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What's in your freezer? Best ideas for stocking up please!

16 replies

thelongroad · 16/04/2023 19:06

I've not had the downstairs chest freezer on since DH stopped eating meat (I used to bulk buy beef and chicken from a local farm), but I've now realised my upstairs regular freezer isn't really big enough for more than weekly veg/fish fingers/chips/a few ice lollies etc and I quite like to have more in, especially if I can buy when things are on offer.

So - what essentials are in your freezer please? Bonus points if you have an unusual or particularly good recipe idea too! :D

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Namechange224422 · 16/04/2023 19:09

I use mine for spare portions of things so that I have to cook less often.

Veggie chilli, bolognaise, lentil bolognaise, curry, dahl, aubergine parmigiana, soups etc.

GeraltsBathtub · 16/04/2023 19:10

We always have sliced bread in the freezer.
We don’t go through a loaf fast enough as we don’t really eat sandwiches so we just get slices out as and when we want toast.
I also buy lemons, zest them and then slice them and put both the zest and the slices in tubs in the freezer for when I need them.
Frozen chopped spinach and frozen peppers are also great to have in for quick meals.
We don’t have a chest freezer though. My arms are too short!

NoCatsToday · 16/04/2023 19:10

Bread and milk. Lots.

JackOBothSides · 16/04/2023 19:29

Ours differs depending on the season - but there is a mix of emergency things like one loaf of bread and two separate pints of milk; portions of bulk cooked meals such as bolognese sauce, chilli and onion soup; fruit we’ve grown the season before and frozen; and then whatever we are eating a lot of right now, in case we can’t be bothered to go to the shops.

We’ve just cleared out (eaten) a lot beef stew, gravy, garlic bread and other heavy-ish meals, and are restocking with more bbq-friendly/summer food so whole fish, veggie sausages, burgers and so on. And ice-creams!

OldTinHat · 16/04/2023 19:33

Shelf one is quick cook ingredients - sliced mushrooms, peppers, mixed veg, mashed potato, prepped herbs/garlic, sliced onions.
Shelf two and three are batch cooking individual portions of veg lasagne, curry, chilli, veggie bake, jacket potatoes, fajita mix, pasta bake.

BitOutOfPractice · 16/04/2023 19:36

Cheese, butter, milk, sliced, bread and bread rolls. Basics like chicken and mince. And portions of stuff we’ve cooked for when there’s only one of us / we get in late / cba to cook. Also the occasional half can of coconut milk or Passata if a recipe only needs half. And ice, for cocktails.

FatAgainItsLettuceTime · 16/04/2023 19:45

Any fruit and veg that's about to turn and won't be eaten gets chopped up and put in the relevant baggie in the freezer, I have one for crumble/pie mix, one for smoothies and one for veg sides.

I also double or triple up when 8 make crumble topping or pastry and freeze the leftover uncooked mix.

It's handy to be able to just grab a bag of chopped up fruit and blitz it for DDs breakfast or pour some into an oven dish with a bit of sugar and cinnamon, pour over the ready made crumble topping and then bake it. 2 mins and I have a fresh crumble for pudding.

Other than that I like to buy big trays or chicken legs/thighs/breasts or pork steaks, split them into portion sizes, add a marinade and freeze. Then I can take a bag out the night before and the next day dinner is just pouring the meat out into a baking tray, baking it either with some veg for a side or serving with microwave rice.

AliasGrape · 16/04/2023 19:54

Always have chopped onions, chopped garlic, chilli and ginger, lemon/ lime slices which I use in drinks, and frozen veg - peas, spinach, sweetcorn, butternut squash chunks and broccoli usually. Currently got mini corn on the cobs as DD is mad for them, but I probably won’t get again as I didn’t think they were that nice. Also berries/ smoothie mixes which l use in overnight oats, to cool down DD’s porridge or blitzed with a stick blender with Greek yoghurt as it tastes a bit like ice cream!

Almost always frozen prawns - use either in a curry or for lemon prawn pasta/ orzo.

Bread/ bread products of some kind - bagels and potato cakes currently.

Usually oven chips, veggie sausages and some fishfingers too.

Ready roll pastry.

Another thing there’s almost always there are porridge muffins (as in leftover porridge with added extras like dried fruit or grated apple or ground nuts, baked in a silicone muffin tray). But they’re only really edible to toddlers - or mine at least seems to love them. Also usually savoury muffins of some kind -Smokey chickpea and courgette usually. These were a weaning discovery from a ‘what mummy makes’ cookbook but we all really like them and they make a really good standby for lunches or snacks.

The rest varies depending on if I’ve spotted any good offers, or what we’ve been cooking. There’s usually some portions of soup, chilli, cottage pie, dhal, stews etc in there - usually vegetarian version but occasionally meat for DD and DH. Then some elements of meals where I’ve made extra and frozen it - mash, parsley or cheese sauce, tomato and hidden veg pasta/ pizza sauce - that kind of thing.

My friend makes a whole loaf or two of sandwiches (cheese) then takes some out every night for work the next day or for kids school lunches (think the children get more variety but she always has cheese and pickle) She says they’re fine; but I’ve never been able to bring myself to try it!

laddersandsnakes12 · 16/04/2023 20:00

I order from Costco once a month and get things like a 24 pack of part baked petit pains to freeze, 12 muffins - 6 to stay out for the weekend and 6 to go in the freezer for another weekend. Giant bag of fish fingers/nuggets for easy dinners.
If I make lasagne/bolognese/casserole/chili/curry etc I always make a bigger batch than needed and freeze leftovers for another time.
Will buy a rotis chicken every now and then to strip of meat and put in the freezer for recipes that need already cooked chicken (like enchiladas or a quick curry) to save time. Or to use for chicken mayo sandwich filllings for packed lunches if we've run out of ham/cheese.

grayhairdontcare · 16/04/2023 20:13

Bread
Milk
Pastries
Veg
Berries

AllotmentTime · 16/04/2023 20:14

Minestrone. My favourite meal to cook ahead. Healthy, my kids eat it, and it’s filling.

AppleJack43 · 16/04/2023 20:26

Not sure mine is as an example for stocking up but this is what I have in my freezer;
Frozen raspberries and blueberries
Pizzas
Chips
Prawns
Chicken goujons
Ice cream
Peas
Sweetcorn
Peppers
Fish fingers
Ice cubes
Diced chicken breast
2 lasagnes

thelongroad · 17/04/2023 12:24

Butter and cheese is useful. And extra bread.

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Georgyporky · 17/04/2023 18:24

I keep things that might go off in the fridge if not used quickly.
Currently :-

Miso, 100g x 2
Yellow bean sauce x 2
Preserved lemons x 4
Cider x 2
Buttermilk, c.150ml
Nigella lentil sauce
Tom sauce, large x 1
Beef stock 6/3
Naans x 3
Schmaltz
Carm onions x 1
Lamb gravy
Bechamel x 1

Also tahini, white wine ( we are red quaffers), various herbs etc

christmastreefarm · 17/04/2023 18:30

Batch cooked meals
Random selection of yellow sticker bits
Chips / onion rings
Some of the iceland chicken strips to use in lunches
Maybe few bakery bits
Frozen veg

thelongroad · 17/04/2023 19:36

Oooh yes miso and buttermilk!

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