Freezer and Pantry/Cabinet Food Preparation

This is my guide for Freezer and Pantry/Cabinet Food Preparation From homemade frozen breakfasts and dinners to vegetables, snacks and fruit. There are many ways you can stock your kitchen with food and it’s easier than you think and I’m breaking it all down for you in this easy guide with recipes and a printable list so you can be ready for any emergency.

As I I’ve had many questions about the freezing of different recipes of mine and I realized that I should be sharing with my readers how I stock my freezer and make ahead meals.

I always have food in the freezer.  I tend to go for Italian, Mexican and Asian dishes for make ahead meals. Italian can be as simple as sauce and pasta, Mexican can be rice, crockpot shredded chicken and peppers and Asian can be fried rice and teriyaki glazed salmon.

Freezer and Pantry/Cabinet Food Preparation 

As you read on, you will find a breakdown of my suggestions for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. At the end, you will find the printable grocery list.

Make ahead freezer breakfasts

You don’t have to be limited to cereal. Fresh eggs freeze very well. Crack them into muffin pans or ice trays. Great for a nice hot, scrambled egg breakfast with sausage or bacon. You can also make my ricotta frittata or sweet potato frittata, cut them into servings and freeze.

Smoothies

Frozen fruit is what I always have in my freezer to make smoothies. A great way to get nutrients. This mango, carrot and ginger smoothie is loaded with vitamins. Already made smoothies also freeze well. 

Lunches

My go-to lunches are soups. I made Chicken Soup and Milanese Minestrone. Both hearty soups with vegetables. Canned tuna and salmon make great lunches like Tuna Pita Pockets (the pitas also freeze well).

Dinners

This week I have made Easy Chicken Meatballs and Easy Marinara Sauce. The meatballs I frozen uncooked. Just lay them on a cutting board, not touching and put in the freezer for 2 hours.

Once frozen, you can pop them in a freezer bag or container with a lid. To reheat, defrost in the fridge overnight then bake as in the recipe. The marinara sauce, I freeze in takeout soup containers. To reheat, defrost in the fridge overnight and heat in a pan.

I stock up on Italian sausage which can be cut up, sautéed and thrown in marinara sauce and pasta.

Chicken Tikka Masala freezes the same way as any sauce, in takeout soup containers.

 I buy a lot of basil and lemons and made my Lemon Pesto to freeze. This can be tossed with pasta or gnocchi.

Snacks

I stock up on packages of corn kernels. They keep for a long time and they are great for making your own popcorn. Toss with some spices like my Mexican Popcorn. I also like to use spices for Chile Lime Peanuts.

• This list may be updated from time-to-time.