To reduce cooking time, freeze prepared meals for future use. Homemade semi-finished products: cook, freeze, reheat

You can freeze the components of dishes, individual ingredients or assembled whole dishes.

Meal ingredients are anything you can prepare ahead of time and/or mix together to speed up meal preparation. For example, to prepare borscht with beans, you can cook and freeze meat broth, separately beans, separately frying for borscht, tomato preparation and meat. And then just mix it all in a saucepan, add potatoes and fresh cabbage. And no one can distinguish borscht from freshly prepared one. And it will take about 30 minutes.

Individual ingredients are all kinds of monocomponents, such as mushrooms, tomatoes, meat, from which you can subsequently prepare any dish.

Assembled meals - can be either raw or prepared meals. You can prepare ready-made sets of lunches (breakfasts, dinners) or, as they say now, “meals”.

Freezes well:

• Meatloaves, (raw and prepared), meatballs. Once you've made them using your favorite recipes, portion them into containers or freezer bags. Raw dishes Before cooking, defrost and then cook as usual.
• Marinated meat and poultry. Cut raw meat into portions, place them in portion bags or containers, cover with marinade and freeze. The meat is finally marinated when defrosted in the refrigerator. Once defrosted, cook the meat as usual.
• Casseroles, lasagnas, enchiladas. Collect raw and freeze. These dishes require complete defrosting before use.
• Various flatbreads: corn or wheat for making burritos or tacos, pita, etc. They are frozen fried. Before use, do not defrost, but quickly heat up in a frying pan or in the oven.
• Fillings for burritos, tacos, shawarma, pita rolls chopped, mixed and frozen raw and cooked just before consumption.
• Pancakes with filling. Ready-made ones are frozen with ready-made filling. Before use, do not defrost, but quickly heat up in a frying pan.
• Pies. The pies are frozen or semi-finished and finished cooking in the oven. Or freeze raw, assembled in a baking dish, and do not defrost before baking.
• Pies with fillings. The pies are frozen half-cooked.
• Stews, soups and broths, chili. This category of dishes is frozen completely ready and reheated without defrosting.
• Dough products with fillings for subsequent cooking: dumplings, dumplings, khinkali, manti, ravioli. They are frozen raw and do not defrost before cooking.
• Marinades and sauces preparedNot based on emulsions and intended for heating or hot dishes, such as pasta. Very often there is not enough time to prepare marinades, sauces and other dressings. But it turns out that many sauces can be prepared and frozen. And what’s more, many of them are easier to cook in large batches or cook in season and save not only time, but also money.
• Bread, buns,. If you bake, the best way to save effort and time is to bake the dish until half-cooked and finish it before eating without defrosting.
• Cheese. Storing grated cheese in the freezer allows you to save a lot of time on grating. In addition, sometimes there is excess leftover, which is difficult to store in the refrigerator (cheese requires fairly high humidity for storage). Most types of cheese are suitable for freezing except soft cheeses with mold like brie or camembert. But at the same time, mozzarella, gorgonzola picante, and feta are suitable.
• Marinades and sauces.
• Meat, fish and chicken raw. The best way To save money is to buy a large volume and cut the meat yourself. For example, you buy several chickens at once and disassemble them depending on the desired use: cut off breast fillets, separate wings, drumsticks, collect fat to prepare chicken lard, leave bones for broth, chop minced meat for cutlets. All this can be frozen separately and used as needed.
• Prepared meat, such as ham, boiled pork. It is more convenient to cut the finished meat and divide it into portions. This meat is used as a filling for sandwiches, tacos, burritos, in salads and soups.
• Sausages for frying and boiling, sausages. Sausages tolerate freezing well. They need to be defrosted before cooking.
• Pizza. Pizza is frozen raw (with sauces and toppings) in a baking dish. This pizza is baked without defrosting. Or pizza crusts are baked separately until half cooked, and sauces and toppings are frozen separately. The sauce will need to be thawed before use, but the crust and toppings may remain frozen.
• Dough of all types. Almost any dough can be frozen - yeast, shortbread, puff pastry, etc. Before cooking, the dough is defrosted and it is ready to use.

This is not an advertisement for factory-made frozen semi-finished products, not at all. We made our own preparations, on a free day and to the taste of family members, so that on weekdays all that was left was to bring the dish to an edible state, add a side dish and salad.

Two rules for thrifty housewives

1. Food shopping rule- we buy what we need, and not what they want to sell us:

a) We make a list of products and buy strictly according to the list.

b) We monitor nearby supermarkets on the Internet for ongoing promotions on products that interest us.

c) We don’t fall for all sorts of “temptations”, such as “buy two for the price of three and get the third for free.”

d) We go grocery shopping, having thoroughly refreshed ourselves at home.

e) We choose slowly, compare prices and check the expiration date.

f) We make basic purchases once a week, according to the prepared menu, and during the week we buy only bread and dairy products.

g) We do not buy semi-finished products.

2. To eat economically, you need to cook yourself, creating a menu.

Since wasting money on food is directly proportional to the number of visits to supermarkets and markets, we can reduce it to a minimum

To do this, we’ll choose a time (preferably right after payday), draw up a menu for the week (month) and purchase all the basic products once.

Advice: If we purchase products in advance, some of them need to be quickly processed into semi-finished products. It is better to do this on Saturday (and devote the whole day to family on Sunday).

It is cooked and frozen semi-finished products that will allow you to no longer spend money on groceries and will reduce the time for preparing meals on weekdays.

Meat dishes

If you want to save money and eat meat, you need to spend it sparingly. From the same piece of meat, you can fry chops and eat them at one time, or you can, as we suggest, grind it into minced meat.

Homemade liver is very profitable. It is easy to prepare, inexpensive and, as needed, you can use it for pies, pancakes, dumplings or navy-style pasta.

Our advice: instead of the usual kilogram of meat for minced meat, take two, two and a half kilograms. You will spend the same time preparing minced meat for cutlets, but provide yourself and your family with food for a month. And it is not at all necessary to cook only cutlets from minced meat. You can make cutlets and meatballs for variety, goulash, meatballs,beef stroganoff (thin strips) etc...

I won’t say a special word about dumplings, khinkali and manti - this is already clear to everyone.

I place the blanks on cutting boards. I have a lot of them specifically for freezing semi-finished products. I always put a plastic bag on the board so that the pieces can be easily removed after freezing.All this must be placed separately either in the refrigerator or in the freezer. Remove and cook as needed.

Goulash

Cut the meat into 3x3 cm pieces and generously pepper it. Fry and cool, place in a container. You will add salt directly when preparing dinner.

Chops prepared for a couple of days

Making this semi-finished product is quite easy: take a piece of tenderloin or neck (pork, veal, lamb), cut into portions, beat and place in the marinade. The marinade is also done quickly: add 1 tsp into boiling water (1 liter). salt, 0.5 tsp. sugar, 1 tbsp. dry white wine or a weak solution of vinegar, 2-3 cloves, 3 peas allspice. Place the chopped pieces of meat into the cooled marinade.

Air balls

Prepare the minced meat: meat, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, eggs beaten with a mixer. We knock it down well so that it becomes plastic. With wet hands we form round flat balls and place them on a stand. Then there are two options: either keep it in the refrigerator and use (fry, stew) for a maximum of 2 days, or put it in the freezer.

You can also make meatballs for soup - for future use.

Well, with cutlets things are even simpler:
We take the frozen cutlets out of the freezer.
Place in a frying pan preheated with oil and fry on both sides, as we always do.

Add a teaspoon of water to the pan and, closing the lid, let the cutlets steam for no more than one minute, turning off the gas. All. Our cutlets are ready. The time spent is no more than 10 - 15 minutes. We prepare the side dish and the second course is ready for dinner.

Therefore, if you want to save money, listen to my tips and your own “voice of reason,” include dishes using minced meat or liver in your menu.

Also with Use meat boiled in broth for salads, casseroles, or, like liver, for filling dumplings, pies, and pancakes.

The semi-finished products you have prepared are also good because if they are not used, they will be perfectly preserved until the next big purchase of food.

First meal

It is better, of course, to prepare broths in advance in a large saucepanYou can make stock of broths for first courses. Boil the chicken or meat (we boil the meat for broths, and also freeze it fresh). Boil rich broths, 5-6 liters in a large saucepan, and divide the finished broth into 5 servings and freeze. As needed, take one portion, defrost and add required amount water. Do the same with the next portion of preparations for the first courses when these run out.

"Frying" for first courses: I usually also peel 2-3 carrots and onions and leave them in bags in the refrigerator. Then in the evening, preparing the “frying” for the soup takes at most 10 minutes, in fact, the frying of the vegetables itself.

I also boil mushrooms and freeze them especially for soups. This is also a semi-finished product. Alas, this trick doesn’t work with potatoes.

Side dishes for the second course

A make-ahead option for side dishes is rice. Prepare fluffy rice, cool it, transfer it to a container with a lid. Instead of rice, you can also do it with other porridge - buckwheat, pearl barley.

Cook it more and complement it with goulash or chop. However, I don’t do this - any porridge, except corn, does not take long to cook, requires practically no expense from the housewife, and is delicious fresh.

But you can come up with the following menu: on Monday you have buckwheat as a side dish, but on Tuesday it would be nice to have chops with cabbage. And please! If on Saturday you finely chopped the cabbage, topped it with grated carrots, peppercorns, grated it with salt and sugar (just a little) and put it in a jar, then by Tuesday evening you quickly take the jar of cabbage out of the refrigerator and fry it in vegetable oil. , add spices to taste - after 7 minutes the side dish for the chops is ready.

Boiled ones are also perfect for side dishes.frozen vegetables. Well, don’t forget about the preparations from the fall either: they will diversify your menu.You can also stock up on boiled beets, carrots and turnips. Then on Wednesday evening you might be able to fabulous salad from boiled vegetables to the bits.

Rolls with fillings

Cook the meat as you would for chops. You just need to beat him back more strictly. Salt and pepper the pieces. Prepare the filling: mushrooms with onions, cheese, boiled egg and greens, thin strips of fried bacon with walnuts and garlic. Place the filling on the meat and roll it into a roll. Then you can fry and stew the rolls, or you can put them in the freezer.

Pancakes

Bake some pancakes. You can make pancakes from them, with the same minced boiled meat or cottage cheese or something else, or you can just freeze them in a stack, and then defrost them in the microwave and serve them with sour cream or jam.

When I'm cooking stuffed pancakes, I fry the pancakes on one side (this way you will save time), then I put the filling on it, wrap the pancakes in an envelope and put them away for freezing. The filling for pancakes can be any:

Boiled meat from broth, twisted in a meat grinder, with overcooked onions;

Cottage cheese with or without raisins;

Boiled rice with boiled eggs;

Mushroom mince, etc.

Fish

I buy big fish - pollock, salmon, pink salmon, halibut, cod. I clean, I hustle, I cut in portioned pieces. And I freeze these pieces separately. And then I take it out as needed. If you fry, in the morning I put it from the freezer to the refrigerator, by the evening it defrosted, 10 minutes in a frying pan, and it’s ready. And if you stew or bake in the oven, take out the frozen pieces, season them, put them in foil or a casserole, and leave for 30-40 minutes.

Here are a few more options: cut up pieces for frying, ground minced meat for delicacy cutlets, or completely frozen cleaned small fish.

If the product allows and there are plans for fish soup, then I always put the set for fish broth. It cooks quickly and offers many options for soups.

Dessert

With desserts things are not so simple. If you have time on your day off (and your family loves it), then bake more cookies, or cupcakes, or gingerbread. You won’t be able to stock up on pies: a rare pie is truly delicious on the 2-3rd day of life. But the jams, frozen berries and fruits we have prepared will decorate cottage cheese, porridge, and hot toast.

I often use plastic containers for storage. They are refrigerator/freezer friendly and have tight lids. My friend prefers plastic bags and minimal marinade. Try it, choose!!!

Well, you worked a little on Saturday, but during the week with this set of semi-finished products you will quickly prepare food for your family. And at the same time, you won’t spend a lot of time standing at the stove.

I have given several examples of preparation home semi-finished products. You may have your own options that save you time, write about them in the comments. Young and novice housewives will most likely find these tips very useful.

According to the survey, women spend on average more than 8 hours a week cooking. And if you add up all the time women spend at the stove during their lives, you get 3 years of continuous cooking! Fortunately, there is a way to reduce this time, and a regular freezer will help with this. Now we will tell you everything.

There are 2 ways to start saving time on cooking:

• Prepare 5-6 dishes at a time (portions should be small), freeze most of the dishes and then, as needed, defrost and eat.
• Or you can cook 1 dish each time, but in a larger volume than usual, and freeze part of it. In a week or two, your freezer will have accumulated so much ready meals, that you can periodically allow yourself not to think about cooking, but simply defrost and reheat supplies.

We will tell you which ready-made dishes can be frozen and not be afraid that after defrosting they will turn into an unappetizing substance.

1. Pilaf

Freeze it. Pilaf should only be frozen when freshly prepared and cooled to room temperature. It can be packaged in bags (after releasing all the air) or containers. Also, don't forget to put a sticker on it indicating the freezing date. Keep Frozen pilaf is possible 3 months at a temperature of −18 °C.

Defrost. There are several defrosting methods:

• In a frying pan (if frozen in a bag). Transfer the pilaf to an unheated dry frying pan and simmer over low heat under the lid. You can add a couple of tablespoons of water.
• In the microwave. Just use defrost mode.
• In a refrigerator. Place frozen pilaf in it for about 8–10 hours (depending on volume), then reheat the dish in any way convenient for you.

2. Cheesecakes

Freeze it. After making the cheesecakes, place them on paper towels to absorb excess oil. First, cool them to room temperature, and then place them in the refrigerator for an hour. Then stack them in towers of 5-6 pieces, wrap them in cling film or simply put them in a bag. Keep ready-made cheesecakes in the freezer 4 months.

Defrost. The cheesecakes need to be placed in the refrigerator, and then, when they are completely defrosted, reheat them in the microwave or oven. It's better to defrost them in the evening, and by morning you will have ready breakfast.

3. Stuffed peppers

Freeze it. First, the finished dish must be placed in the refrigerator to cool. After about 2 hours, the pepper can be put into bags, remembering to release the air from them afterwards. If you have enough freezer space, divide the peppers into containers. Keep ready stuffed peppers Can 3 months.

If you made the peppers and gravy, you can freeze it separately using small containers.

Defrosting:

• In a refrigerator. Place them there in advance, for example overnight. You can reheat this dish in a frying pan in sauce or in the oven.

4. Pizza

Freeze it. The finished pizza should be cooled to room temperature and wrapped in cling film. Keep There should be no more pizza in the freezer six months. By the way, you can cut it into pieces, wrap each one in film and freeze it like that.

Defrost. First, let the pizza thaw a little, maybe not completely. Then remove the film and place the pizza in the microwave for 3-4 minutes or in a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes.

5. Rice

Freeze it. Cooked rice can be frozen if you have cooked it correctly. If you end up with an unappetizing, sticky rice mass, then freezing and thawing this mass will become even less pleasant. So first cooked rice needs to be cooled. To do this, place it on a flat tray and stir occasionally with a fork. Once the rice has cooled, pour it into containers without compacting it. Leave some empty space. Place the containers in the freezer and shake them several times over the next 2 hours to prevent the rice from sticking together into one big brick. If everything was done correctly, the rice will be crumbly after defrosting. Keep it's possible 3–6 months.

Defrosting:

• Place the rice on the refrigerator shelf until completely defrosted.
• You can defrost rice in microwave oven: put it on a plate, add a little cold boiled water and turn on defrost mode.
• You can also heat the rice in a frying pan: reduce the heat to low, add a little water to the rice and stir from time to time.

6. Potatoes

Freeze it. Potatoes are a special product for freezing, since after defrosting they can change their taste and texture. Therefore, it is optimal to freeze potatoes in the form of mashed potatoes. It must be frozen freshly prepared. Cool the puree to room temperature, then place in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. After that, put it in containers or bags and put it in the freezer. Keep puree is ok up to six months.

Defrosting:

• In the microwave using the defrost mode.
• On the refrigerator shelf for several hours.
• In a frying pan - just add a little water.

7. Porridge

It may seem that there is no point in freezing dishes that take half an hour to prepare. But nevertheless, sometimes half an hour plays a big role after a hard day of work.

Freeze it. All porridges can be frozen, the only difference is the timing storage: porridge cooked in water can be stored no more than 6 months, and porridge with milk - no more than 4.

So, ready-made porridge you need to cool them to 4–6 °C (put them in the refrigerator for an hour), and then pour them into containers or bags (for example, you can do this with oatmeal or buckwheat) and place them in the freezer.

A little trick: place a bag inside the container and then pour the porridge into it. When it's frozen, remove the bag from the container and you'll have a frozen brick of porridge that won't take up much space in the freezer.

Liquid cereals are best stored in a jar or container. Don't forget that the product will expand when frozen, so leave some empty space.

Defrost. Porridge should only be defrosted on the refrigerator shelf. Dry ones will thaw in a few hours, but liquid ones are best defrosted in the evening. In the morning you will have a ready-made breakfast, which will remain to be heated in the microwave.

8. Puree soups, broths

Freeze it. You should only put freshly brewed cream soup or broth into the freezer, and not one that has been standing for a day or two. It is also worth considering that after defrosting the soup, the pasta contained in it will darken (due to starch, which reacts to temperature changes). Also, do not freeze soup that contains potatoes, as there is a chance that after defrosting the soup will turn into porridge.

So, after the soup has cooled, pour it into dry containers and put it in the freezer. Be sure to leave some free space in your containers. Keep such soups should not last longer 3 months.

By the way, it is better not to freeze greens in soups. Freeze it crushed in fresh separately.

Defrost. The soup can be defrosted in the microwave (on defrost mode) or in the refrigerator: in this case, the soup will thaw for 4-5 hours, and then it needs to be heated in a saucepan over low heat. It is not at all necessary to bring the soup to a boil.

9. Baking

Freeze it. Bread, rolls, pies, cupcakes, muffins, pies, cookies and gingerbread can be frozen. Large baked goods, such as bread or pie, should be sliced ​​before freezing. Keep baked goods in the freezer can be in bags or containers and no longer 2 months.

Defrosting:

• In the microwave.
• Leave to defrost at room temperature.

10. Meat products

Freeze it. First, any ready-made meat dish(cutlets, chicken, meatballs, etc.) cool to room temperature and wrap in cling film, and then put the briquettes in the freezer. Keep meat products should not last longer 3 months.

Defrosting:

• At room temperature.
• In the microwave. To taste qualities the dishes are not particularly affected, you can add a little to it herbs, butter or some sauce to taste.

A few important points

• After you bag your food, be sure to completely remove any air from the bag.
• If you are freezing something liquid (sauces, soups), do not forget to leave some space in the container, as when freezing the liquid will increase in volume and the container may crack.
• Remember to mark the freezer date on bags and containers.
• It's better to defrost food in a slow way(on the refrigerator shelf). Use the microwave only if you are short on time.
• Once defrosted, prepared meals cannot be re-frozen.

Proper packaging is the solution to all problems. By using the right packaging, you will extend the shelf life of your food in the freezer and preserve its taste.

To store frozen foods you can use:

- special bags for freezing with or without a zipper (slider bags);

- plastic containers that can withstand sub-zero temperatures and are suitable for the microwave;

- thick foil;

- cling film;

- disposable forms for baking.

Be sure to label everything you put in the freezer. otherwise, later you simply won’t remember what you froze; frozen foods look completely different. Also sign the freezing date to avoid unpleasant consequences. You can use a permanent marker for this. Regular markers or pens are not suitable for this, as they fade.

What foods can be frozen?

Believe it or not, you can freeze almost all ready-made dishes.

Below are just a few of the dishes that store well in the freezer:

- broths;

- puree soups;

- sausages;

- meat goulash;

- pilaf;

- chops;

- lasagna;

- pates (meat, fish, liver);

- mashed potatoes;

- cereals;

- pasta (boil until al dente);

- cutlets;

- cabbage rolls;

- baked goods (pies, pizza, buns, muffins, pancakes, pancakes);

- casseroles;

- sauces (Bolognese, pesto).

Nuances:

If you cook a lot at once, then do not freeze everything in one package, Divide into portions so you don't have to defrost several times.

The faster the freezing, the better. Many modern freezers have a function quick freezing. To freeze a dish, use this function, and for storage you can use a regular compartment with a standard -18 degrees.

When freezing in bags, try to “expel” all the air, then the products will better retain their appearance and taste.

Do not fill storage containers to the top, since most products contain water, which expands when frozen. This especially applies to broths, soups and gravies.

When storing in the freezer, try to use different shelves for meat and fish dishes, vegetables and other products to protect products from foreign odors.

It is better to add mayonnaise, yogurt, cream to the dish before eating, because after freezing they separate.

How to organize?

1. Make a menu and a list of necessary products. We wrote about this.

2. Plan your work. Start by making a list of what you need to prepare for each recipe. For example: chop and fry one onion, boil the pasta, boil the meat. Then group the same steps: for example, one recipe calls for one onion, and another calls for two, so we can peel and fry three onions. When planning, consider the following: first prepare all the products (clean, wash, cut), then grate, cut, chop, and only then begin to fry, boil, bake. This approach will allow you to cook several dishes at the same time.

3. Prepare everything necessary utensils and accessories- knives, cups, pots, pans - and feel free to start cooking, following the work plan.

4. Once all the ingredients are ready, All we have to do is put everything into bags, containers and label it, then put it in the freezer.

You can freeze not only dumplings and cutlets, but also pies, stuffed pancakes and even broths for soups. Below you will find 10 original dishes, suitable for freezing. But before moving on to the recipes, a little theory.

IN freezer−18 ºС. At this temperature, the action of microorganisms stops - frozen food for a long time without losing its taste. How much exactly? Considering that we constantly look into the freezer, that is, temperature changes occur, food slightly thaws and freezes again, no more than two months.

Some foods are not suitable for freezing. For example, zucchini, cucumbers and other watery vegetables. After defrosting, almost all the flavor leaves them along with the moisture. Lettuce leaves lose texture and raw potatoes takes on an unpleasant aftertaste.

You need to know how to freeze and defrost food. How colder dish before putting it in the freezer, the better. If the products have been subjected to heat treatment, it is recommended to first cool them at room temperature, then keep them in the refrigerator and only then freeze them.

Thawing should be done in the reverse order: take the dish out of the freezer, place it on a tray and put it in the refrigerator for 10–12 hours. Slow thawing allows food to absorb moisture lost during freezing. This way the taste is preserved as much as possible. But, if you don’t have time, you can use the defrosting function in the microwave.

Vacuum bags, plastic and glass trays are used to store food in the freezer. Bags with zip locks are convenient when it is not necessary to maintain the shape of the dish: they significantly save space in the freezer. Plastic containers can be taken with you to work, they are convenient for heating lunch in the microwave, and glass trays are ideal for cooking in the oven, since there is no need to transfer the dish from dish to dish.

Debbie R/Flickr.com

Muffins belong to sweet pastries, but if you use ham and cheese as filling instead of chocolate and fruit, you can get satisfying mini-buns for breakfast. They take little time to prepare, and after freezing and reheating, they are just as delicious as piping hot.

Ingredients:

• 3–4 pieces of bread;
• 3-4 slices of ham;
• 100 g cheddar or other hard cheese;
• 8 eggs;
• 1 glass of milk;
• 2 teaspoons mustard powder;
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper;
• dried parsley and other spices to taste.

Preparation

Cut the bread and ham into thin strips. Grate the cheese on a coarse grater. Fill the muffin tins about two-thirds full with this filling.

In a separate bowl, beat eggs, milk, mustard powder and pepper. Pour the resulting mixture into the mold. But not to the edges, otherwise the muffins will run away during baking. Sprinkle the top of each cell of the mold dried parsley and other seasonings to your taste.

Preheat the oven to 200 ºС. Bake the muffins for 15–20 minutes. Let them cool and then fold them into Plastic container and put it in the freezer.

Julia Frost/Flickr.com

In the morning you can get required quantity buns, heat in the microwave and get a quick, satisfying, and most importantly, tasty breakfast.

cupcakesandkalechips.com

Ideal for breakfast, nutritious and healthy. It provides about 20% daily value fiber and protein, contains a lot of necessary substances and helps control appetite. If you are too lazy to bother with preparing porridge in the morning, there is a solution - frozen oatmeal cups with various fillings (fruits, nuts, dried fruits, etc.).

Ingredients:

• 2 cups oatmeal;
• 3 glasses of milk or water (optional);
• 1 tablespoon honey;
• 30 g butter;
• a pinch of salt;
• fruits, berries, chocolate, nuts, dried fruits and other fillings.

Preparation

In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. Pour in cereals and mix thoroughly. Reduce heat to low and simmer porridge for 5–7 minutes until thickened. Stir constantly. Remove the oatmeal from the heat, add a knob of butter and a spoonful of honey, mix well. Let cool slightly.

Grease the muffin tin vegetable oil and put the porridge into cells. Sprinkle some filling on top of each serving. These can be diced bananas, raspberries, raisins, coconut flakes- what you like to eat oatmeal with.

Wrap the shape cling film and freeze. When the cups are well set, remove them from the mold and wrap them individually in film. This will significantly save space in the freezer.

Remove the required number of cups from the freezer the night before to easily have a healthy and delicious breakfast in the morning. Just heat the porridge in the microwave. Add milk if necessary.

Barbara Krawcowicz/Flickr.com

Frozen stuffed peppers work almost as well as dumplings or dumplings. If you know you have a busy day ahead and won't have time to cook, take the peppers out of the freezer the day before. They will thaw overnight in the refrigerator, all you have to do is put them in the oven.

Ingredients:

• 8 bell peppers;
• 700 g minced beef;
• 250 g rice;
• 250 g tomato sauce;
• 1 onion;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• hard cheddar cheese;
• salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation

Wash the peppers, cut off the tops to create “cups”, the inner cavity from the seeds. The cut caps can be crumbled and used in the filling.

Peel the onion and garlic and chop finely. Combine ground beef (you can use ground turkey instead of beef), rice, pepper, onion, garlic and tomato sauce. Salt and pepper to taste. Stuff the peppers with this. Sprinkle grated cheese on top.

In this form, the peppers can already be frozen. When you need to cook them, defrost and bake in the oven at 180 ºС for 30–40 minutes.

budgetbytes.com

What to take for lunch or? For many this is everyday headache. This recipe will help diversify the contents of your lunchbox. The ingredients are simple, the preparation is easy.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 kg of potatoes;
• 500 g salsa sauce;
• 500 g hard cheese (for example, cheddar);
• 50 g butter;
• 9 eggs;
• 1 tablespoon olive oil;
• 1 teaspoon paprika;
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder;
• ½ teaspoon salt;
• black ground pepper taste.

Preparation

Wash the potatoes and cut into cubes. If it is young, you don’t even have to peel it. Add paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the bowl with the potato cubes; olive oil. Mix everything thoroughly. Place the potatoes in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. parchment paper, and place in the oven for 45–60 minutes, preheated to 200 ºС. Stir the potatoes about halfway through cooking.

While it's cooking, make the omelette. To do this, break the eggs into a bowl and lightly beat them with a whisk. Butter Melt in a frying pan and carefully pour in the eggs. Remove the omelette from the heat a couple of minutes before it’s ready; the eggs should still be a little runny.

Divide the potatoes into containers. Add 2-3 tablespoons of salsa or any other sauce of your choice to each of them. Divide the omelette into portions and sprinkle with grated cheese.

budgetbytes.com

With this amount of ingredients you will get six office lunches. Store them in the freezer, and when necessary, take a container with you, heat them in the microwave and enjoy excellent country-style potatoes.

Scott/Flickr.com

Short pasta in the form of corrugated tubes with diagonally cut edges is called penne. You can also use them to make ground beef. delicious casserole, which will help out if you don’t have time for dinner. You can take it to work for lunch.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg minced beef;
• 800 g tomatoes per own juice;
• 500 g penne pasta;
• 400 g marinara sauce;
• 400 g ricotta;
• 400 g mozzarella;
• 1 large onion;
• 1 egg;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• 2 teaspoons of Italian herb mixture;
• ½ teaspoon coarsely ground red pepper (flakes);
• salt and black pepper to taste.

Preparation

Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Fry them in olive oil. Then add to them Ground beef. Fry it, stirring constantly, until excess moisture evaporates. When the minced meat is browned, pour the tomatoes in their own juice and marinara sauce into the pan (if you don’t have it on hand, you can use any other tomato sauce). Add spices: Italian mixture, red and black pepper, salt. Simmer for half an hour. After 30 minutes, transfer a third of the sauce from the pan to a separate bowl. Cool.

Also, in a separate bowl, combine the ricotta, grated mozzarella (save some cheese for sprinkling) and eggs. Season with salt, pepper, and whisk until smooth.

Boil the pasta. Rinse them under cold running water. Mix with minced meat and cheese. Place everything in a glass container. Fill with the remaining tomato-meat sauce, sprinkle with grated cheese.

Thrivinghomeblog.com

You must use a glass container so that when you take the casserole out of the freezer, you can immediately put it in the oven. Bake at a temperature of 190 ºС. Moreover, if you put the casserole in the oven straight from the freezer, the cooking time will be 2–2.5 hours. Therefore, it is better to first defrost the dish in the microwave or naturally, on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.

Nikki G/Flickr.com

Taquitos is a dish Mexican cuisine, which represents corn tortillas with filling. This recipe is a salvation for those times when everyone is hungry, but there is no time to cook and nothing to cook with. In just 15 minutes you will have dinner on your table no worse than a restaurant one.

Ingredients:

• 15 corn tortillas;
• 500 g chicken breast;
• 250 g cream cheese;
• 170 g salsa verde sauce;
• 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro;
• 2 tablespoons lime juice;
• 1 teaspoon onion powder;
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder;
• 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder;
• ¾ teaspoon cumin;
• vegetable oil for frying and greasing.

Preparation

Cut the chicken breast into strips and fry in vegetable oil until golden crust. Cream cheese stir in cilantro, lime juice and spices (cumin, onion, garlic powder and chili powder). Since the dish is Mexican, Pepper Jack cheese goes well with taquitos. He has creamy taste with slightly tart notes. But you can use other semi-soft varieties.

You can make your own tortillas or buy them ready-made. In the latter case, first microwave the tortillas for 1-2 minutes so that they are soft and do not break when folded.

Place chicken and cheese mixture on tortillas. Add some salsa verde. Read about how to prepare it at home. Roll the tortillas into a log.

Preheat the oven to 220 ºС. Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray with vegetable oil. Place the rolls on it so that the edges are down and they do not touch each other. Bake for 15–20 minutes.

Happymoneysaver.com

Once the taquitos are baked and cool, place them in a zip-lock freezer bag and place them in the freezer. In a situation where “everyone is hungry, but there is no time to cook and nothing to cook with,” place the rolls again on a baking sheet, lightly sprinkle with vegetable oil and reheat in the oven for 10–15 minutes.

Arnaud Dessein/ Flickr.com

Nuggets are usually associated with fast food, but they can be the basis for a second one for lunch or dinner. When you don't have time to fry the cutlets, remove them from the freezer and reheat the nuggets. As a side dish, you can boil pasta or make mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ kg chicken fillet;
• 200 g flour;
• 200 g corn flakes;
• 5 eggs;
• 1 tablespoon paprika.

Preparation

Wash the meat, dry it and cut it into small pieces about 3–5 cm long. Cornflakes grind in a blender. Mix flour and paprika in a separate bowl. Also whisk the eggs separately.

Dip each piece of chicken first in flour, then in eggs and finally in cereal. Do this carefully if you want the nuggets to have a real crunch. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the breaded chicken pieces on it. Bake the nuggets in the oven at 180 ºC for 15–20 minutes.

When the nuggets have cooled, place them in an airtight container plastic bag, and put it in the freezer. It is useful to label frozen food packages. Indicate the name of the dish and the date of preparation.

Julia Frost/Flickr.com

Meatballs are a dish Italian cuisine, which are balls of minced meat. They are similar to meatballs and meatballs, but neither. Meatballs are usually stewed, meatballs are boiled in broth, and meatballs are baked in the oven (Italian version) or deep-fried (American version). Meatballs are a great solution for those who don’t have the time or desire to stand at the stove. It's tasty and satisfying. Meatballs can be eaten as independent dish or serve with a side dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg minced beef;
• 200 g breadcrumbs;
• 200 g ricotta;
• 2 eggs;
• 5 tablespoons of olive oil;
• parsley, salt, pepper and other spices to taste.

Preparation

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Ricotta can be replaced thick sour cream, but it is better to use minced beef: pork is too fatty for this dish.

Julie Magro/Flickr.com

Form the resulting minced meat into balls about 5 cm in diameter. Place them in a container, wrap it in foil and freeze. Meatballs should be baked at 180 ºС for 20–30 minutes.

Stew with chicken and vegetables - preparation for multicooker

Thehumbledhomemaker.com

Significantly simplifies life: put in groceries, press a button and go about your business. And if, in addition, you freeze the preparation, where all the ingredients have already been washed and chopped, then the time savings becomes even more noticeable.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg chicken fillet;
• 2 bell peppers;
• 1 onion;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• 1 tablespoon honey;
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar;
• 1 tablespoon chili powder;
• 2 teaspoons cumin;
• 1 teaspoon paprika.

Preparation

Wash the chicken and cut into strips. Also wash the pepper, remove seeds and chop. Peel and chop the onion and garlic.

Take a ziplock bag and add all the ingredients, including honey and Apple vinegar. Release as much air as possible from the bag. Freeze. When needed, defrost the bag, pour its contents into the slow cooker and simmer the stew for 3-6 hours. You can do all the manipulations in the morning so that in the evening, when you come home from work, you can enjoy a delicious dinner.

N i c o l a/Flickr.com

Guests are on the doorstep, and there’s a ball rolling in the refrigerator? For such a case, it’s a good idea to have a pizza preparation. Remove the foil and cling film, and after 15 minutes on your table delicious treat. Pizza dough, of course, can be bought at the store. But homemade tastes better.

Ingredients

For the test:

• 200 ml hot water;
• 2–3 cups flour;
• 2 tablespoons olive oil;
• 1 tablespoon honey;
• 1 ½ teaspoons dry yeast;
• ½ teaspoon salt;
• 1 teaspoon each of a mixture of Italian herbs and garlic powder (optional).

Filling option:

• chicken fillet;
• salami;
• olives.

Preparation

IN hot water dissolve a spoonful of honey, then add yeast there and let stand for 5-7 minutes. Pour in the olive oil, add salt and seasonings if you decide to use them. Mix well. Carefully gradually add flour and knead the dough. Cover the bowl with the dough with a towel and leave for half an hour. The dough should rise and double in volume.

Roll out the dough. You can make small portioned pizzas (it’s easier to store), or you can make one large circle. Bake the dough without (!) filling at a temperature of 220 ºС for 7–8 minutes.

Remove the future pizza from the oven, let it cool slightly and brush with sauce. It can be anything, such as alfredo, barbecue, or just ketchup and mayonnaise. Place the filling on top. It also depends on your imagination and the products at hand. Don't forget to sprinkle with grated cheese!

Wrap the semi-finished pizza in cling film and then in foil and freeze it. When guests arrive, place the pizza in the oven for 15 minutes. All you need is for the filling to bake and the cheese to melt.

Bon appetit!

Write in the comments what foods and dishes you freeze.