# Beef Stew and other things to freeze.



## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Hi All, looking for THE best Beef Stew recipe as the days get shorter. And other good meals to make and bulk and freeze. I am getting so sick of our routine dinners...chicken, fish, steak, turkey burgers. So now that we have a freezer in our garage...can you help?


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## mybella (May 16, 2008)

Missy,

I can't help since I'm not a cook. But, I love this thread and I hope you share all the great ideas you get!

I'm looking for new ideas too. But, I need easy and quick. I wish I had my own chef!

Marie


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## havaluv (Oct 15, 2007)

Try this: Saving Dinner Freezer meals.

Leanne Ely writes great cookbooks and I love almost all her menus. They are made with normal things you have in your pantry and aren't to complicated. Her freezer meals you prep all at once and then freeze a bunch of them. It's a great idea!


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## Eva (Jun 20, 2008)

I don't have any recipes on hand right now but this is my FAVORITE recipe website.
www.allrecipes.com
Just type in what you're looking for and BAM!...more recipes than you will ever need..lol
The best thing about it is that the recipes are rated by people that have actually tried them and so you can go through and look at the favorites and then pick the one that you like the best. 
I use it almost daily


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## havaluv (Oct 15, 2007)

Eva, allrecipes.com is my favorite place for recipes! I love the ratings, you're right..that's the very best part of the website. I like that when you join, you can create your own recipe box too. Plus when you type in your own recipes, they come up in their neat format so you can print them out and all your recipes look the same then. (does that make sense?)


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

I'll have to tell my Mom about that site. She has been trying to put all her recipes on paper for us and this might be a good way for her to do it.


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## Eva (Jun 20, 2008)

Soo...It's not exactly a freezer recipe but this cake is SOOOO yummy (and easy!) 
We have apples up to our elbows this year and I've been searching for uses for them..lol
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/German-Apple-Cake-I/Detail.aspx


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## Redorr (Feb 2, 2008)

Do you like casseroles? (I love them-even tuna noodle!) There are so many options there. My experience is that casseroles with potatoes don't freeze too well --or I haven't figured it out.

Here is a great site: http://www.best-casserole-recipes.com/Index.html

They have whatever you might like. The cool thing is that you can build it part way, doing all the browning and construction of the dish, then freeze it at that stage. Then cook it- even frozen.

Also, check out CookingLight.com for great healthy casseroles. And if you feel snazzy, try epicurious.com for casseroles from Gourmet and Bon Appetit.

Fun!


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## trueblue (Jan 22, 2008)

Vegetable soup freezes well. So does chili and spaghetti. Oh, and gumbo too! I'll have to get my mom's "recipe" for her chicken/sausage gumbo...it's absolutely divine, but she doesn't follow anything written. It's a little of this and a little like that...that's why mine never comes out as good as hers does...apparently, my guesstimates on measures aren't the same as hers. I'll get it from her and send it to you, though. It's a perfect cold weather meal.


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## Paige (Sep 12, 2006)

Missy, what foods you are allergic too. I fix gumbo and use soy flour for my rue. I also make a couple different soups, that I have made up on my own. I am going to try and potato and ham soup with soy milk. If you can have corn. I went out and bought a bushel this year and made maux choux(cajun corn) and I am using it in soups as well.


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## Mick-a-doo (Jun 1, 2008)

Missy,
I am a make ahead and freeze girl. I make large batches of squash, green bean casserole and freeze in individual foil containers so when I need them I take them out and pop them in the oven. I make large meals and then freeze in individual foil containers to have as last minute dinners. I love to cook and just throw things together sometimes. I do buy large quantities of boneless chicken breast and cut them and marinade them before freezing so that it is ready to thaw and cook. Boneless pork loins are another good deal for ready meals if you want to cut it up and freeze. I have plenty of meatballs stashed away also, Both Italian and Swedish. I have many ideas but there isn't room to put it all here. I have a oven beef stew recipe that I could pm you if you haven't found one yet. Always looking for new ideas also.


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## SnobunnieNY (Oct 24, 2007)

One thing that I have made a double batch of and found freezes realy well is Chicken Enchiladas. I use a store bought rotissere chick or cook extra when I roast/grill. Cut up the chicken, add a 8oz pkg cream cheese(can use low fat or no fat) some sauteed onions, mushrooms and garlic, a bag of frozen, thawed well squeezed spinach and a can of roasted greeen chilis (hotness to your liking). Mix all together. I heat the mixture quickly in a bowl in the micro to melt creeam cheese. I dont really measure when I cook so I dont have exacts but there are recipies all over for this (esp on allrecipies and recipe zaar) Use a pkg of flour or corn torilla shells. Place a large spoonful in center of shells, roll and place 8x11 o 9x13 pan. To bake/eat now - cover with a can of Green Enchillada sauce (in the mexican/taco area of grocery stores) and top with shredder colby/jack or cheddar. Bake till bubbly and golden. Yummo. To freeze cover with sauce and cheese, cover with plastic then foil, (foil can be eaten by the acids in the sauce) You can make this hot and spicy or cool and creamy to you liking. Soo handy and good!! Keep the ideas coming!!!


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## Jane (Jun 2, 2007)

Missy, I search for new recipes here:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/

I don't have a good stew one though. Watching this thread!


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Like Jane, I look online for new recipes. Have you tried out allrecipes.com? I have found SO MANY recipes there... some of them need some tweaking but if you read the reviews, most people will tell you what they did differently and how it tasted the new way or the old way. It's such a great site for when you just want to try something new, and every single time I've used a highly rated recipe from there I've always gotten many compliments... I searched for beef stew and they have over 200 recipes there. As a helpful tip, I usually go for the recipes that have more than 50 good reviews, but sometimes I'll try a new one with not a lot of reviews and those can be good too, just more hit and miss.

Oh and it's free to become a member too... you can save your favorite recipes and I've found that really helpful.


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## Mraymo (Oct 30, 2007)

Mick-a-doo said:


> Missy,
> I am a make ahead and freeze girl. I make large batches of squash, green bean casserole and freeze in individual foil containers so when I need them I take them out and pop them in the oven. I make large meals and then freeze in individual foil containers to have as last minute dinners. I love to cook and just throw things together sometimes. I do buy large quantities of boneless chicken breast and cut them and marinade them before freezing so that it is ready to thaw and cook. Boneless pork loins are another good deal for ready meals if you want to cut it up and freeze. I have plenty of meatballs stashed away also, Both Italian and Swedish. I have many ideas but there isn't room to put it all here. I have a oven beef stew recipe that I could pm you if you haven't found one yet. Always looking for new ideas also.


I'd like to see your recipe. There's plenty of room on here for your recipes and ideas. I love this thread.:biggrin1:

I have tons of tomatillos from my garden and have no idea what to do whith them. Anyone have a recipe for them? I was thinking the enchilada recipe would be a good spot for them if I knew how to make green enchilada sauce.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Soup is SO easy, I love making soups in the colder months.

I just put whatever I have (and like) in the soup and let it simmer in the crock pot all day. It always turns out fabulous and its always a little bit different.

One thing I love in stew are leeks, I think they give a great flavor to soups, You can add cauliflower, carrots, peas, etc.

You don't always have to use the stew meat! I prefer using a sirloin diced up. I think it gives it a better flavor than the stew meat (which isn't the best cut of meat anyways!) 

Fresh rosemary, oregano, basil and other herbs do make a stew better, IMO. I also like using fresh tomatos instead of the canned...if I have them, If not..canned it is!

Ohh..and I love eating tortillas (flour) with the stew, just heated up in the microwave with a WEE bit of butter for flavor and dipping it in the stew! YUM. Although I think the butter tortillas may be a texan thing that has stuck with me. lol

Kara


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