As requested- My Freezer List

An easy post today is in response to the questions from the last post- What do I freeze?

My answer is- just about everything.

Cookie dough- although the cookies came out dry... So I'm thinking I'm going to test baking the cookies and then freezing them.  I'm told this will work.

Spaghetti- I make everything except the noodles and freeze it.  You can freeze the noodles if you want, but they break that way, and I like my noodles twirly.

Beef Stroganoff- We make ours with Sour Cream.  If you make yours with sour cream I recommend making it all withOUT the sour cream and freezing it.  When you reheat it add the sour cream.  It tastes fine if you freeze it with Sour cream, but it comes out looking kinda gross.

Chili- freeze it all.  Warning- reheating makes it a little spicier.

Potato Soup- freeze it all.

Vegetable Stew- freeze it all.

That delicious Maple Chicken- I make it without the glaze and freeze it.

Pork chops- I freeze them uncooked because they seem to dry out too much to freeze cooked.

Pot pie- I freeze the whole thing minus the topping.  I'm told I can probably freeze the topping, but... eh.

Lasagna- Freezes nicely, but sometimes it comes out messy...

If I'm not sure about freezing something (like my chicken alfredo) I tend to do what I can, like freezing the cooked chicken portion.  It might not seem like it, but even having just some of the process finished makes getting it prepared a TON easier.

I haven't tried it, but I'm also told you can freeze most fresh veggies- some need to be cooked first, though.  We also tend to freeze some fruit for smoothies.

Some other quick notes- While I love freezing food, there are small issues- I had to learn how (use freezer bags, lay them as flat as possible and clearly mark what they are).  This helps organizing, but also it makes it quicker to thaw.

Another thing I prefer is to thaw the food in the fridge for a couple of days before cooking.  This means it takes less time to cook when it comes time to eat, which is a big thing in our house.

I also tend to make a few adjustments once things thaw- they are a little dryer.  Adding water almost always works.  For the beef stroganoff, adding the sour cream works.  For spaghetti I tend to add more sauce.  Some things are just perfect- like the pot pie.  :)  Yum. 

Enjoy!