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  1. #1
    niccig is offline Clean Sweep forum moderator
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    Default Does anyone freeze crockpot meals?

    I have the Test Kitchen's slow cooker recipe book, it looks good, but the serving sizes are more than we eat in a meal. I know I can freeze chili, soup, but how about a cooked stew, chicken legs/breasts or 1/2 a roast? Any advice on how to freeze and how to reheat.

    I'm thinking of doing 1-2 recipes a week and will use the leftovers the following week on nights we're home late.

    Thanks

  2. #2
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    Pretty much anything can be frozen (with the exception of cooked pasta unless it's undercooked, or else it turns mushy).
    My kids are picky, so I almost always cook for DH and I and eat the rest the second day, or freeze the rest and reheat later.


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  3. #3
    Liziz is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    I've found that most crock-pot recipes freeze pretty well. Definitely stews will work great, and anything that has some "sauce" to it (and I find many crockpot recipes end up liquid-y, or with some "sauce") I haven't tried freezing 1/2 a roast before, though.

    I generally freeze my leftovers in glass storage containers, since I almost always use the microwave to reheat and don't like doing that in plastic. If I plan ahead, I'll pull something out the night before and stick it in the fridge, so it starts to thaw, then heat it up in the microwave. Otherwise, I just use 50% power for awhile to defrost.
    Lizi

  4. #4
    niccig is offline Clean Sweep forum moderator
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    Thanks. I'll give it a try with more things.

    I have 2 dinners of lentil stew in the freezer, and tonight I'll be adding 2 dinners worth of black bean chili.

    My recipes for roasts call for 2 x 2lb roast - so that is a lot of meat for 3 people, 1 a child. I'll try one out and see what happens with freezing.

    Nicci

  5. #5
    Join Date
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    When I've done it before, I pour the leftovers into gallon size freezer bags. That way they take up less space in my freezer than a big tupperware. I take them out the morning I plan to eat them and thaw them in the fridget (if I forget to do that, I put the freezer bag into a bowl of warm water). Then I pour the contents into either a skillet or a microwave appropriate dish heat and serve. I have done this with a pork roast (but the roast literally falls apart in the slow cooker so it wasn't a big hunk of meat anymore) and stew. It is so yummy.
    Mommy to my little bear cubs DD1 and DD2- 4/2010 and 4/2012

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