I am an Illinois Farm Families blogger and receive compensation in exchange for my posts. All opinions and discussion starters are my own!
October || November || December || January
With winter {hopefully} winding down, we are finally on the cusp of busy season! Heading outdoors, joining sports and activities and getting ready to tackle spring and summer by storm! One of my favorite ways to prep for this season is to prep my freezer full of meals that my family will love to eat – especially in a pinch. With farm fresh foods, I can still feel confident with what we are feeding our family without having to sacrifice flavor, taste or integrity. The busy season for our family happens to coincide with the farming season as they prepare to plant, prepare their land and start the growing process for the upcoming year! I’ve put together some of my favorite freezer meal tips for making sure you are ready to start!
1. Find recipes that your family will LOVE and make them in large quantities.
Breakfast burritos are one of my favorite recipes and they are easy to put together! My hubby will take a few of these with him each day that he heads to work and by using farm fresh eggs, I can feel confident in what I send him there with! Even better, these are great in the freezer and you can add any number of farm fresh veggies that you like to add a little variety. We also love putting together smoothie packs for a similar purpose.
2. Make a list, check it twice.
Before and after you start your prep and cooking, make a list, so you know exactly what to expect. By sticking with a list, you will feel even more equipped to tackle the items you want to make, ensuring that you stick to a plan and have everything ready to go.
3. Research your foods.
Some foods are better to freeze than others. Once you have your meal plan list, check the items and make sure they work well for freezing. For example, potatoes don’t freeze as well as other vegetables, so be careful what recipes you use them in. Go a step further and check out Illinois Farm Families for even more information and recipe ideas for where your food comes from. You might even consider trying to schedule a tour or checking out a local farm for more information!
4. Come prepared with supplies!
Make sure you have foil, paper towels (for wrapping burritos if you go that route), ziploc bags of various sizes and a permanent marker for labeling. Also be sure to make a list of what you need from the grocery store so you can find everything on your list and make sure you have it when it’s time for prepping your meals.
5. Consider some of your favorite meals and see if you can freeze them!
By freezing what your family already likes, it ensures that your food will not go to waste, so that you can be sure to utilize your freezer to its full capacity and so that you are not making food that you KNOW will be wasted.
What are your favorite freezer meal tips and tricks? Do you have specific recipes that your family loves?
LOVE breakfast burritos but I have never tried freezing them. I might have to try that!