It’s 5′o’clock….
Meat in your freezer is great, except when you forget to thaw it out soon enough to cook it for dinner. Great, frozen meatloaf. Mmmm. Kids love that one.
Keep This In Your Freezer
Here are a few items (plus a few ideas on how to use them) to keep in your freezer that will thaw quickly enough (in a morning, left out, or in ten minutes or so in the microwave) that you can still come up with something appetizing, even when you forgot to plan ahead.
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Smoked sausages:
I think the 14 ounce packages with 6 smaller links (rather than a single, giant link) thaw faster and give you more options for how you cook them. I can pull a package out of the freezer around 9 in the morning, let it sit in the sink, and it’s thawed by lunchtime. That means if you forget dinner until 3 in the afternoon, you can still have these thawed by 6; or you can throw them in the microwave for even faster thawing (take them out of the package first!).
How to use them:
- Gourmet Hot Dogs: Slice lengthwise, then saute (cut-side-down) with a sliced onion and a few banana peppers. Serve on toasted bread or buns. Yum. Way better than hot dogs.
- Sausage Potato Soup: Peel and chop 5 medium potatoes; put in large pot, cover with water, bring to boil, and cook until tender. Use a spoon to smush up some of the potatoes in the pot. Slice the sausage into medallions and add to the potatoes. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder (or fresh garlic if you have it; much better). Simmer on low and add a cup of milk just before serving.
- Kinda-Jambalaya: Cook enough white rice for your family. In a large saucepan, saute a chopped onion, then add the sliced sausages and 2 cans of diced tomatoes (or rotel). Simmer until heated through. Serve over the rice.
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Tilapia filets.
My grocery store sells these in individual packages, so you can pull out just as many as you need. You don’t even have to thaw them, actually, but leave them in the sink for an hour or two before cooking and they will be thaw. Tilapia is a very light fish, great for people who aren’t big on seafood because it doesn’t have a fishy taste.
How to use them:
- Italian Parmesan Tilapia: Place the filets in a greased baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and lemon pepper, then pour prepared Italian dressing over the filets. Bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes, until cooked through. Sprinkle with shredded Parmesan.
- Citrus Dill Tilapia: Use any citrus fruit you have (lemon, lime, orange) to get 2 to 3 tablespoons of juice. Brush a griddle or frying pan with oil, then cook the tilapia on it over medium high heat, about 4 minutes per side.
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Prepared meatballs.
You can make your own and then freeze them, or buy a bag when they go on sale at the local supermarket. I like the Italian style; I think they have a little more flavor. This is a convenience food for me; I’ve made my own meatballs before, but it is kind of time-consuming and I’m not very good at it. I buy the frozen and keep them on hand for the nights I forget about dinner or I just need a quick, easy dinner.
How to use them:
- Cheater Chili: There’s no “real” recipe for this because the point is to use what you have in your freezer, pantry, etc. The concept is simple: combine whatever canned beans and tomatoes you have in a large pot. Bring to a simmer. Add the frozen meatballs and cook until the meatballs are done. Season well with chili powder, garlic, and salt and pepper as needed. A dash of Worcestershire and/or hot sauce helps. If you feel really industrious, dice up an onion, saute it, and throw it in, but that’s totally optional. Simmer the chili till you’re ready to eat.
- Baked Meatballs: (If you have a jar of pasta sauce, you can use it instead.) Combine 2 to 3 cans of tomato sauce (or paste and enough water to thin out to a sauce) in a mixing bowl; stir in minced garlic (or garlic powder), Italian seasoning (or basil, oregano, and parsley). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour meatballs into a baking dish, top with the tomato sauce, and bake in the oven. (Follow the meatball package directions or go for 350 for about 20 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through.) Serve the meatballs on sandwich rolls for meatball subs, or on cooked pasta, or by themselves with a salad on the side for a low-carb meal.
Image courtesy of friedwater.