What is in your freezer

[Gouldengirl9]

I'm getting a very large freezer on Monday which will be in the garage.
Hit me with suggestions on filling it up.

Nobody.

Masses of green veg. Lots of bags of blueberry and grape compote - DH makes it in industrial quantities when blueberries are in season, we like it with yogurt.
Quite a lot of homemade wholemeal and oatbran pittas, and beef bourguignon (DH again). Some other casseroles and spag Bol sauce; quite a lot of mince, sausages and other meat. Lots of fish, some plain, most in breadcrumbs.

I have two large chest freezers!
Spring onions can be washed, chopped and thrown into a bag to add to meals.
Lots of frozen vegetables.
Bread, wraps etc
I like making huge batches of soup and freezing them flat in freezer bags and then stacking them in one of the baskets so you can easily flick through the flavours!
Frozen yogurt shards are a nice treat, just freeze on baking paper on a tray then smash it up and into bags

Sourdough, pheasants, chicken thighs, chicken legs for the cat (he gets half of one after his meds), mince (beef, pork and lamb), meatballs, duck legs, sausages, fish, prawns, fish pie mix, home made soup, pigs cheeks, beef short ribs, bacon, ice cream, puds, root ginger, cheese, parmesan rinds for minestrone, veg, berries, chicken wings, batch cooking (curries, beef carbonnade, spag bol, chicken and ham pie filling, Bloody Mary Beef, Amatriciana sauce, chili etc). oh, chelsea buns, crumpets, butter, cranberry sauce, and an apple, cider and ginger sauce for the pheasants.

We don’t have a large freezer it’s just a usual fridge freezer size but I try to keep portions of bolognaise/pastas/curry/soup etc so have meals that can just be brought out to defrost if know will have a long day.

Also keep couple packs of frozen veg, oven chips, fish and chicken nuggets in there again for convenience and the kids like frozen berries and ice cream cones,

Also when I buy mince or chicken pieces I buy larger pack as better value for money then soon as home portion it into sandwich bags and freeze.

I've just defrosted it so only a loaf of bread but I'm going to the grocery store today to fill it up and I'm very excited!

Chicken breast fillets, stewing steak, pork shoulder, mince, belly pork, sausages, bacon (bulk bought from Costco then parcelled up into meal size portions.
Turkey crown for Christmas, pork joint for Christmas. Beef joint.
HM pizza dough, shortcrust pastry.
Blackberries and stewed apple.
Bulk cooked and portioned up beef rendang, bolognese, pork and apple casserole, cottage pie.
Pizza sauce, gyozas, bao buns, tuna fish cakes, left overs from t/away Indian.

Ginger muffins, blueberry muffins.
Green beans, sprouts, carrots, peas,
Half tins of coconut cream, half cartons of passata, half cartons of cream, chicken stock.

Frozen fish fillets and battered fish.
6 packs salted French butter
Part cooked baguettes, Garlic bread, focaccia, sliced brown and white cread.
Grated mozzarella
(I know this because I tidied freezer this week and MADE A LIST - so I don't have to pull everything out when I'm looking for something for supper!)

Lozz22, we've used Farmfoods for frozen veg recently - think they were 75p a bag for corn, carrots, peas etc, if you've one close to you.

Emergency meals from Iceland
Tesco frozen breakfast pastries
Frozen pastry sheets
The best veg frozen - long green beans, sliced carrots, sweetcorn
McCain Roast Potatoes
Then, stock up on low-price fresh meat and freeze it- end of day packets, XL packets etc
Enjoy a big freezer!

I'm currently switching my freezer into Christmas mode! There's currently my Christmas morning muffins, home-made sausage rolls and mince pies and a couple of desserts for the Christmas period!

There's also stewed apples from apple season, bread, chicken & other meat, pastry, spinach, casserole veg, prawns, ice cream, cakes and some leftovers. I normally cook double and then freeze meals, but reducing those at the moment to make way for Christmas stuff.

Top drawer is frozen veg because I get too stressed trying to plan meals around using up fresh stuff before it dies

Next drawer is protein so usually sausages, bacon, breaded fish, mince

Next drawer is portion size tubs of leftovers. I've learned to freeze a portion of rice or pasta in the same tub as the sauce so it's a meal in a tub.

Final drawer is bread, again avoiding the stress of needing to eat it before it goes mouldy.

Loads of frozen veg!
Beige food for one of my kids.
Emergency frozen pizza
Ice lollies
Frozen chicken, lamb and meatballs
Garlic bread
Fruit mix for smoothies

Frozen peas and sweetcorn, a bag of frozen peach slices, some packs of chicken thighs, bags of raw beef chunks for the dog, half a tub of mango sorbet, a few frozen Yorkshire puddings, usually a tub of home made soup, some Quorn mince, two sirloin steaks, some bacon, can't remember what else.

If I told you, I would have to kill you.

We have so much in our huge chest freezer and like PP mentioned it can be a struggle remembering what lurks at the bottom. My (slightly OCD) DH came up with the idea of making dividers from plywood to make separate compartments and then put up a whiteboard with a list of what is in each one. I must admit I scoffed but it works fantastically well! It does rely on us adding to the list when we've shopped and crossing things off when they're used. So it just takes a second to see if I need mince, peas etc

So much stuff l can't get anything else. DP works in a supermarket and we get lots of reduced meat.amways have some frozen veg, milk and bread just in case. Also ice and vodka and some pizza and chips for last min crap dinners.

If I could have a big freezer:
-veg esp spinach
-potato products eg: oven chips, hash browns, wedges, waffles etc
-veggie burgers, mince, sausages, nuggets, chicken-style things, fish fingers, hot dogs etc
-vegan ice cream, cornettos, ice cream on sticks etc
-pitas, pastry
-vegan pizzas, pies, sausage rolls, spring rolls, samosas

One drawer is full of blackberries, I went mad picking them over the summer and squirrelling them away, I have a handful in my porrdige each day.
Loads of veg - butternut squash chunks, peas, green beans, sweetcorn, leeks. Also a bag from tesco of soup base mix (onion, garlic etc)
Chicken breasts, mince, Viennetta, various leftover meals portioned ready to take to work for lunch, an ice-pack for bumps and headaches, fish pie mix
One drawer is kept fairly empty so I can pick up any reduced bargains to freeze

I only have a freezer compartment as part of my fridge. I have (too) many tubs of frozen dinners, like casserole/pasta sauce/soup. Currently working our way through these to make space for Christmas stuff. I have one drawer full of fruit and veg, one full of meat/fish/meat replacement products, usually picked up from the yellow sticker shelf . I also have ice lollies and a bloody Vienetta because DP was feeling all sentimental at his last trip to the supermarket and now doesn’t really fancy it.

Also, this thread has been a revelation to me. I have never considered freezing bread or butter. Thank you, MN

I have meat, veg, butter, cheese, crumpets, batch cooked meals and leftovers in mine. I take meat out of packaging and rewrap in foil to save space.
If you want to cram it, use the library method for soup and stews (freeze flat in bags) so you can stack them.

I had a new American fridge freezer delivered today so not a lot! Can't wait to go shopping and fill it up.

Lots of frozen vegetables so there's always something I can make myself - Curries/pasta sauces ( I'm the only veggie in the house)
Frozen garlic/chillies/herbs/ginger
One of each meat that DH and sons eat - mince, sausages, chicken breasts, meatballs, diced beef
A few frozen pizzas
Pudding drawer - ice cream, sorbet and apple crumble
Easy tea drawer- chips, potato waffles, breaded chicken, battered fish , veggie sausages, quorn mince
Random drawer - bagged up left over burger buns/hot dog rolls

We have a fridge freezer and a small under counter freezer. I didn't used to be that organised with the freezer, but since Covid appeared I've wanted to make sure there is useful stuff in there in case we had to self isolate - we have no family nearby so I'm not sure what we'd do for shopping!

If it's a chest type one; keep a pair of gloves handy for rummaging in it. I know where everything is in mine but goodness it's cold in there (who knew!? )

Anyway; in mine I have up to 4 loaves of bread, puff pastry, pitta/naan/fruit loaf/garlic bread/ bagels/part baked rolls, in one compartment.

Fruit, gluten free flour (rarely used), pre-made pastry in a smaller one.

Bag of Christmas bits, at the back with room on top for another. Pack of 24 rolls at the side of that. Stack of leftovers in tubs at the front, spare butter x2 on top of those. Then front right is just a random assortment of stuff that doesn't belong anywhere else.

I have more in the freezer of my fridge freezer too but have let that run down over the past couple of weeks.

Top drawer is ice cream & potato products.

Second is veg (not worth the hassle trying to use up fresh)

Third is meat/main part of meal stuff.

Bottom is frozen garlic & ginger, pre-made lunch box muffins/pancakes, ice cube trays when they're frozen.

Reduced food from the supermarket - meat, fish, posh ready meals and pies etc!

I need to clear some space for packs of party nibbles (preferably the posher ones😁) They're an easy dinner with crudités when I'm on my own between Christmas and new year.
If I'm in the supermarket at the right time of night I manage to get those reduced as well 😂

I'm trying to get into low carb breakfast smoothies so might start keeping some frozen berries in to add to my protein powder creations. I'm not really find of the intensely fruity smoothies - too sweet for me.

I'm intrigued by the frozen yoghurt splinters/bark! I find nearly all supermarket ice cream disappointing. I'm toying with buying a Cuisinart ice cream maker to make my own creations.

I'd love to know where people are buying big bags of gyoza. Not sure we have a Chinese or Japanese supermarket round here.

I love Iceland and Aldi's frozen ranges. Lidl is probably good too but too far away.

I love the frozen soup filing cabinet idea!

I'd love to be organised enough to have ice cube trays of things on the go. Herbs, wine for sauces, pesto, apparently you can freeze cream? And so on.

My dream would be a tall 6+ drawer freezer! Although I'd definitely worry about the prospect of it breaking down and melting all my precious food

I currently have a 50:50 fridge freezer so I'm spoiled in that respect. I really use the freezer more than my fridge and cupboards combined as I live alone. Every that can be frozen is for future use and to prevent spoilage. I'm also not a huge potato/rice/pasta eater so my freezer allows me to come up with inventive meals