Are you ready to get busy filling your freezer? My goal with this challenge is to erase your fears of freezer cooking and to show you that — no matter what stage or season in life you’re in — you can find a way to make it work for you.
In the process, I hope you fall in love with freezer cooking, if you haven’t already. It’s been a huge sanity-saver to me so I can’t help but be a big advocate of it. 🙂
Here’s this week’s list of Breakfast Foods I’ll be making to stick in the freezer along with a grocery list (let me know if you see any mistakes on amounts needed):
Freezer-Friendly Breakfast Recipes
Tuesday — 2 loaves of Our Family’s Favorite Banana Bread
Wednesday — 2 dozen Cinnamon Rolls (I’m using this bread dough recipe and this filling/topping recipe.)
Thursday — Triple batch of Whole-Wheat Waffles
Friday — Double batch of Freezer-Friendly Baked Oatmeal
Monday — One batch of Homemade Baking Mix
Grocery List
(I rounded up on the amounts needed, just to be safe. You probably have many of these items already on hand. You’ll want to double-check that you have the correct amounts, though.)
1 dozen eggs
6-8 ripe bananas
One package of butter (4 sticks)
20 cups of freshly-ground flour or two 5-lb. bags of whole wheat, all-purpose, or a mixture of both flours
1 package of brown sugar or raw sugar
1 bag of sugar (You’ll need at least three cups — can substitute raw sugar)
1 bag or box of powdered sugar
Cream of tarter
Powdered milk (you’ll need 1 1/4 cups)
1 canister oats (regular or quick oats)
Oil (any kind — you’ll need at least one cup)
Coconut oil (you’ll need around 2 1/2 cups)
Milk (you’ll need at least 2 cups)
Baking soda
Baking powder (make sure you have at least 1 cup)
Salt
Vanilla
Cinnamon
Freezer Storage Items Needed
Foil
Plastic Wrap
10-12 large ziptop freezer bags
2-4 glass or aluminum pans (to freeze Freezer-Friendly Baked Oatmeal in)
1 airtight lidded tub (to store Homemade Baking Mix in, if you don’t want to use freezer bags)
Something to label packages with (marker to write on bags, labels, and/or tape)
Click on the “Print This” tab at the top of the list to generate a printer-friendly list. (If you’re reading via email or a feed reader, you may need to click through to the post to print the list.)
Before you head to the store, make sure to clean out and organize your freezer and check that you have enough storage space for these items in it.
FYI the link you used for bread dough recipe is not working
I would not have thought to freeze banana bread or oatmeal – I will have to try both! Thanks for the ideas!
P.S. LOVE THAT YOU EVEN BROKE DOWN THE GROCERY LIST FOR US INCLUDING SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR FREEZER COOKING. IT SOUNDS LIKE IT WOULD BE COMPLETE COMMON SENSE, BUT I HAVE A THREE MONTH OLD AND MY BRAIN IS MUSH SINCE SHES BEEN HOME WITH ME…SO THANK YOU FOR GOING THE EXTRA EXTRA MILE TO MAKE THINGS SOOO MUCH EASIER FOR ME. 🙂 I CALLED TO ORDER PIZZA AND TOTALLY GAVE THEM MY “PARENTS HOME PHONE” FROM MY CHILDHOOD INSTEAD OF MINE…THATS HOW MUSH IM TALKING..HAHA. 🙂
We are shopping for a chest freezer and I was wondering if you have any tips on how to choose what size freezer is big enough for a family. We are a family of four and I’m looking to store at least a couple of weeks of meals along with some basic food ingredients (like pasta sauce and gluten free baked goods). Since we have food allergies in our family – store bought of some things is not possible for us so I would like to store a good amount of food/ingredients so I can get the best prices in things. Thanks for the help! I loved your series in a more organized home…looking forward to the freezer series.
It would be great if on the day of each assignment there was a Q&A session in case anyone had questions before making the items. I’ve had a few questions on two of the assignments, so the Q&A would be helpful. On tonight’s assignment, can we use plain flour instead of wheat flour?
Feel free to ask if you have any questions — or wait and do the assignment the day after so you can read about other peoples’ experiences! 🙂
You can use any mixture of flour for the whole-wheat waffles — or just regular white flour.
I am making my cinnamon rolls now, but I was wondering how do you freeze them before baking? Is that possible and if so then how do you bake them when I take them out of the freezer? Thanks!
Want to let you know that I saw you do a freezer friendly baked oatmeal so I tried freezing my family’s baked oatmeal recipe. It worked fine. I also froze it in a bag, not a pan, and just dumped it into the pan (thawed; I pulled it out the night before) and baked it. Thanks for the great idea!
this couldn’t have come at a better time -company is coming and I wanted to make some meals ahead. Ahh but first the freezer had to be thawed out. I did that yesterday and made cinnamon rolls and used the freezer method you mentioned in the comments. You got me rolling -thanks
Once frozen how long do these things last?
Do you HAVE to use the coconut oil? Will the rolls work out with regular oil? I can’t use coconut due to allergies, and am wondering whether it’s even worth trying to make them, since the coconut oil seems to be so essential to their success.
If you don’t want to use coconut oil, try this recipe for cinnamon rolls:
https://moneysavingmom.com/2010/01/bread-machine-cinnamon-roll.html
Thanks. 🙂
How do you freeze the cinnamon rolls and icing?
I’m very excited about this series! I have been wanting to give Freezer Cooking a try since I have been reading your blog for a couple of months now. I’m going out of order since I didn’t have enough bananas today, so I made the whole wheat waffles tonight with my daughter. They are so good and the whole family is looking forward to having some tomorrow morning. Thank you for all that you do! 🙂
Hi Crystal… Love your freezer cooking challenges.. Some of your recipes are family favorites of ours now! Just curious, you did not say what your plan was for posting your progress. Do you plan to post once weekly or perhaps daily like your cleaning challenge?? Just curious!
I’ll be posting my updates each evening.
I noticed that the recipe for the cinnamon rolls includes coconut oil, but it is not listed specifically on your shopping list, only oil. Can vegetable oil be substituted equally for coconut oil in the dough recipe? The original author notes that coconut oil is the key to the bread, but will this affect the cinnamon rolls? Thanks!
Whoops! Thanks for catching my mistake — I had coconut oil on there initially (because it’s in the baking mix) and then somehow it got deleted. Added it back on.
Do we need to use coconut oil in the cinnamon rolls?
You could make these if you don’t have coconut oil:
https://moneysavingmom.com/2010/01/bread-machine-cinnamon-roll.html
WHERE YOU DO FIND COCONUT OIL, I HAVE GIANT EAGLE/MARCS/SAFE ALOT AND ALDIS.. AROUND ME IN NORTHEASTERN OHIO. WE HAVE A TV NETWORK CALLED THE LIVE WELL NETWORK HERE AND THEY RAVE ABOUT COCONUT OIL AND ALL ITS USES AS WELL. IS THIS IN THE HEALTHY/ORGANIC SECTION AT GROCERY STORES OR WITH REGULAR OILS?
I started cooking after dinner (work full time outside the home). I doubled the recipe but baked 3 smaller loaves. The smell was delightful. I let the loaves cool and sliced one up for the week and to freeze. I decided I will let the other 2 cool over night and decide tomorrow if I want to slice the loaves for freeze as a whole.
I can’t believe how well the loaves turned out. We had to try a slice of course and the kids and I thought tasted so yummy!
I am not an experienced cook so I was delighted how well this first day of the challenge turned out. I did not even have to go to the store :).
Thanks, Crystal!
I have my bread sliced and cooling right now! My husband stole a piece and LOVED it! Much better than what we’ve made in our bread machine in the past. I just have one question…when you freeze the slices, do you wrap them individually or something? How do you keep them from sticking together? I’ve only ever frozen muffins so I wasn’t sure how the slices would work.
When I freeze tortillas or crepes, I would stick a piece of wax paper between the slices. It should work for banana bread.
Can you make the banana bread in a bread machine? With all the bananas in it it might be hard for the paddle to turn. Also it might be too big for the machine.
I make mine in a machine (using a different recipe though). Just make sure you use over-ripe (brown) bananas and then mush them with a fork. Put in the wet ingredients first (such as oil and eggs) and add mushed bananas to that, then add dry ingredients. It turns out perfect every time, with no banana chunks.
I love that you have broken it down into do-able tasks each day. And this week focuses on breakfast items. Can’t wait to hear what next week brings. I won’t be joining you in freezer cooking this week as I am in a class all week, but it is inspiring.
We don’t use baking mix very often; do you think you could post some links to recipes (even a basic biscuit one)? I usually just make them from scratch each time…
Go to Bisquick’s website or do a search for bisquick recipes. That is what I do and you’d be surprised how many recipes there are.
Oh, thanks! I will try that!
Made cream cheese pound cake, cut up fresh strawberries and pineapple, made taco meat, put pinto beans in crock-pot, made hamburger helper w/ marinated mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and parm. cheese, grilled marinated mushrooms on skewers, and mixed up a salad. Want to make egg mcmuffins and sausage/egg/cheese biscuits for freezer.
We love the whole waffles and everyone that I’ve shared them with also loves them. Last week I used canned pumpkin instead of the applesauce and we all loved them. I sent home a stack of them for my daughter and her family to try and they loved them also. Thanks for all you do.
I was extra motivated to get started today so I made 2 loaves of banana bread, 2 pans of cinnamon rolls & for extra credit made 4 jars of yogurt & a quart of water kefir.
My kids were thrilled to arrive home from school to the smell of freshly baked banana bread. They were even more thrilled when I let them chow down on it!
I’m hoping to post on my blog tonight about all I accomplished in the kitchen today. Thanks for the motivation Crystal!
I’m so proud of you! Way to go!
Banana Bread thawing, I am trying so hard to decide about whether to make the cinnamon rolls tomorrow, I am so afraid mine will turn out awful since I have bever made them and they are a lot of work without a bread machine. Anyone have any tips for making them wonderful! I have to use spelt flour to bake with due to a wheat allergy. Also, should I freeze everything in foil pans or aluminum?
I just my two loaves for the day and it came out awesome!! My mom used to make banana nut bread for me when I was younger and I have always wanted to try to make it for myself! I am concerned about the cinnamon rolls tomorrow though because I do not have a bread maker or a hand mixer so I have to mix everything by hand with a wisk. 🙁 So how would I make the dough like it is described in the recipe? Just wisk until it’s well mixed and then knead and shape it on the counter by hand?
I am wondering if I cut down on the amount of sugar if it will still come out good. (One of our family’s goals is to cut down on processed foods and sugar. ) Has anyone tried this?
I made the banana bread recipe today (doubled for 2 loaves) and instead of 2 cups of sugar I used 1 1/2 cups. It was still super sweet so I think I could have cut it even more. Hope that helps!
I don’t use her specific recipe, but in quick breads I always use 1/2 c sugar per loaf/12 muffins.
I am crying right now and will tell you why… I have worked as hard as I can as a teacher to earn as much as I can for my family (additional degrees). Now that I have completed these classes, I have been in search of ideas on how to save my family money. I’ve even prayed about it. I found your site at the beginning of your cleaning series. I used your site to bring my house back to it’s glory. I even learned how to make my own cleaning products and laundry detergent along the way. My next goal was to start freezing meals. I have spaghetti sauce and pumpkin muffins frozen but I wanted to go bigger. When I read your new series today, it was exactly what I need… a list (I am a BIG into lists) to follow and the knowledge that other mothers out there are doing the same tasks gives me a feeling of support. Crystal, you are a blessing to my family. You help make my life more manageable. Know that your offerings mean a great deal to this mom who’s eyes are full of tears. I am grateful and appreciative to you and the other followers. Now lets get freezing!
Thank you so much for your kind encouragement! And I’m *thrilled* that what I’m posting has been a help to you and your family! It sounds like you’re doing a fantastic job — keep it up!
I am excited about this! Maybe you could post the list for next week’s meals on Friday or Saturday, just so I can make sure I have the ingredients on hand before the work week starts, even if the “assignment” doesn’t start until Tuesday 🙂
Yay! LOVE this idea! Can’t wait to get started!
I love banana bread! I can’t wait to try this recipe. How long is it good for in the freezer?
Check! I already had 2 loaves of banana bread in the freezer that I did 2 weeks ago. I freeze in thirds of loaves and we still have 4/3 left. I had just put them in the oven when a tornado warning was issued on my weather radio. I was home alone and still cowering in the tiny downstairs half bath when the timer went off. I raced out to the kitchen and snatched them out of the oven and back to the bathroom!
I just done up a few batches of Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits! Ahh- this saves SO much time in the morning! (And mess- hate early morning messes! 😉
I am also so excited to be seeing this for the exact same reason as Allison! I’m also 31 weeks and have been wanting to start my freezer stash. Thank you!
Tiffany, when I was expecting my 5th baby, my younger ones and I spent 3 days in the kitchen. They chopped and measured and stirred for me while I cooked and baked and wrapped and froze. I had 30 big meals in the freezer before the baby was born. It was wonderful!!!
I like to make several pies’ worth of pie dough, roll it out in a circle and roll it up with plastic wrap in between so it doesn’t stick. I put several in a large ziplock bag. I love having the convenience of it.
I am so excited that you are doing this! I am 31 weeks pregnant and I had wanted to make some freezer meals ahead of time for those first few weeks. This will keep me motivated and accountable…and you have done the hard part for me (gathering recipes and making a shopping list)! 🙂
Allison,
You & I are on the same page. I’m 32 weeks and have been thinking of doing this too. I’m a little discouraged as I tried before my 17 month old was born and things just didn’t taste right when we pulled them out of the freezer. I’m super excited that recipes are being given as well as instructions for freezing. We were so discouraged about the amount of things being thrown out…and having to run out to eat…that I’ve been afraid to try again.
I’m in the same boat too! 32 weeks. 🙂
Another good resource is Tammy’s Recipes – just google:
tammy’s recipes freezer baby
and it will pull up her plans. I used some of her ideas and some of Crystal’s to make a list of the things I want to make… now to just actually get them made! 🙂
One good idea I’ve heard as far as things not tasting right (and we’ve done it a little) is just to freeze components of a meal, not the whole meal. For example, rather than making spaghetti casserole and freezing the whole thing, cook some ground beef and freeze it. Then it can be added to jarred sauce and dry noodles… might help with the taste, as things will be a little “fresher?”
Alison, Stephanie, and Kelly,
I am only 26 weeks and ready to start this process. I’m a little behind. I am ready to learn and I agree that freezing individual ingredients is the way to go. A friend just gave me a process for freezing chicken and saving money while doing it.
Thank you, Crystal.
I’m curious about your banana bread recipe…. when you’re ready to pull a slice out of the freezer, do you leave it out overnight to thaw? Or can you pop it in the microwave?
Thanks! 🙂
You can pop it in the microwave or just let a slice thaw for a few minutes at room temperature.
The banana bread just came out of the oven! I know you are trying to fill your freezer, but I’m actually trying to empty mine (for a move). So instead of the oil in the recipe I used some pureed pumpkin I had frozen a long time ago when you had a post about roasting pumpkins:) It turned out delicious!
Thanks Crystal. I’ll be scouting out my freezer this evening when I get home from work. I don’t think I’ll be following along exactly but I definitely need the encouragement to get going on it again.
P.S. I think the first instructions I need are to clean my freezer. Yikes!! :0)
I have two loaves of banana brad cooling on a wire rack right now! Well minus to slices for the bakers ;-). I can’t wait to stock up my freezer this month!
One more thing before I head to the store… I have a ziploc full of mashed banana in the freezer. Do you know how it translates whole banana to cups of mashed banana? I’m guessing 2-3 bananas=1 cup. Does that sound about right? This series is soooooo cool!!!!
Most recipes that call for 1 cup of mashed bananas say you need 3 bananas.
I love to freezer cook but my problem is that sometimes I bake things and I forget to use it and I end up throwing it out but I’m just not sure. My question is how long are these items good for to stay in the freezer? I was thinking about putting that on the outside of the bag as well. I’ve tried your breakfast burritos and froze them-they were wonderful and easy. I might subsitute those for the waffles as we normally do breakfast night one day a week and have waffles then.
I have done a LOT of freezer cooking over the years. With 6 kids and babysitting numerous kids at a time, bulk cooking was a must. When I was able to accumulate a lot of meals and baked items in my freezer I found it tremendously helpful to make a list and placed it on the side of my refridgerator to keep track of what I had. I would just mark the items off as used. I still do this with my freezer beef so that I have some idea of how much I have left and that I’m trying to use all of the cuts of meat. Yes, sometimes I do forget to mark off items. I update the list when I occasionally clean out and reorganize my refridgerator and freezers.
I am so excited about this series! It is very timely for me. I have gradually been doing some freezer cooking (your posts inspire me), but have made it a goal to get into a routine. I can’t wait to see the results day-by-day, week-by-week and at the end of the month. Thanks for all you do, Crystal!
Does anyone have low-carb freezer recipes to share? All these breakfasts look delicious, but we’re doing Atkins right now (or rather, my husband is). (I’ll definitely bookmark this for later but I want to get back into freezer cooking now if I can! 🙂 ) The only breakfasts I can think of to freeze are mini-quiches, and I love the idea of doing weekly meal-themed freezer cooking.
I am soooooo excited about this series, but I do have one question… Do you have a freezer aside for the one in your kitchen. I’m just trying to figure out how to fit all this in my side by side fridge/freezer. I do well with meats and things I can freeze flat in ziplocs and “file,” but chunkier items like muffins and loaves I struggle with more.
I do. However, I think you should be able to fit everything in the freezer side of a side-by-side freezer — provided you don’t have a lot of other stuff in there.
Great list! I work 10 hours a day during the week and don’t have time by the time I get home at 9pm to do cooking, but I am planning to pick 4 of my favorites and double up this weekend! The baked oatmeal looks really good!!!
I see you are not using your breadmaker cinnamon roll recipe. Is there a reason you’ve switched?
This other recipe is healthier and takes less time, so I’ve just been using it recently.
Wow! What a great resource, short of going to the store with me and holding my hand during the cooking process I can’t see how you could make this any easier. I particularly like how you made a shopping list. This way I can print it and tailor the challenge to our pay period. I have 4 locusts so I figure this would cover 10-11 of the 14 days in a pay period. I’m trying to get our grocery budget under $300 for a 2 week cycle. Hopefully with this I can get us there.
I would love to start freezer cooking and am so glad you started this! However, we have just gone gluten free due to a couple of people in my house. I was just wondering if you ever tried any of your own baking recipes with a gluten free mix instead of flour when your family was eating gluten free. Your recipes always sound so good (especially the cinnamon rolls) and I always wanted to try them, and now I don’t have any good ideas for breakfast!
A few questions…. Can we have next week’s grocery list on Friday? Since I work full time, I do my food shopping on the weekend. Also, I don’t have a bread machine, is that the only way to do the cinnamon rolls? I also don’t have a waffle maker! AHHHH… I’m already striking out!
You can do the cinnamon rolls by hand, but it’s a lot more work. I’d switch those out with something easier, unless you’re highly motivated. And you can do pancakes instead of the waffles — or muffins, or whatever your family likes. Or just skip it altogether!
I apologize if I sounded like I was complaining. Thanks for your response… I’m determined to get something out of this challenge. This doesn’t come easily, but I’m not giving up. Thanks again for your suggestions!
I don’t have a waffle maker either so I always make pancakes and freeze. And I don’t think you need a bread maker to do bread. In fact, I gave away my bread maker. I think it’s easier and bread tastes better when I make up the bread myself…but that’s just me.
Don’t worry, I don’t have a bread machine or a waffle iron yet either! (And, my husband shattered the stoneware part of my Crock-pot last week. Can you guess what I’m asking as my gift for Mother’s Day?) I’ll be making this recipe for Fluffy Pancakes from allrecipes.com instead of waffles: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/fluffy-pancakes-2/detail.aspx
When you freeze the pancakes, use small squares of wax paper in between the pancakes so that they won’t freeze as one solid unit. I have a large baggie I keep in the freezer, and as we use the pancakes I put the wax squares into that baggie. You can just keep reusing them over and over to help save time and money!
And instead of cinnamon rolls, I’ll just make two extra loaves of Amish white bread using this recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/amish-white-bread/detail.aspx
Set your timer for 10 minutes and play some music you like to help the kneading pass quicker!
I may not actually freeze my loaves, because we’re using bread as a main staple right now and I can’t keep up with the demand, but you definitely CAN freeze the bread if you want. Just wrap it well in plastic wrap, 2 or 3 layers.
I hope this helps! 🙂
We have a waffle maker, but I’m making pancakes anyway. I can cook 8 at a time on my griddle, instead of 2 waffles. The waffles are big, but it cuts my hands on time by at least half.
I am sitting here eating some “Carrot Waffles” from a previous post. WE LOVE THEM!
Changes I made, I just used regular milk because I didn’t have buttermilk or any lemon juice on hand and I added water to make the batter thinner.
YUM.
Can’t wait to try some of these new recipes.
I adore this idea!! I have tried freezer cooking a few times but have never quite figured out how to make it work for us. But I plan to follow along with this monthly challenge even though I will be doing them 1 week behind. =) Thanks for the great idea/info/everything!! lol =)
I am looking forward to trying to do a bit of freezer cooking. I agree with the above commenter that I tend to not want to thaw and eat main entrees that I freeze but I think breads and breakfast items will be better. I am going to give it a try! Also, we are Paleo/gluten free so I will be using this recipe for the banana bread: http://www.elanaspantry.com/paleo-banana-bread/
Can’t wait to eat some banana bread!
Jamie
I did it! I have 2 loaves of banana nut bread in the oven and the ktchen is cleaned up. Thanks for the inspiration!
Way to go!
Im so excited to try these recipes & the best thing of all is I have ALL these ingredients except the only thing I need is Bananas. The boys ( 8 & 7 in 2weeks) have already eaten the ones I did buy, I let them have free range of the kitchen Sunday to make their snacks. It wasnt bad my oldest made pb & chocolate Banana sandwich & my youngest hates Pb so he made chocolate banana cracker sandwiches. Lol it was cute to watch them feel like adults & make their own decisions. Im excited to try the waffles, Banana Bread & Pumpkin choc chip muffins, I kinda trailed off ur menu with the last lol Ty so much for always sharing with us! Love ur blog! 😉
I’m not sure the at least two cups on the milk is enough in the grocery list for all the recipes especially for the waffles and oatmeal. Not a big deal but thought you might want to double check that. I love this idea. Thank you for doing it!!
I am so excited to try this. I return to work soon and need to have the freezer full of meals!
Thank you so much!!! You have really made my day. Financially we are in a tough spot, and today was the kick off of cutting costs and getting out of this. I felt overwhelmed, but this challenge was my saving grace. Thank you!!!
Do you have a general guideline you try to follow of how much of your freezer is devoted to meals and how much to stocked up frozen meats, veggies, cheese, whatever else? We freeze milk and cheese when it’s on sale and between that and the frozen veggies and some meat I don’t have room for a ton of freezer meals (and we do have a decently large separate freezer). Maybe I am going too far on the stock piling?
I usually use some of the stockpiled stuff to make freezer meals so that it frees up some space.
I might have to get on board with this challenge! I tried freezer cooking in the past. But strangely found myself hesitant to eat the meals once they had been frozen. I think because I dislike frozen convenience meals, I transferred that dislike towards my own food LOL! So my version of freezer cooking now is to cook and freeze the components of meals (like browned beef, cooked beans, etc) instead of entire meals.
But breakfast items would be a good place to start, especially for our family (work + school = busy mornings). However, I’m not sure if my favorite recipes for pancakes, french toast and cinnamon rolls would freeze well. Guess there’s only one way to find out!
Mary Ellen
The Working Home Keeper
Homemade freezer food is much, much better than store-bought stuff. If it tastes good fresh, it usually tastes almost as good coming out of the freezer.
Thanks Heather!
Mary Ellen
I am doubling your whole wheat chocolate chip cookie recipe (which should make about 80 cookies) and hopefully will get a chance to triple a batch of whole wheat waffles, this week. My freezer is pretty much chocked full with cooked beef and frozen fruits, chicken stock, etc., so I hope there is some room for what I want to make.
Great series! Was just beginning to stock my freezer and pantry with pre-made goodies which I will either freeze, can, or dry. I am expecting baby number eight in August, so any help my husband can have with meals during my recovery will be a blessing! Now, to find room for it all since we grow and preserve many of our own foods anyway. Looking forward to following along!
I’m curious as to how you thaw an entire loaf of bread? I’ve tried it in the past and it didn’t work well, but I’m pretty sure I didn’t seal it well and/or left it in the freezer too long.
I’ve noticed you freeze entire loafs of Nature’s Own plus you’re freezing a loaves of banana bread. Do you just take it out and let it sit on the counter overnight? Does it change the texture at all? Thanks for the input!
I usually thaw mine in the fridge and haven’t had a problem.
It’s best if you wrap it in plastic wrap first, then in foil or a ziptop bag.
wow this will be awesome! Can’t wait to try it
Is this going to be possible with a tiny freezer? We don’t even have a side by side refrigerator. It’s an older basic Fridge with a top freezer. (and the ice maker takes up half the room!!) I would love to do this, but worry that I’m not going to have the space? Any advice?
This is my problem too. Our small apartment-grade freezer is basically packed with just the things I use regularly: meat that I’ve bought on manager’s special, frozen vegetables, extra loaves of bread, and skillet meals bought at sale+coupon prices. I freeze leftovers as I can, but I can’t imagine being able to fit even 1 casserole dish in there, let alone as many as this would make.
It’s definitely a dream of mine to someday have a large freezer and be able to do this to its fullest potential!!
I only had an over-the-fridge freezer for a long time and was able to fit an amazing amount in there by getting really creative. I also tried to use the frozen items as part of the freezer meals in order to free up more space (making meatballs, etc.)
Have you ever tried freezing things flat in bags and then standing them up like file folders or stacking them? You can do 15-20 meals this way in a small amount of space.
Another thing you can do is make baking mixes and store them in your fridge. They won’t keep quite as long, but they’ll keep for quite awhile and can cut down on meal prep time.
I say get into the ‘spirit’ of this challenge. Check out what’s already in your freezer and find out what you can make out of it, and then refreeze.
I’m in the same boat as you with an apartment freezer and I’ve found that the best things I can do is to save prep time – even if it isn’t true freezer cooking. This means that all ground meat (turkey and beef) gets cooked with onions and spices before it even gets put in the freezer. Saves me loads of time on meal prep.
It is great you are doing the freezer items. I usually do some batch cooking for the freezer when I have time, but this will be nice to have some of each meal in the freezer. I will do bagels today as we don’t have enough bananas to do the banana bread. But then the rest of the week I will follow the plan.
Crystal,
Can you post what ingredients we will need for the lunches next week later this week? I want to make sure to have everything and I usually do my shopping over the weekend. This week because I bake so much I had everything needed except the bananas.
Crystal,
I know you use a bread machine alot to mix dough, I dont have one though. Will I still be able to follow along?
Obviously you can tell I am not a cook 🙂
Also, I dont have many kitchen baking ware(like a mat to roll out dough on). Could I just roll it on a clean countertop?
When I make cinnamon rolls, I roll my dough out on a clean counter top!
Mary Ellen
The Working Home Keeper
Tina- I always roll dough on the counter top! Make sure that you dust it with flour so that the dough doesn’t stick.
I wondered the same thing about the bread machine.
I love this! I have most of the ingredients I need. I even have most of the storage stuff you listed. I am so excited to get started 🙂 Now I just need to organize my freezer so I have room to put stuff in it.
Although I am very aware of how convenient freezer cooking is for many people, I can’t fathom not cooking and baking every day. As a home-schooling mom of five children ages 10 and under, I find being in the kitchen relaxing and delightful. I love to plan our healthy meals, and the children sometimes help me cook and bake. I guess food planning, modifying recipes to make them healthier, and food prep is a hobby for me. 🙂 I do occasionally make a double batch during a particularly hectic week, or make granola bars a day ahead when we will have a day of errands or activities planned. I love to peruse your recipes though, and have gotten some fantastic “jumping off” ideas too as I create my own concoctions. I will read this post because I find it intrigiuing, but I will make the recipes on a more daily schedule.
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but where are the recipes for the above items?
Click on the names of the recipes in the post to take you to them. Let me know if that doesn’t work for you.
I have been wanting to try more freezer cooking because I think it will make my days more efficient/productive – much needed here! I’m going to try to play along – I just need to figure out when I can find a chunk of time to do it.
Would you do all of this in one day?
Thanks!
No, I’m just doing one recipe per day — see the days mentioned above on the list. You could do it all in one day, but since I have three children and am homeschooling, I rarely have big blocks of time during the day to pull off a long freezer cooking list.
Can I ask even when you fit in the one extra recipe a day?? What time of day works best for you??? Just curious….thanks!
Thanks Crystal. I was so focused on the recipes that I missed the days of the week right there. I look forward to giving this a try. 🙂
I was planning to do this anyway this week and then you came up with this – so it worked out perfectly for me! Thank you, here is my plan for the week:
http://www.extraordinaryordinarylife.blogspot.com/2012/04/back-at-freezer-cooking-breakfast-time.html
I am single and live alone. Would it make sense to half these recipes? I also don’t have a ton of room in my freezer so I know that all of it won’t fit lol
Thanks for this series. It is perfect for me right now. I am pregnant and feeling better, but most foods sound awful. I am haing a hard time cooking because nothing sounds good. I was just telling my husband I wished he would just give me a list of meals to make. I guess you read my mind. My family will thank you since we might actually have some food to eat now.
I had horrible morning sickness until week 40 with my first, and until week 22 with this current pregnancy. So, I completely understand! My first pregnancy my husband made PB&J or Eggos every night, but with the 2nd it is was much harder because I had to feed my preschooler. I just threw lots of meals into the crock pot and had my husband serve them up at night. That way I never really had to prep anything, which was the worst part. Good luck, hope you’re feeling better soon!
I’m hopping on board for this month’s challenge and just changing some of the items to fit our family’s preferences. I like the idea of a theme week (breakfasts).
My unofficial plan:
waffles
muffins
breakfast burritos
sausage/egg mcmuffin – if I’m feeling ambitious
Crystal,
I absolutely love this series! I’m encouraging my readers to participate and I hope to as well. I told my readers to let me know if they need an allergy-friendly version of any of your recipes. I hope some join in. Perhaps I’ll do a similar {allergy-friendly} series down the road because like you, I strongly believe in the benefits of freezer cooking and try to do little mini sessions whenever possible.
Thanks!
Michelle
Michelle/Crystal-
It would be soooo amazing if you had gluten free versions of these recipes that you would be willing to provide. I would LOVE to freezer cook but I have trouble figuring out what gluten free counterpart to use. Thank you so much and God bless you both!!
Misti,
I’m waiting to see how my gluten-free banana bread turns out. It’s cooling right now, but a little nibble was pretty good. I’ve never made this particular recipe before but I’m hopeful. I’m happy to help you out as much as I can. You can follow my name to my site where you can get in touch with me.
Michelle
This is exciting! I can’t wait to start. I love your site and all of the tips and especially love the pumpkin chocolate chip muffins that are now a staple in my freezer! Yummy!
I was just making a freezer cooking list over the weekend! I can’t fill mine too full since we’re getting a 1/4 of a cow soon, but I do need some freezer meals stocked up. I’m spending way too much time in the kitchen!
What are you going to use the baking mix for? I don’t want to make it if I won’t use it.
You can use it like bisquik, but this is what we use it for:
https://moneysavingmom.com/2011/06/cinnamon-roll-biscuits-recipe.html
So easy — and so good!
I use it soooooo often!!!!! Waffles, pancakes, cinnamon rolls, pizza crust, cheddar biscuits, muffins, the list and possibilities are endless!!!
What size ziplock freezer bags are needed?
It would be the large size bags.
How many are in your family and how long will this last? A week? Longer?
We have five in our family — this would definitely be enough for two weeks’ worth of breakfasts, but we also throw in cereal, oatmeal, etc. for some of the days, so I can probably stretch all of this to last us a month.
Not sure I’ll do this (I’m not a freezer cooking kind of gal) but you did make me smile at your comment about how long this would last. Teen son #1 brought home 2 friends from school yesterday. Between them they wiped out 1 loaf of banana bread, a plate of cookies I had made yesterday and half a bag of chips and salsa. After eating a filling dinner, he went to soccer practice. When he came home at
9 p.m. he had to run next door to grandmas to get two hamburgers to eat. He’s not overweight–just active and growing. I would definitely need to make more than two loaves of banana bread to get me through two weeks, but then I am in a different stage in life than you are. Thanks for all your encouragement, you are an inspiration to so many people. 🙂
Yes, I used to cook for my family of nine so I definitely know how boys can eat! 🙂
Since my children are still young, I’m blessed that a half of a loaf of banana bread will be enough for breakfast if we pair it with scrambled eggs and fruit or something similar. I know my days of being able to pull that off are numbered, though — especially since we went through a dozen eggs in one meal the other day.
That said, I’m pretty sure my girls could give those two boys a run for their money when it comes to chips and salsa. 😉
You are funny! I would love to hear more about your experience when you were cooking for a larger family—I’m assuming when you were growing up? While there are only 4 in my family I know some of your readers do have larger families. Maybe you’d be willing to share some of that experience sometime.
Your comment made me smile. I’m not quite at your level yet (no teenage boys yet) but when my 9 year old son finished a large bowl of oatmeal then looked at me and asked if there was anything else to eat, I knew I was seeing my future. 🙂
You’ll be where I am before you know it. 🙂
You’re scaring me, Wendy! 🙂 I have two little boys, and the 14 month old already eats twice as much as the 4 year old. He is insatiable. They are like night and day.
I can only imagine how much food I will have to cook to keep two growing boys and my husband fed in a few years. One whole, roasted chicken is just enough for a meal, and a “leftover meal” (pot pie, soup, etc.). I joked with my husband that in the future, I’ll probably be roasting 3 for a single meal.
I’m going to make a double batch of lasanga for dinner tonight, and triple batch of waffles tomorrow morning. You’ve inspired me to get back to freezer cooking this month!
Thank you for sharing. I was just explaining to my mom your concept. I plan on using your methods because I am due to have our second child at the end of this summer. I too think it will save time and money as well.
Thank you.
I will be having my 2nd child in November (right around Thanksgiving) So I will be using this series again in Sept/Oct to make sure I have food handy after the baby arrives, since I will be having a c-section, not having to do a lot of cooking or cleaning will be a blessing.
Thank you! When we served overseas last summer for six weeks I never thought it would be so hard to get back on the freezer cooking and couponing bandwagon once back home. After nearly a year, I am making some great progress on getting stocked up to where we were and this is just the extra boost I needed.
I haven’t needed powdered milk for any recipes since I had to start cooking dairy free for my daughter. Is there a dairy free version?
On the baking mix, you can leave off the powdered milk and just use a milk substitute (in place of water) when using it in recipes.
When you say milk substitute, is Almond Milk okay?
Thanks for the info!
For dairy free “milk powder”, I have successfully used Vance’s DariFree powder. It is a potato based milk alternative.
I too use the Vances’s DariFree powder. I use it in my make ahead cream soup mix and in my baking mix. I get mine from Azure Standard.
I am excited to get started! I posted my plan for the week this morning. http://myspiritedadventure.blogspot.com/2012/05/4-weeks-to-fill-your-freezer-week-1.html
This is a wonderful series! Thank you! I have been fumbling along trying to “figure out” how to do freezer cooking. This is really helpful. I especially love the lists of supplies. I’m really excited about this!
I am curious to see at what stage you freeze the cinnamon rolls? I have been making the ones from your recipe section for the last while and my family loves them and it sure would be nice to have them already made up so I could just pop them in the oven. I have decided to use what I have to grocery shopping day on Thursday. I want to concentrate mostly on sides and baking, since we grill a lot in the warmer months.
I usually bake and freeze, but I’m going to try freezing them uncooked like this:
http://goodcheapeats.com/2010/03/cinnamon-roll-convenience-without-can/
I had the same question. Thanks for the info!
I have done cinnamon rolls with that freezer method for 20 years or more and it works great!
Ah! You are listing the storage items needed! I totally just left a comment on your previous post asking if you would include the storage items needed. You are wonderful! I can’t wait to start baking. The good news is I have most of that on hand in vegan versions (we are a vegan household) so I should be able to bake right along! Unfortunately I will not be making banana bread tonight as I forgot to buy bananas yesterday (they never made it on my list for some reason!) I’ll pick some up at Aldi’s later in the week!