In my last post I mentioned the frenzy of freezer meal making I recently went through. My motivation was realizing this summer is going to be warmer than usual and since we don't have air conditioning, I decided to cook the stuff that would really heat up my house a.k.a. meat. We're lucky enough to have a freezer chest that we only stock with meat and cheeses so I was able to cook up meat that we already had.
I made over 40 meat portions for meals and it really didn't take that much time. I made everything in 7 nights only working for 2-3 hours. And since I cooked the meat overnight in order to avoid heating the house during the day, there was some work the next morning when I shredded the meat but it didn't take more than 30 minutes. I also have 2 crockpots which really made things easier. It was nice to be able to have BBQ beef and pulled pork cooking at the same time. I also prepped all of the veggies beforehand. I chopped all of the peppers and onions at the same time and pulled them out of the fridge when I was ready.
I froze everything flat in Ziploc freezer bags to make it easier to store the meals. By freezing everything flat, you're able to stack things sideways or on top of each other. This allows you to fit more meals in your freezer.
When you defrost the food, place the freezer bag into the fridge the night before to allow time to defrost. Reheat the food and serve.
In honor everyone else who doesn't have air conditioning and tries to avoid heating up an already hot house, I thought that I would share some of the recipes with you.
BBQ Beef
1 2-3 lb. lean chuck or bottom round roast
Sauce:
1 1/2 cup ketchup
1 chopped onion (or 1 cup if pre-chopped)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbs. brown mustard
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. liquid smoke flavoring
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper, I prefer freshly ground
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Place the beef roast in the crock pot with the fatty part facing up; this allows the fat to baste your roast while it's cooking. In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients for the sauce. Whisk together well. Pour the sauce over the roast. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until tender. Remove the roast and shred the meat. Place the shredded meat back into the sauce in the crockpot. Stir to coat the meat.
Allow the bbq beef to cool. Transfer to a gallon freezer bag; I use Ziploc. Squeeze all of the air out of the bag and seal it. Lay the bag flat on a cookie sheet or cutting board; shmoosh the bbq beef until it's even and flat inside the bag. Put the cookie sheet/cutting board into the freezer. Once the bbq beef is frozen, remove the cookie sheet/cutting board and store in the freezer.
Dressed-Up Sloppy Joes
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped (or 1 cup if pre-chopped)
1 green pepper, chopped (or 1 cup if pre-chopped)
1 Tbs. minced garlic, I use the pre-minced store bought garlic
3/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp. mustard
3 Tbs. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
3/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbs. tomato paste
1/3-1/2 cup water to reach desired consistency
freshly ground pepper to taste
Brown the ground beef with the onion, green pepper and garlic. Season to taste with salt. In a bowl mix the remaining ingredients except the water. Whisk together. Pour into the hamburger mixture. Stir to combine. Stir in 1/3 cup of water. Add more water if desired. Cover and turn heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take off heat.
Allow the sloppy joes to cool. Transfer to a gallon freezer bag; I use Ziploc. Squeeze all of the air out of the bag and seal it. Lay the bag flat on a cookie sheet or cutting board; shmoosh the sloppy joes until it's even and flat inside the bag. Put the cookie sheet/cutting board into the freezer. Once the sloppy joes is frozen, remove the cookie sheet/cutting board and store in the freezer.
Source: slightly adapted from Our Best Bites
Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork
1 large Vidalia onion, sliced thin
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1 Tbs. paprika
2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 4-6 lb. boneless pork butt or shoulder
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Rinse pork roast under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
Placed the thinly slice onions in the crock pot. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, paprika, kosher salt and pepper. Mix well. Rub mixture all over the roast. Place the roast in the crock pot on top of the onions.
In a two cup liquid measuring cup; combine the apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, sugar, dry mustard, garlic salt and cayenne pepper. Whisk or stir with a fork to combine. Pour 1/3 of the mixture over the roast. Cover and refrigerate the rest of the vinegar mixture.
Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 10-12 hours. Pour the remaining vinegar mixture over roast when there is only 1/2 hour cooking time left. Cook for the remaining time. Remove roast leaving the sauce in the crockpot. Chop or shred the meat. Put the meat back into the sauce.
Allow the pulled pork to cool. Transfer to a gallon freezer bag; I use Ziploc. Squeeze all of the air out of the bag and seal it. Lay the bag flat on a cookie sheet or cutting board; shmoosh the pulled pork until it's even and flat inside the bag. Put the cookie sheet/cutting board into the freezer. Once the pulled pork is frozen, remove the cookie sheet/cutting board and store in the freezer.
After you defrost and reheat the pulled pork, you can drain some of the sauce according to your taste.
Source: slightly adapted from My Baking Addiction
All of these recipes are beloved by my family. In fact, my sister hated sloppy joes and bbq beef until she tasted these recipes and now she's first in line when they're on the menu.
Ella
© Ella's Place
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