Freezer and Keto-Friendly Meals // Freezer Meals 101
Instant Pot Bone Broth Recipe:
- 6 or more chicken bones
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 2 onions, quartered*
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 cups of water
*Since you will be running the broth through a strainer later, there is no need to peel the onions.
Directions:
- Chop up the carrot, celery, and onions and place them in the Instant Pot.
- If desired, you can sauté the veggies for a few minutes with a bit of oil using the Sauté setting on your Instant Pot. This will result in a more flavourful broth, but it will be darker in colour.
- If you want your broth to be seasoned, apply the seasoning first to the chicken bones.
- Add the bones and bay leaves to your Instant Pot and then fill about 3/4 of the way full with water.
- Secure the lid.
- Select the Soup/Stew setting and increase the time to 45 minutes.
- Do a natural release.
- Carefully pour the broth through a strainer to remove the vegetables and bones. Any remaining meat can be removed from the bones and can then be used in soup. The veggies will be perfectly cooked and can also be used in soup or a stew or as a side dish.
- 1 1/2 lb skinless, boneless chicken or pork sliced
- 2 Tbsp shawarma seasoning
- 2 Tbsp oil
- 1/2 cup broth or water
- 6 Pitas
- Parsley
- dill pickes
- hummus
- 1 Tbsp black pepper
- 1 Tbsp allspice
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 Tbsp ground cloves
- 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 Tbsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 Tbsp ground cardamom
- 1 Tsp chili powder
- 1 Tsp dried oregano
- 1 Tsp salt
Pat the chicken or pork dry and cut into 1/2 thick strips. Place all the cut meat into a medium or large resealable freezer bag.
Combine all shawarma seasonings together in a bowl. Add 2 Tablespoons of the mix to the bag and toss until the meat is completely coated in seasoning. (If you prefer, you can do the mixing in a bowl before adding to the bag.)
Remove the excess air, seal, and freeze. Place the rest of the seasoning in a medium sized resealable freezer bag and store in the freezer to maintain its freshness.
On the day of cooking, take the bag of shawarma out of the freezer to thaw.
Place the 2 Tbsp. of oil in the Instant Pot and select the Sautee setting. Place the chicken or pork in the Instant Pot to sear for about 2 minutes.
Turn off the saute setting and add your broth or water.
Select the meat setting for 10 minutes. You can use the natural or quick release.
Spread a layer of hummus on a pita, add some of the cooked meat, top with some dill pickle slices, and sprinkle with a bit of parsley. Roll the pita and get to the eating!
- 2 lbs chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 475 ml bottle of zesty Italian dressing
- 1 tsp dried red pepper flakes
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 12 oz frozen Italian veggies
Place the chicken and all the other ingredients together in a large resealable bag.
Squish to combine everything and seal after removing the excess air.
Freeze
On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer and thaw. Place the bag contents into your Instant Pot. Lock the cover and seal the steam nozzle.
Cook on manual high for 10 minutes. Allow it to natural release for 7 minutes before doing a quick release.
If you’re looking to have a starch with this meal, you can serve it with rice or potatoes.
Lemon Mustard Chicken Dump Recipe:
- 4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup honey, melted
- 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh lemon juice or from a jar)
- 2 tsp. lemon pepper
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
To assemble this meal, open a large resealable bag, fold down the top and prop the bottom so that it stays upright on the counter. It’s easiest to make several of these meals at one time. Prop open as many bags as the number of meals you want to make.
Melt the honey. Place the chicken pieces in each bag. Dump in the rest of the ingredients including the melted honey. Squish everything together to combine. Remove the excess air from the bag(s). Seal, lay flat, and freeze.
On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer. Thaw. Bake at 350° for one hour, covered, uncovering the last ten minutes, or cook in the crockpot® on low for 4-6 hours.
- 2 lbs. meatballs pre-cooked
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tbsp. lime juice
- 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 2 tsp. sesame oil
- 1 tsp. ground ginger*
- 1/2 cup green onions diced
- Add the pre-cooked meatballs to a large resealable bag.
- Add the minced garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and green onions to the bag.
- Remove excess air, seal and freeze.
- On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer.
- Thaw.
- Bake, covered at 375° for 20 minutes or cook on low in the slow cooker for 2-4 hours.
*If you prefer, you can substitute fresh ginger for the ground ginger.
You can serve these meatballs with rice and vegetables or a salad. The sauce tastes really good as a gravy over the rice.
- 1 lb medium shrimp deveined and tails removed
- 6-8 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 dash red pepper flakes
- 1 dash salt
- 1 dash pepper
Using a fork or an electric beater, blend the butter, garlic, olive oil, and spices until they are thoroughly mixed.
If you use frozen uncooked shrimp, it often has the tail on. Prepare your butter mixture first, then you can remove the tails of the shrimp without them thawing by de-tailing them under cool running water and doing it quickly so that you can get it back in the freezer right away.
Add shrimp into a large resealable freezer bag. Seal, lay flat and freeze.
Take the bag out of the freezer and thaw. Sauté shrimp and butter sauce for 6-7 minutes over medium heat just until they turn pink.
If you want to turn this into garlic butter shrimp pasta, cook 8-12 oz. of the pasta of your choice and drain, saving 1 cup of the starchy pasta water. Add the shrimp with butter sauce to the pasta. Add some or all of the reserved pasta water. Toss the ingredients together and serve.
Lemon Pesto Chicken Recipe:
- 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup jarred pesto sauce
- 1/8 cup lemon juice
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- optional: 1 tsp. lemon rind
Put the shredded Mozza cheese in a medium resealable bag and seal.
Place the chicken breasts in a large-sized resealable bag. Add the pesto, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. If you want some extra zip, toss in some lemon rind. Remove the excess air from the bag and seal.
Staple the medium bag to the large one above the seal to ensure there are no leaks. Lay flat in the freezer.
On the day of cooking, thaw. Put the chicken in a casserole dish. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes, covered. Uncover and top with the mozzarella cheese and bake for another 5 minutes. Turn the oven to broil and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos Recipe:
- 2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 1 cup jarred salsa verde
- 1/8 tsp. ground cumin
Dump the chicken, diced onions, cumin, and salsa verde in a large resealable bag. Remove the excess air, seal, and freeze.
Instant Pot Cooking Instructions:
Take the bag out of the freezer and thaw. Add bag contents to the Instant Pot. Lock the cover and seal the steam nozzle.
Cook on high pressure for 12 minutes (or 20 minutes if cooking from frozen). Release the steam. Once vented, shred the chicken using tongs or two forks.
Slow Cooker Cooking Instructions:
Thaw. Place the bag contents into the crock-pot® and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Shred before serving.
Serving suggestions:
Serve the shredded chicken on corn or flour tortillas with cheese and all of your favorite taco fixings. Possible toppings are black beans, salsa, hot sauce, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, green onions, sliced black olives, avocados, sliced jalapenos, and fresh cilantro.
Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Recipe:
- 12-15 lbs. pork shoulder butt roast
- 1 bottle BBQ sauce
- 3 Tbsp. liquid smoke
- buns for serving
Rub Ingredients:
- 3 cups brown sugar
- ¼ cup onion powder
- ¼ cup garlic powder
- ¼ cup paprika
- ¼ cup salt
- 3 Tbsp. cayenne pepper
- 3 Tbsp. black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. ground thyme
- 1 Tbsp. dill
Rinse the pork roast under water to allow the rub to stick better.
In a mixing bowl, stir together brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, black pepper, salt, thyme, and dill.
Place the rinsed meat on a cutting board and spread the dry rub all over the outside of the roast. Gently place the rubbed pork roast in a large resealable freezer bag. Take out the excess air, seal, and freeze.
You can store any leftover rub in a medium resealable freezer bag and freeze to use next time.
On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw. Once thawed, place 1/2 cup of water and 3 Tbsp. of liquid smoke in the slow cooker.
Place the seasoned roast into the crockpot. Cook on low for 7-9 hours. Once cooked, drain the extra fat and water from the crockpot.
Use a set of tongs or two forks to pull the roast apart. After it’s shredded, add 1/2 to the full bottle of BBQ sauce and mix through.
- 1 lb. ground beef browned
- 450 g ground Italian sausage browned*
- 1 onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 zucchini chopped
- red pepper diced
- 2 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tsp. oregano
- 1 tsp. basil
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- Brown the ground beef and the sausage.
- Let them cool. Add them into a large resealable freezer bag.
- Chop the onion, zucchini, and red pepper. Mince the garlic.
- Add the chopped vegetables and all other ingredients to the bag. Squish to combine.
- Remove the extra air from the bag and seal before freezing.
- Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
Dump the bag contents into the crockpot.
- Cook on high for 2-4 hours.
- Serve over noodles or rice.
*If you like things with a kick, you can use spicy Italian sausage.
- 1 jar pasta sauce
- 1 bag egg noodles
- 2 large chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 stem of rosemary* minced
- 1 stem of thyme* minced
- seasoning salt
- 1 tsp. cooking oil
Preheat the oven to 375° (if serving that day).
- Set a large pot of water on to boil.
- Cut the chicken breasts into thin strips.
Heat a skillet to medium-high heat on the stovetop. Add the cooking oil.
Sprinkle seasoning salt on the chicken strips and add to the skillet.
Add the egg noodles to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions or until just al dente. Drain.
Once the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the heat and set it aside.
Add the cooked noodles to a large casserole or baking dish. Pour in the pasta sauce and give it a good stir.
Lay the chicken strips on top of the pasta so that it covers it.
Sprinkle the rosemary and thyme over the top of the whole thing.
Cover everything with the grated cheese.
- Bake for 35 minutes.
Prepare as above, but do not bake. (follow steps #1 through #11) Ensure that you are using a freezer-safe baking dish.
Cover with 2 layers of tin foil. Freeze.
Remove from freezer and thaw. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 5 minutes to melt the cheese.
*Note that if you absolutely cannot find fresh rosemary or thyme, you can use dried, but it really does enhance the flavour of this dish to use the fresh herbs.
- 1 lb large, uncooked shrimp peeled and deveined
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 Tbsp cilantro chopped
Place the shrimp into a large resealable freezer bag.
Add the other ingredients into the bag. Squish together to combine. Remove the excess air from the bag and seal before freezing.
Take the bag out to thaw.
Stir fry the bag contents in a large skillet on medium-high until the shrimp are heated through and turn pink.
Serve the shrimp with rice, potatoes, or pasta and a side of vegetables. If you want, you can top the shrimp with some additional fresh cilantro and lime wedges.
Cook up the marinated tequila lime shrimp to use inside shrimp tacos. Serve them in a soft tortilla with guacamole. The taste of summer in a simple dish.
- 1 lb Italian sausage formed into meatballs and cooked, regular or spicy
- 1 carrot chopped
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp parsley
- 1 cup small pasta like alphabet or orzo
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
- 2 cups sliced or chopped, for the day of cooking
The fastest way to make the sausage meatballs is in bulk if you’re using them for several recipes. Form the balls and place them on a cookie sheet then bake in the oven. If you’re only making one recipe, you can fry them in a skillet.
Place the cooked sausage meatballs, chopped carrot, seasonings, and chicken broth in a large resealable bag.
Remove excess air and seal.
Put 1 cup of small pasta in a medium-sized resealable bag and staple the bags together. Freeze.
On the day of cooking, take the bag of soup out of the freezer and thaw it. Remove the staples and set aside the bag of pasta.
In a large pot, heat just the soup on the stovetop over medium-high heat and bring it to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low. Add in the pasta and spinach and continue cooking for another 5 – 10 minutes until the pasta is fully cooked.
Ladle soup into bowls. If desired, you can sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese before serving.
Lemon Garlic Chicken Dump Recipe:
- 3-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
- 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
Since this is a dump recipe, it is just as easy to make lots of these as it is to make one. Begin by opening a large resealable bag (or as many bags as the number of meals you are going to make) and adding the chicken.
Dump the other ingredients into the bag. Remove the excess air from the bag, seal, lay flat, and freeze.
On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 45-55 minutes or in the crockpot on low for 4-6 hours.
If desired, you can sprinkle some parsley on top. Serve with rice or potatoes and your choice of veggies.
Make Ahead Beef Fajitas Freezer Meal Recipe:
1 lb. beef stir fry strips
1 onion, sliced
2 cups red and yellow peppers, sliced
1 cup salsa
3 Tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
To assemble this freezer meal, add the raw beef stir fry strips, sliced onion, sliced red and yellow peppers, salsa, lime juice, and Worcestershire sauce to a large resealable freezer bag. Remove the excess air, seal and freeze.
On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer and thaw. Stir fry in skillet over high heat on stovetop until meat is cooked through. This really doesn’t take long at all especially if the beef strips are thin.
Serve in flour tortillas. If you want, you can top the fajitas with sour cream, salsa, shredded cheese, cilantro, or guacamole.
Stuffed Pepper Soup Recipe:
- 1 lb. extra-lean ground beef, browned
- 1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup yellow or red pepper, chopped
- 1 cup onions, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1/2 tsp. marjoram
- salt, pepper
For the day of cooking:
- 2 cups beef or chicken broth
- 2 cups of rice
Assembly instructions:
- Chop the peppers and onion.
- Brown the beef in a large skillet on the stove. Drain the fat afterwards. This step is important.
- Place the cooked beef in a large resealable bag.
- Add the diced peppers and onion, garlic, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and seasonings.
- Remove the air from the bag and seal. Freeze.
Stovetop cooking instructions:
- Take the bag out of the freezer and thaw.
- Place the contents in a large pot on the stovetop.
- Add the broth.
- Cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
- Add the rice in the last 20 minutes.
- Stir occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom.
Instant Pot instructions:
- Thaw the bag contents and add them to the Instant Pot.
- Cook the rice separately on the stovetop and set aside.
- Add the broth.
- Cover and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Do a natural release.
- Add the rice either to the entire soup or a bit into each bowl when serving.
Slow Cooker instructions:
- Thaw.
- Dump the bag contents into the crockpot®.
- Add the broth and rice.
- Stir.
- Cook on low for 3-4 hours.
Cabbage Roll Casserole Freezer Meal Recipe:
- 1/2 a head of green cabbage, coarsely chopped and blanched
- 1 lb. ground beef, browned
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tsp. tomato paste
- 8 oz. diced tomatoes
- 12 oz. tomato sauce
- 2 tsp. parsley
- 1 tsp. dill
- salt, pepper
- 2 cups cooked rice
To blanch the cabbage, place the coarsely chopped cabbage in a pot of boiling water for 1-2 minutes before draining. Brown the ground beef. Cook the rice according to the instructions on the package.
Place the blanched cabbage, the browned beef, the cooked rice and all the other ingredients in a large resealable freezer bag. Remove the excess air and seal. Freeze.
On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw. Dump the bag contents into a greased casserole dish or oven safe baking dish. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.
You can serve this casserole on its own or serve it along with other Ukrainian favourites such as garlic sausage, Nalysnyky, or pyrogies with sour cream and onions.
Easy Chicken Marsala Recipe:
- 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup flour
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced lengthwise
- 1/4 cup shallots, diced extremely fine
- 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped coarsely
- 1/4 tsp. garlic salt
- ¾ cup marsala wine
- ⅓ -½ cup heavy cream (1/3 cup if using 2 chicken breasts, 1/2 cup if using 3)
For the cooking day:
- 2 Tbsp. of olive oil
- optional: more rosemary and parsley for garnish
Pound the chicken breasts with a meat tenderizer. Put the flour onto a plate and place each chicken breast into the flour, flipping it over so that both sides are covered. Place the dredged chicken into a large resealable freezer bag. Seal.
In another freezer bag, add the mushrooms, finely diced shallots, 1/2 of the rosemary, wine, and the heavy cream. Take out the excess air and seal. Staple the bags together above the seal and freeze.
On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
Place 1 Tbsp. of oil into the skillet on medium heat and heat. Once the oil is heated up, place the floured chicken breast into the pan. Cook the chicken on each side for 5-8 minutes per side. Add the remaining oil to the skillet and add the contents of the other bag with the chicken.
Lower the heat. Cook for 7-10 minutes. Allow the wine to reduce slightly, cooking until it is nice and fragrant.
Keep a careful eye on the sauce because of the cream, making sure that it doesn’t break. If the sauce does break, add more cream.
Remove skillet from the heat. When you plate the chicken, cover it with the sauce. Garnish with leftover rosemary and parsley.
Serve over angel hair noodles or with rice and a side of vegetables. Asparagus goes beautifully with this meal.
Chili Glazed Chicken Dump Recipe:
- 3-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 8-10 chicken thighs
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. cumin
- 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. honey, melted
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
Place the chicken breasts in a large, resealable freezer bag. Dump the rest of the ingredients into the bag. Squish together to combine.
On the day you cook this meal, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
Oven instructions:
Bake at 350° for 50 minutes.
Slow cooker instructions:
Cook in the crockpot on low for 4-6 hours.
Skillet instructions:
Heat in a skillet at medium-high for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through, turning frequently.
https://thenovicechefblog.com/low-carb-pancakes/
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