Foods that freeze well?

PrairieMom wrote: In the fall I like to mass produce meals to freeze so that I have easy things to thaw and prepare for the winter. It helps DH for those weekends when I work, and he has to cook.
Evey year I make the same things, spaghetti sauce, chili, and taco casserole. I'd like to prepare a few more things that are a bit different, and maybe that don't contain ground beef. any ideas?
I have also heard that baking and freezing individual muffins works well, has anyone tried this?

moped replied: Yes I have frozen muffins - all good

soups freeze well

chili

chicken/beef pies

your garden vegys

luvmykids replied: I have a chicken and pasta casserole that's really good and freezes great...I know you said no ground beef but I love to freeze meatballs too. Let me dig up the chicken recipe.

PrairieMom replied:
Thanks that would be great.

I don't really have a problem with ground beef, I just already have a lot of recipes that have it in, and I don't want to eat hamburger everyday this winter.

Calimama replied: Casserole's freeze the best!!

luvmykids replied: This is actually Naomi's recipe...mine doesn't use the Rotel or Velveeta, just extra shredded cheese mixed in as well as on top. I also dump in a can of mushrooms. I don't use chicken breast either, I just cook a whole chicken. We love the stuff, I always double it and eat one that night (with leftovers ) and freeze one.

Chicken Spaghetti
1/2 stick butter
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans Rotel
2 c. chicken broth
4 large chicken breasts
8 oz. Velveeta cheese
1 16 oz box of Vermicelli noodles
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

cook chicken, cool, shred
sautee onion, bell pepper, celery in butter
add cream of mushroom and Rotel
cook about 10 min. on low simmer
add chicken broth, cook another 10 min.
add cubed Velveeta and cook until melted
add boiled noodles and chicken
put in 10x15 baking dish, add cheese
bake @ 350 for 25 minutes

Calimama replied:
Yummy! I'm going to try this next weekend. TFS!

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: Well just for a change, how about using your same recipes but using ground turkey or buffalo instead? I do this with chili and pasta sauces. I also make tacos with the other ground meats, much more lean.

Bertolli makes these great frozen dinners, just in case you don't actually want to make anything. I rarely buy frozen foods, but they advertised this brand on Top Chef and I thought I would try it. Really good! I bought a mozarella marinara gnocchi...The boys loved it and it only took 8 minutes in the skillet! Seemed low in sodium.

You can freeze lasagna whole. Or make individual portions and freeze. I always make big batches of my pumpkin soup and buffalo chili, and muffins do freeze great as long you put them in the freezer when they are completely cooled (otherwise they stick).

coasterqueen replied: I'm sorry I don't have the answers to your original post Tara. I was wondering if you all would not mind sharing what meals you already DO freeze. Some are already posted, I see. With Kylie in school, soccer, bowling, swimming, art and gym classes and Dh and I traveling a lot for work I'm thinking this is one way I can make life easier for us.

luvmykids replied: My parents had buffalo burgers last weekend and are STILL raving about them. I never would have tried it but they said they were so good that I'm going to have to

luvmykids replied:
I've just started freezing meals, so I don't have a big selection But my standards are the chicken casserole I posted, meatballs, meatloaf, lasagna, and enchiladas. I just found this website that has a menu for freezer meals, I'm going to try some of it, it goes beyond the basics.

Freezer Menu

coasterqueen replied: I will check that out Monica, thanks.

So say I was going to make a lasagna and freeze it. Do I cook it first, then freeze? Is there some particular science to doing this? Do I have to let the lasagna cool down before freezing it, etc? Sorry, I'm really not intelligent when it comes to this.