Make ahead and freeze

mitch5252 wrote:
For those traveling alone (or as mentioned above, if each partner wants something different), I have just started to freeze individual portions in either muffin tins or regular sized cupcake tins.

When frozen hard, take them out of the freezer for a few minutes, pop them out of tins and then drop in a freezer baggie - all ready for the camper freezer.

I just did this with 1) breakfast sausage gravy (turned out great) and 2) sloppy joe mix (haven't tried it yet).

Thanks for all the good ideas on this thread.

Great Idea!

Breakfast burritosThese breakfast burritos were a bit time consuming to make but we really enjoyed them. After defrosting I grilled them up on a cheap little panini press we take along.

At home and at my destination(s), I shop and cook for myself. On the road, frozen Stouffer's and the microwave are my friends.

Hi mitch,

I use boiling bags that can be sealed and ladle the portions in an individual serving size. I suck out the air with a straw and lay them flat in the freezer. It saves space and after a long work day I can reheat in the microwave.

I do the same with home made soup and my slow cooker.

For those traveling alone (or as mentioned above, if each partner wants something different), I have just started to freeze individual portions in either muffin tins or regular sized cupcake tins.

When frozen hard, take them out of the freezer for a few minutes, pop them out of tins and then drop in a freezer baggie - all ready for the camper freezer.

I just did this with 1) breakfast sausage gravy (turned out great) and 2) sloppy joe mix (haven't tried it yet).

Thanks for all the good ideas on this thread.

Right now I have these meals in my freezer. Macaroni and cheese, scalloped potatoes and ham, chicken with stuffing. When I make these items. (And others), I go to the dollar store and get some of the foil loaf pans, and make batches enough for three rmeals. Then freeze them.

Before we became full timers I would precook almost all our meals and use my food saver. Freeze them and then just throw them in a big ol pot of boiling water. Really cut down on clean up time and you could use them in your cooler as ice.

Sweet and sour chicken, lentil chili, curry sauce, just about anything.

Also, I have found that I use my George Foreman grill constantly. Easier to clean than a grill and I don't have to worry about the smells from my barby attracting critters to our storage bays.

Little Kopit wrote:
Some things are better bottled (canned).

Chili
Baked beans
Stewed tomatoes.

:C

Thanks for this idea - our freezer is pretty small and quickly fills up. I've still got my canning supplies from when I was industrious. ;)

5thwheeleroldman wrote:
We make a pot or two of our favorite soups and freeze it in snack bags (holds abt 1 1/2 cups ea). Then if the wife feels like soup and I want a hot dog, we can each have our own way.

Ahem yes. I learned the hard way that portion sized bags can be better than the bigger ones. I once butter poached about 10 lobsters and then froze all the meat in a gallon bag for lobster rolls. Due to bad weather most of the guests didn't arrive and we wound up with an over abundance. About half the meat went in the garbage. Wasn't a happy camper that day.
I didn't know they made snack bags for freezing! Got to look for them:).

We make a pot or two of our favorite soups and freeze it in snack bags (holds abt 1 1/2 cups ea). Then if the wife feels like soup and I want a hot dog, we can each have our own way.

My this year freeze ahead meals some of which I've already started making include:

Ratatouille. Serve it as a side or over rice/in an omelet/ or a top pasta.Can be served rm temp or hot. Also makes a nice appetizer on a slice of French bread rubbed with garlic and toasted.

Roasted pork shoulder. I cut it into 3 portions and made some Asian style, some Latin style, and the last third, shredded pork.

Gumbo base w/ chicken, shrimp and andouille sausage. The chicken and sausage will be frozen in the base and the shrimp will be added fresh on site. I use 1/3 part shrimp stock to 2/3s chicken stock to add the shrimp flavour early in the cooking process. Also freezing some Creole rice in a separate bag. Dry ingredients for cornbread in a different bag. All three bags held together with a bookbinder clip to make it easy to find.


Texas red chili. Another bag of dry cornbread ingredients attached.

Lasagna.
Various types of small meatballs.Can be poached in a soup or sauteed to top a pasta dish.
Home made pasta.Store bought rigatoni partially cooked.
Different types of pasta sauces: pesto, putanseca, meat, Pomodoro.



Various soups. Escarole. Split pea with ham. Asparagus. Carrot. Black bean.Artichoke w/ beans.

Different types of filled wontons/dumplings.

To facilitate on site cooking as opposed to heating up I also stock homemade broths/stocks; flash frozen cut up peppers, onions and carrots. Takes care of most of my mirepoix/holy trinty and is easy to do at home w/ the use of a food processor and parchment lined sheet pan.

Make ahead breakfasts(I despise cooking in the morning!) will include baked oatmeal, omelettes baked in muffin tins and French toast made w/ vanilla ice cream. Be nice if I was allowed to make breakfast burritos but my DGD doesn't like dishes that mix meat with vegetables. Or too many colours. Yeah I know, strange.