Stocking the Freezer: Dos and Don'ts

[Snadra]

Bump!

Anything new to report since 2009?

I post not because I am expecting the ptiter ptater of typographically-challenged little feet, but rather because I am the main user of the kitchen in our house and we will be spending most of the next 6 months apart. I'm planning to do a fair bit of cooking and freezing to ensure that there are some easy single serve meals in the house so that my sweetie eats,weel while we're apart. The idea is to have a main dish or its components in the freezer, then he will just cook a starch and side to go with it. We will buy a foodsaver so the meals can be vacuumed packed. I would take some of this planned bounty with me, but it's a 6 hour drive to where I'll be living.

My cooked meal ideas so far include:

• Meatballs (in tomato sauce for pasta and in brown gravy for potatoes)
  
• Beef rendang
  
• Georgian pork stew (a Darra Goldstein recipe)
  
• Ragu (Marcella Hazan)
  
• Par-baked pizza bases
  
• Caramel chicken
  

I am also thinking of some quick cook things:

• Perogies - quick boil and they're ready to eat
  
• Individual chicken breast/steak/pork chops - to grill and serve with salad
  

If I have a chance I will probably also make some cookies and squares as well.

Soup is an obvious option, but it's not his favourite, and as the weather will be warm for sometime yet it's overkill anyway. There's plenty of hearty stuff on the list already. I'll also print out some suggestions for a veg to go with each dish.

[Snadra]

So, I'm slowly stocking my freezer (and finding a few bits of forgotten things than are irretrievably crusted in ice in the process). The foodsaver is fantastic! Why didn't I get one years ago?!

So far I have made meatballs in both tomato sauce and In gravy, ragu bolognaise and Vietnamese caramel chicken. We have also prepared chicken breasts with flavoured butter, to be gently cooked in the bag, marinated thighs to be grilled or broiled, burger patties, seasoned stir fry chicken and pork.

Still to make: perogies, beef rendang and Georgian pork stew. All of this is moving a little slowly because I'm generally purchasing meat only when it's reduced. And then I'll probably repeat the process for myself when I move!

Has anyone else come up with good freezer friendly meals lately?