Freezer tips and tricks

I use freezer meals at our house all the time I found a few tips and tricks from various magazines, and books I thought I’d pass along:

• Assign a full day to do freezer meals with a friend. Make a large batch of a couple recipes and then divvy them up at the end of the day. Then you have a stock of freezer meals you can defrost when you have a busy day, or give them to friend in need, they have really helped me out. Plus you can buy in bulk and save a bunch.

• Line 9x9 pans with heavy-duty foil, fill with the dinner, once frozen pop them out of the dish with the foil and place the dinner/casserole in a labeled gallon freezer bag. This prevents freezer burn and conserves space and dishes. On day you plan on serving put them back into the dish to defrost and then bake.

• Albertsons has “The Ultimate Meat Sale” quite frequently, ads come out on Tuesdays and you can stock up on the meat and find recipes that use those meats.

• With meats you can grill, I throw the marinate in before I freeze them.

• Remember the less air in your meal the better and wrap them tight, no one likes freezer burn.

• Label everything with a sharpie marker; include what it is, when you made it and how to cook it!

• Keep a list of meals you have outside of your freezer so you can keep a variety in stock without having to dig and dig.

• If you completely chill the item before you freeze it, it taste much better. Plus it doesn’t defrost your frozen food already in your freezer.

• Spices tend to get more intense if you freeze it. (Helpful if you are trying to make kid friendly items.)

• If you freeze spaghetti sauce, chilis, soups or anything else not requiring a form use a bag. Freeze them flat and then store upright like books in the freezer. They are much easier to get to. And they are much faster to defrost too. This also works well with meats, the more flat the better.

• In the winter take advantage of the cold and freeze you meals outside overnight and then place in the freezer. This is a great tip if you want to freeze your items flat.

• Always undercook noodles dishes, as they are become very soft when reheated.

• Make your own Rhodes dough, I double my bread recipe every time I make bread and then I throw the extra bread/rolls on a cookie sheet directly into the freezer, as soon as they are shaped and before they rise. When they are frozen I pop them off the cookie sheet and put them in a freezer bag, perfect for Sundays.