| Make ahead meals
Posted: 2/9/2007 2:56:12 PM | | I would like to know if anyone has any really good make ahead meals that you can prep on one day and freeze to use throughout the week. Casseroles are ok, but I'm looking for more items such as Salisbury steak, Chicken Parmesan etc, that can be frozen and reheated with good results. Your help is appreciated | |
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| Make ahead meals
Posted: 2/9/2007 3:01:41 PM | | Lasagna, Wontons (uncooked), Dumplings (uncooked), Chicken Cacciatore, Chicken and Shiitake mushrooms. For Wontons and Dumplings, I freeze them (don't let them touch each other) on a baking sheet. | |
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| Make ahead meals
Posted: 2/9/2007 3:33:14 PM | http://forums.plentyoffish.com/datingposts6570012.aspx
Here's a fellow forum, makes a lot, would be good to make ahead and freeze
I have three pans of lasagna in the oven as we speak....
In my experience, pretty much everything freezes well in small portions, if you don't leave them in the freezer for too long | |
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| Make ahead meals
Posted: 2/9/2007 3:53:26 PM | Not a good idea to freeze directly from the oven, cool in fridge first for an hour then freeze.. Most of the things I cook are made in the crock pot and then packaged and frozen.
Schilling has season packets for about everything under the sun
For salisbury steak I assume you would lightly brown the meat, then mix up the season packets from Schilling, then bake in the oven.. Shouldn't be too difficult. Your butcher can put together the exact amount and size of beef pattys you would need. | |
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| Make ahead meals
Posted: 2/9/2007 5:08:40 PM | Never take anything from the oven directly into the freezer. Also never take anything from the oven directly to the refrigerator (or as my grandmother used to say and I still slip sometimes and do the same...the "icebox").
I made that mistake once with soup (10 gallons of a 9 bean soup that I thought I had cooled properly but I didn't, Ipresured canned it and it went BLACK and there were NO black beans in the 9 beans).
The problem is multifold. Bacteria has a sweet spot as far as growth goes. If you go from oven to freezer, the problem is that you have too big of a window for bacteria growth.
If you go from oven to refrigerator, you are going to use a heck of a lot of energy as your fridge won't keep up. Next thing you know Al Gore is knocking on your door telling you are the only cause of global warming. SHAME ON YOU! But seriously, what happens is while you are cooling your creation, since your fridge can't keep up, everything else comes up in temperature too much.
Best rule of thumb is, take it out of the oven, if its steaming its still to hot. If you can stir it, stir it several times. If you can't put your finger in it without withdrawing it involuntarily, its still toooooo hot.
If you can't stir it, use common sense (they used to pass this out with butt whippin's at school but both seem to have stopped). If you have a normal lasagne give it about an hour and then check it by using a spatula and make a slit in the middle of it and stick in your finger. This is important. If you just touch the top and it is cool to the touch, it can still be very hot on the inside. Poke your finger into the slit and if you don't pull it out with an ouchie, then stick it in the fridge. When it cools, then cut it up and freeze it.
I say normal lasagne because my runs 9-12 layers, costs 80-120 bucks to make and I use a full size turkey roasting pan and it usually weighs between 40-60 pounds depending on what I put in.
I grew up in a family where 13 people for dinner was normal and sometimes as much as I try I can't get recipes for 1,2 or 4 right!
I know they are a little expensive for a lot of us but there are a couple things I would recommend for people that have families that are busy, normal families that are pincihing pennies and trying to get by and bachelors (like me) who don't always have time to cook and hate eating out at the last minute after leaving work late or something (I don't do fast foods, they are called fast foods because they go through you fast, there is no nutrional value so your body gets rid of it accordingly.. Ohio Fried Goose for example...I'm not naming names 'cause I don't wanna be sued, but Pam Anderson is against them...hint hint wink wink).
First, get a very good food sealer. Not freezer bags, an actual vaccuum sealer. You can store things for a long time if it is sealed (remember they found a full wooly mammoth in Alaska a few years back that was frozen...they actually did eat a piece and no it didn't taste like chicken...)no wait I think that was Northern Exposure...or was it?
This should run about 110-200 I suggest Sams or Costco or even Ebay. The bags are special and a little pricey but the food will remain in tact.
The other thing I recommend is a chest freezer so when sirloin goes on sale for $2.29 you can scarf up a truck load and make:
1. Your own good ground sirloin (I assume you have a Kitchen Aid Mixer with the grinder)
2. Stir Fry Steak Strips
3. Steaks.
4. Cut it across the grain for fajita meat.
5. Beef Stew Meat.
Make sure you use the sealer I mentioned above, it will repel freezer burn longer.
Same goes for when Chicken, Pork, Deer and Moose (for all my Canuck friends) goes on sale eh? (I grew up in Detroit so take off you hoser!).
No matter what you have heard on the news, no storing your ex in the chest freezer, that is the first place they look! Doesn't anybody watch CSI?
BTW, no matter how hard they try to convince you , when your six year old tries to convince you that the ice cream you bought on sale evaporated in the freezer and that is why there are 14 empty Bryers containers...they are lying...oh there goes that Alzheimers again... that was me when I was six...uh...38.... wait...38 is my IQ...or was that my credit rating...hang on...its both...oh well.... | |
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| Make ahead meals
Posted: 2/9/2007 8:28:56 PM | Depending on how many people you have to feed I have a really good recipe for veggie fried rice that keeps in the fridge for several days....
4 cups cooked rice
1 onion, finely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 cups chopped carrots
1-2 cups chopped celery
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper
Put the veggies, oil, salt and pepper in a pan and cook for about 4-5 minutes over medium-high heat (if you like soft veggies maybe cook them a bit longer). Add the rice, soy sauce and honey, mix well and cook until hot (if you use freshly cooked rice it shouldn't take too long). I find if I cook the rice in a rice steamer and chop the veggies while it's cooking, the rice is done cooking just as the veggies are done cooking.
If you want you can then add some protein to the rice (I find chicken or beef works best). Just cut it into bite size chunks and cook it then add it in. I actually find it's best to keep them separate until you eat them, that way you can have steak one night and chicken the next. I can usually get about 4-5 meals out of this. And like I said, it keeps well in the fridge for about 5 days. To reheat it you can stick it back in a frying pan or microwave it.
You could also try adding other veggies (like caulifower, broccoli, peas etc.) but that might not heat up as well or last as long in the fridge. I've never tried it so I wou;dn't know.
Oh and I know it seems like a big difference in the amount of veggies. The original recipe calls for 1 cup each, but I like it better with more veggies. | |
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| Make ahead meals
Posted: 2/10/2007 9:35:00 AM | onesimple
Food left to cool on the stove or counter starts to grow bacteria immediately!!!!!! Especially here in Florida.. So what if your fridge has to work hard and the energy use is up.. better that than sick.. In Florida just going to the hospital is an adventure.. so better safe than sorry | |
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| Make ahead meals
Posted: 2/10/2007 9:55:37 AM | A lasagne baked at 400 degrees is not exactly a nice place for bateria to thrive. I did have a batch of soup go bad when I put it in the refrigertor when it was still too hot, the top layers of it cooled and formed a skin and the soup (being soup) was only cooked to 212 degrees (when I made it) and even though I have and used my pressure canner, the temperature of the pressurized soup during the canning process was not high enough to kill all the nasty bacteria and when we opened one jar which was sealed (and it was sealed properly) it was obvious from the smell that the whole batch was skunked.
I am not talking about bringing things completely back down to room temperature, but if bacteria grew immediately, we'd all be sick. The problem becomes that when you place a large hot thermal mass into a refrigerator, regardless of the fact that the refrigerator is working hard, you will not maintain a refrigerator at the proper 38-42 degrees and when the temperature rises, it is everything else in the refrigerator that rises in temperature and those things can start to go bad quicker, not the lasagne.
Keep in mind that the way you make a good piece of prime beef includes aging it, and this is done above freezing for days on end, the actual specifications are about 6 weeks at 36-38 degrees. It is part of what makes it so tasty. | |
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| Make ahead meals
Posted: 2/10/2007 7:12:45 PM | I freeze EVERYTHING !
I am a one-woman spokesperson for Glad Press and Seal. I freeze servings of lasagne, eggplant parmesan, etc., pork chops, steak, fish, hamburgers, chicken, individually (I live alone) and have had things in the regular refrigerator freezer for a year or so, and have never had a problem with freezer burn; the (I'm thinking pork chop) food tasted every bit as good as when it was "new" (and I am a really, really picky eater).
I like variety and buy "family-size" packages of meat when it is on sale.
Besides meat, lasagne and moussaka in my freezer now, I also have wontons, tamales, taco meat, soups, chili, GRAVY , rice (I always make extra and freeze it in small containers), spaghetti, homemade pizza (and I digress, but a bachelor taught me how to reheat it--in a cast iron frying pan with a lid; the pan crisps up the dough, while the lid helps to melt the cheese and heat the toppings), and on and on . . . .
There is a web site I learned from one (maybe "30-Day-Gourmet"?) about batch cooking (if no one comes up with the information, I'll work on it, but this is a new computer and a new trick for this dog . . . .).
Let me know; hope this helps.
(Time to cook my lamb chops . . . .) | |
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| Make ahead meals
Posted: 2/10/2007 8:06:21 PM | | Lambchops...ooh yummy...so many people are put off by lamb, not knowing there is a difference between lamb and sheep and mutton. All the same animal at different stages of life (young medium old...). People need to know how to spot mislabled sheep or mutton as lamb at a grocery store. They do it all the time. So what will the fate of the lambchop be? Grilled with minimal spices or marinated in some exotic blend of things? | |
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| Make ahead meals
Posted: 2/11/2007 1:38:25 AM | So funny that you asked!
I had planned to make them last night and was working on a rosemary sauce, and lost my concentration, so it burned and set off the smoke alarm (the building where I live has the most sensitive smoke alarms ever made and one of them goes directly to the fire department).
So the security guard came up and the fire department was on the scene and the whole building was evacuated and I totally lost interest in the whole thing  .
So I did it tonight (after the security guard was gone); cooked the chops in a George Foreman grill and made the rosemary sauce--all without incident.
Normally, the fire department shows up when beef is involved.
I could go vegetarian . . . I don't think so, though.
What do vegetarians do for GRAVY ? | |
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| Make ahead meals
Posted: 2/11/2007 12:11:27 PM | Roxanne,
I moved out of an apartment that had the same issues and the vent hood on the stove just spews the smoke back into the apartment it doesn't vent anything. I will give you the answer, but please promise me that you remember the most important thing, which is doing the last step in the instructions, for your own safety.
1. Open a window or door a little if you are going to make anything that is going to be a little smoky. Better yet if you have a window by the stove, open that and place a fan in the window to draw the air out.
2. Place a plastic shopping bag over the smoke detector and hold in place with a rubber band.
3. Cook and Enjoy!
4. ALWAYS, AS SOON AS THE SMOKE IS CLEARED, TAKE THE BAG OFF IMMEDIATELY! Smoke detectors are there for a purpose!
Some smoke detectors use different technology to sense smoke and the cheaper ones can even be set off by taking a steamy shower...hope this helps!
Now onto gravy for vegetarians...
How about mashed potatoes with apple cider ginger sage gravy?
GRAVY
1 tablespoon fat (butter is okay for vegetarians, use olive oil for vegans)
1/2 large onion, diced
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
1 cup apple cider (juice would be fine, too)
3 small tart apples, skins left on, quartered and cored, in thin slices
1 tablespoon flour
5 - 8 leaves of fresh sage, minced
In a large skillet, heat the fat on MEDIUM til shimmery. Stir in the onion and fresh ginger, let cook til just beginning to turn gold. Stir in the apple cider and apples, bring the mixture to a boil, reducing heat to maintain a slow simmer. When the liquid is hot, spoon a few tablespoons of it into a small bowl, stir in the flour and mix until smooth, then slowly add back to the skillet. (Alternatively, you can also sprinkle the flour across the skillet and gently work into the gravy. There's some risk of lumps this way but it works for me.) Let cook for 2 - 3 minutes more, until floury taste is gone. Let cook, stirring every so often, until apples are soft. Stir in the fresh sage, stir a minute. To serve, pour gravy over top of a dollop of mashed potatoes. Garnish with additional fresh sage, if desired.
Also keep in mind we have a lovely mushroom gravy, and gravies can be thickened using just like normal gravies...
8 TB butter (EVOO for vegans)
4 cloves garlic
1 small onion
8 TB flour
4 TB Soy Sauce
2/12 cups water
½ tsp ground sage
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
6 sliced mushroom
salt and pepper to taste.
Saute garlic and onion until onion is transluscent add flour and soy to make a paste, gradually add water, stirring frequently bringing to a boil, turn down heat and let thicken, add remaining ingredients. Better when made a day ahead and reheated.
Or:
Mushrooms & Chestnut Gravy with Parsley Mash Vegetarian Express
Serves 2
30 minutes: 10 minutes preparation, 20 minutes cooking
Gravy
2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
175g/6oz chestnut mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp Madeira or sweet sherry
1 vegetable or mushroom stock cube, dissolved in 300ml/10fl oz water
1 tbsp soy sauce
175g/6oz cooked chestnuts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Potatoes
750g/1½lb potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm/½ inch pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cook potatoes in large saucepan of water for about 10-15 minutes, or until tender.
Meanwhile, make gravy. Heat oil in a large saucepan, add onion and fry for 5 minutes, until beginning to soften and brown.
Add mushrooms and garlic and cook for further 2-3 minutes.
Sprinkle in flour and stir over heat, letting it brown a little.
Add Madeira/sherry and let bubble up, then pour in stock, stirring until thickened.
Add soy sauce and chestnuts, then leave to simmer gently, uncovered.
Drain potatoes, reserving water.
Mash with olive oil and enough of cooking water to give creamy consistency.
Add chopped parsley and salt and pepper to taste.
Check seasoning of gravy, then serve with mash. | |
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| Make ahead meals
Posted: 2/11/2007 9:32:21 PM | OSN--
The last time I posted that someone was my soul-mate, they stopped posting.
But I think it was fate, because now I think that YOU are my soul-mate.
GRAVY!!
God's perfect food. Thanx.
(Who needs you now? I've got the gravy recipes. Buh-bye!!)
I've lived here for 2-2 1/2 years and the smoke alarms have been my biggest bane. I've never wanted to be famous, but if it did indeed happen, I want to be famous for more than the Guiness-Book-of-World-Records-holder for the number of times the fire department has shown up here!!
Have a balcony, can't have a grill. Like my meats "Pittsburg Rare"--it's like a bell to Pavlov's dog (fire department); stir-fry (ditto).
I have real little ventilation here; the security guard guaranteed me that if I opened the balcony door and put a fan there, the many smoke alarms would not go off, but I think he boils his meat, as the conditions here are soooo not conducive for searing. (Can't disable the alarms--sets off another alarm; can't cover them--$250 fine)
This is not new--when I owned my home (on Roanoke island--off the coast of North Carolina), one time the police came by to check up on us because of the plumes of smoke coming from the grill. Wha?? Pork chops.
I actually am a good cook. Probably wouldn't want to cater a "civil-servant" party, though.
(Don't know how to make doughnuts.)
Yeah, yeah; I was going to burn in Hell before that last sentence anyway!!
But thanks again for your input. Very much appreciated (but not nearly as much as the GRAVY recipes!!)
Rx | |
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| Make ahead meals
Posted: 2/12/2007 8:24:06 AM | Roxanne,
You only get the $250 dollar fine IF you somehow manage to set off the alarms. If yours is covered and doesn't go off and you remember to remove it immediately when it is safe to do so, then they'll never know. Remember like the saying goes "It ain't cheatin' if you don't get caught"! | |
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| Make ahead meals
Posted: 2/12/2007 8:42:26 AM | | u can freeze any kinds of homemade soups, just put them in tupperware by portions. also chicken pot pie homemade u can freeze in portions. | |
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| Make ahead meals
Posted: 2/13/2007 12:15:43 AM | turkey soup
Shepard's pie
butter chicken and rice | |
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| Make ahead meals
Posted: 2/13/2007 9:33:52 AM | Soups
Spaghetti meat sauce
Stews
stir fry
I make more than I usually need so I can freeze the extra food. | |
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| Make ahead meals
Posted: 2/13/2007 10:30:45 AM | After living for what seems like forever on fast food (thank god I am naturally skinny and can eat whatever i want! lol) I realized my lack of energy was due to the garbage I was eating.
I live alone and it always seemed easier. Now, I cook lots and portion and freeze. I eat so much better now. Here are some easy 'Guy Food' ideas ;)
Meatloaf-make the meatloaf, then cook it in muffin tins instead of loaf pans. When they are cool, put them in a large freezer bag, toss in freezer. You can reheat in the mirco or oven.
Spaghetti Sauce-make, portion, freeze.
Tacos-ibid
Sloppy Joes-ibid
Fajitas-cook chicken or beef, partially cook peppers and onion, toss in some seasoning, then portion in ziplocks bags. Soft tortillas freeze really well.
Frozen Chicken breasts are great-M&M. To thaw, place in plastic ziplock bag, place in bowl of cold water for 1 hr. If you thaw in micro, you wind up cooking a good portion of the chicken which is so gross.
Steaks-freeze in ziplock bags. Thaw the same way as the chicken. Indoor grills are awesome!
Did you know you can freeze cheese? I just discovered that! I shred a bunch then toss it in the freezer in a ziplock. Take out the amount you need.
Gotta say, M&M is awesome. No idea if there is one near you, but the meal ideas are wicked and its all frozen. | |
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| Make ahead meals
Posted: 2/13/2007 10:34:47 AM | Oh ya, things that DO NOT freeze well:
Eggs
Cream based sauces
Gravy
Mayonaise
If you freeze cooked pasta, under cook it. Otherwise, it will be mushy when you thaw and reheat it.
Veggies must be cooked or blanched before freezing.
Deli meat CAN be frozen.
Rice can be cooked, portioned, frozen. Potatoes can be cooked, and frozen.
NEVER REFREEZE meats(including all poultry). If it has been frozen and thawed, it cannot be frozen again unless it is cooked. | |
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| Make ahead meals
Posted: 2/18/2007 10:02:17 AM | Chicken Divan. It freezes well and is simple to make:
Not necessarily 'gourmet' (you cheat with the soup) but it's quick and pretty to look at:
I made the recipe up, so hopefully it will work if you decide to try:
2 or 3 chicken breasts (cut into cubes)
1 red pepper, 1 broccoli cut into spears, 1/2 chopped onion, sliced mushrooms
1 tin of Campbells broccoli/cheddar soup (undiluted)
Bread crumbs mixed with melted butter
Sautee chicken and veggies until chicken is thoroughly cooked.
Transfer to shallow baking dish.
Mix in soup
Top with bread crumbs...
Great served over wild rice.
Voila
Bon Appetit! | |
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