How to Stock Your Freezer
This is probably the most important item to have in your freezer. When meat goes on sale, it’s best to stock up and keep a variety of different meats and cuts of meat in your freezer. This ensures that you always have something to cook for dinner.
How to Stock Your Freezer Tip #2: Purchase Frozen Vegetables
In the winter, it may be hard to find certain vegetables in season. For this reason, it’s a good idea to keep several different types of frozen vegetables in your freezer. Frozen vegetables are also easy to prepare, because they have already been cleaned and chopped, making it very easy to throw together a quick meal.
How to Stock Your Freezer Tip #3: When Fruit Is in Season, Freeze It
Fruit is another item that isn’t always available. In the summer, stock up on fruit and freeze it. This will allow you to enjoy your favorite fruits all year long. Besides, what’s better than a peach cobbler in the middle of winter?
How to Stock Your Freezer Tip #4: Freeze Leftovers
Some recipes just make too much food. If you don’t want to eat the same meal, the next day, freeze your leftovers. This is a wonderful tip, because it allows you to skip cooking one night. All you have to do is grab some leftovers from your stock and heat them up.
How to Stock Your Freezer Tip #5: Keep Quick Snacks on Hand
A great way to stock your freezer is to add quick snacks. Add items like Pizza Rolls, frozen hamburgers, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, etc. Quick snacks are a necessity if you have children. This way, they can fix a quick snack after school, without dirtying the whole kitchen.
How to Stock Your Freezer Tip #6: Make Holiday Treats Ahead of Time
If you’re anything like me, you probably fix several treats around the holidays. It doesn’t matter what holiday it is, you always fix several different recipes. While you enjoy making all these treats, it does take a lot of time. To ensure that you get everything done, make recipes ahead of time and then stock them in your freezer. This is the perfect tip for candy.
How to Stock Your Freezer Tip #7: Prep Ingredients Ahead of Time
If you stock your freezer with pre-cut vegetables, cooked and diced chicken, and sliced strawberries, you will be a very happy person. After all, chopping vegetables is usually what takes the longest amount of time when preparing a recipe. The next time you chop vegetables or cook chicken, prepare extras and stock them in your freezer.
How to Stock Your Freezer Tip #8: Make Homemade TV Dinners
Another way to ensure that you always have a meal to fix is to stock your freezer with homemade TV dinners. To make homemade TV dinners, prepare a meal for four and then arrange the food on microwave/freezer safe plates. Seal the plates in a bag using a food saver and then slip them into the freezer. When you get hungry, pop them into the microwave and hit the button for TV dinner.
How to Stock Your Freezer Tip #9: Prepare Quick Breakfast Items
Do you want to prepare a homemade breakfast for your children, but just don’t have the time? On the weekend, make a large batch of pancakes or waffles and then stock them in your freezer. Your children will prepare these like any other frozen pancake or waffle. The good thing about this tip is that you know what’s going into these foods and you can add healthier ingredients, such as whole wheat flour.
How to Stock Your Freezer Tip #10: Store Extra Cookie Dough
Who actually needs six dozen cookies, except at the holidays? Rather than cutting the recipe in half, make the whole batch of cookie dough and stash half of the dough in the freezer. Simply place the dough on some wax paper and roll it into a tube. Place the tube in a plastic bag and pop it in the freezer. You won’t even have to thaw the dough; just cook it for a few minutes longer. You’ll have fresh baked cookies, without all work.
