frozen meal ideas

[vetjo]

I've been struggling to cope lately with the demands of arsenic hour with a 3 yo and 10 mo, 5 dogs, 5 chooks, part time work and a temperamental wood cooker, so I came up with the brainwave of cooking up the weeks meals in my thermie and/or slow cooker on the weekends snd freezing them in meal sized portions. Hubby reckons it will be too hard and said we should order lean cuisine instead :/ He has agreed to a trial run for a month tho ..... What are your favourite meals to freeze? We eat pretty much anything, and kill our own lamb and beef so there is no shortage of that, we try and have one fish meal a week and one of chicken/pork if it's on special and I'm keen to try some vego meals too

[goldfish]

Hi vetjo - a very warm welcome to the forum.  It really sounds like you have your work cut out for you with all that you have on your plate (so to speak!)

Here are some threads that might help with with freezer meal ideas . . . menu planning is great - you could start out for a week, and then extend it if you like and have the time . .
http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=4725.0

http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=1942.0

If you haven't already seen it, do take a look at CP's favourites . . a cookbook in itself . .  tried and true tmx recipes from a long standing forum member, Cream Puff 63.
http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=6470.0

Also take a look here - Chelsea's recipes are a great favourite.  Her Beef Stroganoff is first up, but scroll down a little and Cream Puff has linked a number more.
  http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=13567.0

Good luck and let's know how you go . . 

[Jamberie]

Hi Vetjo!
I find my weeks go much more smoothly if I do a big cook up on the weekend- I often cook enough food for two weeks.

I try to make sure I have lunches for DH and I, lunch and snacks for DD (age 3) for preschool, some frozen dinners and my saving grace- small single serves of veggie laden meals for DD. Then when we are having one of "those" nights, I quickly defrost something for her, and that gets her in bed quickly and then DH and I will organise something for us...I hope that makes sense.

In the small serves for DD I have sneaky mac and cheese from the baby and toddler book (recipe online at http://fatmumslim.com.au/delicous-dinner-sneaky-macaroni-cheese/), Judy's Tinned Spaghetti or anything else I know she likes.

For family dinners, we often have soups, lasagne, spaghetti bolognaise,  butter chicken and other curries. I also have a few of those 90second rice sachets on hand. Sorry for the essay!!!

[vetjo]

Thanks goldfish
I'll have a look through those pages, they look like a great place to start from. I'm excited about having a go. I've tried to meal plan before but itwas hard to stick to with the way our life is atm, but I think frozen will be the way to go

[mcmich]

There is a slow cooker recipe thread here.

[vetjo]

Thanks Jamberie. The tinned spag and sneaky mac cheese recipes will be great for our 3 yo too - she is currently going thru an "I don't like it phase", which has come as a rude shock after she used to eat everything lol. Having some lunches and ready frozen meals to grab for those I'm starving and tiredmoments will be a saviour!

thanks for the link mcmich - we do tonnes of slowcooks seeing as we grow our own meat

[Jamberie]

No worries Vetjo...I knew exactly what you meant by arsenic hour!!! The small servings have come in handy on sooo many occasions! WW sell take away containers that are considerably smaller than others which I've found to be handy for this

[obbie]

thats what I do on weekends. I cook lasagnes, currys, cottage pies, chicken pies for the freezer.

[judydawn]

Hi vetjo, welcome to the forum.  Some great ideas from our members and you will soon get into the routine of a cooking day at the weekend to make the rest of the week easier for yourself.  

This Pantry Tuna Dish from MJ freezes really well, I top it with mashed potato in individual ramekins (see photo on the link) and if I have the homemade tinned spaghetti on hand I use that too.

Chicken Kiev is another nice one to freeze, I've frozen them uncooked and cooked, both work.  

You can also cook a batch of chicken and freeze it to use in pastas & risottos which are quick meals in themselves.

Here's a list Uni made - anything and everything that freezes well.

[cookie1]

Hi and welcome vetjo. You certainly have your hands full. I do hope the members suggestions have helped you out. If you need more ideas, just ask. I'm sure there would be many more forth coming. I love the SC idea. In fact I have just got home from a meeting and am defrosting the leftovers from a precious SC meal.

[Cornish Cream]

Welcome to the forum vetjo. As you can see this forum is always ready to help members.

[Bootobethin]

Welcome to the forum.
It takes a little bit of planning but cooking ahead and freezing is great and saves money and is very healthy.
The slow cooker ideas on the forum are really good when you know a busy day is coming up.
Nothing nicer than walking in to the beautiful smell of an already cooked and hot meal.
This forum runs on support and brilliant ideas!

[vetjo]

Wow thanks for the ideas everyone! I'm going to sit down and do a plan now. I'm feeling keen, and thought I'll do 4 weeks worth of menus that I can run through. I'm looking forward to less wasting of my veges and fruit - I buy so much on impulse or never get round to using it, it will be much cheaper to go in knowing exactly what I need to buy for the week.