Some suggestions please

[NMDemDist2]

I'm off work for a few weeks and want to fill the freezer with quick meals

remember Mr. Ketchup is a bit finicky, likes beef and pork and seafood, not big on poultry usually

Give me some ideas of casseroles that are fairly balanced nutrition (or would be with a salad on the side) that freeze well

I am gonna do some COOKING!!!! :woohoo: :rofl:

[Stinky The Clown]

1. Thick, hearty soups

Vegetable beef, onion, bean soups, beef barley.

We make very thick soups. More like stews, but with soup sized stuff in it, not big chucks like an actual stew. I also allow them to reduce considerably. This thickens them. You can always add water or stock if they seem too thick.

Add some NYT no-knead bread and you have nirvana.

We have a half dozen soups in the freezer right now.

[Gormy Cuss]

2. Lasagna with spinach, mac & cheese with broccoli

The lasagna meat is up to Mr. Ketchup but by adding spinach he gets some green stuff even without the side salad. Likewise the mac & cheese with broccoli.

Other than those, beef or pork based stews and soups should freeze well. Seafood, not so much.

[pengillian101]

5. "Seafood, not so much. "

Wow, that is different from what I know.

I make lots of seafood soups, stews, chowders and they all freeze very well.

Just yesterday, I watched a documentary where a large family froze gallons of MILK! Now that is weird to me!

I have never had a problem freezing a milk/cream/half-half based soup/stew/chowder.

SO! Maybe freezing fresh milk in gallon jugs might work, eh?

Best wishes!

[Gormy Cuss]

9. Freezing milk does work, as does freezing whole clams and other seafood.

I have family who live in remote enough areas that trips to the market are infrequent. They freeze milk all the time --the ones who live on islands also freeze fresh dug clams as well as any other seafood, believe it or not.

I've never tried to freeze chowders but with other seafood dishes I've noticed that it's hard to reheat the stuff without toughening the fish/seafood. Hard, not impossible.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

3. My favorite

And it freezes really well (I have two big containers in the freezer right now, come to think of it.).

I start with a few onions, coarsely chopped, sauteed in olive oil. After the onions are softened, add a handful of coarsely chopped garlic. I use about a head, but I'm nuts.

Let the garlic just soften, and then add some broccoli, corn, peas, carrots, whatever you have in the refrigerator or the freezer.

Throw in a couple of quarts of chicken or vegetable or garlic stock.

Let it all simmer for a bit.

Throw in some shelled, deveined shrimp. Or some chunks of chicken.

Let it simmer more.

Add some soy sauce, some sesame oil, some hot oil. You'll know how much. Give it a while and check the taste. Add more of whatever you want.

Then, throw in thick rice noodles that you've already softened, and let them simmer for a while. They'll absorb all the stock, and you've got a great chicken/shrimp/ noodle/vegetable dish.

You want to use the wider rice noodles, like chow fun.




Or, if you have rice flake noodles on hand, just throw them in - no soaking necessary.



Garnish with chopped scallions, green tops included.

It's so easy and so damn good............................

[NMDemDist2]

4. dudette

rice noodles? in rural south eastern New Mexico??

:rofl:

*gasp*

*cough*

*wipe away the tear*

Ok, now seriously.......



:hi:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

6. But, but, but.............

You're so sophisticated, I just assumed you made your own.

OK, so use fettucine. Hmmm. No, that would suck.

How about lettuce?

You DO have lettuce down there in the sticks, right?

No?

OK, use a rabbit.

Or, uh, some toast?

i did hear, though, that there are these tubes called the Internets and you can buy things by using the tubes, but I haven't figured out the details yet.

When I do, I'll get back to ya..........

[NMDemDist2]

7. hmmmm, I have a pasta machine

wonder if I can make it? I'm headed the the Big Town Friday, wonder if they have an Asian Market

or if fresh pasta would do the same thing, absorb all the juicy stuff.

:think:

ruhroh, now you got me thinking.....

:evilgrin:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

10. Check out the Asian Market,

if you find one. A good stash of rice noodles of all kinds is an imperative in the LaBamba household.

But, if that's not possible, I'd recommend something like Pennsylvania Dutch egg noodles, the wide ones.



I think they'd work really well - just don't let them get mushy.

Your interest flatters me.

And now I am off to the market where there is a sale on shrimp AND baby back ribs. I found a terrific rub recipe for the ribs, and I'm hot to try it...........................

[Brewman_Jax]

8. Try veggie casseroles

green bean, broccoli, (my favorites) etc. should freeze nicely, along with the above suggestions. :9

[NMDemDist2]

13. when I was vegetarian I made good veggie casseroles

I probably need to pull that back out of my bag of tricks

a good veggie casserole with a quick chop or chicken breast is an idea

[The empressof all]

11. When you get sick of stews, soups and roasts go with....

MEATLOAF! You can make the mini loafs for a quick 2 person meal. They freeze well and you can do all sorts of flavor combos to jazz them up.

[NMDemDist2]

12. hubby LOVES teh meatloaf

wonder if I can freeze them AFTER I cook em.

I need stuff in the freezer I can have on the table in 20-30 minutes...

:eyes:

[The empressof all]

14. I do it all the time

I make the mini-loafs bake em then wrap them in aluminum foil then throw them in zip locks. This way all I have to do is throw the foil wrapped loaf in the oven and it cooks in it's own juices. They always come out moist so I usually unwrap them for the last ten minutes to crisp them up.

If you are someone who likes gravy with the loaf you can also freeze loaf slices in the gravy and nuke for quick meatloaf sandwiches.


Don't forget meatballs either. They freeze well with or without the tomato sauce.

[Warpy]

15. Slice it after it's cooked

and you can freeze the slices to be nuked and used as sandwiches or entrees.

[susanna]

18. Love meatloaf...

I cook it in muffin tins. You can freeze them individually on a cookie sheet, throw in a bag, and when you want dinner you can heat up how many portions you need.

I also love to play around with meatloaf. I've done versions like Italian (sundried tomato, tomato paste, shredded parm, garlic) and Asian (usually use turkey and pork for this one - with ginger, garlic, scallion, soy sauce, chili and sesame oils). I love to play around. The Asian one is great rolled up in lettuce leaves during the summer for a lettuce-roll type thing. Just make a dipping sauce to go with it.

[The empressof all]

19. I love different flavors in the meat loaf too

I do a teryaki turkey loaf with lots of onion and rice instead of crumbs.

I also do a turky saltiboca loaf (or balls) with a splash of Marsala wine, sage, chopped up ham and shredded provolone cheese. I serve it with a mushroom sauce.

[susanna]

20. Oh wow.

Another couple to try. They sound fantastic! Thanks for the ideas.

[Arkansas Granny]

16. How about a Shepherd's Pie? You can add enough vegetables to

the meat filling to make it nutritionally balanced. I dress mine up by adding grated cheese and some crumbled french fried onions to the mashed potatoes. The guys I've cooked this for really liked it.

[NMDemDist2]

17. yeah, Mr. K lurves 'the pie'

that's one I'll be making for sure then freezing in single serve tupperwares

I can't go wrong with that LOL

so far I'm planning on 'the pie' and a tuna casserole and I'll be making a big pot of beans with ham

and I'll get some NYT bread going today too

and a lasagna

that should keep me busy this week.... :rofl: