Crockpot Recipes and Freezable Food

southernbelle0915

So there was a thread the other day about that couple who registered for meals post delivery of their baby. Obviously DH and I won't be doing that.

And I know if we don't make stuff before I deliver, I will eat so much delivery that my breast milk will probably taste like pizza and the kid will grow up only wanting Jet's. DH and I decided a while ago that we'd buy an upright freezer for our basement and store tons of meals that we'll make ahead of time.

I'm trying to assemble a bunch of recipes. I have a few that sound awesome, but I want more variety. So what are your favorite crockpot or other freezable recipes? 

emmaaa

I think a good go to is always lasagna. They take me forever to prep anyways so I like to do them in advance so I can pop it in the oven once I get home. Same thing with chicken pies and casseroles.

I also freeze soups (vegetable and chicken tortilla soups especially) and chili because I always make too much and it's nice to have if it's cold or you're sick.

I'm weird about crockpot meals because I don't like my vegetables cooked with meat unless it is onions so I'm not much help there.

LondonLisa

I love buffalo chicken chili- it is amazing and freezes really nicely. Just some shredded chicken, franks hot sauce, onions, white beans, chicken stock and a scoop of cream cheese. Serve it with celery and some blue cheese crumble. 

Also, Moroccan butternut squash Tagine (with lamb or chicken) is one of my favourites. The flavours are amazing: cinnimon, cardamom, paprika, cumin, tumeric etc. Defrost and serve with a scoop of greek yoghurt, fresh cut coriander, pomegranate seeds and almond flakes. If you want to bulk it out you can make cous cous in 2 minutes in a microwave to go on the side. Otherwise it is great with pitta bread and hummus.

arrippa

I made this for my bible study group and they loved it. I froze the leftovers.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-chicken-tortilla-soup/

I did alter the recipe. I hate frozen corn and cilantro so I didn't add them. I also used regular tortilla chips and avocado as a topping.

 

wandajune6

I keep a few things in the freezer at all times. I also have lots of friends/family with small children that I've cooked/frozen stuff for.

1. Homemade meatballs. In a pinch, 2 minutes in the microwave then heat in a jar of sauce while pasta cooks.
2. Homemade chili. Consider making it mild. My sister found that heat kept the baby up when she was breastfeeding.
3. Misc. soups. You may want to keep the beans to a minimum in case the baby doesn't love them (a problem for a friend).
4. Lasagna in meal-sized servings. Lasagna roll-ups are also really handy.
5. Bags of stuff you can toss in the crockpot-- pre-browned meat with veg, sauce, etc.
6. Your favorite frozen pizzas, when on sale.

While not meals, a few other things to keep around:
1. Consider having some pre-marinated meats and frozen veg around.
Sometimes you want to eat something that doesn't feel as heavy or slow cooked.
2. Frozen chocolate bars. Aldi makes these mini bars of dark chocolate which make life so much better.
3. Chunks of frozen fruit for smoothies, etc. If you're trying to keep junk food to a minimum while breast-feeding, fruit smoothies are great. If you freeze the stuff yourself in smoothie-sized bags, you'll be ready to go.

littlemushroom

I make pulled BBQ chicken or pork in the crock pot that freezes very well.

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts OR pork loin, trimmed
12 oz Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce
1/2 cup Kraft Free Zesty Italian dressing
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Cook on low about 5 hours. Pull out meat and shred, then add back to sauce.

We also make spaghetti sauce with crumbled hot Italian turkey sausage, onion, green pepper and diced tomatoes added to our favorite jarred sauce and freeze that flat in ziploc bags. Then all we need to do is make the pasta and thaw the sauce in the microwave while the pasta is cooking.

We keep the same cooked frozen sausage in the freezer and use it for pizza toppings , to throw in an omelet or soup, etc as well.

allispain

I have a killer BBQ pork recipe I use a lot - made with homemade BBQ sauce as opposed to the bottled stuff, and it's really easy to make.

I also like to do lentil dishes - I make one with curry and coconut milk that I really like.

Also, saag aloo (an Indian spinach and potato dish) is crazy easy. You can eat it on its own or over rice, with chicken, etc.

ginnybinny17

White bean chicken chili!

 

16 oz each garbanzo, pinto, kidney beans

~1.5 lbs of chicken breast

16 oz diced tomatoes (I like the Mexican style ones)

Cook on low appx 6 hours or so

After cooking add in sour cream and shredded Mexican cheese

so easy and provides so much warm cheesy goodness

 

TrixieJess

Freezer:

Enchiladas

Lasagna

Spaghetti Sauce

Soups

Stock

Crock Pot:

Pulled Pork

Chili

Baked Beans

Chicken Curry

Sausage braises

These were our staples after my son was born. He came early though so I only had a couple of things prepped. The rest were done by very good and helpful friends.

theartistformerlyknownas

So a few years ago I discovered that Dream Dinners had to publish revisions to some misprints in their cookbook, and I totally stole from it. I DID end up buying the cookbook for my mom, and it has a lot of good recipes. 

I've made the Penne with Rosemary Chicken (without the pimentos, and with cream of chicken soup) on page 16 and the Pork Medallions with Pears on page 24 for a few people and they got rave reviews. 

http://www3.dreamdinners.com/media/cookbook_revisions_0607.pdf

Chicken Enchiladas also freeze really well... I don't really have a recipe though. Chop up some cubed chicken, either from a big batch you've poached for the penne above, or picked off a whole roasted chicken. Mix with green chiles, shredded cheese, and a brick of cream cheese. Roll into a tortilla, line up in a foil pan, and cover with Salsa Verde. Bake from thawed about 30 minutes at 350 (or 60 minutes from frozen) covered, then uncover, top with more cheese, and bake another 10 minutes.

Any type of stuffed shell is a winner too. Tub of ricotta, one egg, and whatever you can think of to mix in. Chopped chicken, spinach, and artichokes; ground turkey and roasted red peppers; mashed butternut squash and lemon zest; just lots of cheese. Precook the shells to just underdone, fill, sauce of your choice, freeze, heat through per above time. I find when things are mostly cooked, 30 for thawed and 60 for frozen works out well.

Foil pans are your friend to go straight from freezer to oven. I always write on the top whether or not there's plastic wrap under the foil though. Don't think laminated food is good for baby.

knottie9c5ed33df4bbd226

Crockpot chicken tacos are amazing and I do buffalo chicken sandwiches in the crockpot as well.

sarawifenow

Chicken noodle soup!!

 

 

kmmssg

We have a food saver and you will pry that puppy from my cold dead hands.  If it ever dies I will be in my car asap to replace it.  You can boil the bags with some things for easy dinner prep.

We usually have sloppy joes, taco meat, pulled pork, and refried beans in the freezer.  Quite often we will have beef stew or other soups too.  All of those things are precooked so we can reheat them in a pan of water while in the food saver bag.

I remember a couple of episodes from Pioneer Woman that had freezer meals that looked pretty good:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/chicken-pot-pie.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sour-cream-noodle-bake0.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/carrot-thyme-soup-with-cream.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/06/easy-calzones/

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/chicken_spaghet/

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2014/05/lasagna-rollups/

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2013/01/sunday-night-stew/

 

Oh, and there is a crapton of ideas on pinterest too.

 

 

 

 

esstee33

Yeah I was kind of obsessed with freezer meals a few months ago. I have a tiny apartment freezer and it was stacked to the top with bags frozen along the sides every which way, heh. This is about to be a novel-length post, but here are my favorites (almost entirely from Pinterest, but many tinkered with by me): 

Chicken Chili - 1 can each black beans & white kidney beans (drained & rinsed), sm can tomato paste, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1/2 bag froz corn, 1 diced green pepper, 2 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp each chili powder & paprika, 2 tsp each cumin & oregano, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 lb chicken breasts. Cook on low 10-12 hours or high 5-6, remove chicken & shred, then return to crock. Top with shredded cheese, obviously. 

Beef Tips & Gravy - 1.5 lbs stew meat, 1 packet onion soup mix, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 1 can beef broth, 1 pkg sliced mushrooms. Serve over mashed potatoes or egg noodles. 

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo -  1 lb. chicken, 1 jar alfredo sauce, 1 diced green pepper, 1 Tbsp each oregano & basil (or maybe just a few hefty shakes of Italian seasoning). Serve w/ steamed broccoli over noodles. 

Beef Burgundy - 1/2 c flour, 2 lbs stew meat, 1/4 c olive oil, 1 pkg sliced mushrooms, 1 c chopped parsley, 2 Tbsp minced garlic, 2 c burgundy wine, 1 cup beef broth. Serve over egg noodles. 

Ciltantro Lime Chicken - 1 lb chicken, 1/4 c lime juice, 1 bunch chopped cilantro, 1 bag froz corn, 2 Tbsp minced garlic, 1 can black beans (drained/rinsed), 1 tsp cumin. Shred chicken & serve w/ brown rice. 

Chicken Curry - 1 lb chicken, 1 sm can tomato paste, 1 bag frozen peas, 1 can coconut milk, 2 Tbsp minced garlic, 3 Tbsp honey, 3-4 Tbsp curry powder, 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes. Cook on low 10-12 hrs or high 5-6. Serve over brown rice. 

Then there are some marinades that I liked that were super simple (I used 1 lb chicken in each of these but you could obviously add more chickens): 

Spiced Citrus Chicken - 2 Tbsp each olive oil, lime juice, orange juice, lemon juice, chili powder, and paprika, 1 tsp cayenne pepper. 

Herb-Wine Chicken - 1 c red wine, 2/3 c olive oil, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 lemon (thinly sliced), 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp basil. 

Lemon & Garlic Chicken - 2 Tbsp minced garlic, 4 Tbsp olive oil, 3 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 Tbsp each basil & oregano. I liked this one with fresh shaved parm after cooking. 

Red Pepper Chicken - 1 red pepper (sliced into strips), 1/4 c olive oil, 4 Tbsp minced garlic, 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes. 

Unless noted otherwise, I just cooked everything on high for 3-4 hours (or low for 6-8). 

julieanne912

kmmssg said:

We have a food saver and you will pry that puppy from my cold dead hands.  If it ever dies I will be in my car asap to replace it.  You can boil the bags with some things for easy dinner prep.

We usually have sloppy joes, taco meat, pulled pork, and refried beans in the freezer.  Quite often we will have beef stew or other soups too.  All of those things are precooked so we can reheat them in a pan of water while in the food saver bag.

I remember a couple of episodes from Pioneer Woman that had freezer meals that looked pretty good:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/chicken-pot-pie.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sour-cream-noodle-bake0.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/carrot-thyme-soup-with-cream.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/06/easy-calzones/

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/chicken_spaghet/

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2014/05/lasagna-rollups/

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2013/01/sunday-night-stew/

 

Oh, and there is a crapton of ideas on pinterest too.

 

 

 

 

FI is obsessed with that sour cream noodle bake.  I like it too, it's just a bit heavy for me.

I also love doing lasagna rolls ups.  The ones I like are you take chicken, ricotta, and pesto and mix that up as your filling, and then spread on the noodles and roll up, then top with marinara and mozzarella.  They're easy cause you can freeze each roll individually if you want, for single servings. 

jenna8984

We make this quite often and it freezes really well.

Crockpot- 6 boneless pork chops, 2 cans cream of chicken, 1 can chicken broth, 2 packets ranch seasoning mix. High for 2 hours. 

Stove- package of egg noodles. When crockpot is done, cut chops into bite size pieces and serve with the sauce over egg noodles.

julieanne912

Here's the recipe for those chicken pesto lasagna rolls http://traceysculinaryadventures.com/2012/09/chicken-pesto-lasagna-rolls.html 

julieanne912

esstee33 said:

Yeah I was kind of obsessed with freezer meals a few months ago. I have a tiny apartment freezer and it was stacked to the top with bags frozen along the sides every which way, heh. This is about to be a novel-length post, but here are my favorites (almost entirely from Pinterest, but many tinkered with by me): 

Chicken Chili - 1 can each black beans & white kidney beans (drained & rinsed), sm can tomato paste, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1/2 bag froz corn, 1 diced green pepper, 2 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp each chili powder & paprika, 2 tsp each cumin & oregano, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 lb chicken breasts. Cook on low 10-12 hours or high 5-6, remove chicken & shred, then return to crock. Top with shredded cheese, obviously. 

Beef Tips & Gravy - 1.5 lbs stew meat, 1 packet onion soup mix, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 1 can beef broth, 1 pkg sliced mushrooms. Serve over mashed potatoes or egg noodles. 

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo -  1 lb. chicken, 1 jar alfredo sauce, 1 diced green pepper, 1 Tbsp each oregano & basil (or maybe just a few hefty shakes of Italian seasoning). Serve w/ steamed broccoli over noodles. 

Beef Burgundy - 1/2 c flour, 2 lbs stew meat, 1/4 c olive oil, 1 pkg sliced mushrooms, 1 c chopped parsley, 2 Tbsp minced garlic, 2 c burgundy wine, 1 cup beef broth. Serve over egg noodles. 

Ciltantro Lime Chicken - 1 lb chicken, 1/4 c lime juice, 1 bunch chopped cilantro, 1 bag froz corn, 2 Tbsp minced garlic, 1 can black beans (drained/rinsed), 1 tsp cumin. Shred chicken & serve w/ brown rice. 

Chicken Curry - 1 lb chicken, 1 sm can tomato paste, 1 bag frozen peas, 1 can coconut milk, 2 Tbsp minced garlic, 3 Tbsp honey, 3-4 Tbsp curry powder, 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes. Cook on low 10-12 hrs or high 5-6. Serve over brown rice. 

Then there are some marinades that I liked that were super simple (I used 1 lb chicken in each of these but you could obviously add more chickens): 

Spiced Citrus Chicken - 2 Tbsp each olive oil, lime juice, orange juice, lemon juice, chili powder, and paprika, 1 tsp cayenne pepper. 

Herb-Wine Chicken - 1 c red wine, 2/3 c olive oil, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 lemon (thinly sliced), 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp basil. 

Lemon & Garlic Chicken - 2 Tbsp minced garlic, 4 Tbsp olive oil, 3 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 Tbsp each basil & oregano. I liked this one with fresh shaved parm after cooking. 

Red Pepper Chicken - 1 red pepper (sliced into strips), 1/4 c olive oil, 4 Tbsp minced garlic, 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes. 

Unless noted otherwise, I just cooked everything on high for 3-4 hours (or low for 6-8). 

I just copied and pasted this entire post into an email to myself, thanks!  Now that I have a monster commute I should be utilizing my crockpot more than I do.

jenna8984

julieanne912 said:

esstee33 said:

Yeah I was kind of obsessed with freezer meals a few months ago. I have a tiny apartment freezer and it was stacked to the top with bags frozen along the sides every which way, heh. This is about to be a novel-length post, but here are my favorites (almost entirely from Pinterest, but many tinkered with by me): 

Chicken Chili - 1 can each black beans & white kidney beans (drained & rinsed), sm can tomato paste, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1/2 bag froz corn, 1 diced green pepper, 2 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp each chili powder & paprika, 2 tsp each cumin & oregano, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 lb chicken breasts. Cook on low 10-12 hours or high 5-6, remove chicken & shred, then return to crock. Top with shredded cheese, obviously. 

Beef Tips & Gravy - 1.5 lbs stew meat, 1 packet onion soup mix, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 1 can beef broth, 1 pkg sliced mushrooms. Serve over mashed potatoes or egg noodles. 

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo -  1 lb. chicken, 1 jar alfredo sauce, 1 diced green pepper, 1 Tbsp each oregano & basil (or maybe just a few hefty shakes of Italian seasoning). Serve w/ steamed broccoli over noodles. 

Beef Burgundy - 1/2 c flour, 2 lbs stew meat, 1/4 c olive oil, 1 pkg sliced mushrooms, 1 c chopped parsley, 2 Tbsp minced garlic, 2 c burgundy wine, 1 cup beef broth. Serve over egg noodles. 

Ciltantro Lime Chicken - 1 lb chicken, 1/4 c lime juice, 1 bunch chopped cilantro, 1 bag froz corn, 2 Tbsp minced garlic, 1 can black beans (drained/rinsed), 1 tsp cumin. Shred chicken & serve w/ brown rice. 

Chicken Curry - 1 lb chicken, 1 sm can tomato paste, 1 bag frozen peas, 1 can coconut milk, 2 Tbsp minced garlic, 3 Tbsp honey, 3-4 Tbsp curry powder, 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes. Cook on low 10-12 hrs or high 5-6. Serve over brown rice. 

Then there are some marinades that I liked that were super simple (I used 1 lb chicken in each of these but you could obviously add more chickens): 

Spiced Citrus Chicken - 2 Tbsp each olive oil, lime juice, orange juice, lemon juice, chili powder, and paprika, 1 tsp cayenne pepper. 

Herb-Wine Chicken - 1 c red wine, 2/3 c olive oil, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 lemon (thinly sliced), 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp basil. 

Lemon & Garlic Chicken - 2 Tbsp minced garlic, 4 Tbsp olive oil, 3 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 Tbsp each basil & oregano. I liked this one with fresh shaved parm after cooking. 

Red Pepper Chicken - 1 red pepper (sliced into strips), 1/4 c olive oil, 4 Tbsp minced garlic, 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes. 

Unless noted otherwise, I just cooked everything on high for 3-4 hours (or low for 6-8). 

I just copied and pasted this entire post into an email to myself, thanks!  Now that I have a monster commute I should be utilizing my crockpot more than I do.

Good call- I'm doing this now!