It’s been a long day, with pouring rain on the windows. The last thing you want to do is spend many hours in the kitchen. However, at that point, you will recall your refrigerator, which is stocked with a variety of dinners that may transform any bad day into a culinary festival. Welcome to the world of cool banquets, where comfort meets homestyle cuisine. “What do we have for dinner?” elicited a favorable response.
The Magic of Freezer Meals
All of this begins with a rolling pin, a mound of dough, and a marathon-style dumpling-making conference that will astonish even the most expert chef. My folks’ refrigerators are loaded with these tiny pleasures. The appeal of dumplings, like many other items appropriate for freezing, is their ability to freeze well and transform into a quick and easy dinner. Whether it’s a quiet Sunday or a hectic Wednesday, a platter of warm dumplings takes simply a pot of boiling water.
In any case, why stop with dumplings? The cooler is a material for the astute feast planner, and the potential consequences are as exciting as they appear. From large lasagnas to vivacious chicken enchiladas, the art of mass cooking and freezing is about more than simply saving time; it’s about reclaiming your nights, your budget, and your true peace of mind. It’s related to converting a father, whose culinary skills may rival at-the-moment noodles, into a supper legend with a stash of make-ahead cooler meals.
Karrie, a work-at-home mother of four, understands the challenge of balancing a hectic lifestyle with the desire to provide nutritious, home-cooked meals for her family. She went to colder meals out of a genuine necessity, a solution to the chaos of twin kids, and the allure of inexpensive cuisine. What began as a test of self-protection evolved into an all-out infatuation with the cooler. Karrie’s technique inspired her to create a cookbook, ‘Great Cooler Feasts,’ as a showcase of her enthusiasm and a guide for others to follow in her footsteps.
Cooler meals are the underappreciated but actually wonderful members of the kitchen, the answer to the daily routine, and the solution to the average cost of many everyday product emergencies that have us all picking up some slack. With a little planning and a dash of creativity, you can turn your cooler into a treasure trove of meals that are both practical and healthful. The trick is to determine what freezes well and what does not. While certain ingredients may not withstand the frigid grips of the refrigerator (I’m looking at you, lettuce and cucumbers), most meals may be frozen with great success.
Tools of the Trade
The keys to success are simple: cooler packs, aluminum foil dishes, and the proper sections can convert your cooler into a well-organized haven of feast prep superiority. Furthermore, for those who have embraced the miracles of the Moment Pot, there are holders designed to seamlessly go from chiller to pressure cooker. The goal is to produce meals that can last anywhere from 3 to 9 months, ensuring that you always have a home-cooked dinner ready to go, no matter how hectic life gets.
Embarking on the Culinary Adventure
How would you approach this culinary experience? It’s far simpler than you may expect. Begin by getting serious about your cooking ingredients so you can consume half now and freeze the other half for later. This strategy not only saves time but also ensures that no mending goes to waste. Also, if you end up with an irregular surplus, don’t worry; most can be refrigerated for another day.
Cooler feasts are for everyone: the busy guardian, the low-cost food aficionado looking for better options, the new mother enjoying precious moments with her kid, the undergrad on a limited budget, and, shockingly, the culinary novice seeking to impress. They’re for those who need to have a home-cooked meal without arguing, who need to save money without sacrificing flavor, and who need to answer the deep-rooted issue of ‘What’s for supper?’ with a definite ‘Generally dealt with.’
Karrie’s Top Freezer Meal Recipes
Let’s look at some of Karrie’s top 3 popular cooler feast dishes. From the exceptional comfort of homemade lasagna to the comfort of chicken burrito bowls, these dishes are more than just meals; they’re your ticket to a relaxing, wonderful dining experience. Furthermore, for those with a sweet craving, the promise of chocolate chip sweets that can be prepared right away is enough to brighten anyone’s day.
Homemade Easy Lasagna Recipe: This classic never fails to satisfy. Imagine taking out a pan full of stacked pasta, rich tomato sauce, and gooey cheese, all ready to be cooked to perfection.
These are the ingredients you’ll need to make this easy lasagna recipe:
- Beef: This easy lasagna starts with ground beef. You can use ground turkey for a lighter option.
- Spaghetti sauce: Use store-bought or homemade spaghetti sauce.
- Cheeses: You’ll need cottage cheese, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
- Eggs: Eggs help bind the cheese mixture together. Plus, they lend moisture and richness.
- Seasonings: Season the easy lasagna with dried parsley, salt, and black pepper.
- Lasagna noodles: Of course, you’ll need lasagna noodles!
- Water: Pour ½ cup of water around the edges of the baking dish before baking.
Here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make homemade easy lasagna. To view recipes directly from: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/12011/easy-lasagna-ii/
- Cook and drain the ground beef, then stir in the spaghetti sauce and simmer.
- Combine the cottage cheese, 2 cups of mozzarella, eggs, half of the Parmesan, and seasonings.
- Assemble the lasagna according to the detailed recipe.
- Bake, covered, for 45 minutes.
- Uncover and continue baking for 10 minutes.
How to Store and Freeze Easy Lasagna
- Store the cooked lasagna in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. To reheat, cover the leftovers with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for about half an hour, or until the lasagna is heated through and the sauce is bubbly.
- To freeze, wrap the lasagna in at least one layer of storage wrap and at least one layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw the frozen lasagna in the refrigerator overnight, then follow the reheating instructions above.
Easy Make-Ahead Orange Chicken Freezer Meal: A hit with both kids and adults, this dish has a sweet and tangy flavor that matches your favorite takeout but with the added satisfaction of knowing it’s handmade.
Sauce:
- 1 ½ cups water
- ⅓ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onion
- 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
- ½ teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
Chicken:
- 2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
The next step is division production, Recipe Sources: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/61024/asian-orange-chicken/
- Make the Sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then let cool. Once cool, transfer to a zip-top bag with chicken and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 2 hours.
- Make the Chicken: After the chicken is marinated, coat it in flour, salt, and pepper. Cook it in a skillet until it’s brown on both sides.
- Combine Sauce and Chicken: Add the sauce to an empty skillet and bring it to a boil. Add cornstarch and water (to thicken it), then the chicken pieces. Let it simmer until everything is combined.
Chicken Burrito Bowls: Customizable, healthful, and easy to prepare ahead of time. Simply heat and serve for a supper that is both vivid and tasty.
Ingredients：
- 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 (15.25 ounce) can white corn kernels, drained
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
- 1 ½ cups cooked long-grain white rice
- ¾ cup chopped lettuce
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- ⅓ (8 ounce) jar salsa
Cooking Steps:
- Preheat an grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
- Season chicken breasts with garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Cook chicken on the preheated grill until no longer pink in the center and cooked through, about 6 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into centers should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Cut chicken into strips or bite-sized pieces.
- Heat corn and black beans in two separate saucepans over medium-low heat, covered, until heated through, about 5 minutes.
- Layer cooked rice, corn, black beans, and chicken on two serving plates. Top with lettuce, sour cream, Monterey Jack cheese, and salsa.
For the detailed recipe refer to the: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/245568/naked-chicken-burrito-bowl/
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