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I hope you’re ready to fill your freezer this month! Freezer cooking is going to be our focus for the next 4 weeks. (It won’t be all freezer cooking though. I’ve got a special dessert that will be perfect for Valentine’s I’ll share later this week!)
On Saturday, February 19 we’re going to have a Virtual Freezer Cooking Party via the Eat at Home Facebook page! The idea is that if you’re free that day and want to get some cooking done, you can pop in to Facebook and share what you’re cooking and how it’s going. I think it will be more fun to “cook together” than doing it alone. And there may be a giveaway involved 
Before we get started with new freezer recipes and tips, here’s a roundup of posts I’ve already published on this topic, just in case you missed them the first time around.
Menus
There are now 3 Fill Your Freezer Menus:
Recipes
Main Dishes
These are all recipes that freeze especially well. Some of them also make large quantities, so you get more bang for your cooking buck.
- Black Bean and Rice Freezer Burritos
- Chicken and Broccoli Stuffed Shells with Alfredo Sauce
- Chicken Gyros
- Italian Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells
- Ham Caribbean
- Honey Pork Chops
- Spicy Garlic Chicken Pizza
- Smothered Steak with Mushrooms and Onions
- Golden Chicken Enchiladas
- Pulled Pork
- Stromboli
- Baked Spaghetti
- 50s Prime Time Meatloaf
- Chicken Broccoli Divan
- Grandma’s Spaghetti Sauce
- Calico Bean Soup
- Hamburger Vegetable Soup
- Virus Killing Soup
- Stuffed Shells
- Hashbrown Casserole
- Chicken Tetrazini
- Taco Soup
- Tamale Sandwiches
- BBQ Chicken Sandwiches in the Slow Cooker
- Homemade Chicken and Dumplings – you can freeze the dumplings before cooking them
Desserts
Most cakes, cookies, breads and muffins can be frozen. These are a few that make a lot and freeze well.
- Chocolatey Texas Sheet Cake
- Frosted Banana Bars
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Banana Pecan Bars
- Way to a Man’s Heart Cookies
- Cream Cheese Banana Bread with Orange Glaze
- Monster Cookies
Freezer Cooking Tips
- How I Cooked and Froze 10 Meals in Just a Few Hours
- Cooking Meat to Freezer for Later
- Stocking Your Freezer with Grilled Chicken
- Vacation Food – packing frozen meals on dry ice
That should get us started! More recipes to come in the next few weeks, including one for those meatballs in the photo at the top.
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I’m so excited about this series, Tiffany. I need this one! Everything looks so good already.
Here’s one of my favorite cooking tips: any casserole that goes into a 9 X 13 baking pan will fit into two 8 X 8 baking pans. This makes it super easy to split one large casserole into two smaller ones. I use foil pans. Prepare your casseroles to the point of baking, cover with foil and then wrap all the way around with foil. Slip into a gallon-sized freezer bag. Label appropriately, including baking directions. This smaller size is perfect for empty nesters or smaller families. With this method, I can cook for myself and share with friends (or stock the freezer for those days I work in the yard). One of my favorite gifts for teachers or new moms is to give a couple of casseroles ready to pop in the oven. Looking forward to this month’s theme!
I’ve been looking for this very thing ! So happy to have these recipes and tutorial!
Great step-by-step photographs too! I’m just lovin’ your blog, thank you.
Very Best Regards,
Elise
Here’s what I have in the freezer: Cooked pinto beans, wild rice cooked in chicken stock, meatballs, cooked pasta shapes, browned ground beef with onions and garlic, home made noodles ready to cook. I always make a double recipe and divide them into 4 portions.
Home made bread sticks, King Arthur Flour blog recipe. Mini fruit pies in a Ball can or freeze wide mouth pint jar. Home made or store bought applesauce. Frozen bananas; peeled for smoothies or baked items. Pecan and walnut halves. Soup; make 4 servings and freeze 2 in Ball plastic freezer jars. Come in 8oz, 16oz, and 32oz sizes. Perfect for leftovers too. One each size or 3 alike–sold with Ball canning jars.
Cooking for one–so glad to see Xiplock pint freezer bags!