Freezer Foods Friday 1/15/09

We have been sorta sick around here so I'm posting more of a just my 2 cents contribution and a link to a post I did about soups.

Tip for today, keep some home made chicken soup in the freezer. I usually save the tips of the wings from chickens or boil the back making two meals. Most of the time I make a casserole or soup and we eat it later that week. Some times though I make the soup up and keep it in the freezer for days when we are sick.

Chicken wing tips can be boiled when you have enough (15-20) and then removed, you then have a good broth. You can add seasonings, carrots and celery prior to boiling and then add what ever else you want when the tips are removed. Keep some of this in the freezer for when you are sick or are busy taking care of loved ones.

For the post on soups I did earlier go HERE. All of these are Freezer Friendly.

Single Serving Meat

I must confess, for my first link to Freezer Foods Friday, I am not doing a whole meal post, or even a whole dish, unless you count the conversion at the end. This is reallly just a tip......
My tip for today is......

Single Serving Meat. Yep, you read me right Single Serving Meat. 
I am not sure what this was really called, I got the idea from HillbillyHouswife and it has been a bit of a life saver, as well as a money saver.

Ingredients..
Ground Beef.
Seasonings to taste (I also like to add some dried onions and frozen diced bell peppers)

That's it.

Instructions
Brown your beef with your onions, peppers, and seasonings (you could even make this taco meat).
Drain.
Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray (optional-I ran out one time and did not use it, they turned out fine).
Fill each muffin hole with meat.
Flash Freeze, this means stick in the freezer uncovered, takes about an hour.
Pull muffin tin out of freezer and place meat muffins in a freezer baggie.

That's it.

When you need a serving just pull one out.  Now, how this saved us money was when I was making spaghetti for my family of 6 I pulled out 1 (yes just ONE) Single Serving Meat and put it in the sauce.  It was just enough meat for my family to see and taste that there was meat in it, yet it did not break my budget.

OPTIONAL
Use your favorite meatloaf recipe, divide it up in your muffin tin, and you have single servings.  You can even make & freeze these ahead of time, serve with a serving of mashed taters (did you know you can make those ahead of time and freeze them!!!) on top and some green beans on the side and you have a meal, with very little dish washing!!!

Happy Freezing,
Valerie