The Freezer Cure Week 4: Cook for Your Freezer!

Cambria Bold
Cambria Bold
Cambria Bold is the Executive Editor of Cubby, and one of Apartment Therapy Media’s first full-time editors from way back when. She was The Kitchn's founding Design and Lifestyle Editor as well as Managing Editor of Re-Nest, Apartment Therapy’s late '00s green living site. She now thinks a lot about design, kids, and designy kids' things. She lives with her two daughters and their father in St. Paul, MN.
updated Jun 9, 2019
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(Image credit: The Kitchn)
Recipe: Chicken and Wild Rice Bake (Image credit: Faith Durand)

The Freezer Cure Week 4: Saturday, February 28
Assignment: Cook a meal (or more!) to stash in the freezer for busy nights.
Sign Up: Sign up here for The Freezer Cure

Congratulations! You made it to the last task of The Kitchn’s 2015 Freezer Cure. Are you feeling jazzed? Inspired? Way more excited about your freezer than you ever thought possible? You should be — you’ve cleaned, organized, and stocked it, and that is no small feat. We tip our hats to you.

Your freezer is probably looking pretty fierce right now, so to cap off this freezer frenzy, the only thing left to do is cook. Yes, that’s right — today you’re going to cook at least one meal to freeze. If you’re not sure what to cook, or what meals are particularly freezer-friendly, you are in luck. We have ideas (oh, so many ideas) that we will gladly share with you. Let’s finish this, shall we?

Freezer-Friendly Recipe: Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork Chops (Image credit: Faith Durand)

Freezer Cure Assignment Week 4

Estimated time: As much as you want!

1. Pick a few weeknight meal recipes to make and freeze.

The most important meal to get in your freezer is the one that’ll feed and satisfy you on a busy weeknight. Busy weeknights are the hardest times to start a meal from scratch. After a long, hard work day — when you’re exhausted, when the kids are starving, when the motivation to cook is at its lowest — the takeout menus come out. Unless you have a complete meal all ready to go in your freezer! Bam, dinner decided.

Not sure what to cook and freeze? Here’s a little inspiration!

Also, don’t miss these posts →

4 Strategies to Make Your Favorite Recipes Freezer-Friendly

10 Freezer Meal Plans from Real Home Cooks

2. An alternative idea: Assemble a frozen dinner kit!

In her post on frozen dinner kits, Jessica Fisher writes that we all do ourselves a disservice if we limit frozen meals to just lasagnas and casseroles. Instead, take all the components of your favorite meals — tacos, fajitas, stir-fries, pizza — and put them in one big zip-top freezer bag. This way “you’ll have everything all ready to go with one quick reach into the freezer,” she writes.

Read the post → The Art and Craft of Frozen Dinner Kits

How To Make Freezer-Friendly Breakfast Sandwiches (Image credit: Kimberley Hasselbrink)

3. Pick a few non-dinner recipes to make and freeze.

Now that you have your weeknight dinner recipes picked out, you can move on to other meals! Some people find it really helpful to have a few breakfast foods, snacks, or desserts on hand in the freezer, as well as dinners. Here are a few to consider:

Freezer-Friendly Breakfast Recipes
Freezer-Friendly Snacks and Quick Lunches
Freezer-Friendly Baked Goods and Desserts
5 Pro Tips for a Successful Meal Party from The Retro Dinner Diva (Image credit: David Hopler of D Squared Photo & Video)

4. Start your power cooking session.

A power cooking session is when you make several batches of something at one time, and that’s the final part of today’s task. Now that you’ve picked a recipe (or more) to make and cook for your freezer, get to cooking! Double those recipes if you can so you have a few freezer meals you can rely on.

Read the post → My Best Tips for Power Cooking Sessions and Freezer Meal Preparations

5. Or better yet, throw a freezer-meal-making party!

Don’t want to cook for your freezer alone? Invite your friends over and make meals together! This week Faith shared how she threw a freezer-meal-making party with her family and friends and made 50 meals for under $300. Here’s a look at her plan, menu, and all the tips, resources, and recipes that made it a super successful way to stock the freezer. Check it out and be inspired!

Read the post → How To Host a Freezer Meal Party: Recipes, Tips, and Resources for a Day of Cooking with Friends

6. You’ve earned bragging rights, so go on and brag!

That’s it! You did it. You successfully revamped and restocked your freezer, which means you have to show it to us. Take a photo of your freezer, then tell us the biggest changes you made to it, what meals you cooked, and how awesome you feel. We’re right there with you!

#freezercure

We want to see your newly organized freezer! Post it to your Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, or Facebook account and use the hashtag #freezercure

(Image credit: The Kitchn)

Sign up for the Cure Email & Follow Along at Home

We send you an email with each weekend’s tasks so you can follow along at home.

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