Here’s a little peek into my recent One-Hour Freezer Cooking session…
I browned a massive pan of ground beef and onions. And kind of chose a pan that was too small. Whoops!
While the ground beef was browning, I put everything in the crockpot for the Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans. These were so simple and easy to make!
And the ground beef was finally done. Yikes! I made a MESS on the stove!
I had planned to make Million Dollar Spaghetti, but I was running short on time and I didn’t want to turn on the oven because the house was already so hot, so I decided to just boil the noodles, add a jar of pasta sauce to some of the ground beef, and make spaghetti for dinner.
Er, maybe I was just lazy? Well, I’m going with the fact that the house was too hot to turn on the oven. Yup, that’s my story. 🙂
While everyone was getting dinner on their plates and getting situated at the table (which always seems to take a LONG time!), I dumped everything in a bowl for the Homemade Energy Bites.
And then I quickly rolled these in balls and stuck them in the freezer. Well, after we did a little taste-testing. 😉
debbie says
So on the million dollar spaghetti, if you make one& freeze it how do you cook it? Do you need to let it thaw & then cook or can it be cooked straight from the freezer?
Crystal Paine says
I’d let it thaw first.
Krista says
My family loves the energy bites! My only problem is I have a terrible time rolling them out. Am I doing something wrong? Or are these just stickier?
sarah says
quick question about your energy bites… the 1st ingredient is 2 cups of oatmeal and then further down it says you can substitute oatmeal for the coconut flakes. my question is, do I add more oatmeal if I am not using the coconut flakes?
thanks! I can’t wait to make these.
Crystal Paine says
Yes, you can… that’s what I did this time since I didn’t have coconut.
Traci says
let me know how you like those bites – I tried them and the very strong flaxseed taste overwhelmed me. I found one similar on pinterest that leaves out the flaxseed – although I add a little, and adds in rice krispies and no coconut – it has oats, pb, honey, vanilla, choc chips and rice krispies – not Uber healthy but a great alternative to cookies and gluten free too
Crystal Paine says
We love them — but I left out the flax seed this time since I didn’t have any. 🙂
Traci says
I like it but there is so much it completely overtook the taste:)
Ashley says
I’m assuming you freeze the cowboy beans…. Is that correct? Or were they for a meal over this weekend? How well do they freeze? Is the texture at all compromised by doing so?
I LOVE seeing your freezer cooking in an hour sessions! Makes me realize how taking just a few minutes to prep something for the freezer saves so much time in the long run!
Kim Angely says
My puppy got me up at 5:45 am this morning and I actually had some energy so I made a huge batch of spaghetti sauce, taco meat, and the Lemon Italian Chicken marinade that I separated into 2 batches in freezer bags just as the recipe says. It feels good knowing that I have most of the main dishes made ahead of time for the coming week so I can spend more time having fun with the kids and not in front of the stove cooking. 🙂
Julie Carns says
It was hot today even up north! 🙂 We are all about making everything in the crock pot (which sets in the garage) in this heat; today we steamed cauliflower in one crock pot and made meat loaf in another. Earlier this week we made chicken in one crock pot and rice in another.
Misty Nicole Overstreet-Roberts (The Lady Prefers To Save) says
Crystal, I always love your recipes. I did have a question though, would you ever consider making freezer meals for those with sulfite allergies, like myself, who have to unfortunately cook meals sans garlic, wine, dried fruits, onions, or trinity mix items; I generally use celery for texture and crunch in food, but that can get boring, at times. That would be such a blessing!
Crystal Paine says
In many of the recipes I make, you should be able to leave those items out… especially when it comes to onions. If there’s a specific recipe I post that you’d like to make, just ask and I’ll see if I have suggestions on how to make it so you can eat it.