Freezer Meals

Instant Pot Freezer Meal – Orange Chicken

Dear Sis,

Another good instant pot freezer meal. I really appreciate how little work I need to do on serving day! 

Orange Chicken

b
Instant Pot Freezer Meal Orange Chicken
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Course Main Course
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

Preparation Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lb chicken thighs cubed
  • 1/2 c orange marmalade
  • 1/4 c hoisin sauce
  • 2 T low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 T minced garlic
  • 1 T ginger paste
  • 1 T rice vinegar
  • 1 1-gal freezer bag

Serving Day Ingredients

  • 1 c chicken stock
  • 2 T cornstarch dissolved in 3 T cold water
  • 2 green onions chopped, (optional)
  • sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions
 

Preparation Instructions

  • Date, label, and copy serving day instructions onto a 1 gallon freezer bag.
  • Combine all ingredients in prepared bag. Press out air and seal. Freeze for later use.

Serving Day Instructions

  • Add bag contents and chicken stock to instant pot. Pressure cook 8 minutes, natural release 10 minutes, quick release remaining pressure.
  • Using saute function, stir in dissolved cornstarch and boil until sauce thickens. Serve over rice. Garnish with green onion and sesame seeds if desired. Serve with a side of green beans.
Keyword instant pot, freezer meal, orange chicken

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Dinner is served!

Love,

b

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Instant Pot Freezer Meal – Beef and Broccoli

Dear Sis, 

This is the first recipe in our Instant Pot freezer meal series. I did have to make a few changes. I added 2 T brown sugar to balance the flavor so it wouldn’t be too bitter for my little people. I wish I would have added the broccoli after reducing and thickening the sauce. Ours was too thin, but I couldn’t reduce it more without overcooking the broccoli. Without further ado, the recipe:

Beef and Broccoli

b
A freezer meal for the Instant Pot.
3.50 from 2 votes
Print Recipe
Course Main Course
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

Prep Ingredients

  • 2 1 - gallon freezer bag
  • 1 1/2 lbs flank steak, thinly sliced
  • 1 lb broccoli florets, frozen
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 T dark broan sugar, packed
  • 2 T hoisin sauce
  • 2 T low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 T minced garlic
  • 1 T cooking sherry
  • 1 T ginger paste
  • salt and pepper to taste

Serving Day Ingredients

  • 2 c rice
  • 1 c vegetable stock
  • 2 T cornstarch
  • 1 t sesame oil

Instructions
 

Prep Instructions

  • Lable gallon bag with date, recipe, and preparation instructions for cooking day.
  • Set frozen broccoli florets aside. Combine all other ingredients in gallon bag, press out air, and seal.
  • Place broccoli and prepared meat mixture into second gallon bag, press out air, seal, and freeze for later use.

Serving Day Instructions

  • Prepare rice in your usual way. We use a rice cooker.
  • Add stock and frozen meat mixture to pressure cooker. Pressure cook 10 minutes. Natural release 10 minutes. Then, release remaining pressure before opening.
  • Stir cornstarch into 3 T cold water until dissolved. Pour into cooked meat mixture. Using saute function. reduce and thicken sauce to desired consistency.
  • Add frozen broccoli, cooking until heated through. Serve over rice.




Dinner is served!

Love,

b

Back to the Instant Pot Freezer Meal Directory

New Year Freezer Meals

Dear Sis,

I have an extra freezer dedicated to housing freezer meals. I find that just as often as we use freezer meals, we give them away… To a neighbor who had outpatient surgery, a mom friend who has a new baby, etc. Sometimes the best gift is a home cooked meal!

Two years ago, I got an Instant Pot as a holiday gift. The first year, I didn’t like it. The second year, I learned to make soups, stews, and one pot meals in it. This year, now that I am over the learning curve, I use my Instant Pot regularly, from steaming fresh vegetables in a flash or whipping up a side of potatoes, rice, or pasta. My goal is to extend my Instant Pot recipes to include freezer meals. Sometimes I need to use a freezer meal with only an hours notice! 

In the coming weeks… and months, I will be testing new recipes. This post will serve as a directory that links to individual posts that take a recipe from preparation to presentation.

Instant Pot Freezer Meals

Beef Vegetable Soup

Tomato Basil Soup

Chicken Paprikash

Orange Chicken

Creamy Tomato Chicken

Ginger Chicken and Broccoli

Beef and Broccoli

Minced Beef Stroganoff

Happy Cooking!

Love,

b




Homemade Pizza Dough to Share

Dear Sis,

We have given out cookies four times in the last week and a half. Today we decided to share something a bit different with some of our neighbors and friends.

Each kit contains dough for two pizzas, wrapped in plastic wrap, a small bag of cornmeal, and an instruction print out in a freezer bag.

Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe

Homemade Pizza Instruction Printable

Happy Sharing!

Love,

b

Lunch with Aunt Angel

Dear Sis,

This morning my sous chef and I had an early start, so we could me Shepherd Pie and Cookie Pudding for Aunt Angels lunch visit.

While I chopped the onion, Sous Chef William chopped the potatoes. Daddy is in the background sitting on the floor while baby sister spins counter-clockwise in the doorway bouncer:) She always uses her feet to spin counter-clockwise (shoulder shrug).

Josh browned the beef for me, while I put Charlotte down for her morning nap. Making lunch was a family affair:) When I came back, we put William’s potatoes on the stovetop to boil. 

While I made gravy and mixed veggies into the beef, my sous chef got busy crushing the chocolate sandwich cookies. He has a few refined techniques:

This first technique is a broad spectrum approach to cookie smashing.

The second technique is more precise and can be used to target cookies that escaped smashing during the application of the first technique.

I have a homemade shepherds pie recipe on the blog, but I have made some changes to accommodate life with a baby and toddler. When I’m in a real pinch, I use Bob Evans pre-made mashed potatoes from the grocery store. I thought I’d share my new mom hacks. Also, though I have not tried it yet, I’m pretty sure this could be a freezer meal. 

Busy Mama Shepherds Pie
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Ingredients
  1. 1 pound lean ground beef
  2. 1 onion, chopped
  3. 2 cups beef gravy
  4. 3 cups frozen mixed vegetables
  5. mashed potatoes
  6. shredded cheese (opt)
Instructions
  1. Brown beef and onion in a skillet over medium heat.
  2. Stir together beef, gravy, and vegetables in a 9x13 inch casserole dish.
  3. Top generously with mashed potatoes.
  4. Bake 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees.
  5. Add shredded cheese during last 10 minutes of baking time, if using.
Adapted from b
Adapted from b
Tag Sis, You're It! http://www.tagsisyoureit.com/
I used GFS beef gravy mix: 2 c water and 1/2 c mix, whisked and microwaved in 30 second intervals until thick.

We had a wonderful afternoon with Aunt Angel! Our monthly lunches are such a treat:)

Love,

b

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Dear Sis,

Here is another great freezer meal. I think Nate would like it too:)

Chicken Cordon Bleu
Yields 12
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Ingredients
  1. 6 chicken breast, sliced horizontally
  2. 1/2 c unbleached flour
  3. 5 eggs, beaten
  4. 2 c Italian breadcrumbs
  5. 12 slices Swiss cheese
  6. 12 slices turkey ham
On Cooking Day
  1. 2 t melted butter, per roll
Instructions
  1. Lay out three shallow dishes. Place flour in first, egg in the second, and 1/2 c of breadcrumbs at a time in the third. Set aside.
  2. Roll out each piece of chicken on a cutting board until thin, approximately 1/2 inch.
  3. Bread each piece of chicken by dipping it in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs. Set aside.
  4. Fold each slice of cheese into quarters. Wrap each folded cheese slice into a slice of turkey ham. Set aside.
  5. Place a turkey ham wrap at the narrow end of a slice of chicken and roll up. Secure chicken rolls with toothpicks, if cooking now, or with plastic wrap, if freezing for later use in freezer bags.
Thawing Instructions
  1. Unwrap frozen chicken rolls and arrange in greased baking dish. Refrigerate until thawed.
Cooking Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350. Brush each roll with melted butter. Bake 45 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Adapted from Fix Freeze Feast by Kati Neville and Lindsay Ahrens
Adapted from Fix Freeze Feast by Kati Neville and Lindsay Ahrens
Tag Sis, You're It! http://www.tagsisyoureit.com/
Our simple sides are frozen green beans, sautéed and Rice-a-Roni pilaf. I hope this meal works well for your family too!

Love,

b

Honey Mustard Chicken

Dear Sis,

Today we tried another great and simple freezer meal.

Honey Mustard Chicken
Serves 6
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Ingredients
  1. 3 (1 gallon) freezer bags
  2. 18 chicken thighs
  3. 1 1/2 c honey
  4. 3/4 c unsalted butter
  5. 1/2 c prepared mustard
  6. 1 T curry powder
  7. 2 t salt
Label bags
  1. Preheat oven to 350. Run freezer bag under water just enough to remove frozen chicken from bag. Pour into a square baking dish.
  2. Bake 30 minutes. Separate chicken into a single layer and cook 1 hour more until sauce gets thick and sticky.
Fills bags
  1. Place 6 chicken thighs in each freezer bag.
  2. Combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until dissolved and smooth. Cool before pouring equally over chicken thighs.
Adapted from Fix Freeze Feast by Kati Neville and Lindsay Ahrens
Adapted from Fix Freeze Feast by Kati Neville and Lindsay Ahrens
Tag Sis, You're It! http://www.tagsisyoureit.com/

Goes well with Mashed Potatoes and Cracker Barrel Style Carrots.

Love,

b

Sweet Meatballs

Dear Sis,

Today we had a playdate with Carter and Mama Jen. The Mama’s made two homemade meatballs dishes each while the boys enjoyed a nice spring day outside!

Sweet Meatballs
Yields 120
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Ingredients
  1. 4 (1 gallon) freezer bags
Meatballs
  1. 6 lb ground beef
  2. 3 c Italian bread crumbs
  3. 2/3 c whole milk
  4. 4 eggs, lightly beaten
  5. 1/4 c onion, minced
  6. 2 T garlic, minced
  7. 1 T salt
  8. 2 t pepper
Sauce
  1. 4 c ketchup
  2. 2 c dark brown sugar
  3. 2 c red wine vinegar
  4. 2 c Worcestershire
  5. 2 T garlic, minced
  6. 2 T onion, minced
  7. 1 T dry mustard
  8. 2 t pepper
Meatballs
  1. Combine meatball ingredients and shape into 120 meatballs.
  2. Bake meatballs in foil lined pans at 500 for 15 minutes. Cool.
Label freezer bags
  1. Thaw in refrigerator.
  2. Pour into a 9x13 dish and bake 30 minutes at 350.
Fill bags
  1. Place 30 meatballs in each bag.
  2. Combine sauce ingredients and pour it equally over each bag of meatballs.
  3. Freeze up to 3 months.
Adapted from Fix Freeze Feast by Kati Neville and Lindsay Ahrens
Adapted from Fix Freeze Feast by Kati Neville and Lindsay Ahrens
Tag Sis, You're It! http://www.tagsisyoureit.com/

Goes well with rice, mashed potatoes, or mac and cheese with a side of green beans.

It would also go well with whatever your family usually likes with BBQ.

It was nice enough to eat outside again today!

Love,

b