Make a few meals to stash in the freezer for over Christmas and as soon as the holiday season begins, you'll be so glad that you did ...
I love to cook, but to be more precise - I love to cook when I'm in the mood and I'm not dog tired or trying to do a million other things or I'm in a big rush. That is why our freezer is my best friend - well, not literally, because that would be SO sad ... and cold ... sad, cold and completely weird - but you know what I mean.
Having the freezer filled with things that will actually make a meal rather than just bags of stock, cubes of old bread to make croutons and a couple of chicken carcasses (ready to make the next lot of stock) - this is where I want to be.
What is the first (and most important) step in making your freezer work for you this Christmas?
It's a purely practical one - MAKE SOME SPACE. If your freezer is already filled to the brim with random things that you have been squirrelling away in there during the year, there's no capacity to fill it with things that your future, busy self will be grateful for. I've written all about tips for sorting out your freezer here and yes, I know it's dull, but trust me, having available freezer (and fridge) space is a gift that keeps on giving.
As a freezer devotee, I'm often drawn to dishes that will freeze like a dream, so here's a reminder of a few dishes that you could cook now and enjoy at your festive leisure -
1 Thai Green Chicken Curry - better than a takeaway any day...
2 Sausage & Bean Hotpot - comfort food at its best ...
3 Shepherd's Pie with a cheesy leek topping - everybody's favourite ...
4 Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup - a perfect, tasty, festive lunch ...
5 Chilli con carne - just right for a family gathering. Especially with all those toppings ...
6 Roasted Vegetable Lasagne - It's a perfect combination of sweet, smoky, roasted vegetable flavours and creamy, cheesy bits.
7 Sweet Potato, Ginger and Coconut Soup - a stunner of a soup + you can easily dress it up with a blob of plain yoghurt and a scattering of coriander if you have company.
8 Mixed Lentil Dhal - just add some naan bread, a simple tomato salad and some raita and dinner is served. Done and done.
9 Roasted Carrot Soup with Yoghurt & Dukkah - this really is a 'beautiful inside and out' dish. Looks good. Tastes even better.
10 Sausage and Puy Lentil Pot - just the job for a family dinner. The children will love it too.
11 Bolognese sauce - one for all the family, so perfect for the holidays.
12 Chicken and Sweetcorn Chowder - this is a delicious, filling comforting soup - with cosy and nourishing vibes in equal measures.
13 Roasted Peppers with Tomatoes and Anchovies - this may not, on first impressions, seem like a likely candidate for freezing, but it does work really well. If you skip the anchovies, it's also a handy vegetarian dish to have ready just in case. Save the sprinkling of fresh basil until you have defrosted and are about to serve ...
14 Super-Healthy Sicilian Fish Stew - after a few days of indulgence (bordering on gluttony), it's nice to have something a little lighter for dinner. For me, this is it. Make the base and freeze it, then you can add the fish and the quinoa when you are ready to serve.
And before you rush off to begin your frenzy of freezer cooking, here are a few practical reminders to make sure that your freezer works well for you this Christmas -
- Keep your freezer organised and store foods by type. If you can't find it, it's no use to you ...
- LABEL, LABEL, LABEL ... Defrosting a Shepherd's Pie and finding that it's an Apple Crumble is no fun. I speak from experience.
- Don't let your freezer become a black hole which time forgot. Frozen foods have a shelf life too ...
- Every now and then have an 'eating from the freezer' week to make sure that you do actually use what you have painstakingly prepared. If you can't see the back wall of your freezer, then it's probably that time ...
So, consider stocking up the freezer for the holidays as an early Christmas present to yourself - do the cooking now and then you'll reap the rewards on those festive evenings when you least feel like cooking. Go on then - get started. Oh, and a "Happy Christmas to you" ...
