![\"Freezer](\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2016\/04\/Must-Have-Items-Freezer-Cooking.jpg\" "\\"Freezer")
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Do you fix freezer meals for your family? Freezer cooking is one of the best ways to save both time and money on your grocery bill each month. It keeps you from eating out less, it saves you from making too many impulse purchases, and it helps you to feed your family nutritious meals without stressing about what you\u2019re having for dinner.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re new to freezer cooking, you might be wondering what you need to do to get started. Take a deep breath, because learning the basics of freezer cooking really isn\u2019t as hard as it may seem. The first thing you\u2019ll need to do is stock your kitchen with these 10 must-have items for freezer cooking success.<\/p>\n
Freezer cooking is a huge undertaking, and if you jump right in without a plan, you\u2019re very likely going to end up with wasted food. With so many free printable freezer cooking planners available on the web, you can jump in with a well thought out plan. Planning right means that you\u2019ll be successful in your freezer cooking attempts from the very first time.<\/p>\n
Contrary to popular belief, not every recipe is able to be frozen. Make sure that when you pick the recipes you\u2019ll be making for dinner that you are paying attention. For some, you\u2019ll be able to freeze the entire thing after cooking. For others, you may need to add ingredients to a bag and freeze those together with cooking instructions only.<\/p>\n
We have a few freezer cooking recipes and resources here:<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t already have a slow cooker<\/a>, pick one up before you begin freezer cooking. Having at least one slow cooker<\/a> makes cooking meat and other ingredients in bulk a snap.<\/p>\n Freezer meals that contain pasta and other firm ingredients freeze incredibly well in freezer bags. You\u2019ll want to pick up a few boxes in both the quart<\/a> and gallon<\/a> sizes so that you are able to freeze smaller and larger portions.<\/p>\n They might look funny, but these freezer bag holders<\/a> will make your freezer cooking journey so much easier. They stand up and hold your freezer bags open and upright so that there is no fighting to keep them open.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re baking casseroles, you won\u2019t want to put your glass or metal baking dishes in the freezer. Instead, buy foil baking pans with lids<\/a> so that you aren\u2019t risking glass cracking or metal rusting. You can write re-heating instructions on the lid. If you\u2019re worried about the cost, the baking pans are sturdy enough to be washed out at least once, if you\u2019re careful. The lids can\u2019t be re-used but a simple piece of foil will work as a great replacement.<\/p>\n Regular ink pens won\u2019t work on most freezer bags or foil pans. Instead, you\u2019ll need a Sharpie<\/a> to write directions. Stick with a darker color like red, blue, or black to make sure that your writing can be easily read.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t want to write directly on bags or pans, freezer labels<\/a> are a great option. You can buy them in packs of 100, and yes, a regular pen should work for them.<\/p>\n Freezer bags work great for firmer foods, but for things like soups you may want something firmer with a lid. Food-safe freezer containers<\/a> are a great option, and since they\u2019re made of firm plastic, they can be reused over and over again.<\/p>\n Okay, this one isn\u2019t a must-have, but it will make freezer cooking easier for you. Most refrigerators have small freezers which means that you\u2019re only going to be able to get a small amount of freezer meals stored. If you have a small chest freezer or small upright freezer, you\u2019ll be able to store significantly more. If the cost of buying one new puts you off, check your local buy, sell, and trade Facebook groups or Craigslist. You can find used freezers significantly cheaper used than new ones.<\/p>\n![\"6](\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2013\/09\/6-Easy-Freezer-Meals.jpg\")
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3. Slow Cooker<\/h3>\n
4. Ziploc Bags<\/h3>\n
![\"Freezer](\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2016\/04\/Freezer-Bag-Holders.jpg\" "\\"Freezer")
<\/a><\/p>\n5. Hands-Free Freezer Bag Holders<\/h3>\n
6. Foil Baking Pans with Lids<\/h3>\n
7. Sharpie<\/h3>\n
8. Freezer Labels<\/h3>\n
9. Food-Safe Freezer Containers<\/h3>\n
10. Chest Freezer<\/h3>\n
![\"FreezEasy](\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2016\/02\/FreezEasy-About.jpg\" "\\"FreezEasy")
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