Freezer Meals Made Easy

One of my sweetest friends had a baby recently. And while sending a gift from Amazon, I'm know, is ALWAYS helpful and appreciated, my Love Language is "GIFTS". So my gifts are usually something a little more specific. So what does a new mamma of two need? Besides a second set of hands 24/7, extra sleep, and a shower? Food. Healthy, delicious, individual, easy to make food. Ohhhhhh yes! This is something I KNOW how to do. Before my son, I bulk prepped healthy foods like a BOSS. And when my bestie had a baby three years ago this month, I made sure she was stocked. She told me there was nothing better than being exhausted and being able to go to freezer, grab a meal and it being ready in mins. You don't have to be a mom to appreciate this! Hell my husband looked at me last night and asked if we had any in the freezer (we didn't... gave them all to Jolene... sorry Jeff!)

The trick: individual portions. Seriously. When my mom passed away people brought food. Tons of it. To me, the family, and of course my dad. What I noticed most was it was always big portions! Super generous! Meals could feed 10+ people! And for family gatherings, yessss to this. But this wasn't our case, or my besties, or Jolene's. For a new mom, who might be working, or a partner working, or both, usually sitting down together as a family doesn't happen. With our son, we worked in shifts so someone could sleep. I'd often grab dinner at 3pm, and my hubby at midnight. And on top of that, we might wanting something different... and not the same meal, every meal, for 3 days. Individual grab and go meals is THE key.

So let me teach you how!

First, you gotta be OK with a little kitchen chaos. But if you follow my husband's recommendations to "clean as you go" you might not cry yourself to sleep at the end. But we are making THREE meals at once. Give me about 2 hours.... maybe 3 the first time you do it. But then you're done! For weeks!

So here's my Go-To menu:

Beef Taco Bowls with Rice, Beans and Red Peppers

Asian Beef Bowls with Rice & Broccoli

Greek Chicken with Rice, Sweet Potato and Feta

Let's shop now. What do you need? Honestly, I don't know. You probably have a bunch of this stuff at home. But in case you don't, here's everything:

Shopping list:

All the seasonings (check out each recipe to make sure you have them)

A bag of Lemons

4lbs chicken breasts

5lbs ground beef

5lbs sweet potatoes

Big ass bag of frozen broccoli. Microwaveable.

Cooked beans. I buy 2 Pouches of Fillo's Tex Mex Bean

1 Jar Coconut Aminos or Soy Sauce

1 Jar Hoisin Sauce

1 Can Tomato Paste

Rice. IDK.... a big bag. I think I made 6 cups for this batch.

2 Jars of red peppers, Sliced. Or buy peppers and saute. But I ain't doing that.

Feta cheese crumbles

Red wine vinegar

Sriracha

Apple cider vinegar

Maple syrup

Oil. Some kind.

And from Walmart.... this entire list cost me $95.53. Although I didn't need half the ingredients. I keep most stuff on hand for other recipes too.

Oh and don't forget 16oz BPA free food containers. This is KEY for individual meals! I buy these: https://amzn.to/3Wt6Xvn

Ok lets cook. Not even sure we can call this cooking. More like assembling.

First, make the seasonings, and sauces. Put them aside.

(This sauce is easier to fully incorporate on the stove top)

(Throw these ingredients in a mason jar and shake. SUPER easy)

Marcy's Taco Seasoning Recipe:

1 TBS chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp paprika

Some crushed red peppers

(Just put everything in a bowl and mix. You're done. Yay)

Next let's prep the meats.

Instant pot the chicken breasts to make shredded chicken. I put one cup of water and the raw chicken into the pot for 25mins on "poultry". Ok ok ok. Sounds gross and unseasoned. Throw some salt and pepper and garlic if this really bothers you. I honestly don't care. The chicken is going to be covered in a flavorful sauce. In addition, you could even skip this step entirely by buying a rotisserie chicken and shredding it. I've done this. EVEN easier. And now zero chicken prep.

Up next: Brown the beef on the stove top.

Also on the stove top, make the rice. Follow the steps on the bag. I think it takes 20mins or so.

While the meats are going, use microwave to cook the sweet potatoes. Am I mortified on how lazy my "cooking" is? Nope. I'm utilizing all my cooking devices to work smarter, not harder. Now, you COULD bake the sweet potatoes. Go for it. It takes a few hours. No biggie. But I want to be in and out of this kitchen chaos FAST. So I use a fork, poke a bunch of holes in my potatoes, wrap in a wet paper towel and throw into the microwave for 10-12mins each, depending on how big the potato. Once soft to touch (be careful its HOT!), slice open, set aside. Throw in the steamer bag of broccoli. Follow the instructions on the bag. It knows what to do. Great! You're done with that. Onward...

Now the hard stuff. Open the bags of beans and jars of soft red peppers.

Lay out containers.

You're nearly there! Everything should be ready around the same time. So lets assemble:

Divide the cooked beef in 1/2. Put half in a bowl for the beef stir fry. And leave 1/2 on the stove for tacos.

In the beef bowl for the stir fry, pour in Half Baked Harvest's sauce to complete the Asian stir fry. Mix.

With the other half left on the stove, pour tacos mix seasonings and 1/4 -1/2 can tomato paste. This is easier if the beef is still on the stove top, warm. Mix.

Done.

Next. Pour Greek sauce on shredded chicken. Mix.

Now your meats are done! Check.

Into the containers put a base of rice. However much you got or want.

Then for Greek chicken: Add chicken, add a little cooked sweet potato, top with come cheese. DONE!

For the tacos: add the meat, add some peppers, top with beans. Boom! That one is done.

And for the Asian stir fry.... you know the drill: add the meat, add the steamed broccoli, maybe even some sesame seeds on top to be fancy and done.

Let cool. Label, seal. Throw into the freezer.

YOU. ARE. DONE.

Literally nothing fancy. I mean you could get fancy. I often make extra sauce to pour on top on each individual meal. It helps add extra 'yum' to the rice when you reheat it. Is that even "fancy" or English? Definitely not... but point: You could make more complex recipes or add different toppings. The world is your oyster. Do whatever you want!

And when you are ready to transport, use a cooler bag for sure! The BIG ones from Costco or Wegman's are my fav. I think I stuffed 20 meals in, no problem.

And since you're going to travel with a cooler bag to deliver... you better throw in a quart of homemade (or store bought!) ice cream! Hello there homemade bourbon Oreo ice cream with a caramel swirl!

Make people happy by taking meal time off the table. This is SO damn helpful. It is the gift of time. Something we all have a limited resource of. Plus, each person can grab something different, at a different times, and make food in just a few mins in the microwave. Try it for a friend. Or better yet, yourself. Prior to having Reece, I made 50 meals for me and Jeff. Granted I gave them all away to my bestie and then Reece came into this world 3 months early. Soooo even the best laid plans backfire. Luckily, this meal prep only takes a few hours, so I knew I could sneak it in at some point later even with a newborn. It definitely helps make life easier for your future self. Try it out and let me know!

And texts like this ALWAYS make the chaos worth doing:

Love ya Jolene! Congratulations!

__________________________________________________________________________

Recipe Reference:

Taco Recipe:

1 TBS chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp paprika

Some crushed red peppers

1/4- 1/2 can of tomato paste

2lbs of beef, browned.

Asian Beef Recipe: https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/cashew-chicken/

Not the entire recipe Just the sauce. Really good. Bold and delicious flavor. Easy. And if you follow the beef portion, it's even more flavorful. But I'm keeping it SIMPLE for my newbies.

Greek Chicken Recipe: Shredded chicken covered in this: https://fedandfit.com/greek-salad-dressing/#wprm-recipe-container-37122