Make-ahead freezer meals: Preparing and freezing food in advance is a cool way to make hot meals.
Why do so many RV travelers freeze their meals ahead of time? Let me count the ways:
Perfect portions. Whether you prep food for one person or five, you can cook once, measure, freeze, and then thaw the meals as the miles roll by.
Easy warm-up and no cleanup. When you freeze meals in a boilable bag or in a disposable pan for oven baking, warm-up and cleanup are a snap.
Health reasons. Homemade is always the best alternative, because you know exactly what goes into each dish. Commercial convenience meals and takeout foods usually contain mystery ingredients such as “natural spices,” not to mention unwanted salt, preservatives, sugars, and saturated fats.
Save money. Preparing your own meals costs a fraction of the price of commercial convenience meals or eating out.
Save space. By freezing foods that are already trimmed, skinned, seasoned, sauced, and ready to eat, you saveon valuable storage space in the RV.
Expand choices. Why limit your options? Take rice, for example, which is the ultimate side dish. It comes in thousands of varieties worldwide, so why settle for the few flavors of cooked rice available in the supermarket?
Here are some delicious freeze-ahead meals.
Caribbean Candied Yams
2 cups sugar
1 cup coconut water (not coconut milk)
½ teaspoon apple pie spice
¼ cup honey
12 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in large dice (about 8 cups)
1 stick butter, melted
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 cup shredded coconut
Boil the sugar with the coconut water to make a simple syrup. Stir in the apple pie spice and honey, and then set the sauce aside. Boil the sweet potatoes until tender. Place them in buttered foil baking pans, drizzle them with melted butter, and sprinkle them with the pecans and coconut. Spoon the warm sauce over the sweet potatoes, and then cool, wrap, and freeze. Thaw and warm in the microwave or oven. Makes 12 servings.
Dirty Rice
A Creole classic, “dirty” rice takes its name from the finely chopped meat that is boiled with it. Traditionally, it’s made with chicken livers and finely chopped gizzards, but it also may include ground beef, cooked pork, or andouille sausage. When you prepare it with just mushrooms and no meat, it’s a flavorful side dish.
8 ounces chicken livers and/or gizzards, chopped (optional) OR other meat
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, butter, or ghee
4 large ribs celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, seeded and diced fine
1 pound mushrooms, chopped
2 teaspoons dried thyme
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
4 cups rice
2 cartons (at least 8 cups) chicken or vegetable broth
In a large pot or kettle, sizzle the meat in the hot fat, gradually adding vegetables and seasoning. When the meat is browned, stir in the rice to coat. Add 8 cups of broth and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, and then cover and cook the rice until it is tender. Add more water or broth to taste, adjusting the seasoning as well. Cool and measure into freezer packages, allowing 1⅔ to 2 cups each as a main dish, or portions of ½ to ⅔ cup as a side dish. Makes 16 cups.
Rice And Broccoli
When you need a side dish to complement meat or fish from the grill, good ol’ rice and broccoli provides a starch and a green in one tasty dish. Add extra cheese and it’s a vegetarian main dish. Add a chopped mild chili or banana pepper if you wish. This is a good choice to freeze in heat-safe bags or microwave-safe containers.
2 bunches fresh broccoli
6½ cups water
1 large onion, diced
1 medium chili, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 cups rice
1 stick butter, cut up
2 cans low-sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup
6-ounce package grated Cheddar cheese
Cut the broccoli into florets. Trim, peel, and chop the stems. In a large pot, bring the water to a boil and stir in the vegetables, salt, pepper, and rice. Cover, reduce the heat, and cook for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender. Rake through the rice a few times with a two-tine meat fork to stir it up. Immediately stir in the butter.
When the butter melts, stir in the soup and fold in the cheese. Cool and measure into freezer packaging, allowing ½ to ⅔ cup per serving. Heat and serve. Makes about 12 cups.
Simple Salmon In Silver
6 salmon fillets, 6 to 8 ounces each
Olive oil
Salt, pepper
6 lemon slices
Dillweed
Rosemary
Lay out six sheets of aluminum foil and brush the center of each with olive oil. Add a salmon fillet to each sheet and brush the salmon lightly with more olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Top each fillet with a lemon slice and a light sprinkling of dried rosemary and dillweed. Wrap and freeze.
Thaw the salmon in the refrigerator without unwrapping. Grill over a hot fire or bake for about 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Makes 6 servings.
Portuguese Pork Soup
Let this soupy stew cook long and slow at home, and then bring it out on a busy day in the campground.
Vegetable oil
4 pounds lean pork in bite-size squares
Salt, pepper
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup orange juice
½ cup water
½ cup lime juice
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons chili powder
Generously coat the inside of a large slow cooker or kettle with vegetable oil. Add the pork and toss lightly with salt and pepper. (You can add more later.) Add the remaining ingredients, stir well, and cook 6 hours on low or until the pork is very tender. Stir once or twice during cooking.
Have ready:
2 large onions, diced
28- to 32-ounce can stewed tomatoes
2 cups frozen or canned corn, drained
1 large red sweet pepper, seeded and diced
1 small can diced chilies, drained
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 bay leaf
Lastly:
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can refried black beans
4 to 8 cups water or broth
Add onions, tomatoes, corn, pepper, chilies, and spices to the cooker. Cook 1 hour on high and stir in the beans. Remove the bay leaf.
To freeze as a condensed soup, add 4 cups of water. To freeze as a ready-to-serve soup, add 8 cups of water. Plan 1 to 1½ cups condensed per portion, or two cups per serving if you plan to add water or broth later. Thaw, heat, and thin to taste with hot water or broth.
Mongolian Beef
Usually plated with rice, Mongolian beef also is good on buns, any type of tortillas, or over a base such as crisp chow mein noodles or cooked ramen.
3 pounds London broil
Salt
¼ cup vegetable oil
Cornstarch
1 tablespoon powdered ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 cup water
1 cup brown sugar
Slice partially frozen meat thinly across the grain. Lightly salt the meat. In a skillet or wok, heat the vegetable oil. Dredge pieces lightly in the cornstarch and then stir-fry in the hot oil, working in batches as necessary. Remove the beef to cool, and then add the remaining ingredients to the wok. Boil the sauce until it is smooth. Allow the sauce to cool.
Divide the beef into 12 portions for packaging according to the sizes you desire. Divide the sauce among the packages. Cool, package, and freeze.
Shepherd’s Pie
This recipe is ideal for freezing in any size, from individual pies to casseroles. Adding an egg and xanthan gum to the mashed potatoes makes them firmer.
Instant potato powder or flakes for 10 servings
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Hot water
1 stick butter, cut up
2 eggs, beaten
¼ teaspoon xanthan gum OR 1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 pounds ground beef
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
10 cups mixed, chopped vegetables (onions, carrots, celery, peas, corn)
1 teaspoon beef base such as Better Than Bouillon
½ cup water
1 packet country gravy mix (2-cup size)
1 cup cold water
¼ cup dry red wine (optional)
In a large bowl, add very hot water to the potato powder, along with salt and pepper, to make “mashed” potatoes. Fold in the butter until it melts. Beat the eggs with xanthan gum or cornstarch and fold thoroughly into the cooled potatoes. Cover and set aside.
In a large skillet or cookpot, fry out the ground beef in hot oil until it is browned and crumbly. Stir in the vegetables, beef base, and ½ cup of water. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are barely tender. Whisk country gravy mix with 1 cup cold water, and then stir into the beef mixture until it thickens. Add water or wine.
Divide the beef mixture into oven-safe freezer container(s) and top with the mashed potatoes. Cool, wrap, and freeze. Thaw and heat thoroughly. French fried onions (such as French’s) make a nice garnish over the top. Makes 10 servings.
Tamale Pie Filling Mole
Freeze just the filling and add the cornbread topping later. This filling also is good with a biscuit topping. Divide the recipe into two 9-inch-by-13-inch casseroles, each serving six people. To complete the dish, you’ll need half a box of Jiffy-brand cornbread mix for each.
3 pounds ground beef
1 tablespoon minced garlic
16-ounce can tomato sauce
28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup corn kernels
1 cup mole sauce
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
Juice and zest of a medium lime
½ cup salsa verde
2 packets, 1 ounce each, taco seasoning
1 small can diced green chilies, drained
2 to 3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
In a large kettle, fry out and crumble the ground beef with the garlic. Spoon off excess fat. Add the remaining ingredients except the cheese. Cover and simmer over low heat 20 to 30 minutes. Divide into two deep 9-inch-by-13-inch disposable baking dishes. Cool, sprinkle with cheese, wrap, and freeze.
Thaw and bake 10 minutes uncovered at 375 degrees. For each dish, whisk half a box of Jiffy cornbread mix with one egg and ⅓ cup milk. Pour over the warm filling. Bake until the topping is puffy and lightly browned and the filling is bubbly. Makes 6 servings.
Baked Spaghetti Casserole
It’s much easier in camp to serve and eat spaghetti that has been baked and cut in squares. Do all the steamy pasta cooking at home. Add your favorite spaghetti sauce, with or without meat, and place a shaker of cheese on the table.
1 pound spaghetti (regular, whole-grain, gluten-free, spaghettini, etc.)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons parsley flakes
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 cups spaghetti sauce, homemade or store-bought
Choose baking pans suitable for one to eight servings and coat the pans lightly with a nonstick spray. Put a layer of sauce on the bottom of the pans. Cook the pasta according to package directions, undercooking it by one minute. Drain and save some pasta water. Stir olive oil, parsley flakes, and Parmesan cheese into the pasta. Moisten with pasta water to taste.
Using tongs, divide the spaghetti among the containers and cover with the remaining sauce. Allow to cool, and then wrap and freeze.
Thaw and bake at 350 degrees to heat through. Pass the cheese shaker. Makes 8 servings.
After-Thawts
*Xanthan gum is a common thickener. Find it in some supermarkets and in health food stores.
*Most seasonings weaken the longer they are frozen. Foods such as green peppers, onions, garlic, cloves, black pepper, bay leaves, and some curry blends get stronger. Cured meats also continue to “cure” while frozen. Keep them frozen for shorter times.
*When freezing items that will be heated in the microwave, such as sandwiches, wrap them in waxed paper. If they will be heated in the oven or over the campfire, use foil.
*When buying meats for the freezer, ask the butcher to bone, skin, portion, and wrap them without the puffy plastic trays; then freeze them in freezer paper. This saves space.
*When preparing the RV after a rest, start the refrigerator-freezer at least 24 hours before adding foods.
*Freeze sandwiches ahead to take on long hikes in hot weather. They’ll be thawed by lunchtime. (Note that not all sandwich fillings are suitable for freezing.)
*For better texture and flavor, food should be cold before freezing, and the freezer should be zero degrees. Slower freezing creates larger ice crystals and more damage to foods’ original texture.
*Don’t skimp on high-quality wraps, packaging, and bags. These guard the food against freezer burn. The new silicone freezer bags can be heated in boiling water, and they are reusable.
*For food safety, thaw foods in the refrigerator.
*Make your favorite smoothies at home and freeze in single portions.
*Press two or more flavors of softened ice cream into ready-made crusts; drizzle with syrup; and trim with nuts, chocolate bits, etc. Wrap and freeze. Thaw 20 minutes before cutting.
*Firm cakes such as pound cake, apple or carrot cake, or fruit cakes travel best. They don’t need frosting and can be frozen whole or in individual slices. Serve plain or with sauce, fruit, whipped topping, or ice cream.
Freezer Sauces
It’s easy to put a ruffle on a plain meal when you whisk a package of sauce out of the freezer to heat and brandish over a vegetable, main dish, or dessert. Think bearnaise, hot fudge, butterscotch sauce, Alfredo sauce, Mamacita’s salsa, or Grandmother’s marinara.
Alfredo Sauce
1 stick butter
2 cups light cream
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (optional)
1½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt, pepper to taste
Melt the butter in a pot. Whisk the cream into the cornstarch and xanthan gum, and stir into the melted butter until it’s thick. Reduce the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Pour the mixture into a bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap. Cool, whisk thoroughly, and package for the freezer. Makes about 3 cups.
Share Your Favorite Recipes. If you have a recipe you enjoy making in your RV, share it with Janet at janetgroene@yahoo.com (put FMCA in the subject line). Visit Janet at CampAndRVCook.blogspot.com, where new recipes and tips are added weekly; a subscription for e-reader devices is available at http://amzn.to/1DsP67t. Janet’s books, including the second edition of Cooking Aboard Your RV, are available in bookstores and at Amazon.com.