Freezing Meals: Part 2

I give you installment two of my meal freezing adventures (read more on Part 1 here)! Chris and I should now be well-prepared for the upcoming days of not having the time to prepare our favorites, as our little one will be occupying much of our precious spare moments! I'm excited and motivated to continue doing this in the future, since it really takes no more time to double up a batch of a good, freezable soup or hearty meal and freeze it for later!

Our final efforts left us with four soups and a lasagna my mother-in-law made me (which separated into 4 meals for 2). My mom and I quadrupled each recipe, leaving us each several meals worth of soups! And not only was it a productive Sunday afternoon, but we had fun in the process! I will definitely be doing this again!

Here's a glimpse at the fruits of our labor:

Turkey Chili 

This is the simplest chili recipe of all time! It is always my fall back if I am not trying out some new, fancy version. Of course, feel free to change it up to your liking-I happen to like mine with a bit more corn and sometimes I like to mix kidney and black beans:)

1 lb. ground turkey, browned

1 can no-salt added corn, drained

2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 large container salsa

2 packets chili seasoning

 

Mix all ingredients in a large stock pot. Cook over medium heat for about 1-2 hours. Though the longer you cook, the better the flavors will meld together.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Because the noodles don't freeze very well, we opted to leave them out. As it is easy enough to add them when reheating the soup. Of course, omitting them gives you the freedom to switch it up with wild rice as my husband prefers.

1 (3 to 4-pound) whole chicken, cooked and shredded
1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped

2 celery stalks, roughly chopped

2 Tbsp, olive oil

2 cubes chicken bullion

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 lb. egg noodles (or wild rice)

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a dutch oven. Add onions and cook until soft (3-4 minutes). Add celery and carrots and cook until softened (another 3-4 minutes). Add chicken stock, bullion and shredded chicken, cooking until heated through. If adding noodles, pour into soup about 5 minutes before serving. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Potato Leek Soup

 A new favorite of ours and a perfect accompaniment to grilled paninis on a chilly day! Plus, this soup is a cinch to make.

Carrot Ginger Soup

This is my all-time favorite soup and so worth the prep time! It embodies the wonderful flavors of Fall and  comforts the soul with just a few sips.

And there you have it, my first adventure in meal freezing (on a large scale, anyway)!