Re: Freezer to Crockpot Meals
 

What store had gf ravioli? I haven't ever seen it. Is it egg free? I'm guessing it might not be.

---------- Post added at 03:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:00 PM ----------

Wait a minute, you soak the beans and then freeze them, but don't cook them and then cook them with the meal? If so, that is genius! :rockon

Re: Freezer to Crockpot Meals
 

Market Basket - a NE store. But it's not egg-free :(

---------- Post added at 03:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:34 PM ----------

Soak then freeze! Don't cook! Isn't it amazing? I'll soak a big bag and then freeze just plain. Lay the bag flat, and you can break chunks off easily! And they don't come out mushy!

Re: Freezer to Crockpot Meals
 

Yup! Exactly! I've been doing it that way for years. Canned beans tend to overcook in the crockpot, anyway. (And you avoid any questions about possible BPA in cans.)

Re: Freezer to Crockpot Meals
 

This week I'm going to try the Italian beef and a slow cooker spaghetti bolognese sauce. I thought that restaurants prepped pasta ahead and then reheated it, so I'm going to google how to do that.



I really need to find some time to organize some freezer meal planning, grocery store shopping, money for advanced grocery shopping, and then a block of time to put together a bunch of freezer meals. I can only think of maybe two other times I have done that. Two freezer meals per week will be used up quickly, but it would make my life so much easier. On the days I have to use the crockpot for dance, I feel like I'm spending all of the time not at dance in the kitchen so freezer meals would simplify that greatly if I just had to dump and turn on the crockpot rather than assembling the recipe, too.

Re: Freezer to Crockpot Meals
 

I made SW chicken today - yum!

Re: Freezer to Crockpot Meals
 

You can reheat cooked pasta by pouring boiling water over it. I use my electric kettle because it's the fastest way to boil water. Put the pasta in a colander set inside a larger bowl, pour water over and let it soak a couple of minutes, then you just pull out the colander and the pasta is drained.

Re: Freezer to Crockpot Meals
 

So I think my plan for tomorrow's grocery shopping is to buy a family-sized package of chicken breasts at Aldi's, and put together one freezer meal each of chicken teriyaki and the chicken for tacos. I might even make a simple one of chicken breasts and bbq sauce. I'm also going to try to put together a balsamic beef roast with carrots. That will give me three or four freezer crockpot meals which is a start. Maybe if I could do about three a week, I'd get ahead at some point. :giggle

Re: Freezer to Crockpot Meals
 

We tried beef stroganoff yesterday. I loved it :heart

We r having sesame chicken soon too.

Re: Freezer to Crockpot Meals
 

We once did a spaghetti fundraiser at church. The noodles were pre-cooked al dente (or a little less) and then a small amount of olive oil was added so the noodles didn't stick together. The portions were then put into ziplock bags until needed. I'm pretty sure we then dumped the bag contents into a colander that could be lowered into boiling water for a minute or two. The noodles drained when the colander was lifted. Darcy's suggestion of pouring water from a kettle would also work.

At the same time you are cooking your noodles you can also cook other things like quinoa and boiled eggs...or whatever else would help you with other meals you have planned.

Re: Freezer to Crockpot Meals
 

So I assembled quite a few freezer meals this afternoon and got them in the freezer!


Here's what I have :
1 bag Italian Beef
1 bag Balsamic Roast Beef and Carrots
1 bag bbq chicken
2 bags chicken tacos
1 bag Chicken Teriyaki
2 bags bbq meatballs - my grandma's recipe :heart
2 bags brown sugar carrots

Re: Freezer to Crockpot Meals
 

I prepped and froze 4 kinds of meatballs a few weeks ago - 2 lbs simple Italian (just meat, onion, garlic and Italian seasonings), and 2 lbs Thai Mini Meatballs. The latter are SO good! And they froze really well.

Re: Freezer to Crockpot Meals
 

What do you serve the Thai meatballs with?

:ty2

Re: Freezer to Crockpot Meals
 

Trader Joe's makes a sweet chili sauce that the boys used. I served it with rice and veggies. Or just as an appetizer :) I actually made Italian meatballs as the meal, but everyone kept eating the others which I intended to freeze.

Re: Freezer to Crockpot Meals
 

Does anyone have any info about the safety aspect of cooking from frozen in a slow cooker?

I've always done it but then someone on a slow cooker fb page jumped all over me about how easy it is to cause food poisoning that way because it takes too long to heat the food up out of the danger zone, especially with large cuts of meat.

My frozen dump bags were a life saver after T was born but I've been scared to do it since, and having to remember to defrost takes all the ease out of it. Since it can take 48+ hours to defrost stuff in our fridge, and leaving things on the counter to defrost is frowned on too apparently (my mom has always done it and never given anyone food poisoning :shrug)

Re: Freezer to Crockpot Meals
 

Officially you aren't supposed to dofrozen meat in a slow cooker ( prusher cooker is fine ). https://www. thekitchn.com/stop-putting-frozen-chicken-in-your-slow-cooker-usda-256924

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk