I’m a new grandmother, have done a Grandma Thing, and made up a bunch of food for my daughter and her new family. These are all recipes she is familiar with me serving, but I don’t think I’ve ever made any of these specific dishes with her, so I wrote this up. After doing so, I realized that maybe putting it where it can be found easily online might not be a bad idea.
Really, almost anything that can be cooked in a crock pot can be frozen ahead to be cooked. These are all pretty easy. Conceivably you could freeze up a recipe while cooking another, and slowly stock your freezer that way, if you wanted to. Certainly for those who don’t have a whole hour at a time to spare, that’s a decent way to sneak up on freezer cooking.
We have also found that these freeze-ahead meals are a good choice if you know anyone who might need some help (illness, new baby, bereavement – anytime you might bring someone food) because they can go in the freezer for a later time. If you do that, make sure you know if they have a slow cooker! I also strongly recommend writing the cooking instructions clearly on the bag.
Beef Stew
- 1 lb. stew beef, diced
- 4 medium potatoes, diced
- 4 large carrots, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp. beef base
- 2 t each: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme (Yes, I went there)
- ½ c. red wine
Put in a gallon bag. Squeeze the air out. Freeze flat.
To cook, thaw overnight. Put in slow cooker and cook on low 6-8 hours. (Can go longer)
Chicken Vegetable Stew
- 1 lb. chicken, diced
- ½ lb. frozen vegetables (don’t knock it. This is cheap and easy)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp. chicken base
- 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tsp sage
Put in a gallon bag. Squeeze the air out. Freeze flat.
To cook, thaw overnight. Put in slow cooker with about 1 qt. water, and cook on low 6-8 hours. (Can go longer)
Curry
- 1 lb. chicken, diced
- 2 medium potatoes, diced
- 1 c. plain yogurt
- 1/4 c. raisins, ground
- 1/4 c. cashews, ground
- 1 c. peaches, mango, or apricots
- 1 15 oz can coconut milk
- 1 large onions
- 3T garlic
- 3T sliced fresh ginger (Powered is also fine)
- 4 T curry powder
- ½ can tomato paste
Warning, a slight pain in the ass. But oh so very good.
Put in a gallon bag. Squeeze the air out. Freeze flat.
To cook, thaw overnight. Put in slow cooker and cook on low 6-8 hours. (Can go longer) Serve over rice.
Fifteen Bean Soup
- 1 lb. Italian sausage, molded into balls, or 1 lb. browned and drained hamburger.
- ½ lb. mixed beans, cooked. (They sell 13-16 bean mixtures all over the place)
- 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 T garlic, minced
- 1 T Chili powder
- 2 t cumin
Put in a gallon bag. Squeeze the air out. Freeze flat.
To cook, thaw overnight. Put in slow cooker with about 1 qt. water, and cook on low 6-8 hours. (Can go longer)
Spaghetti Sauce
- 1 lb. Italian sausage, molded into balls, or 1 lb. browned and drained hamburger.
- 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 T garlic, minced
- 1 T dried oregano
- 1 T dried basil
Optional
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 red pepper, diced. (Yes, I did this to sneak in veggies…. Don’t look at me like that. Spaghetti sauce is a great way to do it, and you’ll try it, too)
Put in a gallon bag. Squeeze the air out. Freeze flat.
To cook, thaw overnight. Put in slow cooker and cook on low 6-8 hours. (Can go longer) Serve over pasta. Or eat a damn bowl of it, why not?
Taco Stew
- 1 lb. browned and drained hamburger.
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 T garlic, minced
- 1 15 oz. can black beans or ½ c. dry black beans, cooked.
- 1 15 oz can corn
- ½ small can tomato paste
- 1 T taco seasoning or 1 T chili powder
- 2 t cumin
Put in a gallon bag. Squeeze the air out. Freeze flat.
To cook, thaw overnight. Put in slow cooker and cook on low 6-8 hours. (Can go longer). Serve over tortilla chips. Good with shredded cheese, salsa and sour cream.
White Chili
- 1 lb. chicken, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp. Chicken base
- 1 small can diced green chili peppers
- 2 cans white beans or 1 c. dry white beans, cooked.
- 1 T cumin
Put in a gallon bag. Squeeze the air out. Freeze flat.
To cook, thaw overnight. Put in slow cooker with about 1 qt. water, and cook on low 6-8 hours. (Can go longer)