In search of decadent, divisible, freezable recipes
November 17, 2013 1:31 PM Subscribe
I’m looking for a specific type of recipe that will hit that right note of yummy hearty comfort food AND that I can make a decent quantity of so I can freeze the leftovers in one-serving containers for nights when I don’t feel like cooking and really shouldn’t order/eat out. I’m looking for stuff that is decadent and enticing enough to persuade me that I’ll feel just as “treated” as if I’d gone out.
Things I’ve already made and/or that are the sort of thing I’m looking for:
- Lasagna
- Meatloaf
- Cassoulet
- Shepherd’s Pie
- Deep Dish Pizza
Other, not-as-successful options:
- Chili
- Beef or Chicken Stew (w/veg and grains)
- Beans & Greens w/Sausage and Red Peppers
—> These last three are borderline too “healthy” or routine. There have already been a couple of times where I’ve opened the freezer to check my options, saw that this was the only thing on offer - then opted to go out for a cheeseburger and a beer instead. (In fact, I almost did it again right now just writing this question!)
I’m not really looking for soup recipes (in particular) since they rarely seem to hit my “decadent treat” button and I’m not much of a soup eater in general. Egg-based dishes (quiche or egg muffins) are also out since they upset my stomach. Not into pre-packaged/processed but I eat everything else and love to cook. Not afraid of intricate or time-consuming preparation!
Thanks!
Things I’ve already made and/or that are the sort of thing I’m looking for:
- Lasagna
- Meatloaf
- Cassoulet
- Shepherd’s Pie
- Deep Dish Pizza
Other, not-as-successful options:
- Chili
- Beef or Chicken Stew (w/veg and grains)
- Beans & Greens w/Sausage and Red Peppers
—> These last three are borderline too “healthy” or routine. There have already been a couple of times where I’ve opened the freezer to check my options, saw that this was the only thing on offer - then opted to go out for a cheeseburger and a beer instead. (In fact, I almost did it again right now just writing this question!)
I’m not really looking for soup recipes (in particular) since they rarely seem to hit my “decadent treat” button and I’m not much of a soup eater in general. Egg-based dishes (quiche or egg muffins) are also out since they upset my stomach. Not into pre-packaged/processed but I eat everything else and love to cook. Not afraid of intricate or time-consuming preparation!
Thanks!
Chicken chasseur, succotash, Thai green curry, mashed swede and mashed cauliflower, and various pie fillings that I can easily throw a frozen pastry lid on... Yum yum yum!
posted by misspony at 1:42 PM on November 17, 2013
posted by misspony at 1:42 PM on November 17, 2013
Pot pie. If individual pies would seem more appetizing/decadent than one big one to share, there are kitchen gadgets for making mini pot pies -- they're basically like George Foreman grills, except they have what looks like a modified muffin tin as the bottom grill plate, and they cost +/- $25. You can obviously make individual sweet pies in it, too, if you want. Pies tend to freeze amazingly well, and you just have to pop them in the oven to heat them up.
I like having frozen sauce for spaghetti bolognese, because it tastes better after having been frozen, but that might be too similar to chili to hit your sweet spot.
posted by rue72 at 1:58 PM on November 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
I like having frozen sauce for spaghetti bolognese, because it tastes better after having been frozen, but that might be too similar to chili to hit your sweet spot.
posted by rue72 at 1:58 PM on November 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Beef and cheese tamales, individual calzones, pork or beef dumplings, tortellini/ravioli and sauce.
You can season hamburger meat and then freeze it (raw) in individual patties to then defrost and cook. It's a bit more than nuking one container but way easier than starting from ground beef in the fridge, and it will hit the spot like nothing else if your go-to treat is a burger.
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 1:58 PM on November 17, 2013
You can season hamburger meat and then freeze it (raw) in individual patties to then defrost and cook. It's a bit more than nuking one container but way easier than starting from ground beef in the fridge, and it will hit the spot like nothing else if your go-to treat is a burger.
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 1:58 PM on November 17, 2013
Best answer: Love to have a layered chicken enchilada casserole in the freezer.
posted by purenitrous at 2:14 PM on November 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by purenitrous at 2:14 PM on November 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
MAC AND CHEESE. Martha Stewart's recipe is really good.
How about cream based soups? Mmmm
posted by i_am_a_fiesta at 2:52 PM on November 17, 2013
How about cream based soups? Mmmm
posted by i_am_a_fiesta at 2:52 PM on November 17, 2013
Best answer: I cook my work-week lunches on the weekends and freeze them in single servings; the butternut squash and caramelized onion galette from Smitten Kitchen makes me look forward to lunch all morning. I use a simpler pie crust and use cheddar cheese, and it is delicious and luxurious.
Other favorites: spanikopita, the Moosewood quick tamale pie, Israeli couscous with caramelized onions and tomatoes.
posted by nonane at 2:55 PM on November 17, 2013 [7 favorites]
Other favorites: spanikopita, the Moosewood quick tamale pie, Israeli couscous with caramelized onions and tomatoes.
posted by nonane at 2:55 PM on November 17, 2013 [7 favorites]
I slow roasted the last good tomatoes the other day (250 oven, 2 hours), then tossed them with cooked ziti, cooked hot Italian sausage and mozzarella cheese. I divided into three casseroles, ate one and froze the other two, topping with a little asiago cheese when reheating. It was so delicious and fresh tasting, even reheated. You could add roasted zucchini, too.
posted by Malla at 3:02 PM on November 17, 2013
posted by Malla at 3:02 PM on November 17, 2013
Best answer: Eggplant parmesan
Beef or mushroom bourguignon
Butternut squash lasagna
posted by topophilia at 3:11 PM on November 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Beef or mushroom bourguignon
Butternut squash lasagna
posted by topophilia at 3:11 PM on November 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Boeuf Bourguignon a La Julia Child
Chicken and dumplings
posted by wandering_not_lost at 3:44 PM on November 17, 2013
Chicken and dumplings
posted by wandering_not_lost at 3:44 PM on November 17, 2013
Chicken and dumplings fits this bill for me. I just sort of make it up as I go, so I don't know if it's authentic, but...
In a relatively wide soup pan*, saute chopped onions, carrots, and celery until the onions are soft. Stir in some chopped-up cooked chicken (leftover rotisserie or a can from the tuna/salmon/spam aisle). Pour in chicken stock or broth until the liquid/solid ratio is about where you like it, throw a lid on, and bring it to a boil. While it's heating, make a batch of baking powder biscuit dough (I usually use the Betty Crocker recipe, but increase the milk to 1 cup for drop dough instead of rolled dough). Once the soup mix is boiling, drop biggish spoonfuls of dough into the soup, to cover the entire surface. Throw a lid on and turn the heat down so that you maintain a steamy simmer but not a rapid boil. Let it cook for 10-12 minutes, until the dumplings are pillowy instead of doughy when you cut one open. Any leftover dough can be baked in the oven as biscuits.
*The wider pan you use, the more dumplings you can fit.
posted by vytae at 3:49 PM on November 17, 2013
In a relatively wide soup pan*, saute chopped onions, carrots, and celery until the onions are soft. Stir in some chopped-up cooked chicken (leftover rotisserie or a can from the tuna/salmon/spam aisle). Pour in chicken stock or broth until the liquid/solid ratio is about where you like it, throw a lid on, and bring it to a boil. While it's heating, make a batch of baking powder biscuit dough (I usually use the Betty Crocker recipe, but increase the milk to 1 cup for drop dough instead of rolled dough). Once the soup mix is boiling, drop biggish spoonfuls of dough into the soup, to cover the entire surface. Throw a lid on and turn the heat down so that you maintain a steamy simmer but not a rapid boil. Let it cook for 10-12 minutes, until the dumplings are pillowy instead of doughy when you cut one open. Any leftover dough can be baked in the oven as biscuits.
*The wider pan you use, the more dumplings you can fit.
posted by vytae at 3:49 PM on November 17, 2013
Sandwiches freeze much better than you'd think. With much sadness I just recently finished a hoard of good paninis that had been stuffed with: lots of luscious cheeses. Arugula. Sauerkraut. Caramelised onions. Assorted marinated vegetables. A greasy garlic sauce. More cheese. Etc. They got wrapped in foil, and when taken out of the freezer either left to thaw and then pressed in a panini press, or they stayed in the foil and went in the oven. There were no textural issues from the freezing, and all the fancy cheese, artichoke hearts, and other overpriced fripperies made them register as 'luxury' rather than 'sandwich.'
Crêpes freeze perfectly -- I just ate some that I think may have been two or three years old -- and they can be filled with nearly anything.
YMMV obviously but it is often key for me to have a frozen meal with built-in sides, for the make-my-brain-think-it's-a-treat aspect; batch-cooking things that go together and portioning them out into ready-made multi-course meals is (for me) worth the hassle. Bonus points if I can tie in something like a specialty bread brought home from a nice bakery and package that up with it.
posted by kmennie at 3:56 PM on November 17, 2013 [4 favorites]
Crêpes freeze perfectly -- I just ate some that I think may have been two or three years old -- and they can be filled with nearly anything.
YMMV obviously but it is often key for me to have a frozen meal with built-in sides, for the make-my-brain-think-it's-a-treat aspect; batch-cooking things that go together and portioning them out into ready-made multi-course meals is (for me) worth the hassle. Bonus points if I can tie in something like a specialty bread brought home from a nice bakery and package that up with it.
posted by kmennie at 3:56 PM on November 17, 2013 [4 favorites]
I've had good luck freezing curries--my favorite is chickpea with sweet potato and cauliflower (memail if you want a recipe), and I just leave it extra soupy (some of the liquid gets soaked up, it seems) and then freeze in single serve portions. I'll also make a giant batch of rice and freeze that (reheat from frozen in the microwave with a tablespoon of water added), and I'll make or buy roti or naan and freeze that, too.
Dumplings and scallion pancakes freeze well, too, as do steamed buns. I love all three of those things, and will make (or buy, depending on how motivated I'm feeling) them and freeze them for nights when I'm feeling sorry for myself and want something delicious and indulgent. I don't have specific recipes for them--I just google for the steamed bun dough, and then fill them with whatever I want; dumplings I just buy the wrappers and do the same thing. A plateful of crispy dumplings or soft, pillowy steamed buns are hugely comforting to me.
Crepes or blintzes freeze well, and there are nearly infinite variations on them. I also batch make and freeze latkes--I do the grated kind, and freeze them with waxed paper between them. Heat them up in the oven on a cookie tray with a little oil, and they're fantastic.
posted by MeghanC at 4:00 PM on November 17, 2013
Dumplings and scallion pancakes freeze well, too, as do steamed buns. I love all three of those things, and will make (or buy, depending on how motivated I'm feeling) them and freeze them for nights when I'm feeling sorry for myself and want something delicious and indulgent. I don't have specific recipes for them--I just google for the steamed bun dough, and then fill them with whatever I want; dumplings I just buy the wrappers and do the same thing. A plateful of crispy dumplings or soft, pillowy steamed buns are hugely comforting to me.
Crepes or blintzes freeze well, and there are nearly infinite variations on them. I also batch make and freeze latkes--I do the grated kind, and freeze them with waxed paper between them. Heat them up in the oven on a cookie tray with a little oil, and they're fantastic.
posted by MeghanC at 4:00 PM on November 17, 2013
Nigella Lawson has an excellent recipe for "Risotto Bolognese" that I always freeze portions of. It's got lots of umami flavor and I find it a great example of comfort food. The recipe is in her book "Kitchen" but if you google "nigella lawson risotto bolognese" you'll find variations of it on different blogs and websites.
posted by LaurenIpsum at 4:04 PM on November 17, 2013
posted by LaurenIpsum at 4:04 PM on November 17, 2013
Best answer: I make a lovely dish:
Saute some onions, carrot, garlic and if you want celery gently in a largeish pot or pressure cooker.
Add some cubed celeriac, mushrooms several duck legs (brown them), puy lentils, and some parsley (stalks are good too!).
Fill the pot up with a dry white wine and chicken stock.
Cook low and slow for 2-3 hours, until the meat is falling off the duck legs.
That is a very simple dish, yet the presence of the duck and celeriac really elevate it into decadence, imho. It freezes terrifically.
posted by smoke at 4:07 PM on November 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
Saute some onions, carrot, garlic and if you want celery gently in a largeish pot or pressure cooker.
Add some cubed celeriac, mushrooms several duck legs (brown them), puy lentils, and some parsley (stalks are good too!).
Fill the pot up with a dry white wine and chicken stock.
Cook low and slow for 2-3 hours, until the meat is falling off the duck legs.
That is a very simple dish, yet the presence of the duck and celeriac really elevate it into decadence, imho. It freezes terrifically.
posted by smoke at 4:07 PM on November 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
Best answer: If you don't mind some extra time in the heating stage when you go back to the leftovers....I recently made a batch of savory hand pies, with the intent that I would only actually go on to cook one - the rest would go into the freezer unbaked, where they're waiting for me to get around to them. When I want one, it bakes the same way as the unfrozen ones did - just with some extra time. I will just need to pull it straight out of the freezer and stick it in the oven.
And once you realize you can do that, I swear you're going to have fun coming up with all sorts of savory pie fillings that you can put into crusts for hand pies. It's like hot pockets, but GOOD.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:38 PM on November 17, 2013 [3 favorites]
And once you realize you can do that, I swear you're going to have fun coming up with all sorts of savory pie fillings that you can put into crusts for hand pies. It's like hot pockets, but GOOD.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:38 PM on November 17, 2013 [3 favorites]
I just bookmarked this recipe (Braised Shredded Beef in Red Wine and Tomatoes) and that seems like something that would freeze well and also looks so comforting on a cold night. (Though I'm not sure if polenta freezes well, but I bet this would also be good over mashed potatoes.)
posted by Neely O'Hara at 5:32 PM on November 17, 2013
posted by Neely O'Hara at 5:32 PM on November 17, 2013
Best answer: Chicken Adobo
Chicken Paprikash
Brussel Sprouts and Bacon
posted by benzenedream at 7:31 PM on November 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Chicken Paprikash
Brussel Sprouts and Bacon
posted by benzenedream at 7:31 PM on November 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Four Cheese Mac and Cheese. Decrease the Tabasco if you aren't into spicy food. I took it from 1 to 3 tablespoons and it still had a pretty good kick to it. Plus you can't use too much cheese.
posted by kathrynm at 8:16 PM on November 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by kathrynm at 8:16 PM on November 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Okay, I am about to do you such a solid, because I couldn't seem to google this recipe with all the fu in my fingertips, and it is so, so great. Then again, I modified the original recipe anyway because I was trying to replicate an amazing dish served in one of our best local Middle Eastern restaurants. I think I got pretty close. Anyway, without further ado...
Lamb with Lima Beans
4-8 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
1.5 lbs. leg of lamb (or lamb shoulder), cut into large chunks (I often use the leftovers of a previously roasted leg of lamb; you could even use ground lamb in a pinch)
2 cups tomato sauce or puree
1 big glob of tomato paste (say, 2-4 Tbsp or about half a small can)
2 cups lamb stock (because you just have that lying around, right?) or water
1 cup carrots, peeled and sliced fairly thin
1 lb. frozen baby lima beans
1/2 lb. frozen peas
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp allspice
Heat 2-4 Tbsp (I usually eyeball this) olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-ish heat, then add the chopped onion and saute until softened. Add lamb and continue to cook until browned. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste and lamb stock or water. Cook until lamb is tender, then add carrots, lima beans and peas.
In another pan, saute garlic in 2-4 Tbsp olive oil until it begins to change color. Pour this over the lamb mixture, and add salt, pepper and allspice. Stir until combined; simmer 10 more minutes and serve with rice or pita bread. Then come back here and favorite the ever-living crap out of this post, because OMG.
posted by Smells of Detroit at 9:02 PM on November 17, 2013 [3 favorites]
Lamb with Lima Beans
4-8 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
1.5 lbs. leg of lamb (or lamb shoulder), cut into large chunks (I often use the leftovers of a previously roasted leg of lamb; you could even use ground lamb in a pinch)
2 cups tomato sauce or puree
1 big glob of tomato paste (say, 2-4 Tbsp or about half a small can)
2 cups lamb stock (because you just have that lying around, right?) or water
1 cup carrots, peeled and sliced fairly thin
1 lb. frozen baby lima beans
1/2 lb. frozen peas
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp allspice
Heat 2-4 Tbsp (I usually eyeball this) olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-ish heat, then add the chopped onion and saute until softened. Add lamb and continue to cook until browned. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste and lamb stock or water. Cook until lamb is tender, then add carrots, lima beans and peas.
In another pan, saute garlic in 2-4 Tbsp olive oil until it begins to change color. Pour this over the lamb mixture, and add salt, pepper and allspice. Stir until combined; simmer 10 more minutes and serve with rice or pita bread. Then come back here and favorite the ever-living crap out of this post, because OMG.
posted by Smells of Detroit at 9:02 PM on November 17, 2013 [3 favorites]
My go-to for these kinds of recipes is the River Cottage Meat Book. In particular, feijoada, mole and cassoulet all work well for me for this kind of use (some alternative feijoada and mole recipes here and here).
posted by gnimmel at 2:40 AM on November 18, 2013
posted by gnimmel at 2:40 AM on November 18, 2013
LOVE this recipe for African Chicken Peanut Stew. It freezes really well, and you can just make rice when you're ready to eat it. (Or freeze it w/ the rice in it, but I don't like post-freeze rice.)
posted by nosila at 10:50 AM on November 18, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by nosila at 10:50 AM on November 18, 2013 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: Great suggestions, everyone! I've marked as best answer those that immediately struck my fancy, but each one sounds delicious and has helped me refine my vision for the perfect decadent freezer meal. Thank you one and all!
posted by hapax_legomenon at 10:55 AM on November 18, 2013
posted by hapax_legomenon at 10:55 AM on November 18, 2013
Response by poster: kathrynm: "Four Cheese Mac and Cheese. Decrease the Tabasco if you aren't into spicy food. I took it from 1 to 3 tablespoons and it still had a pretty good kick to it. Plus you can't use too much cheese."
OMG, I made this mac & cheese tonight, and served it with the meatloaf noted above, along with lots of lightly roasted broccolini. Everyone RAVED. And, everything is already divvied up into individual containers and tucked away in the freezer. So excited!
posted by hapax_legomenon at 9:45 PM on November 19, 2013 [2 favorites]
OMG, I made this mac & cheese tonight, and served it with the meatloaf noted above, along with lots of lightly roasted broccolini. Everyone RAVED. And, everything is already divvied up into individual containers and tucked away in the freezer. So excited!
posted by hapax_legomenon at 9:45 PM on November 19, 2013 [2 favorites]
Yay! Glad you liked it. I can't wait to make it again.
posted by kathrynm at 7:41 AM on November 20, 2013
posted by kathrynm at 7:41 AM on November 20, 2013
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posted by yawper at 1:40 PM on November 17, 2013 [1 favorite]