Freezer Meals: Weeks 2 & 3

Time to play a little game of catch up on the freezer meal situation. I've been busting my belly in the kitchen the last two weeks and am feeling quite accomplished over here!

First, I should mention we are now the proud owners of this guy:

A 7 cubic feet chest freezer thanks to my parents! Hooray for early Christmas presents as this was obviously needed well before Christmas! Not only has it already come in handy for all our freezer meals, but it will be much appreciated when it comes to storing breastmilk and having a growing family.


Laughing Cow Chicken- Click for the recipe, however, do not bake the chicken. I did all the steps right up to baking, wrapped each individual breast in foil and then sealed them in an airtight bag. For cooking- I'll defrost overnight in the refrigerator and bake as normal. Just be certain to check your chicken temp to make sure they are cooked thoroughly! Also- I made sure to use fresh chicken breasts so I wasn't thawing, freezing and re-thawing the chicken.

Vegetable Lasagna- Follow the recipe up to the baking step. Freeze at that point. Defrost overnight and bake as usual. I used one of my disposable aluminum tins.

Macaroni & Cheese- Follow the recipe up to the baking step. Freeze at that point. Defrost overnight and bake as usual. I used one of my disposable aluminum tins.

Sweet & Sour Chicken- Follow the recipe up to the baking step. Freeze at that point. Defrost overnight and bake as usual. I used one of my disposable aluminum tins.

Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes (from Smitten Kitchen)- after cooking, I just layered with wax paper and sealed in a airtight bag. When ready to eat, microwave for one minute.

Egg, Sausage & Cheese Strata-
6 slices bread, without crusts
1 lb. cooked browned ground sausage
3/4 lb. shredded cheddar cheese
2 c. milk
8 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 c. melted butter

Cube bread and layer in buttered 9x13 inch baking dish; add sausage and cheese in layers. Mix milk, eggs and dry mustard together. Pour over bread and meat. Pour butter over all. *Refrigerate overnight. Bake @ 325 for 1 hour.
*But to freeze-I refrigerated overnight and then put them in the freezer. Defrost overnight and bake as directed.

That's it for weeks 2 and 3. Since I've got a shortened week with Thanksgiving coming up, I've only got two recipes I'm planning on doing although I might get to more, time permitting.

Week 4:
Chicken Pot Pies
Beef Enchiladas

After those, I'll actually have enough dinners for a month seeing as I've been freezing about 2 dinners per recipe on average. I've just really got my fingers crossed that all this hard work is going to pay off in the end!!