Filling the Freezer for March/April--Repost from 2017

I spent this chilly Saturday in my kitchen, stocking our freezer with enough meals to feed my crew for another month. This is my second try at "freezer cooking " and Im hooked! In about 4 hours today (not counting time shopping or labeling bags) I made 28 meals for us. 

So far, Ive only frozen crock-pot meals. I freeze each meal in a gallon-size ziploc bag, which fit in a perfect stack in our side by side refrigerator.  

As I said, this is my second go at this. This time I made a few meals that we really enjoyed the first time, as well as trying a few new recipes, and freezing (for the first time) a few tried and true recipes. 

For each recipe, I divided it in half. Paired with a side (usually rice or a side salad) this is a perfect amount of food for us (2 adults and a 4 year old). 

I purchase all of my food at a local grocery store a day or two before I plan to make the meals. Shopping and prepping these in 1 day is more than I want to tackle with two little ones in tow. A few of the spices and sauces are things you may already have on hand, but I generally spend around $200 and get 20-30 meals for my freezer. I make 2-4 of each recipe.

This time I made:

• Root Beer Pulled Pork: This was good, but very sweet. Next time I will try my usual vinegar based pulled pork instead. I divided this recipe in half. It was plenty for our family. We paired it with Mac and Cheese and coleslaw.
• Spinach Stuffed Cube Steak: This looks delicious! I did not use toothpicks, just rolled them up really well. The package of Cube Steak that I purchased had 8 steaks, so I made this into 2 meals. 
• Chicken Paprika: This is a family favorite from last time, however this time I will add the potatoes just before cooking. They did not freeze well. I doubled/divided this recipe to make 4 meals. We usually pair with a salad. 
• Chicken with Apples and Sweet Potatoes This is another favorite.  The original recipe recommends pairing with rice, but we think its a bit dry. We prefer it on its own. I also add Granny Smith apple chunks before freezing. I also double then halve this one to make 4 meals. 
• Chicken Cacciatore This one is great. We add mushrooms before cooking, and I also add additional seasonings not found in the original recipe (garlic powder, onion powder, and crushed red pepper flakes). We serve over penne pasta with a side salad. I double then halve this one to make 4 meals. 
• Butternut Squash Chili This is my very favorite freezer meal so far. Its a great meatless option! We pair with a salad and sometimes grilled cheese. I double the halve this recipe to make 4 meals. 
• Beef Pot Roast: I dont have a recipe for this. I just used a beef roast, baby carrots, onion, and garlic. I seasoned with Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder and seasoned salt. I will add potatoes and a bit of water before cooking. I cut one beef roast in half and made 2 meals from this. This is my first try at freezing this. 
• Chicken Tortilla Soup This is a delicious recipe, but this is my first try at freezing this, so I cannot guarantee results. I added all ingredients except the cheese and tortilla strips, which I will use as toppings after cooking. I follow the recipe exactly, except for substituting a jalapeno pepper in place of serrano. This pairs well with Jalapeno cornbread and a salad. (Can you tell we love salads around here?!). I divided this recipe to make 2 meals. 
• Balsamic Chicken with Pears and Mushrooms I have not tried this recipe yet, but I will try to update how we liked it once we try it. I did cut this in half to make 2 meals. I plan to pair this with some mashed potatoes or a small salad. 
• Hawaiian Pork Chops I followed the original recipe, except that I used pork chops in place of chicken. I plan to pair this with Hawaiian Macaroni Salad. I made 2 meals from this recipe as well. 

For recipes that I divided, I also cut the cooking time in half (or a little less) for my slow cooker. You will probably need to adjust cooking time as well, if you divide the recipes. 

Also, I use store brand gallon size freezer bags.They have worked great for us. Buy the best quality bags that you can afford. Make sure to purchase freezer bags, not storage bags.

I put a meal into the refrigerator every evening after dinner to thaw, then place it into the slow cooker around lunch time the next day, on low. Instead of spending 2-3 hours prepping, cooking, and cleaning up every night for dinner, now I have more time to spend with my sweet babies. Its been so great for us!

Hope you find some recipes here that your family will love! Let me know what you think of them!