10 Meal Prep Ideas for Freezing or Camping
These meal prep ideas for freezing and camping will lighten your kitchen work and eliminate the need to prepare meals from scratch everyday.
1. Use an Instant Pot to Make Chicken Breasts for Quick Cooking on the Grill
You can also freeze the cooked breasts and put them in your cooler. A few days into your trip, the breasts will be thawed and ready to toss on the grill. Best of all, frozen meat will keep your other foods cold longer and eliminate the need to add cooler space.
Step One: Start with six large chicken breasts or split chicken breasts. Sprinkle both sides of each breast with your favorite seasoning blend. Step Two: Load the pot with your chicken breasts. Step Three: Add one carton of prepared chicken stock. You can also mix your own chicken broth using a broth base product such as Orrington Farms. Step Four: Set Instant pot for 45 Minutes. Remember to seal. Step Five: (Optional): After removing the chicken, I sometimes use a brush to coat each piece with honey balsamic salad dressing. This forms a protective barrier that keeps the chicken from drying out in the freezer. I put each cooked piece into it's own ziplock bag so that I can throw individual pieces onto a grill pan or outdoor grill when needed.
Camping Hack: For camping, I carry one bag of frozen breasts and one bag of thawed breasts that can be cooked immediately. The frozen breasts will naturally thaw in three days, leaving me with a nicely prepped dinner in the middle of my vacation. I like to pack frozen meat and veggies along with frozen water bottles to eliminate the need to fill coolers with ice. It's a great space saver, and our food remains cold for five or six days. Difference Between the classic Instant Pot and the new Duo Nova: If you don't already have an Instant Pot, now is a great time to get one. The innovative new lid design of the Duo Nova automatically seals the steam release, meaning you'll never again forget to seal your cooker. I wish this feature was available when I bought my first Instant Pot! I may have to upgrade soon. |
2. Shape and Freeze Eight Hamburgers at Once!
Camping Hack: Put a tray of frozen burgers at the bottom of the cooler to save a nice meal for the end of the trip. Put thawed burgers at the top of the cooler and use them for your first meals.
3. Freeze Meatloaf or Casserole Dishes into Disposable Loaf Pans
Cardboard loaf pans can be used to freeze dry casserole dishes like scalloped potatoes or macaroni and cheese. Aluminum loaf pans will be necessary for greasy or saucy dishes such as meatloaf, chili, spaghetti or lasagna. Camping Hack: Slice meatloaf before freezing. That way, you'll have individual pieces to throw on the grill when the meat thaws.
4. Turn Thanksgiving Leftovers into Little Turkey and Stuffing Pies
Simply fill the cups with a mixture of stuffing and chopped turkey. If you don't have leftovers, you can use Stove Top Stuffing with fully cooked Tyson Chicken chunks. (Thaw chunks in microwave before mixing them into the stuffing.) Drizzle a little butter over the top of each piece. Bake at 350 degrees until a lightly golden crust forms over the stuffing. If you're prepping for the freezer, you can insert stuffing squares into ziplock lunch bags. Thaw individual squares in the microwave when you feel like a snack.
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5. Use a Stuffing Hamburger Press to Make Loaded Burgers
Here's a great way to save yourself from extra slicing and dicing at camp or in the kitchen. Stuff several burgers with onions, shredded cheese or jalapeno peppers ahead of time! Freeze your burgers between slices of waxed paper.
6. Use a Food Sealing Machine to Package Custom Meals
Since you're cooking anyway, why not make a double batch and freeze the leftovers into vacuum sealed bags? With a vacuum sealer, it's easy to get into the habit of prepping custom meals.
7. Use Baggy Racks to Hold Ziplock Bags Open while Filling
8. Dice a Whole Mess of Onions or Potatoes in Seconds!
This device is not just a blessing on Thanksgiving. You can use it to quickly chop large amounts of onions or potatoes for soups, casseroles and stews.
9. Freeze Tomato Paste in a Covered Ice Tray
Need a quick cup of soup? Drop a tomato paste ice cube in a cup and pour in some hot water from the kettle. Drink it straight or add a handful of frozen vegetables.
10. Try Storage Trays with Compartments for Freezing Complete Meals
Freeze Your Next Pizza in Small Containers for Quick Lunches
When all you want is a single slice of pizza for lunch, it's sure nice to have one on hand! You'll save many hours of dish washing and food prep time. Just be sure to order a medium pizza, as large slices won't fit in these containers.