Make ahead

[threemeninaboat]

This weekend is Make Ahead weekend.
Please give me your ideas for meals I can make now, put in a baggie in the deep freezer, and throw into the crock pot later. I will not have a stove or oven for many months.

-chili
-tamales
-a whole chicken

Comments

[elusis.livejournal.com]

https://delicious.com/elusis/crockpot - I thought I had more "crockpot" tags but I guess I don't. However I highly recommend the pork tinga tacos for sure.

We also recently did chicken in a bunch of "tomato goo" (per kightp) with an extra can of chopped tomatoes and some splashes of red wine. Essentially it turned into an Italian "pulled chicken." Great over polenta, which as you know Bob can be made in the crockpot also. Probably excellent with white beans also.

I think the Whole Foods website has a whole section or set of tags for crockpot cooking.

I would recommend doing a bunch of components that require browning - caramelizing onions, roasting carrots and potatoes and chiles, etc. - and freezing them so you can put them in stuff later.

Do you have a toaster oven? If not, get thee to Bed Bath Beyonce for one. Maybe a little 2-coil electric burner too?

[manintheboat.livejournal.com]

I have a little burner, and LARGE toaster oven (I bake in it on the patio in the summer).

Chicken is so awesome in the crock pot.
1 whole chicken, 1 bottle of beer. Come back in 8 hours. Gold!

[crossfire.livejournal.com]

elusis already recommended kightp's tomato goo, that's my #1 favorite thing to make and freeze.

Pesto freezes well if you don't add the cheese. Just make it without cheese and freeze, then when you thaw add fresh cheese. (It freezes okay with cheese; if you were going to use it in sauces that would be fine. If you plan on using it straight, freeze it without cheese and add it after thawing.)

Duxelles. It freezes very well and makes a great flavor-enhancing addition to sauces, gravies, soups and stews.

Roasted chiles, but I figure you already have that covered.

ETA: Oh gosh, I misread your post. In line with what you actually asked for:

- Curry freezes well.
- Meatballs! Dump them in the crock pot with a Sauce Of Your Choice, serve with steamed rice from the microwave or rice maker.
- Dumplings: shu mai, potstickers, pierogi, etc. Great in crock pot soup (you add them towards the end so they don't completely disintegrate). Really makes a soup hearty.

You have a grill, right? That will take you pretty far.

[manintheboat.livejournal.com]

Curry! There's my tomorrow, right there.

...I am so dumpling lazy. I buy them in the bag. So shameful.
I do have a bunch of meat that can be meatballs.

Yes, all the grill all the time. Grilled naan is the bomb.
I might need to buy a rice maker. I don't have one since I know how to make rice, but it would help free up my one burner.

[novalis.livejournal.com]

Moroccan tagine recipes reheat well!