whatever you want.
@@keridrowatzky9543 As I said, the ORIGINAL Ore-Ida tater tot casserole has meat and veg on bottom and tots on top. OF COURSE you can do it however you want. It's a free country, even in Canada.
Do you ever have problems with the staples poking holes in the other bags in the freezer ? Also I would write on the freezer bags first . My hubby would want me to write cooking instructions on the bags as well because he's clueless when it comes to preparing foods. Lol
We haven't had that problem with the staples but if your staples weren't properly closed at the back, that could potentially happen I suppose. When I make freezer meals with my neighbour Christie, we use printed labels that have the cooking instructions on them as well as the date but she's the one that makes them, so when I make meals on my own, I just write on the bags.
I wouldn't need to put cheese in another bag as I ALWAYS have cheese on hand in the fridge. you could always put the two bags together in a large plastic bag like the bags that hold two loaves at the big box stores and tie the end.
The trick is to undercook it a minute or two under the al dente cooking time on the box. Then when you defrost it and cook it further it shouldn't get mushy. Good luck!
A few tricks to get the air out of the bags. 1. Stick a straw in there and close the lock as tight as you can around the straw, suck out the air, and close the seal as you withdraw the straw. 2. A bath of water in a bowl or sink, seal the bag except for a small bit open at the corner, dip the bag slowly into the water with the opening up which will force out the air, help it along with some squeezing, and just as the opening is about to dip under the water you pinch it shut, I prefer this method for aw meats where I don’t want to get a mouthful of meat juices through a straw. Freeze flat so it thaws quickly. If you don’t have the freezer space to freeze everything flat and If you live in a cold climate in the winter you can take advantage of the great outdoors and some baking sheets to spread and freeze your bags flat, then transfer to your freezer.
This is such a great idea. I do have a question though. Are you planting herbs inside your kitchen? Can you tell me what device that is & where I can buy it. I don’t have a lot of sun where I live to plant outside & the deers that live nearby would eat them if I did. Thanks for sharing your ideas.
Hi! A link for the herb garden is in the description below the video. We have a video coming out soon about harvesting and freezing herbs, so you'll get to see it up close and personal! Thanks for watching!
I just found you channel. I was wondering what is the:freezer life " of these meals? Also can we substitute the diced tomatoes with just tomatoes paste or sauce? Thanks
Hi Sue. Most freezer meals will last 3 to 6 months. The key to avoiding freezer burn is reducing the amount of air in the bag with the food as that is the cause of freezer burn. Be sure to date your meals so you can track them better. You CAN substitute diced tomatoes for tomato sauce for sure, but it will change the texture of the meal. The tomato paste won't have enough moisture to fully substitute for diced tomatoes. If you added some water in with it, you might have better luck but I would probably skip trying to sub that one.
I am working on clearing my fridge freezer to fill with freezer meals, there is just two of us so they will go a long way. I’m going to check out your chicken meals also.
Thank you for your recipe ideas. I'm challenged to be on my feet for very long. Chopping veggies and cooking the ground beef is a challenge. I am unable to use 2 hands to put casseroles into and take out of my oven.
Hi! Thanks for watching and commenting. Obviously mobility issues play a part in what we can accomplish in one session. Many of our meals can be broken down into single-servings, which might make it a bit easier to get it in an out of the oven because they are in smaller containers. Even doing a few meals at a time will help and you'll feel a sense of security/relief if you have a couple socked away in the freezer for the days where the going is really tough. I hope you find a solution that works for you!
Just in a skillet until it's heated through, stirring occasionally and top with cheese towards the end of cooking. Everything in it is already cooked so just 10-12 minutes should do it.
Goulash is one of my bulk eating (stress eating) so it doesn't really have the "fillers" in it to fill people up. It is awesome to eat. Not sure how to change it. Some sort of fat. Maybe eat with butter bread??
Just wondering if you have a cookbook out I'm new to your site what is your with the cookbook and trying to write all this down thanks for answering me back
Hi Sandra - the recipes are all listed below the video. If you click "show more" under the title, the recipes and their links are usually all there (unless we haven't tested it yet, and then the recipe is still to come). Alternatively, you can find more recipes at mealplan.freezermeals101.com/ in our membership site and there are many free recipes here at freezermeals101.com and freezermeals101.com/product-category/freezer-meal-plans/ where you can buy meal plans and a few recipe books. I hope that helps!
It’s recommended that you thaw first but if you forget to take a meal out, you can put it in a sink of room temperature water for twenty minutes and it will thaw enough for you to put it in the slow cooker.
With ground beef it's best to cook it up first. It gives you a chance to drain off the extra fat and liquid, plus we find it's easier to mix than when it's still raw or frozen. It allows for more even distribution. I hope that helps!
I used 1 1/2 pounds in the Beefy Rice Casserole and the Hamburger Goulash and 1 lb. each in the other recipes. So if you were making one of each recipe (including the invention at the end), you would need 8 pounds of ground beef. I cooked up 10 pounds and ended up with two of the taco meats and two of the Tex Mex inventions.
I feel silly for not considering this sooner, but you are absolutely right! Less cross contamination when working with one protein at a time. Thank you for pointing this out.
Regagarding the recipe that you stapled the uncooked rice to... why wouldn't I be able to just put the uncooked rice in with the mix, since it gets added right away when cooking it? What makes one method better. I just want to understand.
Just that if the rice sits in the rest of the mixture as it's thawing, the extra moisture can lead to mushy rice later on. But adding it directly in wouldn't completely ruin the dish...it just could lead to texture issues.
You can either use medium (quart) size freezer bags or freezer safe containers. I sometimes make meals for either one or two (for my daughter and her husband or my dad or mother-in-law) so you can take a peek at those videos to get an idea of how I do it. Here's a video of some meals I recently did for my daughter and her husband that shows some examples of the packaging: ua-cam.com/video/CdeC9-zItds/v-deo.html
I was curious if anybody can reply to my question as to how long can keep these freezer meals in your freezer? And when dumping in crock pot, can you put meals in frozen? And long do you cook them, also high or low? I work during the day so I would like to take something out of the freezer put it in the Crock-Pot but it cook on low all day and be ready when I get home after work, can you do that with these meals?
Hi Connie, these meals last for 3-4 months in the freezer. Most of them work well in the Crock Pot. Ideally, you would thaw them before adding them to the slow cooker, but if you increase the cook times slightly, it will still work from frozen.
That's a good question. I've always done it separately to ensure everything cooked properly. But I just tried a new chicken and rice casserole where I added rice (although it was Minute Rice) directly to the large bag and it worked well so it might just work.
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Loving your videos. Put together 7 meals last night and have 4 or 5 more ingredient ready to make meals tomorrow. Thank you thank you for the help in making freezer meals.
Myla, this makes me so happy! I'm so glad.
@@FreezerMeals101 .
I cook my hamburger in a crock pot. I have done 5 pounds at a time. I just plop it all in there, sometimes I also add diced onions. I break it up throughout the morning when I think about it and it all cooks itself while I am going about my day. I also put frozen chicken in my crockpot at night on low with a little water and then i go to bed. In the morning I ha e several pounds cooked beautifully.
Thanks for this tips!!!! Gonna try this
Cooking pulled pork shoulder in slow cooker overnight works for me. With the ground beef, I found a recipe for slow cooker taco meat cooking 3 pounds at a time; I love it.
Thank you for the recipe ideas. I realize why you and others make a complete meal in those bags. For me this would take up too much room in my freezer and limit me in what I want to eat. What I do is just cook the beef or chicken (bacon, ham...) and bag it up into single use servings. If you feel like a pizza, taco or pasta, its already cooked ready for the rest of the spices and veggies. You can pop some cooked chicken into a salad, sandwich or soup. You can also cook and freeze rice, so a chicken fried rice is ready in minutes. Frozen Veggies, canned tomatoes and mushrooms are my staples as well as some canned veggies and makes chopping unnecessary. I also try to freeze in reusable containers to reduce plastic. But even 8 smaller bags are less waste than 8-gallon bags.
This is awesome. Usually these freezer meal videos are all things my family doesn't like. This is a great list of fun meals! Thanks so much!
Thank you for the recipe ideas! When I have to cook a lot of hamburger up (especially if it’s still frozen), I put it in the crockpot(s) and check and mash periodically.
I've heard that works well. I may have to give that a try next time. I tried the roasting oven once but it didn't go well.
I do mine in a pressure cooker.... In half the time!
Love the tip...
1 lb ground beef uncooked = 2 1/3 cooked
🙇♀️
How does ground beef gain weight?
Wow! A huge thank you for your videos. The way you explain everything is just amazing and makes it all so easy to understand and follow. Love this and thank you again!
Aw. Thanks so much. It's lovely to hear that.
Slickest recipe ideas I've seen in a long time. Will try most of them. Thanks!
Love the recipes a lot, the tex mex meal, we do, only thing dif we also add (that is if you like it) is drained & raised black beans too.
Good idea! Definitely would work with the tex mex theme!
I am just starting to do freezer meals and thoughly enjoy your videos. Thank you so much for these videos. They are just wonderful!!!
Thank you Eva! I’m so glad to hear they’re helping you.
Your channel just recently popped up in my feed and I have to say, I’ve enjoyed your content. The first video was of you and your neighbor doing the 2 day mega freezer meal prep. I am definitely trying some of your recipes!
Great idea using one protein at a time. Bravo!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Can you share the goulash recipe, please and thank you.
Have to try all these recipes! So happy you turned up in my feed
You have beautiful handwriting.🌞
Love your videos. So very helpful.
I always dish out a plate first and put in the microwave for the person that is not home.
I definitely need to try the tater tot casserole. I've seen a sloppy Joe casserole with tater tots on top as well. Seems tasty too.
Love your recipes...u popped up on my feed I subscribed..will be using your recipes..
Thanks for subbing!
Thank you . I thoroughly enjoyed your video. I am definitely going to make sure others see it. God Bless you and your family.
Thank you so much!
That’s super good, love crockpot, love easy, rice, but I need a broccoli mushroom now!
This is a good idea ! 🥰😊👍
Thank you 🤗
I appreciate the time and effort it took you to help with your recipes. I love freezer meals!❤❤
This "is" Freezer Meals "101" bc I would have never thought of this! 😄 So efficient!👍
You're channel is amazing and so entertaining!! Excellent ideas, tips and tricks that have helped me a lot and given me confidence too!!
Thank you so much Anitra! I'm especially glad to hear that it's helped give you confidence. I hope you try making some freezer meals. I know you could do it!
Awesome video Sharla!! I remember Zach telling me how awesome your freezer meals were! And loving to come over for supper! I started watching and then thought to myself, “wait a minute, I know his lady !” 😅
Hey Carol! Zach always did seem impressed with the stacks in my freezer! 😂
To make your creations freeze much longer; invest in a good vacuum-sealer.
Some people totally do! We tend to get through ours in a fairly timely manner so we haven't felt the need to go that direction but you're right! A vacuum sealer is a great way to keep your freezer items last longer. Thanks!!
I am a new viewer your video popped up on my UA-cam screen. I love the idea of freezer meals and I will continue to watch your channel thanks
Thanks Marsha! Glad you found us.
just came across this video. i am looking to do some freezer meals to make December less hectic. I will definatly we trying some or all of these. I think the goulash would be improved with some tomato sauce as well as the diced tomatoes. Thanks for the ideas. Video liked! now to find the check freezer meal video.
Glad to have you with us! Good luck on your plans. December is hectic enough. Meal planning will help!
Quick Chile
1 lb browned ground beef, 15.5 oz can drained kidney beans, 29 oz can tomato sauce, chili powder, to taste. Easy!
Thanks for sharing your chile recipe!
Being a Brit, I was thinking of meal differences between U.K. and USA. For mince (ground beef) based dishes, and in our house we would probably do 1. Shepherds pie, 2. Goulash, 3. Savoury mince (Birdseye chilli, garlic, soy sauce), 4. Keema curry, 5. Meatballs & pasta, 6. Chilli, 7. Bolognaise & pasta, 8. Rice, mince, cashew nuts, tomatoes mix for stuffed peppers, 9. Burger patties in baked beans, tinned tomatoes and extra veggies. I’m dairy and gluten allergic so no cream sauces (hubby can’t have coconut milk due to gallstones) only gravy or tomato for us sadly! Lovely to see what you do with the same ingredients though, and we all pick up new ideas from each other too. Re Worcestershire sauce, we tend to just call it wuster sauce, no one ever bothers with the shire bit, we all know what it is ☺️
We have since learned how to pronounce Wuster Sauce but still sometimes call it rooster sauce when it's just us. Lol
These are awesome! Thanks for always sharing these delicious meals!
Awww! Thank you! Glad you liked these recipes.
I really appreciate your recipes!
Thanks Donna!
I just started doing this with stewed beans. I then used them for soups, rice and peas, and just stew beans for a meal.
Really frugal option! Great idea.
RE: the taco meat bags - for those that are avoiding dairy, sprinkling some nutritional yeast flakes adds nutrition and cheesy flavor.
Great tip. Thank you!
I'm empty nester, so I'll
break it down to 2- 3 meals pre 1 freezer meal..Thanks you..🔥❄☃️❤🌹
That is a great way for singles and couples to use freezer meals!
Thank you so much for these!! I made 2 of these ground beef freezer meals and 2 of your chicken freezer meals yesterday. I sent my daughter a pic of my prep and she wanted the recipes! She is active duty air force and really loves the easy, budget friendly meals. I can't wait to try "That Lady's Chicken". Such an interesting combination of flavors! thank you again for making our lives a little easier!
Tell your daughter thank you for her service for me please! ❤
Heather, It makes me so happy to hear that you made some of the recipes. Let me know how you guys like them!
@@hannahkayee831 I will. Thank you!
Work smarter not harder 👍 Thanks for sharing ❤
New sub, these look great!! We make goulash all the time and the only thing I add that you didn't is cheese. We love it!!
Awesome! Thank you!
I love making tons of taco meat. My kids could eat tacos every night lol. Thanks for the ideas :)
I'm starting to do meal preps & wish I had done it years ago. We are a family of 6 & now that I work part-time & have a moment to think I am starting to do meal preps & it saves money & time which is amazing. Thanks for your video now I can make dinner less dreadful 🤣
Sharla has seven kids in her family and freezer meals became a necessity! I'm glad you're able to make it work for you! Dinner CAN be less dreadful. lol
This is the first of your videos I've seen and am impressed enough to say it just might be the best food video of the hundreds I've watched. I'm a strong believer that standalone freezers are vastly underused and misunderstood. I've found that if food is sealed in an air free plastic (bags or otherwise) it can last indefinitely (I've recently cooked a corned beef that I bought seven years ago and it is still as fresh as ever). Sadly, there is not enough information available on freezing. Cooking in lots as you recommend makes so much sense, both economically and cutting down on the necessity to cook daily.
I need to get another freezer!
What a great video! I would never have dreamed of doing something like this! It will make my life so much easier! Thank you so much! 💕
You’re so welcome!
▶︎ 08:42 - Preparing the ground beef :-)
New subscriber from Michigan 😊💕
My husband really enjoy ground beef
Wonderful ideas for freezer meals! Yum. Fast, easy, versatile and delicious. Is there a link for the goulash? I have recipes of my own that I would love to add into a rotation. Great idea! Thank you so much. ~Sharon from Florida
Wooster- (pronounced Wu) shire. 😊 Took me years to learn that.
For the stuffed peppers I like to stuff them wrap individually in cling wrap them store in Ziploc bag. Can pull just one or all of them out to cook.
Love your goulash recipe. ❤️
Came over from Freedom Homestead. Tangie mentioned your channel.
Welcome! Thank you for letting me know. I popped over to her channel after your comment. I love it when people actually make the meals so it was exciting to see her groceries for these recipes all laid out!
Is there a video that concentrates on just pre cooked shredded or diced chicken?
This video is freezer meals made with rotisserie shredded chicken (you could use any shredded or diced cooked chicken): ua-cam.com/video/cXo5dwhPajI/v-deo.html
Thank you!
Well I must say you did a great job. I am going to try this out, since I don't really enjoy cooking like I use to. I live alone with my 2 dogs, and I hate to cook every day. But If I want to eat I have to cook. So this will save me time when I don't feel up to cooking. Thanks for the recipes and tips.
Hi Bonnie! It may be helpful for you to check out some of our videos on single serving freezer meals. Here's one you might like: ua-cam.com/video/1dd9nBIK_nQ/v-deo.html
So do you just finish by putting into oven for final backing when the pasta AB’s rice is already cooked rather than using crock pot? Thank you for your videos!
Some recipes use cooked rice or pasta and then they are a simple re-heat and then we'll use the oven. Like the Spanish Rice in the video. The Beefy Rice Slow Cooker Casserole has raw rice, so you can add it in the slow cooker with some water to make sure it has enough moisture to absorb as it cooks. We don't put it in the oven after that. We just eat is as a "casserole" right from the crock pot.
If you're adding pasta to a slow cooker meal, you want to either cook it separately at the end and add it in, or if there is enough liquid in your slow cooker, you can add your rice or pasta at the end and let it cook with the meal. I hope that helps!
I do not eat cheese, but these recipes seem like they would still be good without it. I will give it a try. Very good video! Thank you for doing this!
Hope you enjoy
Food Saver makes resealable vacuum seal bags. Regular zip lock bags won't keep air out.
Just found you!! Of course I HAD to subscribe!! 😉 love that you have some beef recipes. My husband doesn’t eat chicken so I have to find beef/pork recipes.
It's not often I find a name twin!
@@FreezerMeals101 me either!!! 🥰
I've only recently found your freezer meals videos, and, I don't know if I've just missed it, but there wasn't any mention to how you prepare the meals (after freezing); for instance, method (oven, slow cooker or microwave), times and temperatures. I think that would be good to note on the outside of the freezer bag, how to reheat that particular recipe:
method, temp and time.
They might not have been obvious in this video, but we make labels for all of our meals that include the recipe name, cooking instructions and date! If you are a member of the Freezer Meals 101 Club, you can print off your labels on Avery Shipping labels and stick them right to the outside of the bag. It's way handier than having to go back and look at the website when it's time to cook.
Thanks so much for watching!
Thanks for your videos ladies, I just joined your website for a month for now, as I’m looking for freezer to plate type meals, could all your meals be done to accommodate this. We have been down the road of freezer meals for slow cookers but the issue for us is we work different hours and kids are or aren’t home so it goes to waste. So I was just wanting to know if these could be cooked then frozen.
Hi! We're so glad you could join us! Some recipes cook from frozen better than others. The general rule of thumb is to increase the cooking time by 50%, so if you have a casserole that calls to be cooked for 1 hour, you would want to cook it for an hour and a half. The hard part about cooking meals from frozen is that it always seems that the outside is as hot as lava and the inside is still frozen! I typically thaw all my meals so that their cook time will be more reliable.
Instead of cooking from frozen, I would recommend meals that are ready in 30 minutes or less. In the Club, when you're searching for recipes, type in the keyword "30 minutes or less" and you'll find a LOT of meals. Alternatively, when using filters, select "skillet" and/or "stovetop" as those meals tend to be fast. I also recommend One Pot recipes because they are usually 30 minutes or less and then are a full meal ready all at once. There is a list of keywords available from the home page of the Club.
Lastly, if everyone is coming home at different times, maybe individual meals are the way to go for those days. We have a whole playlist of Meals for One and Two on UA-cam. Then everyone can have what they want, when they want. I hope that helps!
These all really look good. The other day I heard a UA-camr call Worcestershire sauce "Who's your sister?" sauce. It's so hard to say that I thought it was quite humorous.
That is pretty funny!
Hi I love your ideas! I've never done freezer meals, but am working on doing these and adding more to my meal planning =) By any chance, do you have a printable of the Goulash one? And how well does the cheese freeze? Also, I'm guessing these last about 3 months in the freezer, right? Thanks a bunch if anyone answers! =)
Hi Angie! You're going to love having meals in your freezer! I'm working on getting the goulash recipe up on the blog, but in the meantime, I'll leave you a copy and paste from my rough draft. The cheese freezes well. We add a bit of cornstarch when we're grating it so that it doesn't clump together. These last minimum 3 months in the freezer!
8 oz. macaroni pasta
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef, browned
1 onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, cubed
2 cloves garlic, minced
14 oz. diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
3 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. worcestershire
16 oz. tomato sauce
3 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Assembly instructions:
Cook the macaroni one to two minutes LESS than the package directions. Drain, rinse under cold water.
Place the shredded cheese in a medium sized freezer bag and seal.
Add the browned beef and cooked macaroni to a large resealable freezer bag. Add the other ingredients. Remove excess air and seal. Staple the medium size bag to the large bag above the seal.
Cooking instructions:
Thaw.
Place the large bag contents in a large skillet and warm on medium heat, stirring occasionally. When heated through, top with the shredded cheese.
You may want to try a different variation on your Goulash. Use an Italian spaghetti 🍝 sauce instead of diced tomatoes and no cheddar but Sprinkle with Italian cheese when served. Also, not to sound too arrogant but never rinse any kind of pasta, it’s an Italian no-no. Since you have many dishes with diced tomatoes, it may be a real treat. Also, no green pepper but if you like not too much. The kids will love this one.
Thank you
You're so welcome!
This must be the Canadian version of tater tot casserole. The original American one has all the tots on top so they get crispy. Also, go ahead and stuff the peppers and freeze them. Freezing makes the pepper break down and all you need to do is heat it up.
I am in Oklahoma. I mix tater tots in with the meat mixture then I put tots on top and add cheese on top. I think Tater Tot casserole is one you can do whatever you want.
@@keridrowatzky9543 As I said, the ORIGINAL Ore-Ida tater tot casserole has meat and veg on bottom and tots on top. OF COURSE you can do it however you want. It's a free country, even in Canada.
Do you ever have problems with the staples poking holes in the other bags in the freezer ? Also I would write on the freezer bags first . My hubby would want me to write cooking instructions on the bags as well because he's clueless when it comes to preparing foods. Lol
We haven't had that problem with the staples but if your staples weren't properly closed at the back, that could potentially happen I suppose. When I make freezer meals with my neighbour Christie, we use printed labels that have the cooking instructions on them as well as the date but she's the one that makes them, so when I make meals on my own, I just write on the bags.
I wouldn't need to put cheese in another bag as I ALWAYS have cheese on hand in the fridge.
you could always put the two bags together in a large plastic bag like the bags that hold two loaves at the big box stores and tie the end.
Thanks for all of this! I love spaghetti but it gets mushy in the freezer when we have left overs...help! 😱
The trick is to undercook it a minute or two under the al dente cooking time on the box. Then when you defrost it and cook it further it shouldn't get mushy. Good luck!
A few tricks to get the air out of the bags. 1. Stick a straw in there and close the lock as tight as you can around the straw, suck out the air, and close the seal as you withdraw the straw. 2. A bath of water in a bowl or sink, seal the bag except for a small bit open at the corner, dip the bag slowly into the water with the opening up which will force out the air, help it along with some squeezing, and just as the opening is about to dip under the water you pinch it shut, I prefer this method for aw meats where I don’t want to get a mouthful of meat juices through a straw. Freeze flat so it thaws quickly. If you don’t have the freezer space to freeze everything flat and If you live in a cold climate in the winter you can take advantage of the great outdoors and some baking sheets to spread and freeze your bags flat, then transfer to your freezer.
Helpful tips! Thanks for watching!
This is such a great idea. I do have a question though. Are you planting herbs inside your kitchen? Can you tell me what device that is & where I can buy it. I don’t have a lot of sun where I live to plant outside & the deers that live nearby would eat them if I did. Thanks for sharing your ideas.
Hi! A link for the herb garden is in the description below the video. We have a video coming out soon about harvesting and freezing herbs, so you'll get to see it up close and personal! Thanks for watching!
Love this !
How long are they good for in the freezer? Thanks for sharing 😋
Hi Robin. These meals last 3-4 months in the freezer.
I just found you channel. I was wondering what is the:freezer life " of these meals? Also can we substitute the diced tomatoes with just tomatoes paste or sauce? Thanks
Hi Sue. Most freezer meals will last 3 to 6 months. The key to avoiding freezer burn is reducing the amount of air in the bag with the food as that is the cause of freezer burn. Be sure to date your meals so you can track them better.
You CAN substitute diced tomatoes for tomato sauce for sure, but it will change the texture of the meal. The tomato paste won't have enough moisture to fully substitute for diced tomatoes. If you added some water in with it, you might have better luck but I would probably skip trying to sub that one.
Thanks for the info. Unfortunately I can't eat diced tomatoes 😕.
Great video
I am working on clearing my fridge freezer to fill with freezer meals, there is just two of us so they will go a long way. I’m going to check out your chicken meals also.
we pre cook stuffed red peppers, and hamburgers
Looks good. Thanks for sharing
You’re welcome!
Do you have grease over flow on the sheet pan?
We've never had it overflow but you have to be pretty careful when draining.
Thank you for your recipe ideas. I'm challenged to be on my feet for very long. Chopping veggies and cooking the ground beef is a challenge. I am unable to use 2 hands to put casseroles into and take out of my oven.
Hi! Thanks for watching and commenting. Obviously mobility issues play a part in what we can accomplish in one session. Many of our meals can be broken down into single-servings, which might make it a bit easier to get it in an out of the oven because they are in smaller containers. Even doing a few meals at a time will help and you'll feel a sense of security/relief if you have a couple socked away in the freezer for the days where the going is really tough. I hope you find a solution that works for you!
It's techically 'wor chester shire' sauce. I feel ya it's a hard one. I just call it lea n perrins when I can't get it out. :) @freezer meals 101
Your invention bags at the end are a great start to Taco soup. Just add beans and beef broth.
You're so right! That would work.
Great for dreary rainy days! I'm going to make some and package into 2 serving size containers.
How long do you cook the beef goulash for? 😋
Just in a skillet until it's heated through, stirring occasionally and top with cheese towards the end of cooking. Everything in it is already cooked so just 10-12 minutes should do it.
Thank you so much! I’m making multiples of all of these for our family and as gifts for all my pregnant friends 😍
Hi 1st time here. How much ground meat did u cook to begin with? Thanks
Goulash is one of my bulk eating (stress eating) so it doesn't really have the "fillers" in it to fill people up. It is awesome to eat. Not sure how to change it. Some sort of fat. Maybe eat with butter bread??
Cornbread?
Can you mix everything in a big bowl, and then add it to the bag?
Sure can!
Just wondering if you have a cookbook out I'm new to your site what is your with the cookbook and trying to write all this down thanks for answering me back
Hi Sandra - the recipes are all listed below the video. If you click "show more" under the title, the recipes and their links are usually all there (unless we haven't tested it yet, and then the recipe is still to come).
Alternatively, you can find more recipes at mealplan.freezermeals101.com/ in our membership site and there are many free recipes here at freezermeals101.com and freezermeals101.com/product-category/freezer-meal-plans/ where you can buy meal plans and a few recipe books. I hope that helps!
Can these be used in a Instant Pot?
I don't use my Instant Pot often but most crock pot recipes can be adapted for use in the Instant Pot.
Great ideas and video. About how many pounds do you make per cookie sheet??
About 4 pounds
grrat thankyou Australia
Thanks for watching!
Do you have to thaw first? Or throw it in the crockpot frozen?
It’s recommended that you thaw first but if you forget to take a meal out, you can put it in a sink of room temperature water for twenty minutes and it will thaw enough for you to put it in the slow cooker.
Substitute ground beef for ground turkey for healthier versions 😋 👌 😀
is the meat always freshly bought.. or can it be frozen then make the bags up.. thank you..
With ground beef it's best to cook it up first. It gives you a chance to drain off the extra fat and liquid, plus we find it's easier to mix than when it's still raw or frozen. It allows for more even distribution. I hope that helps!
WOULD I START WITH 9 POUNDS OF BROWNED BEEF? THESE ALL LOOK SO GOOD.
I used 1 1/2 pounds in the Beefy Rice Casserole and the Hamburger Goulash and 1 lb. each in the other recipes. So if you were making one of each recipe (including the invention at the end), you would need 8 pounds of ground beef. I cooked up 10 pounds and ended up with two of the taco meats and two of the Tex Mex inventions.
@@FreezerMeals101 THANK YOU
Less cross contamination when working with only one type of meat. I like doing only one type at a time for this reason.
I feel silly for not considering this sooner, but you are absolutely right! Less cross contamination when working with one protein at a time. Thank you for pointing this out.
Cabbage casserole (unstuffed cabbage rolls)
I had to laugh cause when you were explaining your unstuffed pepper meal I was eating it.
I hope you were enjoying it!
Approximately how many servings are your meals?
Some serve four and many serve six.
Did you drain the ground beef ? I don't think you mentioned if you did
I didn’t drain the ground beef after browning it, but I used lean. If you don’t use lean ground beef, then I’d recommend draining it.
Regagarding the recipe that you stapled the uncooked rice to... why wouldn't I be able to just put the uncooked rice in with the mix, since it gets added right away when cooking it? What makes one method better. I just want to understand.
Just that if the rice sits in the rest of the mixture as it's thawing, the extra moisture can lead to mushy rice later on. But adding it directly in wouldn't completely ruin the dish...it just could lead to texture issues.
Hi, do the tater tots not get soggy?
A bit but they crisp up nicely on top when baking.
If there are only two people in the family how would you package these meals?
You can either use medium (quart) size freezer bags or freezer safe containers. I sometimes make meals for either one or two (for my daughter and her husband or my dad or mother-in-law) so you can take a peek at those videos to get an idea of how I do it. Here's a video of some meals I recently did for my daughter and her husband that shows some examples of the packaging: ua-cam.com/video/CdeC9-zItds/v-deo.html
I was curious if anybody can reply to my question as to how long can keep these freezer meals in your freezer? And when dumping in crock pot, can you put meals in frozen? And long do you cook them, also high or low? I work during the day so I would like to take something out of the freezer put it in the Crock-Pot but it cook on low all day and be ready when I get home after work, can you do that with these meals?
Hi Connie, these meals last for 3-4 months in the freezer. Most of them work well in the Crock Pot. Ideally, you would thaw them before adding them to the slow cooker, but if you increase the cook times slightly, it will still work from frozen.
For the cheesy rice slow cooker recipe, could I just add the uncooked rice to the big bag? Why does it have to be separate?
That's a good question. I've always done it separately to ensure everything cooked properly. But I just tried a new chicken and rice casserole where I added rice (although it was Minute Rice) directly to the large bag and it worked well so it might just work.
You camps always use ground turkey too
Pronounced wustersheer sauce x😊
This is an old video. We have improved our pronunciation! I promise! lol
Love this video. Pls less chitchat.
You look beautiful!! 🥰😍🌺