RECIPE INSPIRATION

10 BRILLIANT MEALS YOU SHOULD FREEZE FOR BUSY DAYS

By Carmen | 15 November, 2020
Stating the obvious - we love to cook. It is something that we find both enjoyable and relaxing, and as a result, we usually enjoy delicious and varied home cooked meals. However, there are weeks where we just get busy, and struggle to carve out time for extensive cooking.

Sounds familiar?

In these instances we have found the perfect solution lies in our freezer! No, not in the form of a frozen pizza, but rather our own delicious home cooked meals that we can quickly reheat when our days get too hectic. It’s not rocket science - the key is to simply make double portions when cooking, enjoy half of it on the day, and freeze the rest! We have found these dishes to be such wonderful guilt free life savers that we wanted to share with you the meals we have found are great reheated.

WHAT MEALS CAN YOU FREEZE?

You will genuinely be surprised by the variety of meals that remain delicious when defrosted. We have trialled quite a few different types of meals, and generally speaking most protein and starches, as well as some vegetables, fair well sub-zero. The below 10 recipes are easy to cook in larger quantities and some that we have truly enjoyed once reheated.

1. LAMB MOUSSAKA WITH WHIPPED FETA

Although it uses an array of Summer vegetables, Moussaka seems for all the world a hearty, wintry dish more suited to rain and clouds. This makes it a perfect contender for the freezer, providing you with a comforting dish on a cold day that simultaneously draws memories of the sun.

To reheat from frozen: Cover with foil, cook at 180C (fan oven) for 40 minutes with the foil, remove the foil and cook for a further 15 minutes.
RECIPE HERE
Lamb Moussaka with Whipped Feta Topping

2. COQ AU VIN

Coq au Vin is one of those rustic French dishes that are simple to make and truly delicious. This is perhaps one of the loveliest meals to reheat after a long day, served with a hunk of crusty bread or buttery mash, and enjoyed with a glass of wine.

To reheat from frozen: Cover with foil, cook at 180C (fan oven) for 50 minutes.
RECIPE HERE
Coq au Vin with Roasted Grapes

3. COCONUT LAMB SAAG

This is the type of recipe that gets better the longer it cooks, as the delicious flavours will only deepen and the lamb will become even more tender. Make a large batch of it, freeze it away and you’ll be rewarded with a fragrant dinner that is easy to reheat in the oven and perfect to have when you’re craving a takeaway!

To reheat from frozen: Cover with foil, cook at 180C (fan oven) for 30 minutes with the foil on, stir the curry around and cook for a further 10 minutes.
RECIPE HERE

4. OXTAIL CHILI CON CARNE

The oxtail adds a wonderful depth of flavour to this hearty and comforting chilli con carne. As it requires a few hours to cook down, it is definitely worth making an extra-large batch, that you can quickly whip up during the colder months.

To reheat from frozen: Put in a large pan, over medium-low heat with a lid on for 20 minutes. Then turn the heat up to medium for another 10-15 minutes.
RECIPE HERE
Oxtail Chili Con Carne

5. SRI LANKAN DHAL

This delicious Sri Lankan dhal recipe comes together in no time at all and is a great dish to make in a large quantity. If you’re a bit in a rush one day, it’s super quick to heat up and, served with a little rice, makes for a simply delicious and healthy vegan meal.

To reheat from frozen: Place in a pan on medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
RECIPE HERE
Sri Lankan Red Lentil Dhal

6. BEEF CHEEK LASAGNE

An all-time favourite comfort food, this decadent Beef Cheek Lasagne delivers deep, bold, unctuous flavours. It lends itself extremely well for making in batches to be frozen and enjoyed for many months later.

To reheat from frozen: Cover with foil, cook at 180˚C (fan oven) for 50 minutes, remove the foil and cook for a further 10 minutes. 
RECIPE HERE
Beef Cheek Lasagne

7. BUTTER CHICKEN WITH PEANUT CREAM

Definitely, the curry of choice for many, our version of Tikka Masala, or Butter Chicken, uses peanut butter to boost the flavour of the creamy, buttery chicken to great result. Freeze up a few batches of it, and you’ll be able to enjoy this delicious and fragrant homemade meal whenever the craving for Indian food arises.

To reheat from frozen: Cover with foil, cook at 180˚C (fan oven) for 30 minutes with the foil on, then gently stir it and cook for another 10 minutes.  
RECIPE HERE
Indian Butter Chicken with Peanut Cream

8. COTTAGE PIE WITH BONE MARROW MASH

British comfort food at its best, we’ve decided to add an extra layer of beefy richness to our mash by folding in some roast bone marrow. Make a bit more than you need, store in your freezer and you’ll be able to enjoy a not-so-boring Cottage Pie that’s definitely nicer than the store-bought stuff.

To reheat from frozen: Cover with foil, cook at 180˚C (fan oven) for 40 minutes with the foil, and a further 15 minutes without.  
RECIPE HERE
Cottage Pie with Bone Marrow Mash

9. RATATOUILLE

Ratatouille is a wonderful medley of summer vegetables and actually freezes really well! It’s a great healthy dish that you can have as a side, or simply served with your favourite grains such as pearl barley, bulgur wheat, rice or couscous.

To reheat from frozen: Place in a pan on medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes.  
RECIPE HERE
Grilled Ratatouille with Herb Dressing

10. BEEF CHEEK BOLOGNESE

Our version of Bolognese uses Beef Cheek to create a wonderfully rich and decadent version of this classic dish. The comforting sauce can easily be doubled and stored in containers or freezers bags for a last-minute dinner. Pop in a pan, cook some pasta, and supper is ready, presto!

To reheat from frozen: Cook in a pan on medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes.  
RECIPE HERE
Bolognese at its Best

WHAT TO FREEZE YOUR MEALS IN?

Once you’ve prepared your delicious meals comes the time to pop them in the freezer and you may wonder what should you freeze them in? Freezer meals are seriously convenient but they can generate quite a bit of waste, from disposable ziplock bags, to foil trays or plastic wraps, so we’ve compiled a few ecologically friendly storage solutions for your freezer meals.
SILICONE BAGS
I recently discovered silicone bags when on the search for an eco-friendly solution to ziplock bags and wondered why I had not made the switch sooner! It may look similar to plastic, but silicone is made primarily from inert silicon (sand) and oxygen, which is safe for human health and for the planet. Silicone is extremely durable and can withstand very high and low temperatures, therefore providing a great solution for freezer storage.

The below silicone bag options are great reusable alternatives to your usual disposable plastic bags:

Stasher Silicone Bags: https://amzn.to/2Hbmc9z
Fresh Thinking Co: https://freshthinkingco.com
Yuggen: https://yuggen.org
GLASS JARS & CONTAINERS
For years, I had the assumption that storing anything in a glass container in the freezer would result in an explosive mess. Not so! If you follow these few tricks, storing food in glass jars or containers you should not experience any issues.
  • First, make sure that the food you want to freeze has cooled down before freezing.
  • Next, only fill your glass jars or containers up to ¾. This is key, as the food’s liquid will expand when frozen. (Hence why a forgotten full bottle of wine can indeed explode if left forgotten in the freezer!)
  • Then, place the glass containers or jars in your freezer and leave slightly open until the food is fully frozen. Only then should you tighten the lids of your glass containers.
  • You can now keep your food frozen for up to 3 months with peace of mind. Do make sure that the glass jars and containers you use are preserving jars, as old glass jars may not be robust enough to stand up to freezing and thawing.
Here are some of our favourite preserving glass jars to you can safely use to freeze food and meals:

Le Parfait Glass Jars: https://amzn.to/3mZm0dV
Kilner Jars: https://amzn.to/2EEAAX3 
There you have it, our favourite recipes to batch up and freeze for hectic weeks and handy solutions to freeze meals in. Let’s put behind us the days when a 6-month-old frozen tomato & cheese pizza was the only last-minute resort for dinner. With a little foresight and planning, you can now enjoy lovely home-cooked meals no matter what curveball is thrown at you. If you have any questions leave us a comment below, we love hearing from you. Happy cooking!

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