Freezer Meals

[AF2019]

We have baby number two on the way, and if there's one thing I'd take from the first time round it would be to be able to stick closer to our normal (healthy) diet by doing some batch cooking and freezing some.

I'm making a batch of spag bol and also chili today. I've also bought some disposable foil pots to put them into.

I know when I've frozen some foods in the past the texture isn't quite the same afterwards. Does anyone have any tips for avoiding the food getting 'freezer burn'? Will the foil pot and lid be enough?

If anyone has any other recipe ideas for meals that freeze well, we'd also welcome that. Thanks :-)

[Ricekrispie22]

Make sure you wrap foods properly or put them in completely sealed containers. Try to get as much air out of the container or bag as possible.
Generally stew-type dishes such as curries freeze well as there is plenty of liquid to cover the meat and vegetables and this reduces the risk of freezer burn. Tomato and stock based curries freeze particularly well.
If coconut milk is used in a curry sauce then generally it should freeze without any major problems as the other ingredients will help to stabilise the milk a bit but there is always a risk it will split slightly when thawed - the risk increases if the coconut milk is a high proportion of sauce ingredients and also the length of time in the freezer. It is fine to eat but may have a slightly grainy texture.

Complete meals in themselves:
Fish pie www.kitchentales.co.uk/recipe/fabulous-freezer-fish-pie/
Chicken pie www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/11191/easy-chicken-pie
Enchiladas www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/pork-ragu-enchiladas
Veggie crumbles www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1759643/wintry-vegetable-crumbles

Need something else cooking to have with them like rice, couscous or a jacket potato:
Beef goulash www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/hungarian-goulash/
Chicken curry realfood.tesco.com/recipes/chicken-and-tomato-spiced-curry.html
Lamb tagine www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/meat-and-poultry/lamb-tagine/
Veggie tagine www.bbc.com/food/recipes/spiced_vegetable_tagine_32956
Chicken casserole www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2469648/chicken-with-mushrooms
Chicken and chorizo ragu www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/chicken-chorizo-ragu
Sausage casserole realfood.tesco.com/recipes/sausage-and-cannellini-bean-casserole.html

[Raera]

Cook a joint of meat whatever you like, all work, make lots of gravy.
Slice the meat when still warm and put into freezer containers, fill to the top with gravy and cover as leaving an air gap can cause freezer burn.
Serve up with easy veg or to fill a giant Yorkshire pud.
Without the prawns, I've done this many times and frozen in portions:
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1363654/summer-fish-pie
Lamb all in one really yummy:
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1263/navarin-dagneau
We have a campervan so I make food to freeze and take it with us, I use the foil trays from Wilko with cardboard lids I can write on and then no washing up!

[PCohle]

I use foil containers (a la takeaway) in the freezer a lot and they work really well for me.

Dating them clearly and making sure the most recently made stuff goes to the back helps I think.

I make:
Curries
Meatballs in tomato sauce
Lasagne
Shepard's pie
Beef casserole (careful if the meat is very tender, it can disintegrate into the sauce a little)
Tagine
Soups (individual portions)

[AF2019]

That's fantastic information - thank-you all very much.

I have them all in foil containers with the lids labelled - great minds think alike.

I hadn't realised before that it's the sauce that keeps the meat 'fresh' in the freezer. That makes a lot of sense because when I've had the most problems is when I've frozen bits of cooked chicken with no sauce.

The extensive list is going to be very helpful too!

I've wrapped the foil trays in bags and squashed the air out also. Hopefully that will do the trick.

Thanks again.