Freezer Meal Recipes: Simple Cream Biscuits

Make simple cream biscuits now and freeze them for later!

Freezer Biscuits1

What a wonderful idea! Make a bunch of biscuits when you have some time, freeze them, then simply pop some in the oven when you want fresh homemade biscuits. Love it! And yes, they taste wonderful too!

If you want your biscuits to rise properly when baking, it helps to cut them out with a sharp edge. So, a biscuit cutter, cookie cutter, or knife are some possible options.

Note: I must have made mine somewhere between 1/2- and 3/4-inch, rather than 3/4-inch thick. They still turned out great, but I ended up with 39 instead of the estimated 24. I’m ok with that. :) I also needed to watch the cooking time more closely. Thinner biscuits cook more quickly.

biscuits1

 

Freezer Meal Recipes: Simple Cream Biscuits

Yield: 25-35 biscuits

Ingredients

  • 6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for counter
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 1/2 cups heavy cream

Instructions

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together. Stir in the cream until a dough forms, about 30 seconds. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gather into a ball. Knead the dough briefly until smooth, about 1 minute.

Pat the dough into a 3/4-inch thick circle. Cut out biscuits using a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter. Cut out as many as possible. Place them on the prepared baking sheet. Gather scraps of dough a knead together briefly, then pat out again and cut more biscuits. Repeat again.

Preparing For the Freezer:

Wrap the baking sheet tightly with greased plastic and freeze the biscuits for about 6 hours. Transfer frozen biscuits to a large resealable bag and freeze for up to 1 month.

Prepare after Freezing:

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450. Place biscuits on a lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake one baking sheet at a time, until puffed and golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.

To Serve Without Freezing:

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450. Bake one sheet at a time, for about 15-20 minutes.

http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/2013/05/freezer-meal-recipes-simple-cream-biscuits.html

Recipe adapted from The Best Make-Ahead Recipe by Cook’s Illustrated.

ateco cutter set

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Freezer Meal Recipes: Honey Sesame Chicken {Slow Cooker}

honey sesame chicken

I LOVE this recipe! Everyone loves it, in fact. So, I keep the simple ingredients on hand and make it often. While it is already super easy to make, I recently decided it would be worth a shot to prep it as a freezer meal. And it seemed to work quite well. Score! I like to serve it with rice, including cauliflower rice (pictured above). Throw in a side of Garlic Broccoli and you’re golden.

Freezer Meal Recipes: Honey Sesame Chicken {Slow Cooker}

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup diced onion
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 2 Tbsp oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 4 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tbsp water
  • sesame seeds

Instructions

Lightly season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes.

Preparing For the Freezer:

Put the seasoned chicken and sauce into a large resealable bag. Freeze.

Prepare after Freezing:

Let thaw in fridge for 24 hours. In a slow cooker, cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours. Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce. Dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornstarch in 6 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce. Replace lid and cook sauce on high for 10 more minutes or until slightly thickened. Meanwhile, cut or shred chicken into bite-size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce before serving. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice or noodles.

http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/2013/05/freezer-meal-recipes-honey-sesame-chicken-slow-cooker.html

Recipe adapted from Six Sisters’ Stuff and Baby Center.

freezer meal honey sesame chicken

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Freezer Meal Recipes: Scrambled Egg Muffins with Sausage

Breakfast or dinner! Scrambled Egg Muffins with Sausage Recipe

scrambled egg muffin with ketchup

Super easy and quick, these egg muffins were a hit with my family. Especially yummy served with ketchup or salsa. I forgot to move my oven rack from the middle position with this batch, so my muffins peaked a little more than they should have. Oops. Still good though!

egg muffins

Freezer Meal Recipes: Scrambled Egg Muffins with Sausage

Yield: 12 Muffins

Ingredients

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin (baking spray with flour is recommended).

Microwave sausage in uncovered bowl until fat begins to render, about 1 minute. Drain the fat. In a separate bowl, whisk crackers, eggs, half and half together until combined. Stir in cheese, scallions, and drained sausage.

Slowly pour egg mixture into prepared muffin tin. Bake until the tops are set and lightly golden, 8-10 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool slightly, then loosen and remove the muffins from tin. Serve plain, with ketchup, or salsa.

Variations: Scrambled Egg Muffins

...with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Boursin, and Basil

Sub 3 Tbsp chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, patted dry, for sausage; do not microwave tomatos. Substitute Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs cheese (5.2 oz), crumbled, for cheddar, and 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil for scallions.

...with Kielbasa, Pepper Jack, and Scallions

Sub 4 oz kielbasa sausage, cut into 1/3-inch pieces, for breakfast sausage; microwave as directed. Sub 1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese for cheddar.

Preparing For the Freezer:

Let the muffins cool. Put them in a resealable freezer bag, remove as much air as possible, and freeze!

Prepare after Freezing:

Place 1 - 4 on a plate and microwave on medium-high (70%) power for 1 1/2 - 4 minutes (depending on how many) or until hot. For larger amounts, preheat oven to 325. Place muffins on baking sheet and reheat in the oven for about 15 - 20 minutes, until heated through. Keep an eye on them so they don't overcook.

http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/2013/04/freezer-meal-recipes-scrambled-egg-muffins-with-sausage.html

Recipe slightly adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Quick Family Cookbook.

egg muffin batter

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Freezer Meal Recipes: Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Freezing Homemade Biscuits and Gravy

biscuits and sausage gravy

Homemade biscuits and gravy is really quite easy to make. I put off  learning how to make it for way too long! I wish I would have realized how easy it is to make!

Freezer Meal Recipes: Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Ingredients

  • Biscuits from a can or homemade biscuits
  • Gravy:
  • 1 lb Sausage
  • 1/4 cup Flour
  • 2 cups Milk
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Bake the biscuits from the homemade biscuits recipe or from the can.

2. Brown sausage in a pan. In this photo I used sausage links because that is what I had on hand. It turned out great, but traditionally I have used ground sausage.

3. When sausage is fully cooked add flour. Stir until well mixed.

4. Slowly add milk. Stir on medium heat until sauces is thick.

5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Serve over warm biscuits.

Preparing For the Freezer:

If you do this as a freezer recipe you can freeze your biscuits. If they are in the tube do not freeze them in the tube. Remove them from the tube unbaked and freeze them in a freezer bag. Homemade biscuits can be frozen in a freezer bag after you bake them.

Gravy can be frozen after prepared, but it tastes a little better to make it the day you are serving it. To speed things up you can freeze the ground cooked sausage and make the gravy on the day you are serving this meal.

Prepare after Freezing:

Let your biscuits thaw. Bake tube biscuits according to tube instructions. Warm homemade biscuits in the oven for 5-10 minutes at 350 degrees.

If you froze gravy. let it thaw and then warm it on the stove. If you only froze sausage put it in a pan over medium heat, warm it up and then make gravy. Or cook sausage and make gravy the day of serving.

http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/2013/04/freezer-meal-recipes-biscuits-and-sausage-gravy.html

sausage gravy

Mixing sausage and flour. I normally make this with ground sausage, but this day I only had links so I made it with the links instead and it turned out great!

sausage gravy recipe

Stir your sauce until thick. For a richer sauce use half and half or heavy cream instead of your milk or do 1 cup of each.

I LOVE my heat resistant non-stick nylon utensils:

non stick heat resistent utinsels

This is a fabulous set! I love the utensil pictured in my gravy above. It is one of my favorite and I can not find it anymore. BUT the pink handled and green handled utensils in this set above would really do the trick if I have to replace the one I love! I LOVE these colors too! So fun.  Oh and the elevated handles keep my counter from getting messy when I set the utensil down.

Joseph Joseph 6-Piece Heat-Resistant Utensil Set

  • 6-piece utensil set includes a spaghetti server, slotted spoon, ladle, slotted turner, solid spoon, and flexible turner
  • Heat-resistant up to 480 degrees F; ideal for use with nonstick cookware and bakeware
  • Weighted handles elevate heads above surfaces to improve hygiene and eliminate messes
  • Soft grips in assorted colors offer comfortable and stylish use; gift-boxed; dishwasher-safe

5 in 1 non stick heat resistent utinsel

Now this utensil I think I might have to have now! It looks like it will function much like my favorite, and it has FIVE different cool functions! Check it out!

Joseph Joseph Uni-tool, 5-In-1 Utensil, Grey

  • 5-in-1 kitchen utensil
  • Slotted spoon, a turner, a solid spoon, a spatula and a cutting tool
  • Made from tough nylon
  • Heat resistant up to 240 degrees C / 480 degrees F
  • Dishwasher safe

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Freezer Meal Recipes: Green Monster Smoothie Recipe

Perfect Green Smoothie for the Non-Veggie-Lovers!

I’ve tried a few other green smoothies and they actually tasted better than I expected, but they still didn’t taste great. If you know me, you know I’m not a big fan of salad, so drinking something that kinda tastes like salad just isn’t something I can stick with. I still liked the idea of a shake for breakfast that included a veggie though, so I tried a few more.

green monster smoothie

This recipe is the best one I’ve tried so far. You can barely taste the spinach at all! It almost just tastes like a vanilla shake, with a touch of banana and slight peanut butter flavor. I’m not really a peanut butter fan either, but this works for me! Also, it easily keeps me full until lunch. No morning snack needed. Score!

When I find a good sale (under $0.45/lb) or red-banded bananas, I definitely buy more than one bunch! Then peel, slice, and freeze them. I also buy a big bag of spinach at Costco and if it starts getting old, I portion it and freeze it too. I also tried portioning and freezing all of the ingredients, except the milk, to try to simplify the morning process and that worked well too. It is nice to have most items portioned out and ready to go in advance! But all of that frozen stuff was a bit of a struggle for my poor blender.

frozen green smoothie

So, I usually just stick with freezing the spinach and banana. I freeze them in one-serving portions, so I can just dump it in the blender. Also, the ingredients usually slide out of the bag pretty cleanly so the bags are easy to rinse and reuse.

spinach for smoothie

Freezer Meal Recipes: Green Monster Smoothie Recipe

1 Large Serving

Ingredients

  • 1 frozen sliced banana
  • 1 Tablespoon peanut butter or almond butter
  • 1/2 vanilla Chobani Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze (or any other kind of milk)
  • about 4 cups baby spinach (more or less is up to you)

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Start at a low setting, then increase speed until blended smooth. Drink up and enjoy!

Notes

It is best to use bananas with brown flecks on peel. You'll want to peel and slice your bananas before freezing them. If not using frozen banana, add ice. Chobani Greek yogurt tends to have a bit less sugar than some other brands.

Try using different greens, adding 1 cup berries or fruit, protein powder, flax, chia, or whatever your heart desires!

http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/2013/04/freezer-meal-recipes-green-monster-smoothie-recipe.html

I first found this recipe on Pinterest from Iowa Girl Eats. Thank you!

Here are a few more healthy smoothie recipes:

Please share your favorite combos, add-ins, and green smoothies in the comments!

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How to Cut and Freeze Mango

Mango Freezes Easily

I love mango! When I buy a big box of mangos my family can not eat all of them before they start to get old. So it works really well to freeze them. Then I can use my frozen mango to make smoothie recipes. When I was in the Philippines I learned how to properly cut a mango. It can be a little tricky because of the large seed in the center of the mango, so there really is a best way to cut a mango.

How to Cut Mango

how to cut fresh mangohow to cut mango

Mango cutting tools:

If you love kitchen tools like I do here are some cool kitchen tools for cutting mangos.   mango slicermango cutter   OXO Good Grips Mango Splitter $13.99 Amco 2 in 1 Mango Tool $11.84 how to freeze mango

How to Freeze Mango

Freezing mango is very simple.

  • Cut it out and arrange it on a baking sheet or a 13×9 pan depending on which pan fits in your freezer.
  • Cover the top and bottom of the pan with plastic wrap.
  • Let fruit freeze for 24 hours.
  • Then transfer mango from the pan to a freezer bag and return to the freezer for long term freezing.

Here are some more tutorials on freezing fruits and vegetables:

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How to Freeze Asparagus

How to Freeze Asparagus

I LOVE asparagus.  I would eat it every day, all year round if I could.  There’s nothing like it!  And now is the time of year to STOCK UP!  I scored 28 lbs of this lovely veggie for $27!  Can’t beat that.  Well, until I figured out just how much Asparagus that was!  No way will my family be able to eat that before it goes bad without turning green!  So, into the freezer it goes, which means awesome fresh(er) asparagus all summer, fall and winter, and no $4.99 a lb!

How to Freeze Asparagus

Ingredients

  • Asparagus
  • Ice
  • Ziplock Bags

Instructions

Start water to boil, in stockpot, place steamer basket in bottom of pot

Prep asparagus by cleaning thoroughly, and cut off ends, and sort by size (small (the thickness of a pencil or smaller), medium sized, and large (bigger than half an inch). We were doing 16 lbs, so this wasn't a small task. By the time we were done, the water was boiling nicely)

Place 1-2 lbs of asparagus in boiling water to blanch. Blanching time starts as soon as the pot begins to boil. Small asparagus blanches for 2 minutes, medium for 3, and large for 4.

When the time is up, remove from boiling water quickly and submerge in an ice water bath for the same time you blanched. Having the steamer basket in the bottom makes this easy. I just used tongs and grabbed it out.

Drain and pat dry

Place in resealable bag to freeze (about 4 lbs per gallon-sized bag)

Lay flat in freezer

Frozen asparagus will keep for 10-12 months

http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/2013/04/how-to-freeze-asparagus.html

Freezer LablesI love these little Freezer Labels!  Write on the label instead of the bag, and you don’t have to hunt for a sharpie!

Use Frozen Asparagus to make

How to Freeze Series

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Freezer Meal Recipe: Pizza Breadstick Casserole

pizza breadstick casserole

This casserole delight brings the best flavors of pizza to the table: bread and cheese! Oh and tomatoes, sausage, and veggies too. Another great thing about this meal is that you can adapt the filling ingredients to what is in season and to what you have. No zucchini? Easily sub in a different vegetable (corn, winter squash, green beans, etc.). The meat can also easily be subbed with ground beef or turkey, pepperoni, cooked chicken, etc.

I use my favorite breadstick recipe for the full 9×13 pan. When I am only making a 8×8 or 9×9 pan of it, I use half of the breadstick dough for the top of the casserole and make breadsticks with the other half. We love breadsticks! But you can even use just 1/2 of the breadstick dough recipe for a full 9×13 pan, if that suits you better.

Pizza Breadstick Casserole Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, green, red or yellow, diced
  • 2 medium zucchini, cut into rounds
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 jar red pasta sauce or homemade sauce
  • 9-12 ounces fully cooked chicken or turkey sausage, sliced
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
  • 1 recipe homemade breadstick dough or refrigerated breadstick dough
  • Homemade Sauce:
  • 2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes, drained
  • 16 ounces tomato sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 baking dish and set aside.

Heat oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add the onion and diced pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the pepper is tender. Add the zucchini and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until just tender. Stir in the pasta sauce (or all ingredients for the homemade sauce) and the sausage. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until the liquid is somewhat reduced. Stir in 2 Tbsp of Parmesan. Spoon half of the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella cheese over the top. Spoon the other half of the sauce over the cheese and sprinkle another 1/2 cup mozzarella over the top. Arrange bread sticks in a lattice pattern on the top, trimming to fit, if necessary. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan and mozzarella over dough.

Bake 25-30 minutes, until the breadsticks are golden brown and the filling is hot and bubbly. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. Serves 8-10.

Preparing for the Freezer:

The sauce mixture with sausage, veggies and cheese freezes well. Prepare it and split it between two 8x8 or 9x9 pans. (If you don't have pans to spare, you could probably just freeze it in gallon resealable freezer bags.) We get about 5-6 servings from each pan.

Preparing after Freezing:

Let it thaw in the refrigerator for about 24 hours. Then prepare the breadstick dough and place it on top of the mixture before baking.

http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/2013/03/pizza-breadstick-casserole-recipe.html

Adapted from MelsKitchenCafe.

pizza breadstick casserole served

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7 Fast and Easy Freezer Meals Using Chicken

I ordered a 40 lb case of chicken from Zaycon Foods and it is coming this week!

freezer meal recipes chicken

I usually package my chicken in freezer bags like you see in our youtube video below. But with so many freezer meal recipes on Fabulessly Frugal and my dire need for time saving meals in my freezer, this time I am going to take the time to prep some freezer meals with my Chicken!

My Chicken Freezer meal recipes of choice:

A 40 lb box of chicken should contain about 80 breasts of chicken so I have a lot of meat to work with for my recipes. I am going to double each one of my recipes.  Once you put the effort into making one you may as well make two. You can use these ingredients to make your own grocery shopping list. Don’t forget to see what you have in your pantry from couponing!

BBQ Chicken Pizza  <—-Link to the full recipe

1 pizza crust (store bought or homemade)
2 c. mozzarella cheese
½ Red onion
2 Chicken breasts cut into small slices or shredded
2-3 c. BBQ Sauce
Cilantro

Breaded Smothered Chicken   <—-Link to the full recipe

4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 Can Bread crumbs
6 Eggs
2 c. Shredded mozzarella cheese
Prego sauce

chicken ole crockpot freezer recipe

Chicken Ole  <—-Link to the full recipe

2 cans of Cream of Chicken soup (or 1 Cream of chicken and 1 cream of mushroom)
1 7oz can green Chile salsa
1 cup sour cream
2 Tbs grated onion
4 cups boiled, shredded chicken
12 corn tortillas cut into 6 strips each (large tortillas)
1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Cream Cheese Chicken   <—-Link to the full recipe

4 chicken breasts
1 packet of dry zesty Italian seasoning
1 can of cream of chicken soup
8 oz of cream cheese
¼ cup of butter
½ cup of water
salt and pepper to taste

garlic ranch chicken recipe

Garlic Ranch Chicken   <—-Link to the full recipe

4 Breasts of chicken
1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing packets
1 c. milk
1 c. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp dried minced garlic

pineapple pepper chicken freezer meal and crockpot reicpe

Pineapple Pepper Chicken    <—-Link to the full recipe

2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
1 cup sugar
1 cup vinegar
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup ketchup
3 Tbls soy sauce
1 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
4 chicken breasts
1 can (8 oz.) pineapple chunks, drained
1 medium green pepper, julienned (optional)

cilantro lime chicken

Cilantro Lime Chicken   <—-Link to the full recipe

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
Juice from 2 limes
1 cup or 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 (16 oz) bag frozen corn
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste

What I need to know to make 14 freezer meals:

My Shopping list: I have most of the ingredients on hand to make these meals, but I will need a few things from the store. Your shopping list may have a few more items depending on how much couponing and stockpiling you have been doing.  I have doubled the ingredients to make two of each meal.
freezer meal groceries
  • 2  Red onions
  • 2 7oz can green Chile salsa
  • 4 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
  • 4 limes
  • 3 bunches fresh cilantro
My Chicken Prep: I need 52 breasts of chicken to make all of the above recipes twice. So will you!
  • 12 Chicken breasts cooked and cut into small slices or shredded
  • 40 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts uncooked

 

YOU CAN DO THIS TOO! WHO IS GOING TO JOIN ME?

Here are some more Chicken Recipe Ideas:

freezer cooking http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/freezer-recipes

 

foodsaver vacuum sealing kit
FoodSaver V2244 Advanced Design Vacuum Sealer, Black $69.99

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Freezer Meal Recipes: Cooking From Your Pantry

Norpro Cut-N-Slice Flexible Cutting Boards, Set of 3
Norpro Cut-N-Slice Flexible Cutting Boards, Set of 3 $7.48

We are not just stockpiling food, we are using it in our cooking everyday to feed our families. Find out how you can too in 4 Steps to Becoming the Master of Your StockpileCheck out more of the recipes we like.

cookie dough freezer

Monica – Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie 

Ham and Scalloped Potatoes

Becky – Ham and Scalloped Potatoes

cilantro lime chicken

Melanie – Cilantro Lime Chicken

BBQ spareribs freezer meal

Kearna - BBQ Spareribs Freezer Meal

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