Ideas for easy casseroles or other meals that freeze and reheat well?

[cheeser]

We're expecting company over the Christmas holidays, and now that my sick elderly dad requires 24/7 care, I don't have time to cook home cooked meals for every meal every day for a week or two. Heck, some days it can be a challenge to just throw a sandwich together!

So if all goes well this week, I'm hoping to be able to cook up a bunch of food that I can freeze and reheat later. I usually prepare things ahead of time like lasagna, enchiladas, chicken spaghetti, regular spaghetti sauce, meatloaf, meat for stir fry, etc. But I think my company may outlast my usual fare.

What would y'all recommend? Well, besides turning off the lights and pretending we're not here?

 

[Furballsmom]

I've been thinking about you!!

I'm not sure if collections like these are what you wanted;
15 Actually Easy Freezer Meals (Seriously!) - HappyMoneySaver

150 Make-Ahead Freezer Meals

28 Easy Freezer Recipes That Reheat Beautifully

 

[Elphaba09]

These freeze well.

Shephard's pie: You can make a quick one with ground meat, frozen mixed vegetables, gravy, mashed potatoes, and cheese. Heat from frozen, covered at 350F for 1 hour.

Chicken or turkey white chili: I use ground chicken or turkey, black beans, great northern beans, cannellini beans, and various spices.

Tom kha gai: Chicken and coconut milk soup. Easy to make, easy to freeze.

Chicken fried rice: Any recipe should work.

 

[Winchester]

A pot of ham and bean soup freezes well. Add a nice salad and some muffins and you have an easy dinner. Muffins freeze very well, too. Put together a nice assortment of muffins in the freezer for suppers and for snacking with a cup of coffee or tea. Split pea soup, if you like soup. I have cookies in the oven, but I’ll be back.

 

[Elphaba09]

You can also try some "no-knead", overnight bread/rolls to go with some of the meals.

You just mix it up before you go to bed or when you first wake up in the morning, depending on what time you plan on baking it. It is minimal effort with tasty results. I have played around with this recipe with fantastic results to make pumpkin bread, oatmeal bread, and cheese bread. I have also subbed whole wheat flour for half of the bread/ap flour.

In a large mixing bowl mix
3 c flour (all-purpose or bread)
1/4 t bread machine instant yeast (I have also used 1/2 t regular yeast, but the bread machine kind is preferred.)
1-2 t salt (I tend to go with 2)
1T sugar
1 1/2 c barely warm water (I would not even call it lukewarm.)

Mix together until it forms a dough. Knead a couple of times just to make sure everything is combined.

Cover and leave on the counter or in the over (just to keep it safe from cats) for 8-12 hours. Punch down dough and fold the edges under itself to form a ball. Preheat oven and a lightly greased dutch oven with lid at 450F. Once heated, carefully transfer dough into dutch oven, cover. Bake for about 30 minutes.

I also make this into a loaf and bake on a cookie sheet at 425 F for 20-30 minutes.

 

[cheeser]

I've been thinking about you!!

I'm not sure if collections like these are what you wanted;
15 Actually Easy Freezer Meals (Seriously!) - HappyMoneySaver

150 Make-Ahead Freezer Meals

28 Easy Freezer Recipes That Reheat Beautifully

Awesome! Thanks ever so much! Lots of goodies there, especially the Cajun cuisine.

Ooh, I so wish my company liked Cajun food! There are so many good options that freeze well, such as gumbo, jambalaya, and my personal fave, red beans and rice. Alas, this particular branch of the family doesn't appreciate their Louisiana roots! On the other hand, maybe they'll leave sooner than planned if I do whip up a pot of gumbo. I have tons of roux in the freezer!

 

[cheeser]

These freeze well.

Shephard's pie: You can make a quick one with ground meat, frozen mixed vegetables, gravy, mashed potatoes, and cheese. Heat from frozen, covered at 350F for 1 hour.

Chicken or turkey white chili: I use ground chicken or turkey, black beans, great northern beans, cannellini beans, and various spices.

Tom kha gai: Chicken and coconut milk soup. Easy to make, easy to freeze.

Chicken fried rice: Any recipe should work.

Way cool! I had forgotten about Shepherd's pie, and I have lots of chicken in the freezer for the other recipes. Thanks bunches!

 

[cheeser]

A pot of ham and bean soup freezes well. Add a nice salad and some muffins and you have an easy dinner. Muffins freeze very well, too. Put together a nice assortment of muffins in the freezer for suppers and for snacking with a cup of coffee or tea. Split pea soup, if you like soup. I have cookies in the oven, but I’ll be back.

That sounds yummy. And I just happen to have three ham bones in the freezer. Maybe I could also make a pot of black-eyed peas. I already have several pones of cornbread in the freezer. Thanks, hon!

I have to confess, one time I got really desperate when I had to feed some relatives who were staying with us. So I added a few cans of chicken broth to some leftover spaghetti sauce with sausage and heated it up, poured it into bowls and sprinkled some Parmesan and shredded mozzarella cheese on top, served it with some French bread that was starting to get stale, and called it pizza soup. It was a huge hit. Necessity is the mother of invention, or something like that.

 

[cheeser]

Cover and leave on the counter or in the over (just to keep it safe from cats)...

I just love that mental picture!

I totally suck at making bread, so I don't know if I can manage this for the Christmas holidays. But I'll give it a try if I can. And if my humble efforts are a complete and utter disaster, well, if nothing else, I can provide my company with a few laughs and make the holiday season a little merrier.

Thanks oodles!

 

[Furballsmom]

. It was a huge hit. Necessity is the mother of invention, or

You rock!!

 

[Elphaba09]

I totally suck at making bread, so I don't know if I can manage this for the Christmas holidays

I used to be horrible at bread, but now I love making it. My issue was that I am only 5' with shorter than average (even for my height) arms. I have to get on a stool to knead dough, which is difficult with my disability. My mother-in-law got me a stand mixer with a dough attachment last year. I have used it a great deal.

As for this recipe, it is my lazy bread and actually the recipe that gave me the confidence to try kneaded bread. My friend who does not bake and rarely cooks decided to surprise her mother after she moved her mother in with her by making dinner. I walked her through a beef and barley stew and this bread. Obviously, she started the bread first because of the timing. Her mother was impressed. It is so easy that she now makes it at least once a week. If she can make it, anyone can!

 

[cheeser]

I used to be horrible at bread, but now I love making it. My issue was that I am only 5' with shorter than average (even for my height) arms. I have to get on a stool to knead dough, which is difficult with my disability. My mother-in-law got me a stand mixer with a dough attachment last year. I have used it a great deal.

As for this recipe, it is my lazy bread and actually the recipe that gave me the confidence to try kneaded bread. My friend who does not bake and rarely cooks decided to surprise her mother after she moved her mother in with her by making dinner. I walked her through a beef and barley stew and this bread. Obviously, she started the bread first because of the timing. Her mother was impressed. It is so easy that she now makes it at least once a week. If she can make it, anyone can!

Okay, you've inspired me. I'll give it a try as soon as I get two weeks worth of main dishes squirreled away in the freezer.

There may yet be hope for me re: making bread. It took me years to get the hang of how to make flaky biscuits from scratch, but now I'm an old pro at it! My family always liked the ones I made with Bisquick, so I never really felt a need to learn how to make them from scratch. But one day I just decided that was one of those things that a Southern girl like me should know to do. Hopefully my first efforts at making bread will be more successful than my first efforts at making biscuits. Hee!

And yes, I already have enough biscuits and cornbread in the freezer for our holiday company. My freezer is a very scary place.

 

[pearl99]

My chili recipe: if you have a crock pot:
1 pound ground chuck- brown it some (sometimes I don't brown it.)
1 can kidney beans, drained (or other kind of canned beans)
1 onion chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 can original Rotel tomatoes and chiles
1 can diced or stewed tomatoes- not drained
1/2 packet French's Chili-O. If you use a whole packet it has a little spicy heat to it, you be the judge of half or whole packet.
Throw it all in the crock pot on low for 8 hours. Or high for less.
I do put beans in my chili, some don't.
Can be done stove top too but I don't know how long to simmer it.

 

[Elphaba09]

Okay, you've inspired me. I'll give it a try as soon as I get two weeks worth of main dishes squirreled away in the freezer.

There may yet be hope for me re: making bread. It took me years to get the hang of how to make flaky biscuits from scratch, but now I'm an old pro at it! My family always liked the ones I made with Bisquick, so I never really felt a need to learn how to make them from scratch. But one day I just decided that was one of those things that a Southern girl like me should know to do. Hopefully my first efforts at making bread will be more successful than my first efforts at making biscuits. Hee!

And yes, I already have enough biscuits and cornbread in the freezer for our holiday company. My freezer is a very scary place.

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let me know how it goes!

 

[pearl99]

One more- LOVE this:
Oven Kalua Pork Recipe

 

[cheeser]

My chili recipe: if you have a crock pot:
1 pound ground chuck- brown it some (sometimes I don't brown it.)
1 can kidney beans, drained (or other kind of canned beans)
1 onion chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 can original Rotel tomatoes and chiles
1 can diced or stewed tomatoes- not drained
1/2 packet French's Chili-O. If you use a whole packet it has a little spicy heat to it, you be the judge of half or whole packet.
Throw it all in the crock pot on low for 8 hours. Or high for less.
I do put beans in my chili, some don't.
Can be done stove top too but I don't know how long to simmer it.

Great! Thanks ever so much!

It just so happens that I'm going to need to drag my crock pot out from the storage pantry anyway.

Oh, and where I live, chili with beans is called soup...or worse.

 

[cheeser]

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let me know how it goes!

If the results aren't too embarrassing, maybe I'll even post a picture.

 

[cheeser]

One more- LOVE this:
Oven Kalua Pork Recipe

Oh, that looks fun and festive!

I wonder if I could use pork loin instead of a pork butt roast. We have several huge chunks of pork loin in the freezer. It was on sale, what can I say?

 

[pearl99]

Oh, that looks fun and festive!

I wonder if I could use pork loin instead of a pork butt roast. We have several huge chunks of pork loin in the freezer. It was on sale, what can I say?

I think you can. It's really slow cooked, it may be a little drier but could put some extra chicken or vegetable broth in with the roast then freeze it with the liquid.

 

[pearl99]

Great! Thanks ever so much!

It just so happens that I'm going to need to drag my crock pot out from the storage pantry anyway.

Oh, and where I live, chili with beans is called soup...or worse.

I figured, I noticed you are in Texas . It's still good without beans.