I’ve had several requests lately for freezer-friendly meal ideas. It must be that time of year! With our little bambino on the way in a couple months, I’ve been making a list of meals I’m going to try to make in advance to stash away in the freezer. It will be a miracle if I can even get through a third of this list below (considering I have no working oven until late August…minor detail, hah), but I included plenty of options so you have some variety to choose from! The recipes at the top of my “must-make” list are: My Favourite Vegan Chili; Spiced Red Lentil, Tomato, and Kale Soup; Pumpkin Gingerbread Snack Bars; Summer Harvest Tortilla Soup (from OSG cookbook); Crowd-Pleasing Tex Mex Casserole (OSG cookbook); Feel Good Hearty Granola Bars; veggie burgers/balls; Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ‘Larabars’; and my Indian-Lentil Cauliflower Soup (also from OSG cookbook). That should be a good start!
First a few Q + A’s…
What to freeze in? I switched to glass, BPA-free freezer + oven-safe containers last year, so I always use those for freezing (I use these Pyrex containers). The added bonus is that you can bake thawed casseroles/enchiladas right in the very dish! Yay, for less dishes. I also use Glasslock containers, but those are not oven-safe, fyi. Lastly, I use freezer-safe zip bags for foods like granola bars, granola, and cookies. I always rinse and reuse the bags when I’m done with them to cut down on waste and save money (those things are expensive). Mason jars (for canning/freezing) also work well. Tip: We also use freezer bags for freezing bananas for smoothies. At any given moment you can find about 2 bags stuffed with peeled bananas in the freezer!
How to freeze? As for the method I use to freeze things, it’s pretty basic. I’m a big fan of what I call the wrap + seal technique (totally just made that up), meaning that I wrap the cooled food first (usually in tin foil or other freezer-safe bag) and then place the wrapped food in the glass container and lock/seal the lid. I like that it has two layers of protection from freezer burn. This method works great for single-serving foods like veggie burgers/balls, burritos, or snack bars. If it’s a liquid-based dish like soup, pesto, sauce, casserole, or chili, I will pour it into the dish and then sometimes put a layer of wrap on top of it. Press the foil/wrap down to prevent freezer burn from forming and then secure the lid as usual. It helps to leave an inch of so of space at the top to allow for any expansion. For those who don’t want to use foil or wrap, you can try wrapping with parchment paper and securing with baking twine or something similar.
How long to freeze for? Ah, the million dollar question! I find this depends on the type of food and your freezer. I’m pretty sensitive to the dreaded freezer-burn taste, so I try not to freeze things for longer than a month or two in my regular (fridge) freezer. It’s really just trial and error though. You can get more mileage out of certain dishes and less with others.
For the recipes that don’t make a very large serving, I like to double or triple the recipe whenever possible. I haven’t tried freezing every single one of the recipes below, but I’ve tried a lot of them. Generally speaking, these categories tend to freeze quite well.
I encourage you to share your freezing methods in the comments! I’m certainly not a freezing pro and welcome all your tips. Update – there are now a ton of great freezing tips in the comment section! Be sure to check them out.
Veggie Burgers + Balls
When it comes to veggie burgers and bean balls, I now prefer to cook them first, cool completely, and then use the wrap + seal freezing technique I mentioned above (wrap individually in tin foil and then place them all in a glass container). When ready to eat, thaw on the countertop or in the fridge and reheat on the skillet with some oil or in the oven on a baking sheet. I find cooking the burgers/balls first and then freezing helps the patties stay together better.
Thai Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers
Soup + Chili
Liquids like soup and chili are freezer-friendly superstars! Most will do just fine. After cooking the soup, let it cool completely, and then place in a freezer-friendly glass container leaving a bit of space at the top for any expansion that might occur. Sometimes I add a layer of tin foil on top of the soup to prevent freezer burn.
Luxurious 7-Vegetable and ‘Cheese’ Soup
Spiced Red Lentil, Tomato, and Kale Soup
Black Bean, Sweet Potato, and Red Quinoa Soup
Pasta Sauce + Pesto
Sauces and pesto’s tend to freeze nicely too. I only freeze the sauce and rarely ever freeze the sauce mixed into cooked pasta or other noodle (it tends to get soggy for many dishes). I use the same freezing method as written above for soup/chili. You can even freeze sauces/pesto’s in smaller portions (for “two” is a popular one around here!), so you don’t need to thaw the entire batch for just one meal. Try freezing pesto in silicone muffin trays for easy removal. Once they are frozen, you can pop them into a reusable freezer-safe zip bags to save freezer space.
I haven’t tried freezing these two below yet, but if you have please leave a comment!
Cauli-power Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce
Enchiladas + Burritos + Casserole
I freeze the Tex Mex Casserole in an extra large oven/freezer-safe glass dish with a layer of tin foil pressed tightly on top of the casserole to prevent freezer burn. Tips: For this specific casserole, I skipped the 15-20 minute oven cooking because I knew I would be cooking it after thawing. I let the skillet mixture cool before adding it into the container. I also waited to add the corn chip garnish until just before baking so they didn’t get soggy. When you are ready to eat it, thaw it completely (this takes well over 24 hours in the fridge – FYI), remove the tin foil, sprinkle on the corn chips, and pop it in the oven at 350F for about 30 minutes. Easy! Serve it with sliced avocado, cashew sour cream, sliced green onion, salsa, etc. As for enchiladas, people have told me they had success freezing the entire lot all at once, thawing, and baking as instructed. I would wait to make + add the cilantro avocado sauce until just before serving since it’s avocado based. For burritos, you can wrap them up individually in tin foil or freezer bags and freeze for quick grab and go meals.
Crowd-Pleasing Tex Mex Casserole (from The Oh She Glows Cookbook, page 149)
Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas (for an updated version with a 5-minute homemade enchilada sauce (this freezes well too!), see pages 147 and 300 in the OSG cookbook)
Black Bean and Butternut Squash Burritos
Snacks/Breakfast
For cookies, I bake them as directed, cool completely, and then freeze in freezer-safe zip bags. Some people also have success freezing the portioned cookie dough on a baking sheet and then popping the frozen dough balls into freezer baggies. Then you can thaw on the counter and bake as usual. I’ve also included a link to my recent granola bar recipe – I tested freezing these and they lasted for over a month in the freezer which I was very happy about! They make a great snack and I love that I can thaw one bar at a time as I need them. Lastly, granola always freezes well. My favourite granola is on page 31 of my cookbook.
Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ‘Larabars’
Ultimate Nutty granola Clusters (from The Oh She Glows Cookbook, page 31)
Blissful Blueberry Banana Spelt Muffins
Heavenly Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal
Pumpkin Gingerbread Snack Bars
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This list is by no means inclusive of all the freezer-friendly recipes on the blog over the past 6 years. If I’ve forgotten any good blog recipes that you’ve had freezing success with, be sure to let us know in the comments! The more the merrier.
Happy freezing!
A couple weeks ago I made your black bean and butternut squash burrito filling and froze it. I brought it on a week-long camping trip where I was cooking for fourteen adults, and it reheated beautifully, kept the cooler cold while it was defrosting, was delicious in wraps, and on its own (I’m gluten free) with toppings, and was one of the most popular meals of the week. One of the campers said “I can’t believe I like this so much and there’s no meat in it!” To which I said, “Did you think maybe the reason you like it so much is because there’s no meat in it?” He wasn’t willing to admit that, but the meal went over really well!
Wow, that’s so great it worked out for camping! :)
Great stuff. But I agree with a previous poster about using tin foil and plastic wrap with caution – some plastic wrap can apparently be dodgy when heated and/or in contact with high-fat foods, and as to tin foil see http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=newtip&dbid=8
thanks for sharing!
I might try wrapping in parchment and then putting in freezer bag for single serving things.
Yes! So excited about this! I’m really bad about eating leftovers in the fridge, so this is a great list for things I can throw in the freezer if I make too much!
LOVE your blog and recipes, Angela!!! I read all the comments with interest, as I am a long-time quadruple-batch freezing freak. In large ziplock bags or jars (all shapes and sizes), everything from cubes of fresh lemon juice and basil, mango/figs/dates/chunks of any fruit in season, veggie burgers to whole heads of garlic (which peel more easily when frozen), cookie dough, soups and salad dressings. A few additional suggestions that I didn’t see mentioned (forgive me if I missed them):
1. I use masking tape on the tops of jars for names and dates – tiny writing so there’s space to cross off old and write new contents.
2. I find that veggie burgers, cookie dough, etc. are best formed raw then frozen on silicon mats /parchment paper-lined trays) before being placed in freezer bags. (You can bake frozen burgers in the toaster oven without defrosting them first; cookie dough balls defrost quickly.) Same with anything you want to be able to separate easily after bagged and frozen, like stawberries, banana chunks, roasted garbanzo beans, baked or unbaked marinated tofu, pancakes, granola bars, etc. (I also try to reduce waste by not using plastic wrap and silver foil.) I dry kale and spinach before freezing in bags for later use in smoothies. Always squeeze out as much air as possible, then try sucking the corner of an almost-sealed bag to get out the rest of the air before sealing all the way.
3. I, too, have cracked my fair share of jars! You must not only allow space for expansion but also make sure contents are completely cooled. I often just prop the lid on top in the freezer, then screw it on a few hours/days after contents are frozen.
4. Someone already mentioned freezing ziplog bags flat for easier stacking. You can also squeeze a grid pattern with your fingers (bananas, other fruit, taco meat! Formerly frozen taco meat is great in wraps with cumin-spiced vegan mayo) so frozen pieces are easier to break off. You can put a large bag into a plastic bowl or rectangular/square container, pour in your soup then freeze in the container. Once frozen, lift bag out of bowl for storage. If you don’t want the mess of defrosting in plastic bags (like Angela, I also wash and reuse them), you can run a frozen bag under warm water then peel off the bag inside out/outside in, if that makes sense.
Happy freezing!
Awesome tips Stephanie! Thanks so much :)
I made the Italian bean balls tonight and everyone raved about them! Even my sister, who usually complains about the healthy food I cook, ate them and loved them! Thank you Angela!
Hi Angela. Thanks for all your great recipes. Just a thought for you, since you mentioned freezing foods for after the baby is born…you may have to monitor what you eat if you nurse your baby. Lentils gave one of my kids horrendous explosive diapers, nuts bothered another, gassy veggies bothered a few. But it only lasts the first few months when they are so new and fragile! Blessings!
Very good point! Thanks for the reminder…I will keep an eye on that for sure :)
I love having freezer meals handy but hate the waste. I didn’t know you could freeze glassware. I’ll have to pick up some pyrex!
Thank you for this!! So informative and will definitely save me a lot of time (and freezer burn). Now it’s time to see if I can make my way through all 21 recipes :)
Hi Angela,
I’m also a freezer junkie because we use a lot of left over frozen meals for lunch at work the next day.
I have a tip for the frozen pesto. Don’t use the microwave to heat it up. The oil in the pest heats quickly and fries the nuts/tomato/basil. You end up with over cooked pesto. Instead what I like to do is take the pesto out a little earlier and put the container in a sink with hot water. The hot water will start to defrost the pesto properly and still keep the same consistency it started with. This means you can also use it when spreading on bread etc.
Thanks again!
These look amazing! I love a good veggie burger, and these look like the crown jewels of the veggie burger world! I’ve been following your blog for a while, (great cookbook btw), and as polite as possible wanted to get the word out about my new blog (brand-spanking new) lifethriver.blogspot.com. My goal is to help everyday people survive and thrive in the modern world. It will focus more on living life to your fullest, and I am extremely grateful that there are people like you already helping people on their way! Keep up the good work!
Yum these recipes look simple and delicious. Freezer meals are a must have in my house!
Wow! I had no idea that freezing could be this complicated, so many useful tips in your post and the comments below! Like one year ago, I was freezing only fruits and vegetables from the garden that we couldn’t have eat all but then I changed my job and had no time to cook every day (or better to say, more than a few times per week) so I was wondering how to solve this situation. At first I was just cooking for more days but my sons were quite bored of eating the same meal over and over, so now we ended up with the combination of cooking and takeaway restaurants what might sound pretty unhealthy… Fortunately, we have many raw and vegan places in Toronto, plus the best ones use ingredients from local farmers and the food looks and tastes great (for example, like jamiesarner.com/toronto-life/2014/08/best-raw-restaurants/). Well, this in not very cost-effective because to eat healthy, especially in Toronto, is quite expensive… So I think freezing can be the best solution for making the meals not so boring… I just need to develop a good system for it so everyone could find what they’re searching for! :)
This is a great post! I like freezing things so I have food on hand for those nights when I get from work and school and am just too tired to do any real cooking!
Thank you so much for this list! It could not have come at a better time. My parents and mother in law will be staying with us for the Jewish New Year. I work full time so I will need to cook and freeze. I was planning on freezing your Tex Mex Casserole from the cookbook because my husband loves it so much, do you think that will freeze well? I’m a little worried about the rice getting a weird texture.
Sorry one more question! How about the lentil walnut loaf, do you think that will freeze well?
I have been looking around for some freezer ideas as it is something that my partner and I really want to try and get into the habit of doing! We have his 2-year-old daughter every other weekend and these days can get a bit hectic!
Thank you for the amazing suggestions Angela! I am also in the midst of going through your cookbook that my partner bought for my birthday :) Can’t wait to try out more recipes!
I’ve had great success freezing the favorite veggie burgers, trail mix cookies and almond butter chocolate chip cookies from the cookbook. Yesterday, I froze the tomato sauce with mushrooms and lentil for the first time. We’ll see how that one does. Pesto also freezes beautifully! Freezing soups in smaller containers has made it much easier to de-thaw, especially when I just want a service and don’t want to unfrost the entire batch.
I’m about to be without a kitchen for a few weeks during a kitchen reno, Angela so you’re timing was perfect. Thank you!!
I just made the baked oatmeal for the first time–I’m trying to freeze as many things on this list as I can!–and it smells really good, but I’m afraid it’s not holding together as well as I wanted. Is the recipe designed to make something like a bar (like the way oatmeal congeals if you cook it on the stovetop and then let it cool) or is it supposed to be more … just like something that needs to be eaten in a bowl??
I always make double batches and freeze one. Soups, casseroles, burgers, muffins, sweets. I usually cook extra dry beans and freeze in 1 1/2 cup increments (what most recipes call for) and then I can just pull a bag out and toss it in any recipe. I individually wrap things like muffins or burgers and keep in a large,ziploc bag, a burger takes only 1 minute in microwave. Muffins can be taken out the night before for breakfast or put in a lunchbox and will defrost by lunch. I made black bean burgers today and froze half. Doing this is the way I stay sane through the week caring for 2 grandchildren, plus its economical.
This is SO fantastic! My sister-in-law and I were just discussing a “freezer cooking day” and splitting and trading half to eachother for a bigger variety with less work…and I’m pretty sure you just prepared the menu for us!
Thanks bunches! :)