I'm often asked how I manage it all.... working, kids, farmer's wife, full time student, and now pee-wee football which takes a minimum of 4 nights a week. Well for me, it's all about organization. During football season that means my crock pot is my best friend. Not only that but freezer to crock pot meals become a huge necessity! A couple of weeks ago I took a morning to throw together several freezer / crock pot meals. The few hours spent doing this was so worth it. I now have 10+ meals in my freezer just ready for cooking. My family is actually getting fed a meal at night instead of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It's been wonderful. So here are a few of my recipes:
Teryaki Chicken - split the following between two gallon size freezer bags:
2 cups chopped baby carrots
1 red onion chopped
2 large cans of pineapple with juice
4 garlic cloves
6 chicken breasts
1 cup of teryaki sauce
To cook: empty bag into crock pot, add an additional 1/4 cup of teryaki sauce to pot. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. Serve over rice.
Hamburger Soup - for each crock pot meal put the following in a gallon freezer bag:
1 lb browned hamburger - I season mine with salt, pepper, garlic, and add chopped onion as well.
2 cups chopped baby carrots
2 cups peeled chopped potatoes
1 cup frozen green beans
3 cups beef broth
1 clove garlic
1 package Lipton onion soup mix
To cook: empty bag into crock pot, add water to cover veggies if needed. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. You can also add a little red wine for a deeper taste.
Chuck Roast - add the following to a gallon size freezer bag:
1 3lb chuck roast - you don't have to but I like to salt and pepper the roast and sear inton both sizes before putting into the bag, I think this helps seal in the juices.
2 cups chopped baby carrots
2 cups peeled and chopped potatoes
1 large onion quartered
1 can tomato sauce - or 1 can V8
1 cup beef broth
2 tbsp lemon juice
Any other veggies you want
To cook: empty into bag and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
BBQ Chicken - split the following between 2 gallon freezer bags:
2 green peppers, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 medium zucchini, chunked
4 garlic cloves
6 chicken breasts
15 ounce can of tomato paste
1 tbsp brown sugar, Worcestershire and mustard per bag
1/4 tsp salt per bag
To cook: on low in the crock for 6-8 hours. Shred chicken when done. Serve with rice, egg noodles or on a hearty chibata roll with cheese!
Philly Cheese Sandwiches - add the following to a gallon size freezer bag:
1.5 lbs sliced beef - you can use roast beef for this, or do like I do and thinly slice up a few steaks
1 green pepper, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
2 cups beef broth
1 tbsp Montreal steak seasoning
To cook: on low for 6-7 hours, serve on hoagie rolls with pepper jack or provolone cheese. You'll have extra ajus dipping sauce in the crock pot too.
Other ideas:
Spaghetti Sauce: when you make spaghetti, double the sauce you make and freeze half of it. Rewarm in on low for 4-6 hours in the crock pot, then all you have to do is make your noodles.
Taco Meat: when you're making tacos double your meat and freeze it. Add it to the crock pot to rewarm. You may need to add a little extra water so it doesn't dry out.
Other Tips:
If you're going to do it like I do, gather all your ingredients and chop all your veggies first. Brown any hamburger you'll be using in one big pan. Then go through and prepare your bags all at once. It speeds the process up.
Make sure to label your bags. The recipes I use usually last for up to 6 months in the freezer, and while mine are usually used up within 2 months, sometimes it's hard to tell exactly what is in the bag after a month or more in the freezer. So unless you want to play, "What's for Dinner tonight?" label!
Note: I'm an avid pinterest follower, several of these recipes I've found on other blogs and then tweaked this way or that to fit my family's needs and tastes. Some of the recipes are uniquely mine. Enjoy!
