Pizza Kits are quickly becoming my new favorite thing.
This round of freezer cooking, I bought a huge bag of cheese from Costco and divided it into 1 pound bags. Then, I mixed up multiple batches of Pizza Dough.
Based on Aimee’s recommendations, I’ve stored the dough balls in both sandwich bags as well as plastic wrap, then in a larger freezer bag. I’ve found that I prefer the sandwich bags over the wrap as the frozen dough ball is easier to remove from its packaging. I just pull as many dough balls as I think I’ll need and let those rise in a greased dish in the refrigerator.
I also mixed up some of this pizza sauce. Usually, if I’ve got toppings on hand, I prep those as well. I’ve used a lot of shredded chicken lately as well as veggies that I’ve flash frozen, like peppers, onions, and jalapenos. This time, I had hot Italian sausage that I cooked and sliced, cooled, and packed in small freezer bags. We have the basics to make some great-tasting pizzas in the weeks to come.
Put in your freezer kit:
1 ball (or more) of frozen pizza dough, each packed in a sandwich bag
1 to 2 cups favorite sauce in an airtight container
1 pound bag of shredded cheese
pepperoni and other freezer-friendly toppings
Minestrone Soup with Sausage and Tortellini
How to Meal Plan so You Don’t Forget a Thing
Meals to Deliver to a New Mom
Thanks for the linky!
I love the idea of freezing the pizza dough. I will definitely add that to my list of dishes to try with your pizza sauce.
I just today blogged about freezer kits!
I’m going to the store today to get stuff to work on my freezer meals (on vacation last week).
Jessica,
How do you “flash freeze” veggies, especially peppers and onions?
Laura
@Laura Aridgides, Just lay the sliced veggies on a tray. You can line it with parchment or plastic wrap to prevent sticking. Freeze until solid. Then move the veggies to a plastic freezer bag. They’ll be now frozen separately instead of one big chunk.
Okay. That’s it. I think I’m jumping on this bandwagon next month! 🙂
@Casie, well, it’s about time!
I made your pizza dough this weekend and the whole family absolutely loved it. I only baked one large pizza and froze the other two dough balls. My question (I am new to all things frozen): when I set out the dough, should I set it on the counter to thaw, does it need to rise or anything like that after thawed or just roll and go?
@Morgan, I usually take mine out of the freezer and put it in a greased dish in the fridge. It thaws/rises during the day and is ready to go by dinner. I have pulled it at noon and let it rise on the counter and that has worked as well.
I’ve been doing a little freezer cooking for years – when I made a casserole, pot of soup, etc., I’d double the recipe and freeze half. But this freezer cooking looks awesome!!! I’ve been planning for the past couple days, got my list ready and I’m shopping for my first big-time freezer cooking day tomorrow! Then my mom and sister-in-law are coming over the next day, and we’re gonna cook till we drop! I can’t wait to have a freezer full of nearly-ready meals! Thanks for the great ideas!
This took me several hours throughout the weekend I made the following: (it’s just me and the hubby)
4 meals of pulled pork BBQ
2 meals of tacos
3 meals of sloppy joes
15 hamburger buns (Thanks for the recipe Jessica I didn’t actually taste one but they looked beautiful!)
10 chicken, corn and black bean enchiladas
2 sides of refried beans
3 loaves of whole wheat bread (already gone since my siblings in law stayed with us a few days)
1 side of black beans
4 meals of carnitas
3 brownie mixes that already got used (I didn’t eat them all I swear)
Plus I cooked a huge dinner for my in laws on Monday night because I’m crazy and felt the need to impress. I’m totally staying out of the kitchen for a few days now!
@Mary, great job! Oh my word! Go put up your feet. 😉
Oh also I don’t know where I read this tip but I freeze the sloppy joes and pulled pork in muffin tins and then put them in a baggie so my husband can pull one out for lunch or a snack since he eats a ton and needs lots of protein.
That sloppy joe meat in the muffin tins is a great idea. Ground taco meat and black beans for quick after school burritos would be great frozen in the tins as well. Thanks for the tip!