Since I received several requests for the freezer meal recipes we used for making meals for the needy family in our church, I would love to share them in a series of posts. I would consider all of these excellent frugal and nutritious meals! We have used these many times over for freezer cooking!
Chicken Divan
2 or more cups cooked brown rice
2 bunches fresh broccoli, lightly stemmed & chopped
2-3 cups cooked chicken, cubed
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (see recipe below)
½ cup mayonnaise
1-2 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp curry
½ cup grated cheese
½-3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp melted butter, optional
Since canned soups often contain MSG, I have learned how to make it from scratch, see below. It is also a lot healthier this way, because you can use whole wheat flour and raw milk, if you like. Use one recipe of the soup to replace these cans. I start by mixing the soup, than add the mayo, lemon and curry. Keep the mixture not too thicken by adding further milk or water. Additional salt may be necessary.
Layer rice on the bottom of a greased 13×9 pan. Cook broccoli till tender, drain and arrange over rice followed by the chicken. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle cheese on top. Combine crumbs and butter, sprinkle over all. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. If frozen, you may have to cook 1 hr or longer.
Condensed Creamed Soup Substitute
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 c whole wheat flour
1 tsp. salt or more to taste
12 fresh mushrooms, chopped
2 cups of milk (less for a thicker soup)
Heat butter and oil then add flour and salt, stirring to make a roux. Add mushrooms and cook about a minute, just to soften. Add milk and stir until thickened. This is a substitute (and a great one at that!) for two 10 oz. cans cream of mushroom soup. To make cream of chicken, simply omit mushrooms, add 1 tsp. chicken base (a paste, like bouillon but without the MSG) and substitute half the milk with chicken broth or stock. To make cream of celery, substitute celery for the mushrooms and proceed as listed above.
Related Posts
- Freezer Meals: Chicken Enchiladas
- Ministry from the Home - Freezer Meals
- Recipe Index
- Menu Planning Monday



May 12th, 2008 at 5:40 am
Great recipes, Lindsey! Can’t wait to try them.
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May 13th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
I truly love your blog. You have such great information!
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May 27th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
This may be a really stupid question, but I have never made or (to my knowledge) had a freezer meal. I want to make some this summer, but do I cook them before I freeze them or assemble and freeze, then bake? Also hpw long do these keep? Thanks for your time.
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Lindsay replied on May 28th, 2008:
Kim,
It depends on what you are making, but it works either way. The freezer meals that I have specifically shared here are pretty much cooked already, but you do normally freeze them after preparing, before the baking step. When getting ready to cook, I will pull it out and bake for an hour or so, otherwise they can get overcooked.
But I also freeze extra soup or cooked beans, etc. because I like to make them in large batches and then freeze in smaller batches for individual meals. Saves time and energy!
Freezer meals keep for 2 months or so. Depends on how thoroughly you wrap them or seal them. For casseroles use freezer paper! Everything else I store in glass jars or containers (as long as you leave two inches of space at the top, as the dish expands when it freezes!).
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