You can freeze pre-made or cooked dinners, but here are 25 more things you can freeze that you probably don't know about!
Freezing isn't just for peas anymore, people. Some foods you can freeze you may know about already, but some of the foods on this list may surprise you.
1) Mozzarella cheese – We make a lot of homemade pizza and like to have fresh mozzarella. When slicing fresh mozzarella, it's hard to get a good consistency. I put my log of mozzarella in the freezer for 20-30 minutes, then grate it in the food processor.
2) Sliced American cheese – Yes, I mean Kraft Singles, and large slabs of cheese from warehouse stores. Slam it on the counter to break off a piece and thaw to slice, or put right in the processor to shred.
3) Sour milk smell in a sippy cup – When you find a sippy cup under your car seat or sofa, don't toss it, just follow this tip to get the smell out.
4) Chopped fresh veggies – To flash freeze: chop, spread in a thin layer on a cookie sheet, and freeze uncovered. Then, freeze 1 cup servings in bags. See my tip on chopping onions, tear free.
5) Milk – Freeze in ice cube trays and thaw what you need for recipes. You can also freeze gallons of milk, but pour some out first, because milk expands when it freezes. I recommend freezing 2% or higher milk fat, because others get watery.
6) Eggs – Crack eggs into an ice-cube tray for cakes and cookies. Directions here!
7) Shredded chicken – Cook a big batch and shred, or when you buy a rotisserie chicken, shred and freeze the leftovers. Here is a tip on how to shred chicken in a snap!
8) Lemon/lime juice and zest – Put into ice cube trays, freeze, and transfer cubes into a Ziploc bag.
9) Chicken stock – Freeze any leftovers, or make a big batch of homemade and freeze it in bags or jars.
10) Pizza dough – Make your own dough and freeze the balls in freezer bags. On the morning of the day you want to use them, pull them from the freezer and they will be perfect in time for dinner. I actually find the dough stretches easier after freezing.
11) Buttermilk – I don't know about you but I never use an entire carton!
12) Flour and corn meal – Freezing keeps the moths out!
13) Herbs of any type – You can put a little water with them in an ice cube tray to pop out for soups or sauces. Fresh ginger freezes well, too. Just pull out when you need it and grate.
14) Left over waffles, pancakes and biscuits ( just put in the toast or microwave)
15) Hot chiles of any kind – Dice and put into freezer bags.
16) Pesto store-bought or homemade – I am always buying a jar for a recipe and using 2 tablespoons, then it gets shoved into the back of the fridge to die.
17) Garlic whole cloves or minced – Freeze with a little oil in an ice cube tray.
18) Pre-marinated proteins – Put your meat into a freezer bag, pour in the marinade and freeze. Then take it out when you want to use it. When it's thawed it's marinated and ready to cook.
19) Soups and chili – Make double batches of soups and stews, freezing some for later use.
20) Homemade casseroles like lasagna, mac and cheese, and enchiladas.
21) Pureed veggies to put in soups or hide for picky eaters in lasagna or spaghetti sauce! I used to put them in ice-cube trays for baby food, when they were frozen I would pop into Ziploc bags and then just pull out what I needed to feed the baby
22) Pre-made hamburgers and meatballs – Double your recipes or by meat in bulk and make a bunch to use for later.
23) Chocolate chip cookies – Make your dough, spoon onto cookie sheets, then you can flash freeze them. When frozen, put into a Ziploc bag and just pull out what you want to bake.
24) Nuts – You can freeze any type of nuts to prevent them from going rancid in the pantry.
25) Veggie scraps and seafood shells – You can freeze uncooked veggie scraps and seafood shells to make homemade stocks.
I would love to hear some of your great ideas for things you can freeze.
Please leave me a comment!
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