My freezer inventory -April

I absolutely have to have an inventory of what is in my freezer. It is a chest freezer, so if I don't I can't see most of the stuff in there. Also I use my inventory to plan out my meals two weeks at a time on a dry erase board on my fridge. This way I can thaw the food the night before, and never have to think about it! 

Making a plan for what to eat each day was our biggest hurdle, and it often ended in eating out, because it got too late to cook.

I use the white board to update what we ate once a week, so I am not having to update my inventory on the computer every day.

So here is a list of what is in my freezer right now. It is organized by color based on the month it was put in the freezer. This way I can make sure to use the oldest stuff first and keep it rotated. There would be no point making more spaghetti sauce if I already have 4 in there! Also the quanity is next to the item, and red items are things I have used up and need to replenish (or remove from the list if they didn't work)

This is the part where YOU come in! Let me know what recipes you would like (in the comments), and I will be happy to make a new post with my recipes, links to other recipes used, or info where you can find the ones I can't post. 

(if there is a 'C' next to the recipe, it is a crock pot recipe)

Happy Cooking!

Main dishes

• ground beef enchiladas -1
• pkg of 2 breaded chicken breasts -1
• 3 pack chicken breasts -2
• pkg of 2 regular chicken breasts -4
• Crock pot chicken alfredo -1 C
• chicken fajitas -1
• bbq spare ribs -1 C
• hamburger potato casserole -1 C
• beef stew -2 C
• spaghetti sauce with hamburger -2
• calzones (3 in pkg) -0
• turkey stock -3       shredded turkey -2
• kabob chicken  -1
• chicken pot pies -1
• crock pot or skillet orange chicken -1 C
• cilantro lime chicken -1 C
• chili -1 C
• tater tot casserole -2
• cube steaks with gravy -1 C
• pizza casserole -2 C
• mountain dew chicken -1 C
• zuppa toscana (olive garden copy cat recipe) -0 C
• tomato steak stew -2 C
• ham and potato soup -1 C
• french dip 0
• shepherds pie -1
• shrimp scampi with penne -2
• balsamic brown sugar pork roast- 2 C
• chicken cordon blue rolls- 8
• beef tips with gravy -1 C
• ham and bean soup -1 C
• mongolian beef -2 C
• cream cheese chicken and rice -2 C
• chicken parmesan with penne pasta-2 C
• regular beef roasts in broth and seasonings -2 C
• stuffed shells with chicken -2
• hawaiian pork -2 C
• spaghetti sauce (no meat) -3

individual meals

• breaded chicken -2
• Seasoned chicken breasts 6
• salmon -1
• rice -1
• mashed potatoes -1

sides

• twice baked potatoes -1
• funeral potatoes -1
• brown rice -3
• bacon ranch potatoes -1
• mashed potatoes -3

Freezer tips

After several requests, for tips and advice, on the once a month freezer cooking I've been doing, I have decided to start a blog! I am not a blogger, nor am I a website designer by any means! Here I am, sitting at my computer, just trying to help you all, by letting you learn from my mistakes and successes. Hopefully only successes...

Here are the things I have figured out so far.

Freezer tips! 

• For crock pot meals, soups, stews, really anything you can, use zip top freezer bags to store your food. Lay them flat to freeze, then you can stack them neatly upright.

• Label, label, label.- Sharpie works best, because you don't have to worry about labels coming off in the freezer, and being left with a mystery meal.

• Keep an inventory of what is in your freezer. Trust me! If you can't see it, you don't know you have it, and you will never use it. Simple as that!

• Soups, stews and casseroles freeze best. You can freeze almost anything. Most things I have read say you can't freeze potatoes. I have found you can! Use red or yukon gold wherever you can. If they won't be in some type of sauce or soup, I like to blanch them for 2 minutes. 

• COOL EVERYTHING before freezing. If not your whole freezer will heat up and your foods will not freeze fast enough to ward off freezer burn. 

• To freeze casseroles: Use foil pans from the dollar store. They are so worth it. I get 2 for $1. The alternative is to line your casserole dish with plastic and foil. Freeze the meal in that dish, then pop it out, wrap it up, then thaw and bake in the dish you froze it in. You can also freeze casseroles in the zip top bags and pour into a casserole dish to bake. (If you remembered to thaw it) Of course if you use the foil pans, you don't have to wash one! Lazy girl bonus!  
• Also put a layer of plastic wrap over the food in the foil pan, before you put the foil on top. It will protect against freezer burn. Don't forget to remove before baking!

• Try to freeze everything you need with the freezer meal (tortillas for fajitas or tacos, cheese or breadcrumbs to top a casserole, etc). You can bag it together in a bigger bag or add in your casserole dish (in a bag), with instructions to remove before baking.

• Write full instructions on the meal in case someone else cooks the meal. For instatnce, your husband/wife/child has to cook it, or if you give the meal away for a friend in need. Also don't forget intructions to remove plastic wrap, or meal extras (tortillas, cheese, etc)

• Remember you will always lose moisture in the oven, especially with casseroles containing rice or noodles. Add more sauce/liquid than you think you will need, and only half cook your rice or noodles.

I'll be sure to add more tips as I think of them. Watch for my next post. I'll be adding a list of things that we have tried and liked, or not liked, with tips on how to fix those that didn't go well! Feel free to leave me a comment or question. I'll do my best to answer questions quickly. Also I'd love to know what you would like to see in this blog! Happy Cooking!