"Freezer dump" meals

[BooksAndChooks]

I've come across these on tiktok and would like to give them a go.

If you haven't seen them before it's just basically putting all your slow cooker recipe ingredients in a freezer bag, so that you can can just empty it into the slow cooker on your way out the door to work. You can make them up in batches and freeze them and then thaw them one by one overnight as needed.

Does anyone do this already?

Anyone got any good recipies to share?

I used to do Slimming world yeara ago and a women used to do this. It's not a new thing.

I'm not suggesting it's new, it's just something I haven't tried before.

I was explaining the terminology as the "freezer dump" videos I saw on tiktok were done by Americans and I didn't know if people would understand what I meant.

Why would you not just cook the food and freeze?

the advantage of the cooked food frozen is you can use the microwave to heat up quickly, without adding another step in the process

I think slow cooker meals need to be browned first to develop flavour. I think raw ingredients just simmered for hours are not very nice. I'd love to be wrong though, so following for recipes.

I don't think there's anything wrong with cooking the food and then freezing it. This is just a different way.

I'm cooking for at least 6 people during the week though and it can be hard to fit that much food in the microwave in one go. I could microwave the portions individually of course but that's quite time consuming.

I think slow cooker meals need to be browned first to develop flavour. I think raw ingredients just simmered for hours are not very nice

what flavour is added by browning?

ive used a slow cooker and done both but there wasn’t any difference in flavour - jyst more washing up

This, with bells on. Only things I just throw in are a whole chicken on a veg trivet with a splash of white wine or stock, or a gammon with an onion and whatever liquid I’m cooking it in. Everything else I’ve found benefits enormously from sautéing and browning before being put in the slow cooker and left to do its thing.

The advantage in freezing the cooked meal rather than the ingredients is that flavours continue to develop during storage, especially things like chilli, casserole, soup etc.

I used to do a mixture of these and bags that were already cooked and I found them ok, but they had to be thawed before cooking which was annoying, whereas the cooked bags could be dumped in frozen and the slow cooker would thaw and reheat them.

I'm not saying I'd never do it again, but it is a bit of a faff.

Chicken fajitas and chicken in pasta sauce were 2 recipes that stood out here. the Batch Lady also has a lot of these types of recipes, though not much geared towards the slow cooker I think.

To give you an actual answer to your question…. Chicken and gammon casserole. Chicken (breast or leg), big bits of smoked gammon, big chunks of carrot, leek, parsnip. Cook in low salt stock. Shorty before serving add some double cream if you’re feeling indulgent and a big bunch of spinach. Delicious. Haven’t tried from frozen but can’t see why it wouldn’t work.

I agree. I don't find browning adds anything to a slow cooker meal other than more work and clean up.

The ‘Feed Your Famoly for around £20 a week’ site has a section on dump bags.

I don’t use their exact recipes as I’m happy with our food budget, but I use it a lot for good bases of slow cooker recipes as it’s not just basic bolognese/cottage pie suggestions

I don’t freeze the entire list of ingredients, but I do get myself organised so I have a minimal amount to do in the morning.

Veggie chilli
Chop and freeze the spring onion, sweet potato, pepper and garlic
Put the spices, herbs, salt, pepper and brown sugar together in a little pot
The other ingredients are from tins which take all of 10 seconds to find and open.
Oh, and you’ve got to make some stock but I use a stock pot.

Paneer masala
Similar to above really, minus the stock! And the paneer actually freezes really well so I freeze it along with the chopped onion, mushrooms and peppers.

I haven’t used these but I think the advantage is that you save on the prep, so for example, you can chop your onions for multiple freeze dump bags at the same time.

I also don’t think browning/searing makes a lot of difference in a slow cooker. I always used to do it, then one day didn’t and it made no difference.

It certainly makes a difference with a sausage casserole!

Sausages are the only thing I brown before a slow cooker cook as I don’t like anaemic looking sausages, but it doesn’t make a difference to the flavour in the majority of meals.

it’s getting the liquid levels right so that everything isn’t just boiled that’s the key.

I buy big trays of chicken breasts and thighs, chop them up and divide into 2 portion bags (just 2 adults here). Then I chuck in spices and flavouring things (lemon zest, garlic, ginger, etc) before sealing and freezing. The meat really absorbs the flavours as it thaws, so it's a good way for me to prepare loads in advance. Not quite the full meal OP is discussing but it's a great way to use bulk purchases when they're on offer.

I have put sausage in the slow cooker, but they really don't need slow cooking and turn out like odd swollen fingers - never cooked them that way since.

skin beef and cheap cuts of whole meat are ideal for slow cooking as it tenderises the meat

Try Googling 'the batch lady' as she does loads of these, including instructions where you can prep 10 meals in an hour and stick them all in the freezer. She's on YouTube and Instagram as well as her own website and I think there is a book now too, Great for recipe ideas.

Thank you. Some good suggestions.