Meals from Raiding the Freezer

28 Jan
"And what meal shall I select from the freezer today?"

“And what meal shall I select from the freezer today?”

I’ve been on a self-imposed cooking haitus this week. I decided to scour the freezer for all the leftovers we had stockpiled in there from our snowbound two months, and discovered I had NO LESS than 8 meals in the freezer I decided we should heat up and eat before they were freezer burnt and long forgotten.

I made a list on our fridge white board we usually use for our shopping list, and have been gradually eating them and wiping them off. I can’t help but make meals for 4 to 6 or 8 people (some kind of hangup from growing up in a family of 8), and with my daughter gone most of the time, we simply can’t eat the same meal more than two nights in a row (or sometimes every other night). Many of these just needed a side salad, bread, or veggies/potatoes.

I have compiled for you my freezer list meals, along with links to the recipes for them. (Or similar recipes or part of one, and some are adaptations of prior recipes I’ve posted.) I’ll get back to more recipes and cooking soon! Enjoy!

Lasagna Soup

This freezes really well! Just as good, if not better later with loads more fresh-grated Parmesan cheese.

One-Pot Lasagna Soup

One-Pot Lasagna Soup

Beef Stroganoff

A classic with a healthy twist. No canned soups! The version in our freezer was a wonderful meal made with shredded cooked beef that my husband made instead of ground beef, but similar concept.

Homemade Ground Beef Stroganoff

Homemade Ground Beef Stroganoff

Smoked Sausage and Tortellini Soup

Another Italian-based soup recipe that freezes well and gets the same raves as the day you made it!

Smoked Sausage and Tortellini Soup

Smoked Sausage and Tortellini Soup

Cabbage and Chicken Soup

I made this same type of soup, but used shredded chicken instead of ground beef. Try it, you’ll like it!

Mexican-Style Beef and Cabbage Soup

Mexican-Style Beef and Cabbage Soup

Turkey and Turkey Gravy

Traditional roasted turkey leftover from New Year’s dinner, with gravy made from the turkey carcass stock. Here I give you the recipe for the stock.

Turkey Carcass Stock

Turkey Carcass Stock

White Chicken Chili

One of our favorite winter comfort foods. I know it’s many of my friend’s favorite too! I used white beans instead of black beans for the leftovers in the freezer but I’ve posted both versions before, but this one has the printable PDF.

Creamy Chicken Chili and Beans

Creamy Chicken Chili and Beans

Sous Vide Meatloaf with Bacon

I made this with a several pieces of ground up uncooked bacon in it and cooked via the sous vide method. Wow, talk about a flavor bomb! I am linking up to Conor Bofin’s recipe, as his inspired me to make my mom’s meatloaf with bacon and sous vide method. I did not write my own post about it.

Mom's Meatloaf

Mom’s Meatloaf

Spicy Chicken Florentine

Well I know I just posted this, but it IS in the freezer and we need to finish it. Just two small lunch-sized servings left. 🙂

Spicy Chicken Florentine

Spicy Chicken Florentine

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64 Responses to “Meals from Raiding the Freezer”

  1. Cheryl "Cheffie Cooks" Wiser January 28, 2017 at 10:58 am #

    Go girl-I freeze foods monthly but in a large household we go through it quickly on those busy weeknights for sure. I do shop weekly at two major grocery stores and specialty markets. Not having the type of weather as you do my job shopping is far much easier. Even in the hottest summer months here I shop early and carry coolers in the vehicle until I get the stuff home-organization is key for me running a large household.Really the freezer is my next best friend to my ovens-LOL Happy Saturday KR!!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • anotherfoodieblogger January 28, 2017 at 11:01 am #

      Thanks CCC! I am sure you go through your freezer food WAY quicker than we do! And I am sure you are way more organized than I am. 🙂 xoxoxo

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  2. Kate January 28, 2017 at 11:04 am #

    Kathryn, I love your blog! I think it would be a lot of fun (and my pleasure) to have you over for dinner. In the meantime I have nominated you for a Blogger Recognition Award (must be this time of the year with these awards,ey?) 🙂 https://katecooksthings.wordpress.com/2017/01/28/blogger-recognition-award/

    Liked by 1 person

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  3. Teresa Blackburn January 28, 2017 at 11:13 am #

    I like to do this every now and then…just eat from what I have in my freezer, refrigerator and pantry without bringing in food from “the outside”. It’s a good way to clean out and think outside the cooking box! Great recipes you have come up with and very inspiring.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • anotherfoodieblogger January 28, 2017 at 11:18 am #

      Thank you Teresa! It was becoming unmanageable for space. I cook a lot with what I have on hand ingredients-wise, but these were prepared meals just waiting for a side!

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  4. Jodi January 28, 2017 at 11:51 am #

    Wow. Look ar all this deliciousness you had saved. Lucky. Yummy!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. Teagan Geneviene January 28, 2017 at 12:08 pm #

    Oh drool city, Kathryn! I remember your original posts for most of those. I’m sure they were just as good after the freeze. Any time I cook I try to have 2 or 3 servings leftover. Unfortunately the freezer part of my undersized refrigerator is matchingly undersized.
    Marvelous post, my friend. Mega hugs!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • anotherfoodieblogger January 28, 2017 at 12:33 pm #

      Thank you my dear Teagan! We are running out of space with three freezers! But two of the freezers are filled with a quarter cow, 20 pounds of chicken, and about 30 quarts of various stocks and broths. I would hate to think if our power ever went out long-term. 😛 xoxo

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      • Teagan Geneviene January 28, 2017 at 12:36 pm #

        Holy Hannah! With that kind of investment in the freezerS, maybe you want to look into a generator… Just “throwing that out there.”
        I’ve been stunned by how long power outages last in this area… weeks sometimes. It’s outrageous. Even when I lived in NM, the longest outage I ever had was a few hours…
        More hugs.

        Liked by 1 person

      • anotherfoodieblogger January 28, 2017 at 12:47 pm #

        Most of the power lines in town are underground now, and we have an aggressive tree-trimming program to keep the above ground power lines away from existing trees. We’ve had enough snowstorms that all the trouble areas have pretty much been taken care of. 🙂

        Like

  6. Sadie's Nest January 28, 2017 at 12:53 pm #

    Some great ideas KR. I love using up our frozen goods! And I’m partial to stroganoff with ground beef, growing up I didn’t know any other way!

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  7. NoPlateLikeHome.com January 28, 2017 at 1:42 pm #

    These look great. I’m sure the lasagna soup is great because how could it not be?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • anotherfoodieblogger January 28, 2017 at 2:31 pm #

      Thank you! You cannot go wrong with Lasagna Soup, that’s for sure. 🙂

      Like

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      • NoPlateLikeHome.com January 29, 2017 at 1:50 pm #

        Would you be interested in doing a guest post on my blog? If you don’t have time, I understand. I just like your recipes and thought my followers would enjoy it.

        Liked by 1 person

      • anotherfoodieblogger January 29, 2017 at 3:48 pm #

        How sweet of you to ask! Did you have anything particular in mind? Like any blogger who works another job full-time, my time is pretty limited, but perhaps I could fit it in somewhere. Just don’t ask me to bake a cake, lol, not my forte. 🙂

        Like

      • NoPlateLikeHome.com January 29, 2017 at 3:58 pm #

        Something easy for you. Maybe a condiment sauce or something you already have pix of. It can be 300 words. -or- I can make one of your recipes, take pix and put it on both of our blogs with comments from each other. It is less work for you.

        Liked by 1 person

      • anotherfoodieblogger January 29, 2017 at 5:47 pm #

        The latter sounds perfect to me! Just tell me what I need to do on my end for it to happen. Also, I tried following you on WordPress but the follow button never popped up, so guessing I need to subscribe via email?

        Like

      • NoPlateLikeHome.com January 30, 2017 at 2:31 pm #

        You can follow on email or Facebook. I’m also on Twitter, stuble upon and Google plus.

        Liked by 1 person

  8. Antonia January 28, 2017 at 2:19 pm #

    Awesome collection of freezer friendly meals! Thank you for the ideas 😀

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  9. cookingwithauntjuju.com January 28, 2017 at 3:07 pm #

    I just emptied a refrigerator in the basement so I have lots of leftovers to use. Great recipes to share Kathryn.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  10. Freda @ Aromatic essence January 28, 2017 at 3:10 pm #

    Wow!!! It’s great you had all these yummy meals stocked up, Kathryn!! How I wish my freezer had enough space to stock up like this, Sigh!!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  11. Fourth Generation Farmgirl January 28, 2017 at 3:51 pm #

    These ALL look so good! What a great idea to make dinners ahead. I wish I were that organized. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  12. Sheryl January 28, 2017 at 6:07 pm #

    This must be the time of year for inventorying the foods that we have in storage. I recently inventoried the food that I canned last year, and developed a plan for using them that will have all the jars empty by late spring.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • anotherfoodieblogger January 29, 2017 at 9:49 am #

      Wow you are way more organized than me. I have only about 12 pints of canned tomatoes left, but I’m not worried about using those up in a timely manner as I add tomatoes to many dishes.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  13. D. Wallace Peach January 28, 2017 at 6:20 pm #

    These all look so good, Kathryn, and how nice to have 8 meals already made!. I should learn to make more than I need and take advantage of the freezer. I tend to make enough to cover the husband’s lunch the next day and that’s about it. Always great ideas over here!

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  14. Tasty Eats Ronit Penso January 28, 2017 at 6:56 pm #

    Great dishes! This definitely reminded me I should do the same… 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  15. Lina January 28, 2017 at 11:35 pm #

    Great post! I’m bookmarking this!! So many amazing recipes all put together 😊😊😊😊

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  16. Conor Bofin January 29, 2017 at 7:13 am #

    Great going Kathryn. Glad you are now out of the big freeze.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  17. Lynz Real Cooking January 29, 2017 at 11:08 am #

    Wonderful!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  18. healthylivingbyeva January 29, 2017 at 11:24 am #

    Wow, I will definitely be adding these to my collection! Thanks for all the wonderful ideas.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  19. Elaine @ foodbod January 29, 2017 at 10:48 pm #

    Brilliant! I do love leftovers, as you know, they always have so much flavour 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  20. Michelle Williams January 30, 2017 at 9:17 am #

    I’ve made your Smoked Sausage and Tortellini Soup. It is delicious. I enjoy being able to defrost and eat. Sadly, I tend to forget what I’ve put in the freezer and the meals stay in there too long and get freezer burn. You have inspired me!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • anotherfoodieblogger January 30, 2017 at 10:50 am #

      Thank you Michelle! Ours usually end up that way too, so that’s why I finally made a list. (Plus the fact that we were running out of room.) 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  21. Marisa's Italian Kitchen January 30, 2017 at 9:07 pm #

    They are all delicious looking Kathyrn, I would not mind anyone of those right about now! Yummy 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  22. paintdigi January 31, 2017 at 5:45 am #

    Happy 2017
    Good posts, beautiful blog.
    Congratulations.
    Welcome to see my creations:
    paintdigi.com

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  23. Karina Pinella January 31, 2017 at 10:30 am #

    What a great lin-up. An all-star ensemble.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  24. Karen February 2, 2017 at 11:29 am #

    When we lived in New Hampshire, I always tried to keep my freezer full. You never knew when a snow storm would keep you from going out to the grocery store. I sounds like you have been eating very well of late. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • anotherfoodieblogger February 2, 2017 at 12:55 pm #

      Thank you Karen, you were very wise to keep your freezer full when living up in New Hampshire. As I recall, didn’t you also have a generator?

      Like

      Reply
      • Karen February 2, 2017 at 1:00 pm #

        We did and it was used more often than we would have thought. Over a week after an ice storm.

        Liked by 1 person

  25. Cooking For The Time Challenged February 4, 2017 at 7:55 pm #

    Great freezer stock! I always forget what I have in the freezer, and often, unless it is a soup, when I defrost it, it tastes lousy. Any tips for heating and serving frozen food? It is a challenge for me. Thanks!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • anotherfoodieblogger February 4, 2017 at 8:06 pm #

      No nothing special, I just microwave it on defrost then heat to temp until eating temperature on the stove or oven, whatever it takes.

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  26. FrugalHausfrau February 7, 2017 at 11:42 pm #

    I’m loving the idea of the cabbage soup and I STILL have to make the lasagne soup! YUM!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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