Homemade semi-finished products: cook, freeze, reheat

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Always hungry! But sometimes there is no time and desire to cook. Then dumplings from the freezer come to the rescue. But the assortment of homemade semi-finished products can be much more varied. In this article, you will learn how to prepare and freeze takitos, meatballs, and other delicious meals for a quick breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

You can freeze not only dumplings and cutlets, but also pies, stuffed pancakes and even broths for soups. Below you will find 10 original dishes suitable for freezing. But before moving on to the recipes, a little theory.

In the freezer -18 ºС. At this temperature, the action of microorganisms stops - frozen food is stored for a long time without losing its taste. How much exactly? Considering that we constantly look into the freezer, that is, there are temperature changes, the products thaw slightly and freeze again, no more than two months.

Some foods are not suitable for freezing. For example, squash, cucumbers, and other watery vegetables. After defrosting, almost all the taste leaves them along with moisture. Lettuce leaves lose their texture and raw potatoes take on an unpleasant aftertaste.

You need to be able to freeze and thaw food. The colder the food is before it goes to the freezer, the better. If the food has been cooked, it is recommended to first cool it at room temperature, then keep it in the refrigerator and only then freeze it.

Defrosting should be done in reverse order: take the dish out of the freezer, put it on a pallet and send it to the refrigerator for 10-12 hours. Slow thawing allows food to absorb moisture lost during freezing. This way the taste is preserved as much as possible. But, if there is no time, you can use the defrosting function in the microwave.

To store food in the freezer, vacuum bags, plastic and glass trays are used. Zip-lock bags are handy when you don’t need to keep the dish in shape: they significantly save space in the freezer. Plastic containers can be taken with you to work, they are convenient for heating lunch in the microwave, and glass trays are ideal for cooking in the oven, since you do not need to transfer the dish from dish to dish.

Hearty breakfast muffins

Muffins are sweet baked goods, but if you use ham and cheese instead of chocolate and fruit, you can get hearty mini-buns for breakfast. They take little time to cook, and once frozen and reheated, they are just as delicious as hot.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 slices of bread;
• 3-4 slices of ham;
• 100 g of cheddar or other hard cheese;
• 8 eggs;
• 1 glass of milk;
• 2 teaspoons mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper;
• dried parsley and other spices to taste.

Preparation

Cut the bread and ham into thin strips. Grate the cheese on a coarse grater. Fill the muffin molds about two-thirds full with this filling.

Whisk eggs, milk, mustard powder, and pepper in a separate bowl. Fill the mold with the resulting mixture. But not to the brim, otherwise the muffins will run away during baking. Sprinkle each cell of the mold on top with dried parsley and other seasonings to your liking.

Preheat oven to 200 ° C. Bake muffins for 15-20 minutes. Let them cool, then fold into a plastic container and place in the freezer.

In the morning, you can get the right amount of buns, heat them up in the microwave and get a quick, hearty, and most importantly, delicious breakfast.

Oatmeal cups for healthy breakfasts

ideal for breakfast, nutritious and healthy. It provides about 20% of your daily value for fiber and protein, contains tons of essential nutrients, and helps control appetite. If you are too lazy to bother with cooking porridge in the morning, there is a solution - frozen oatmeal cups with various fillings (fruits, nuts, dried fruits, and others).

Ingredients:

• 2 cups oatmeal
• 3 glasses of milk or water (your choice);
• 1 tablespoon honey;
• 30 g butter;
• a pinch of salt;
• fruits, berries, chocolate, nuts, dried fruits and other fillers.

Preparation

In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. Add oatmeal and mix thoroughly. Reduce heat to low and cook porridge for 5-7 minutes until thickened. Stir constantly. Remove the oatmeal from heat, add a lump of butter and a spoonful of honey, stir well. Let cool slightly.

Grease the muffin tin with vegetable oil and arrange the porridge into the compartments. Sprinkle some filler on top of each serving. It can be diced bananas, raspberries, raisins, coconut - whatever you like to eat oatmeal with.

Wrap the dish with cling film and freeze. When the cups set well, remove them from the mold and wrap them in foil individually. This will significantly save space in the freezer.

Remove just the right amount of cups from the freezer the night before for a healthy and delicious breakfast in the morning. Just heat the porridge in the microwave. Add milk if necessary.

Stuffed peppers

Frozen stuffed peppers help out in much the same way as dumplings or dumplings. If you know there is a busy day ahead and there will be no time to cook, remove the peppers from the freezer the day before. They will thaw out overnight in the refrigerator, you just have to put them in the oven.

Ingredients:

• 8 bell peppers;
• 700 g ground beef;
• 250 g of rice;
• 250 g tomato sauce;
• 1 onion;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• hard cheddar cheese;
• salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation

Wash the peppers, cut off the tops to form "cups", the inner cavity from the seeds. The cut caps can be crumbled and used in the filling.

Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Combine the minced meat (turkey minced meat can be used instead of beef), rice, peppers, onions, garlic and tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stuff the peppers with this. Sprinkle with grated cheese on top.

In this form, the peppers can already be frozen. When you need to cook them, defrost and bake in the oven at 180 ° C for 30-40 minutes.

Country style potatoes with omelette and cheese

What to take for lunch to the office or to study? For many, this is an everyday headache. This recipe will help you diversify the contents of your lunchbox. The ingredients are simple and the preparation is simple.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 kg of potatoes;
• 500 g salsa sauce;
• 500 g of hard cheese (such as cheddar);
• 50 g butter;
• 9 eggs;
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon paprika;
• ½ teaspoon of garlic powder;
• ½ teaspoon salt;
• ground black pepper to taste.

Preparation

Wash the potatoes and cut into cubes. If it's young, you don't even need to peel it. Pour paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper into a bowl of potato cubes, add olive oil. Mix everything thoroughly. Place the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place in the oven at 200 ° C for 45-60 minutes. At the same time, stir the potatoes about halfway through cooking.

While it's cooking, make an omelet. To do this, break the eggs into a bowl and whisk lightly. Melt the butter in a frying pan and gently pour in the eggs. Remove the omelet from the stove a couple of minutes before cooking, the eggs should remain slightly runny.

Divide the potatoes into containers. Add 2-3 tablespoons of salsa sauce or any sauce of your choice to each of them. Divide the omelet into portions and sprinkle with grated cheese.

From this amount of ingredients, you get six office lunches. Store them in the freezer, and when necessary, take a container with you, reheat them in the microwave and enjoy excellent country-style potatoes.

Minced pasta casserole

Short pasta in the form of corrugated tubes with diagonally cut edges are called penne. They and ground beef can be used to make a delicious casserole that will help out if you can't keep up with dinner. You can take it to work for lunch.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of ground beef;
• 800 g of tomatoes in their own juice;
• 500 g of penne paste;
• 400 g marinara sauce;
• 400 g ricotta;
• 400 g mazzarella;
• 1 large onion
• 1 egg;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons of a mixture of Italian herbs;
• ½ teaspoon of coarsely ground red pepper (in flakes);
• salt and black pepper to taste.

Preparation

Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Fry them in olive oil. Then add ground beef to them. Fry it, stirring constantly, until the excess moisture evaporates. When the minced meat is browned, pour the tomatoes in their own juice and the marinara sauce into the pan (if you don't have it on hand, you can use any other tomato sauce). Add spices: Italian mix, red and black pepper, salt. Simmer for half an hour. After 30 minutes, transfer a third of the sauce from the pan to a separate bowl. Cool it down.

Also, in a separate bowl, combine the ricotta, grated mozzarella (save some cheese for sprinkling) and eggs. Season with salt, pepper, whisk until smooth.

Boil the pasta. Rinse them under cold running water. Mix with minced meat and cheese. Place everything in a glass container. Pour the remaining tomato and meat sauce, sprinkle with grated cheese.

A glass container must be used, so that, after taking the casserole from the freezer, it can be immediately sent to the oven. It should be baked at a temperature of 190 ºС. Moreover, if you send the casserole to the oven straight from the freezer, then the cooking time will be 2–2, 5 hours. Therefore, it is better to pre-defrost the dish in the microwave or naturally, on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.

Takitos with chicken and cheese

Takitos is a Mexican food made from stuffed corn tortillas. This recipe is a salvation in case everyone is hungry, and there is no time to cook and nothing from. In just 15 minutes, you will have dinner on your table as good as a restaurant one.

Ingredients:

• 15 corn tortillas;
• 500 g chicken breast;
• 250 g cream cheese;
• 170 g salsa verde sauce;
• 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder;
• 1 ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ¾ teaspoon of cumin;
• vegetable oil for frying and greasing.

Preparation

Cut the chicken breast into strips and fry in vegetable oil until golden brown. Toss cream cheese with cilantro, lime juice and spices (cumin, onion, garlic and chili powder). Since the dish is Mexican, Pepper Jack cheese works well for takitos. It has a creamy taste with slightly tart notes. But other semi-soft varieties can also be used.

You can cook tortillas yourself or buy ready-made ones. In the latter case, first send the cakes to the microwave for 1-2 minutes so that they are soft and do not break when rolled up.

Place the chicken and cheese mixture on top of the tortillas. Add some salsa verde sauce. Read how to cook it at home. Roll the tortillas into a roll.

Preheat oven to 220 ° C. Line a baking sheet with foil and sprinkle with vegetable oil. Spread the rolls on it so that the edges are at the bottom and they do not touch each other. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

When the takitos are baked and cool, fold them into a zip-lock freezer bag and place in the freezer. In the situation “everyone is hungry, but there is no time to cook and nothing from” put the rolls back on a baking sheet, lightly sprinkle with vegetable oil and heat in the oven for 10-15 minutes.

Homemade chicken nuggets

Nuggets are usually associated with fast food, but they can be the basis for a second for lunch or dinner. When there is no time to fry the burgers, remove from the freezer and reheat the nuggets. As a side dish, you can boil pasta or make mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ kg chicken fillet;
• 200 g flour;
• 200 g corn flakes;
• 5 eggs;
• 1 tablespoon of paprika.

Preparation

Rinse the meat, dry and cut into small pieces about 3-5 cm long. Grind the corn flakes in a blender. Combine flour and paprika in a separate bowl. Also whisk the eggs separately.

Dip each piece of chicken first in flour, then in eggs and finally in flakes. Do this carefully if you want the nuggets to really crunch. Line a baking sheet with parchment and place the breaded chicken on top. Bake the nuggets in the oven at 180 ° C for 15-20 minutes.

When the nuggets are cool, place them in an airtight plastic bag and place in the freezer. It is useful to label bags of frozen food. Indicate the name of the dish and the date of preparation.

Delicious Meatballs

Meatballs are an Italian dish made from minced meat balls. They look like meatballs and meatballs, but neither. It is customary to stew meatballs, boil meatballs in broth, and meatballs are baked in the oven (Italian version) or deep-fried (American version). Meatballs are a great solution for those who do not have the time and desire to stand at the stove. It's delicious and satisfying. Meatballs can be eaten on their own or served with a side dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of ground beef;
• 200 g bread crumbs;
• 200 g ricotta;
• 2 eggs;
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• parsley, salt, pepper and other spices to taste.

Preparation

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Ricotta can be replaced with thick sour cream, but it is better to use minced beef: pork is too fat for this dish.

Form balls about 5 cm in diameter from the resulting minced meat. Put them in a container, wrap it in foil and freeze. Meatballs should be baked at 180 ° C for 20-30 minutes.

Stew with chicken and vegetables - preparation for a multicooker

The multicooker greatly simplifies life: put the food in, pressed the button and go about your business. And if, in addition, you freeze the blanks, where all the ingredients have already been washed and cut, then the time saving becomes even more noticeable.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of chicken fillet;
• 2 bell peppers;
• 1 onion;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• 1 tablespoon honey;
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons of cumin;
• 1 teaspoon paprika.

Preparation

Rinse the chicken and cut into strips. Wash the pepper, peel and chop. Peel and chop the onion and garlic.

Take a zip-lock bag and fill it with all the ingredients, including honey and apple cider vinegar. Deflate the bag as much as possible. Freeze. When needed, defrost the bag, pour its contents into a multicooker and simmer the stew for 3-6 hours. You can do all the manipulations in the morning so that in the evening, when you come home from work, enjoy a delicious dinner.

Quick homemade pizza

Guests on the doorstep, and in the fridge rolling a ball? In such a case, it's a good idea to have a pizza blank. They removed the foil and cling film, and after 15 minutes a delicious treat is on your table. The pizza dough can of course be bought at the store. But homemade tastes better.

Ingredients

• 200 ml hot water;
• 2-3 glasses of flour;
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon honey;
• 1 ½ teaspoon dry yeast
• ½ teaspoon salt;
• 1 teaspoon each of a mixture of Italian herbs and garlic powder (optional).
• chicken fillet;
• salami;
• onion;
• olives.

Preparation

Dissolve a spoonful of honey in hot water, then add yeast there and let stand for 5-7 minutes. Pour in olive oil, add salt and seasonings if you decide to use them. Mix well. Gently add flour gradually and knead the dough. Cover the bowl of dough with a towel and let sit for half an hour. The dough should rise, doubling in volume.

Roll out the dough. You can make small portioned pizzas (it's easier to store this way), or you can make one big circle. Bake the dough without (!) Filling at a temperature of 220 ºС for 7–8 minutes.

Remove the future pizza from the oven, let it cool slightly and brush with sauce. It can be anything like alfredo, barbecue or just ketchup with mayonnaise. Place the filling on top. It also depends on your imagination and the products at hand. Don't forget to sprinkle with grated cheese!

Wrap semi-finished pizza with cling film, and then foil and send to freeze. When guests arrive, put the pizza in the oven for 15 minutes. You just need to bake the filling and melt the cheese.

Bon Appetit

Write in the comments what foods and dishes you freeze.