I had a lot of empty space in the freezer, so it was time to put together some freezer meals - it's been awhile. I went through my old recipes and picked out a few to do. I bought the groceries on a Monday morning, worked all day, then came home after work to assemble them. Sounds like a lot of work at the end of the day but it went fast!
I started by setting out all of the things I would need, along with my recipes. It helped to keep me organized. I loaded the dishwasher as I went along, so by the time I was finished I could wipe down the counters, store the bags, and be done!
It helps to label the bags in advance, so that's what I do before I assemble each one.
Buffalo Chicken - 1 c. buffalo wing sauce with 3 tablespoons (1 packet) ranch seasoning and 2 T butter over 3 large chicken breasts, each cut in half. Cook on low in crockpot for 7-8 hours and serve over rice.
BBQ Pork Ribs - I put pre-seasoned country style boneless pork ribs in a gallon zip loc and added about a cup of sriracha BBQ sauce. Will cook on low 7-8 hours. (These we have already had and they were soooo good!)
Apple Garlic Pork Loin - I used a pound or so of pork tenderloin and added that to the bag with 2 peeled and chopped gala apples, several smashed cloves of garlic, 2 t Italian seasoning, 1/4 c. olive oil, S&P. This makes its' own juice so I didn't add water this time. It can cook 7-8 hours on low and I will slice and serve with mashed potatoes.
Roast and Gravy - I mixed a can of cream of mushroom soup with a packet of onion soup mix and poured it over a 3# chuck roast in the bag, then tossed in some frozen chopped mushrooms from the freezer. I will cook this on low at least 8 hours and serve with mashed potatoes.
Tacos al Pastor - I LOVE this recipe. Cut up 1 pound pork tenderloin into 1 inch chunks. Add to a large zip loc bag with one 8oz. can drained pineapple chunks, 1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro, 1 medium chopped onion, 1 T. chili powder, 1 t. cumin, 1 t. oregano, 1 t. black pepper, 1 t. chopped garlic, 3/4 t. salt. Freeze. Day of cooking, thaw. Cook mixture in hot oil in a large non-stick skillet over med-high heat, stirring often, 10 minutes or until pork is cooked. Serve with warm tortillas.
Cranberry Onion Chicken (not pictured) - I made this to use up a can of cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving. Of last year. My bad. I added a packet of onion soup mix to the canned cranberry sauce and poured it over three chicken breasts in a gallon zip loc. I will cook it on low 7-8 hours and serve with rice.
Pulled Pork - your basic pork roast with a spicy BBQ sauce poured over. I will cook on low 7-8 hours, shred the meat, and serve on buns.
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The day after I made all of these, we got a shipment of seafood from The Girl - the annual company gift she gets but can never use so she sends it our way. Our freezer is very full now and I can look forward to some easy grocery budget weeks!
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