Freezer Meals 101

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Buffalo Ranch Cauliflower and Broccoli Freezer Side Dish

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It is so nice to be able to pull a side dish out of the freezer. More and more, I’m finding that I am making sides when we do our freezer meal sessions. This Buffalo Ranch Cauliflower and Broccoli recipe is simple, yet handy to have.

This side dish is low carb, keto friendly, and gluten free. My husband is on a keto diet on and off, so I’m always on the lookout for keto recipes like our Lemon Mustard Chicken, Tequila Lime Shrimp, and Instant Pot Bone Broth. It’s nice to have these vegetables that can easily go with those meals.

roasted broccoli and cauliflower are on a blue plate with fish and white rice with text that reads "Buffalo Broccoli and Cauliflower make ahead side dish"

Even though this recipe uses hot sauce, the end result isn’t very spicy because it’s offset by the Ranch. This makes it a bit more kid-friendly…that is of course if you can get your kids to eat broccoli and cauliflower!

When our kids were younger, we called them “trees” and “winter trees”. That seems to go over a bit better. They actually seemed to want to eat their “mini trees”, well, until after that first bite anyway!

Buffalo Ranch Broccoli and Cauliflower Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 3 1/2 cups each cauliflower and broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
  • 2-3 Tbsp. Frank’s Red Hot sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp. dry Ranch dressing mix

Assembly instructions:

  1. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower and broccoli with the hot sauce, olive oil, and dry dressing mix.
  2. When the vegetables are well coated, spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze for about 45 minutes and then transfer them into a large resealable bag*. Remove the excess air and freeze.

*Pro tip: We like to buy the broccoli and cauliflower frozen in resealable bags from the store. That way, after we assemble this dish, we can put the vegetables back into those same bags, reseal, and store in the freezer. From the outside, it will just look like a bag of frozen broccoli and cauliflower, but it will already be seasoned and ready to cook. You can label it with a permanent marker if you want. I like reusing the bags because it creates less waste.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Place the frozen broccoli and cauliflower in a single layer on top.
  3. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip the vegetables over and place them back in the oven for another 20 minutes.
  4. Serve beside your favourite main dishes or as a potluck side dish.

What to serve the buffalo broccoli and cauliflower with:

Print
Buffalo Ranch Broccoli and Cauliflower
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
 
Course: Side Dish
Keyword: broccoli and cauliflower, buffalo cauliflower
Ingredients
  • 3 1/2 cups each cauliflower and broccoli florets fresh or frozen
  • 2-3 Tbsp. Frank's Red Hot sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp. dry Ranch dressing mix
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower and broccoli with the hot sauce, olive oil, and dry dressing mix.
  2. When the vegetables are well coated, spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze for about 45 minutes and then transfer them into a large resealable bag*. Remove the excess air and freeze.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Place the frozen broccoli and cauliflower in a single layer on top.
  3. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip the vegetables over and place them back in the oven for another 20 minutes.
  4. Serve beside your favourite main dishes or as a potluck side dish.
Recipe Notes

*Pro tip: We like to buy the broccoli and cauliflower frozen in resealable bags from the store. That way, after we assemble this dish, we can put the vegetables back into those same bags, reseal, and store in the freezer. From the outside, it will just look like a bag of frozen broccoli and cauliflower, but it will already be seasoned and ready to cook. You can label it with a permanent marker if you want. 

Check out these other make ahead side dishes:

Garlic Bread

Honey Maple Glazed Carrots

Rice Pilaf

Keto KFC Style Chicken

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While not a fan of fast food in my adulthood, I do have fond childhood memories of the occasional trip through the KFC drive-through. Biting into that crispy chicken is something I still remember. That brings me to this creation of a Keto KFC style chicken recipe.

And the best part? It can be made ahead so that you have it in your freezer ready to cook up whenever a craving hits!

You don't have to give up that delicious flavour and crunch of KFC chicken just because you're on a keto diet! This Keto KFC style chicken has it all. #keto #ketorecipes #chickenrecipes #freezermeals101 #makeaheadmealsYou can have the unique flavour of KFC Chicken even on a Keto diet. The world just got a whole lot better, didn’t it?!

Keto KFC Style Chicken Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 4 boneless chicken thighs and cut into 2-3 pieces each
  • 1 1/2 cups almond flour
  • 3 tsp. KFC seasoning (recipe below), to taste
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups olive oil

KFC seasoning:

  • 2/3 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. thyme
  • 1/2 tsp. basil
  • 1/3 tsp. oregano
  • 1 tsp. celery salt
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • 1 tsp. dried mustard
  • 4 tsp. paprika
  • 2 tsp. garlic salt
  • 1 tsp. ground ginger
  • 3 tsp. white pepper 

Assembly instructions:

  1. In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of the almond flour with 1 tsp. or more of the KFC seasoning.
  2. Crack the eggs into a second bowl and whisk for 30 seconds.
  3. Dredge the chicken through the almond flour mixture, then the eggs, then repeat through the almond flour.
  4. You will need to do this in several batches as the almond flour gets wet and clumpy after a while (more so than regular flour).
  5. Place the breaded chicken pieces on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Lay the cookie sheet down flat in the freezer.
  6. When the chicken is completely frozen, transfer the chicken pieces into a large resealable freezer bag lined with paper towel. If needed, place more paper towel in between layers.
  7. Remove any excess air from the bag. Seal and freeze. 

Cooking instructions:

  1. Place the oil in a heavy pan or deep fryer.
  2. Set heat to medium and allow to heat.
  3. When the oil is hot, add 3 pieces of chicken at a time. Cook for 4-5 minutes each, until it is cooked through and golden brown, flipping halfway through.
  4. Remove the chicken to a paper towel lined plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.

Note that if you have any extra KFC seasoning, you can place it in a medium freezer bag and keep it until the next time you make this recipe. It’s easy to double the seasoning for this purpose as well.

If you don’t want to make this as a freezer meal, just cook the chicken directly after breading. The chicken is best if served immediately after frying. 

Check out some of our other delicious keto freezer meals:

Lemon Garlic Chicken

Easy Asian Meatballs

Italian Chicken and Veggies (Instant Pot)

Print
Keto KFC Style Chicken Recipe
Course: Main Course
Ingredients
  • 4 boneless chicken thighs and cut into 2-3 pieces each
  • 1 1/2 cups almond flour
  • 3 tsp. KFC seasoning recipe below, to taste
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups olive oil
KFC seasoning:
  • 2/3 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. thyme
  • 1/2 tsp. basil
  • 1/3 tsp. oregano
  • 1 tsp. celery salt
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • 1 tsp. dried mustard
  • 4 tsp. paprika
  • 2 tsp. garlic salt
  • 1 tsp. ground ginger
  • 3 tsp. white pepper
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of the almond flour with 1 tsp. or more of the KFC seasoning.
  2. Crack the eggs into a second bowl and whisk for 30 seconds.
  3. Dredge the chicken through the almond flour mixture, then the eggs, then repeat through the almond flour.
  4. You will need to do this in several batches as the almond flour gets wet and clumpy after a while (more so than regular flour).
  5. Place the breaded chicken pieces on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Lay the cookie sheet down flat in the freezer.
  6. When the chicken is completely frozen, transfer the chicken pieces into a large resealable freezer bag lined with paper towel. If needed, place more paper towel in between layers.
  7. Remove any excess air from the bag. Seal and freeze.
Cooking instructions:

  1. Take the breaded chicken out of the freezer and allow to thaw in the bag.

  2. Place oil in a heavy pan or deep fryer.

  3. Set the heat to medium and allow to heat.

  4. When the oil is hot, add 3 pieces of chicken at a time. Cook for 4-5 minutes each, until cooked through and golden brown, flipping halfway through.

  5. Remove the chicken to a paper towel lined plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.
Recipe Notes

Note that if you have any extra KFC seasoning, you can place it in a medium freezer bag and keep it until the next time you make this recipe. It's easy to double the seasoning for this purpose as well.

Sausage and Peppers Freezer Meal

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This sausage and peppers freezer meal recipe came about the same way some of our others have. We invented it using what we had left at the end of our freezer meal assembly day. We took some extra vegetables that were already prepped, onions and peppers and combined it with other ingredients we had on hand.

I had accidentally bought too much sausage because of a miscalculation on my part, so we actually invented three different recipes using sausage and what we had left of other ingredients. Sometimes the best freezer meal recipes come about that way! That day, our Italian Sausage Pasta Sauce and our Italian Wedding Soup were also born.

Sausage and Peppers Skillet Freezer Meal

This recipe can either be served over rice or it can be rolled in a flour or corn tortilla and eaten as a wrap.

Sausage and Peppers Freezer Meal Recipe:

  • 1 lb. of Italian sausage (see directions for preparing it below)
  • 1/2 a yellow pepper, sliced
  • 1/2 a red pepper, sliced
  • 1 onion, chopped or sliced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1-2 tsp. cajun seasoning
  • 14 oz. can diced tomatoes

You can use mild or spicy sausage depending on your family’s preference. Remove the sausage from the casing and slice. I prefer to actually squeeze out sausage meatballs and flatten them a bit with my fingers to slicing. It is a messier method, but it is easier to remove the casing this way.

Fry the sausage slices in a frying pan over medium-high heat until lightly browned on both sides. Alternately, you can place the raw sausage “meatballs” in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven.

Blot the cooked sausage slices on a paper towel to remove some of the grease.

To assemble this meal, place the cooked sausage pieces in a large resealable freezer bag. Add the sliced peppers, onion, minced garlic, cajun seasoning, and the can of diced tomatoes.

Remove the excess air from the bag, seal and freeze.

On the day of cooking, thaw the sausage and peppers freezer meal. Cook in a skillet over medium-high heat until heated through. Serve over rice or in a wrap.

This recipe is gluten free and keto friendly if served on cauliflower rice. You can even make cauliflower rice ahead and freeze.

Can you freeze cooked Italian sausage?

You can absolutely freeze Italian sausage. If you freeze raw Italian sausage, it has a tendency to get freezer burnt quite quickly even if it is packaged well. By cooking the sausage first, it will keep much longer in the freezer.

To freeze ground Italian sausage, brown it first in a skillet. Be sure to drain it to remove the extra grease. Measure out 1 or 2 cup portions into medium sized resealable freezer bags or add the cooked ground sausage to freezer meal recipes and freeze.

Make meatballs out of Italian sausage by squeezing chunks out of the casing and laying them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Cook at 350° until the outside is brown and they are no longer pink inside. Blot the excess grease before adding them to a resealable freezer bag or into a freezer meal recipe and freeze.

Print
Sausage and Peppers Freezer Meal
This recipe can either be served over rice or rolled in a flour or corn tortilla and eaten as a wrap.
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. of Italian sausage see directions for preparing it below
  • 1/2 a yellow pepper sliced
  • 1/2 a red pepper sliced
  • 1 onion chopped or sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1-2 tsp. cajun seasoning
  • 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
Instructions
  1. Remove the sausage from the casing and slice. 

    I prefer to actually squeeze out sausage meatballs and flatten them a bit with my fingers to slicing. It is a messier method, but it is easier to remove the casing this way.

  2. Fry the sausage slices in a frying pan over medium-high heat until lightly browned on both sides.
  3. Blot the cooked sausage slices on a paper towel to remove some of the grease.
  4. To assemble this meal, place the cooked sausage pieces in a large resealable freezer bag.
  5. Add the sliced peppers, onion, minced garlic, cajun seasoning, and the can of diced tomatoes.
  6. Remove the excess air from the bag, seal and freeze.
  7. On the day of cooking, thaw the sausage and peppers freezer meal.
  8. Cook in a skillet over medium-high heat until heated through.
  9. Serve over rice or in a wrap.
Recipe Notes

You can use mild or spicy sausage depending on your family's preference.

You may also be interested in these easy make ahead recipes:

Pesto Chicken and Vegetables

Reggae Gumbo Recipe

Make Ahead Mac and Cheese