Stock Your Freezer with Homemade Meals! | My No-Fuss Meal Prep Routine
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- Опубликовано: 24 ноя 2024
- Let me share how I turned meal prep from a stress to a simple habit by building a freezer stash from scratch. After sharing the freezer stash I made for baby 4 so I could have freezer meals postpartum I got a lot of questions about how I stocked my freezer with homemade meals. I walk you through my easy method for prepping meals and stocking essentials, perfect for making mealtimes less chaotic (even with my four kids.) You’ll see my go-to freezer hacks, like doubling recipes and storing smart to save time. If you’ve ever wondered how to fill your freezer without a huge time commitment, I've taken the time to figure out the best tips and I'm sharing them here.
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My name is Kallie Branciforte, and I am 'That Practical Mom' (formerly But First, Coffee). I'm here to share practical life hacks to help you get organized realistically, find attainable productivity, and simplify some of the chaos of life.
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This reminds me of your older But First Coffee Video’s, I have missed those 😊
Oh my gosh, yes! Me too!
Most helpful video in a while ❤. This is your wheel house.. Not selling more Amazon stuff we don't need.
I have the opposite problem. It’s just my husband and myself now- and we don’t eat a lot anymore I now make the recipe and divide and freeze half. It works great.
Right!?! And it's as easy or easier than processed foods which are More and More problematic, as we age.
I swear, I can feel the difference the day after a Big Spinach salad. Popeye knew some stuff!
Us too!😊
I'm pregnant right now. This is the video I needed today.
Congratulations! 🎉
@@Manipooh131 thanks! I just found out a week ago. Very excited.
@candacethegreat of course! I remember the excitement of learning you're expecting. Wishing you a happy, and fulfilling pregnancy!
Same here! Congrats!
Best wishes on the new sweet baby! And can we all just pause and give mad respect to the challenges of 4 kids in 4-5 years?!! Holy wow! I don't know how you're still standing upright, let alone still working (for money). BRAVA! *stands and applauds*
I was caregiving for my mother for many years and she had a garage freezer and I would often prep three or four different types of meals throughout the month with the average of 6 to 8 servings per meal. I would stock that garage freezer for her and that way it was something she could just take out and microwave instead of us purchasing processed microwave dinners at the grocery store. This way I could tailor it to what I knew she absolutely loved, and I knew it was healthier than what we could purchase at the store.
There is something reasuring abour knowing a loved one will eat well and easy.
I'm not a mom, but these tips seem applicable to my ADHD brain. I get excited about cooking once in a while, but because I'm single, didn't think of meal prep for multiple meals. It makes so much sense! Thanks K and congrats on baby 4! 💙
Haha I have ADHD too and it sucks. I have to cook for my elderly mom and I. So hard to think of meals🤦🏻♀️
Remember, you don't have to be a mom to take advice from a mom
I feel like bulk cooking works so well for ADHD. I have stuffed my large 21 cu freezer with a month of hyperfocused cooking. It is grrrreeaattt. I enjoy cooking but the planning, cleaning, etc sucks. So doing as much as I can on single nights works the best for me.
When hamburger goes on sale I buy as much as I can afford and cook it up with onions and freeze in quart bags. It breaks apart easily if you don't need the whole bag for a meal. That and frozen cooked chicken or turkey saved my life when I had all my 5 kids still at home.
I’m definitely going to try these ideas but in glass containers, not for the planet, but for my endocrine system and to prevent cancer from plastics. Great ideas! ❤❤❤❤❤❤
Yes yes yes❤ More videos on bulk meal prep! 🎉 Thank you for sharing this!
Congratulations Cali!!! God bless you, your baby, all your children, your family!!! Amazing, new baby and publishing, you are a tough woman!!! Enjoy your baby.
Glass food storage containers can be frozen, thawed in fridge, and are oven safe. I avoid plastic food storage at all costs.
Same! I wish more people knew how bad plastic bags are for our health! 😢
I’m just finding out about it now! Thanks 😊
Same! I never want to shame people for using them, but also want them to know how bed they are. It’s a conundrum!
Single ingredients
Bulk items
Shredded chicken
Pizza dough
Tomatoe paste
Vegetables chopped
Cooked veggies
1 Crock pot dump meals per meal: just put all ingredients in the bag and dump in the crockpot.
Broths
Sauces
Chicken cutlets
Rice
Mini sandwiches
Pastas
Meatballs
Muffins
Google what you can freeze
Tips to stock your freezer:
Double or triple or quadruple a meal.
Get the tools like plastic bags and plastic dishwasher safe and freezer safe. Or start with what you have
Purée sweet potatoes
Puree pumpkin
Plastic bag holder
Super cubes
Label everything
Lay flat everything
Important also on the label to put the date it was cooked (most foods should not be kept for longer than 3 months even in a freezer and some less than that), how many portions there are, and how to finish preparing or cooking the meal (eg, add fresh cream, heat to boil, simmer for 10 mins, oven bake at 180, serve with pasta…). Also important to let food cool totally before portioning and freezing.
THIS!!! I’d love to see even more detail about this. Which veggies you shred up, how and what you freeze, etc! I’ve been slowly adding this to my system but I feel like I’d learn so much faster watching you! 😊
Great reminders! One of my go-to preps is to cook up a bunch of ground beef or turkey, season some of it for tacos, leave some plain, and freeze flat in quart bags. You might want to look into canning! I finally tried pressure canning my homemade stocks, after freezing them for years. It’s really easy to do and then to use later (no thawing), and saves a ton of freezer space. Lots of other things you can can, too, once you get into it. Congratulations on your baby! ❤
I love your videos. You always share really helpful and practical tips. I especially like that you get straight to the point and speak quickly.
I love bulk meal prep! Your kitchen stays cleaned too.
Thanks for the great tips. Congratulations on your newest little one.
So excited for you with your new family addition! When you recover, I would love to see a new intro video from you where we can see all your sweet family. I used to love your intro for But First, Coffee.
The less people show their kids online, the more I respect them. Being too interested in online strangers kids is not good I think.
Congratulations on the new baby!!! I have started freezing prepped veggies- chopped onion, carrots, celery etc. It saves sooooo much time when cooking!
I just have to say Congratulations I...you absolutely are amazing.....inspiration to all young moms
I always cut at least 2 onions at a time. If I know I'm going to need one soon I'll put one in the frig but all the extra goes in a reusable freezer bag and into the freezer. Frozen onions are great for cooking.
Just like you freeze rice, I also like to freeze mashed potatoes. I use an ice cream scoop and freeze balls on a cookie sheet and then transfer to a bag when frozen.
I freeze everything- cheese sticks, babybel cheese, lunch meat, hummus.
Oooh! The ice cream scoop idea is great!
My favorite recipe to meal prep: sliced chicken (seasoned) on white rice and peas. Love this video!
Great ideas! I would love an upright freezer rather than our chest freezer. I’m short, & I’ve come close to falling in a couple of times! 😂 Just FYI, you’re looking for the word “score” rather than “scour” when you put the impressions in your rice bags. Thanks! 😊
Love the tip of batch cooking the rice and sectioning it off in the freezer bag to use individual portions when needed.
YES to the basement freezer! My husband and I got one when I was pregnant with our 3rd baby. Such a lifesaver!
Thanks for some really helpful tips! Especially sectioning off soft foods in the ziplock bags. I too will “cook one now freeze later” because we are empty nesters and most recipes are for 4-6 people. I love that you say to do what works best for you - we all have different lifestyles. One thing I do is use lunchmeat containers to freeze things as well. My husband eats sandwiches for lunch and I keep the containers because they can also be washed in the dishwasher and reused multiple times!
Do a lot of these already as a 75 year old but i loved the sectioning you did with the rice
Kallie, You have beautiful babies!
I'm so impressed with how you make it all work! Great info! 🎉👏
I love my souper cubes! And yes, label everything.
Have recently discovered dump meals and really like using them. One of the best things I do is freeze cooked brown rice (better for diabetics like me) in individual portions. I cook it in my instant pot, cool quickly and freeze. It’s a real, fuss free time saver. Congratulations you and your husband on your latest little baby.
Reheated rice and pasta is not only better for diabetics because the carb content changes on pasta etc that has been cooked and cooled and reheated, but is also better for anybody trying to follow a healthier lifestyle and lower the glycemic load of what they are eating 👍 I have always cooked a bit more and kept it in the fridge to use in a different meal but it never occurred to me to freeze until recently. What a great idea! 😂
These videos are great bc they are good for anyone & not just moms to young ones 😊
I like the vacuum storage bags. Makes the smallest bags, and I think they last longer.
Congratulations on the birth of your new baby!
Even tho I don’t have children, I still enjoyed these tips.
One tip I have is to use the microwave more for cooking stuff. My Mum used to cook loads of stuff in hers.
Also. there’s nothing wrong with fingers & chicken nuggets etc sometimes, in fact they are my favourite type of meals.
This is the best way to save time in the kitchen. My kids are grown, and I still prepare multiple meals at a time.
Agree! Love to prep basics that I can do all types of things❤ Love the crockpot dump freezer bags ideas…seen these quite a bit recently…genius way to make crockpot even easier! I Also love the idea of prepping through the week, so I don’t use up my whole Sunday!
Such an inspiration! I had three kids under seven, who are all adults now. I sure wish I had this channel to watch back then! Now I take care of my first (and so far only) little 10-month-old granddaughter, and I will use these tips! Fantastic content.
Same here ! I love it ! Congratulations.
Itty bitty baby omg adorable. Congratulations
I don't have any kids, but I love these videos! This one is especially helpful as I hate cooking, but need to do it more for my health. The dump and go crockpot bags are especially helpful!!!
I love this! I do this for chopped vegetables for the week, if im using onion, i chop what i need for the week and keep the rest in a container so i dont have to chop it repeatedly and that has really helped to save on time!
I freeze finished meatloaf, meatballs, plain cooked chicken, pork or other meats. Then make meal later. Thanks for all the tips. ❤
Congrats on your new beautiful baby!💜
Recipes for your freezer meals please!
This was a very practical video with great details. Could you do a part 2 where you show yourself using everything? That's where I get tripped up - what to thaw versus microwave vs cook frozen, how to get the stuff out of the bags and containers, how to combine everything so it doesn't stay in the freezer forever. Also, the kids' snacks don't get soggy in the fridge? That's what I always worried about. And how do the apples not turn brown? So many questions, but great video!
For apples, you can dip them into water with a little lemon juice once you’ve sliced them. The water helps the moisture content remain high and the acid from the lemon with prolong their colour, but eventually they will turn brown so best not to keep for more than 2-3 days
I’ve been cooking for so long I’ve reached a point of burnout. I used to meal plan and I had a super system but I hit a wall and I haven’t been able to cook consistently. These suggestions are all really good. I just don’t know how to get my mojo back.
I am having the same problem and I love to cook
Making lunches ahead is genius. I get tired of doing it each day. Thanks Kallie - genius !!
It's hard to start but when you get it done it's easy. My fridge is not working but saving for a freezer
This is the best meal prep video I've ever seen!! ❤
Have you considered using a vacuum sealer for your frozen foods? Rather than expensive zippers? ❤
Congratulations on the new baby….he’s gorgeous love from london
She is a girl ❤
😂 ❤xx
Are your kids picky eaters? Or how do you address pickiness in eating?
I love this and I am not a mom and am in my sixties! Thanks so much for the tips!
This was very helpful ! Thanks for the video ⭐
Love this..This is such good advice for new moms and mom's of teens..
Congratulations on another beautiful baby!🎉 I love my souped cubes- so worth the investment- really helps utilize freezer space.😊
SO clever!!!❤
Please look into souper cubes. The brand name really makes a difference since 2 trays(4 cubes) fit into a gallon zip lock or reusable bag. You loose so much space in your freezer when using round containers, you save space by the contents in bags being square, seriously. It’s a life changer for vegetable broth! Also if you freeze in the cubes it’s easier to take out portions.
That’s what she’s using in the video. She talks about them all the time. So much so that I have been tempted to order them and I hardly ever make soup.
I love your channel and content! I’m a GenX empty nester, and I love your tips for efficiencies!
Looks rrally good! Just a suggedtion to add the recipe in the description!
1. I cook and freeze hamburger eith onions for a month at a time. I also do two gallon bags with onions and peppers for chili.
2. Make 3 of everything that is freezable. One for now, one to share, and one for later.
I love your content and the great things you create, thank you so much you really helped me with a lot of ideas. I also have an advice if you don't mind, in my research about what's healthy and what's toxic for our bodies I've found that with plastics in temperatures under 0 or above 45 some toxic matters from tha plastics gets mixed with the food especially if this food contains water or something like this, and so if that food cant be washed we will have a lot of toxic matters in the food that won't be removed by heat and so I advise you to look for other stocking materials that will help you prevent diseases. I love you and I'm so grateful to you so I couldn't pass by without saying what I think is serving, thank you again ❤
thank you and congrats on the new baby!!!🎉🎉🎉
Watched this and got inspired... made myself a list of things to make and freeze before #4 gets here!
Hey darling congratulations on your new baby and thanks for the great tips about prepping foods for the freezer is very helpful tips thank you and take care❤
When I make soup and cowboy baked beans I make a lot and freeze the extra in quart freezer containers. I make our dogs food and do that for him as well!
This was so helpful, thanks for sharing!
Watching this while cutting apple to last for the week.
Congratulations on beautiful baby ! I’ve been trying reusable silicone bags as we’re ditching plastic- my favorite is Oxo, followed by Stasher and then Ziplock. They’re an investment definitely, but I think essential.
Congratulations on your new baby ❤
Love your vlog. The curry looks delicious, I will definitely be giving it a try 😋 x
Can you make a video of your kitchen must haves to help with meal prep. I prep every week Thanks.
Congrats on your new baby!
Congrats on your sweet little one!!
This is so helpful- I like slow cooker meals in the fall and winter but never thought of just freezing enough of the ingredients for multiple meals…
Try using your slow cooker all year. It doesn’t heat up the house and there are great spring and summer recipes that use the fresh veggies during that season! Use google or whatever browser you use and you’d be surprised what pops up. Good luck for next year. ❤
this is how u stuck it 👍👍 but how do u make sure nothing gets forgotten-> how do u keep track of all the things?
Great video Kallie. Good tips. Much appreciated😊❤
Late to comment but oh my his this video is gonna make my life so much easier! Making more to save is so simple but so good. PS I had no idea you could freeze rice.
This is awesome! Thank you for sharing!
Tip, if you make broth, keep simmering it until the water evaporates more and then it takes less space in the freezer.
I have found I’ve always gone back to the Stasher brand of reusable bags. I wasn’t sure it would be easy to use them for bulk cooking (I just bought a freezer) so I was going to buy the ziplock freezer bags. Ps the stasher bowls are easier to store stuff in bulk but do not lie flat.
I meal prep 4-5 days of breakfast at a time. Scrambled eggs or tofu with vegs, pancakes, healthy muffins. Store in glass containers in fridge. Freeze muffins individually.
Great tips! Thank you for sharing.
Hi!! I love all your tips! The confusion I often have with freezing, is not “can I freeze this,” but “how do I thaw it.” Do you just let them sit out? I freeze bread all the time and just let that thaw on the counter, but for the muffins and the sandwiches, is it the same?
Do you defrost everything before cook? And do you cook as normal? I guess I should know this but I don't 😮
This is wonderfully inspirational. Thank you ❤
Great video, Kallie! New subscriber here.
I love stocking my freezer and fridge. Here are a couple of things that I have learned that may help others...
1. For prepping fruit like apples (that brown when exposed to air): You can use 7Up or Sprite instead of lemon juice to prevent browning. They leave a better taste than pure lemon juice and still do the job. Simply immerse cut fruit in the soda for about 10 seconds, then remove from liquid. I personally do not dry mine.
For labeling multiples, type up the recipe and print it out. Tape on the outside of your storage bag. It saves time and hand cramping (ouch!)
Thank you
Congratulations on the lovely new baby! :D
I’ve been waiting for this video for so long 😅
Congrats on the new baby!!
What did you use to suck the air out of the ziploc with the muffins? That seemed so much easier than getting out a big vacuum sealer. Great video, thank you!!
If only there had been YT when my twins were babies. I'd never heard the idea of freezer meals or even 'meal prepping' before YT. Never mind grocery pick-up, yowza I would have given my right arm for that!
Rice is it. After cooking, cool it in fridge, turns into resistant starch (prebiotic)
SPLF is great! They close easily compared to a lot of the others and are cheap!
Congratulation on having a new baby😊
But how does it all taste? Are the crockpot meals all mushy and one-textured? Does anything taste weird from the plastic? Just genuinely asking!!
Oh, that baby!!!
A trick on rice is add bit of broth of water to it and then microwave it after freezing
Loved loved loved it ❤ thank you 😀