Freezing Your Way to More Home Cooked Meals
- Merrill
We've been saying we were going to do it for a couple of years now, and we finally did it. My husband and I bought a chest freezer. What on earth (you might ask) would possess a young couple living in a cramped New York apartment and expecting their first child to make such an outlandish purchase? After all, it's enough of a challenge to figure out where to store all of the baby gear without adding another large appliance to the mix.
Well, I've got news. The chest freezers of old, those massive, hulking objects reminiscent of Victorian-era steamer trunks, have been joined by a younger, sleeker breed. It was this stainless steel beauty that caught our eye last week and convinced us to finally take the plunge. It's nestled into a back corner of our dining room, where we plan to throw a tablecloth over it and add a vase of flowers or a bowl of fruit to complete the disguise.
Over the past ten days or so, I've been cooking up meals to fill our new freezer. It seems I'm not alone in this endeavor, so I thought I'd share a list of some of the recipes I've already made or am planning to make to tide us over when all my husband and I have time to focus on is changing diapers and stealing a few precious moments of sleep wherever we can. Whether you're expecting or just looking to stock your own freezer with great meals that reheat beautifully, this list should be helpful. And please feel free to make more suggestions -- I've still got a week!
Love the idea of a freezer full of dinners, but not loving these picks? Find more terrific, freezer-friendly soups, stews and casseroles on food52.com!
3 large russet potatoes - peeled and cubed
1/2 stick of butter
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole peppercorns
2 large rosemary sprigs
3-5 cloves of garlic
1. Put all the dairy in a dish and allow to come to room temperature.
2. Fill a large pot 2/3 full of salted water. Add the peppercorns, garlic, and rosemary. Bring to a rolling boil. Remove the rosemary and then add the potatoes.
3. Boil until the potatoes are very soft. Then, drain them and put them back in the pot with the garlic and the peppercorns. Let them sit and steam for five minutes.
4. Add the dairy and mash until creamy. I use a hand masher but you could use a hand mixer as well. Serve with a juicy steak!
click here to save and print this recipe
Chicken Soupy Stew Tasting this chowder, we were reminded how combining lemon and cream somehow makes the cream seem creamier, and the lemon more fragrant. With the dill, the broth is surprisingly delicate and is a lovely counterpoint to the large, rustic chunks of sweet carrot, chicken and potato.
Creamy Butternut Squash Soup with Sherry My version of butternut squash soup relies on sherry for depth and a little intrigue. If you don't have sherry on hand, you can skip it, or just substitute with brandy if that it what you have lying around.
Slow-Cooked Pork Tacos This dish was inspired by a recipe from Fine Cooking for chili con carne. We'd been eating a lot of beef, so I thought I might try it with pork shoulder instead. It was a hit! And the best part? It doubles as chili and taco filling!
Lentil and Sausage Soup for a Cold Winter's Night
The beauty of this soup is that is manages to be both soul-warming but not overly heavy. I used turkey sausage to make it even lighter, and it tasted wonderful.
Pastitsio I made this using lamb and chicken sausage from Fleischer's, which just opened in my neighborhood. A few tips: remember to salt the pasta water and you should undercook the pasta because it will continue to cooking in the later baking stage. And when you add the tomato paste to the lamb, let it toast a bit before adding the water.
A Few More Recipe Ideas for your own Freezer Frenzy! :
Weeknight Ragu (using pork breakfast sausage)
...which I then turned into lasagna.
Joan Nathan's Brisket with Sweet and Sour Sauce from the New York Times
Get answers to your burning food questions on the go with our new (free!) FOOD52 Hotline iPhone app.
