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Many of you had questions about how this method of cooking works exactly, so today I invited the author, Stephanie, to share all of the details with us so you can create your own "Freezer to Slow Cooker" recipes at home. Or better yet you could just pick up a copy of her book* if you'd rather someone else do all the work for you!
Guest post by Stephanie Brandt Cornais
Hiya! My name is Stephanie and I am the Founder of MamaAndBabyLove.com. I am dedicated to helping women heal, nourish and love themselves so they can nourish and love their families and live their best life.
I have been on a personal journey to learn how to be healthy and cook for over ten years now, and it's been a loooong and arduous process. I used to watch The Food Network and get inspired to get off the couch and try a recipe, but the end result was usually something my dog wouldn't even eat. Then about six years ago I bought a slow cooker and it changed. my. life.
Later when my daughter was born, time was of the essence so I therefore needed a really efficient way to make lots of slow cooker meals at one time. So I combined my old love of slow cooking and my new love of freezer cooking into something that was incredibly time saving, manageable and most importantly, healthy.
In about 2 hours or less, I chop all my meat and vegetables and put them in Ziploc freezer bags. Then I add my spice combinations and mix it up a bit. I get all the air out of the bag and lay it flat like a brick so that it doesn't take up a lot of space in my freezer. Then the morning I want a home cooked, healthy meal, I take a bag out of my freezer and dump it into my slow cooker, totally frozen. By dinner time I have a real, healthy and nourishing meal awaiting my family and me.
This way of cooking solved my problem of scrambling in the early evening to figure out what healthy, homemade meal I would serve my family. It frees up time so that I can enjoy my afternoons and evenings with my family. So instead of muttering to myself in the kitchen with resentment coming out of my ears, I am chilling with my family, most likely with a glass of red wine in hand and giving myself a little pat on the back - because the made from scratch meal I just put on the table took hardly any effort at all.
Here are some of my favorite slow cooker freezer recipes. You can find many more in my cookbook, From Your Freezer To Your Family.
Ginger Cranberry Pork Roast
Ingredients
- 2 pork roasts (left whole)
- 12-oz package cranberries (fresh, or 2 jars of whole cranberries (cans have BPA in them))
- 1 cup ginger (fresh, peeled and sliced or minced)
- 2 tablespoons rapadura sugar (or honey or maple syrup)
- 2 tablespoons quick cooking tapioca (or some other thickening agent like whole-wheat flour or arrowroot powder)
Instructions
- Label 2 one-gallon freezer bags.
- After chopping, evenly divide all ingredients into the two bags and lay flat in the freezer.
- Day of cooking: Pull one bag from the freezer and lay it on the counter for several minutes to slightly thaw. Peel away the bag, dump the contents into your slow cooker along with ½ cup of filtered water, and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours, or until fully cooked.
Remember each slow cooker is different, so the first time you make a recipe, really watch it closely so you don’t over or under cook the dish. - Serve with broccoli sautéed in butter. I cook frozen broccoli this way - no need to thaw, just dump frozen broccoli into a hot pan with hot butter and it is delicious.
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Healthy Mama BBQ Chicken
*Note this recipe makes two complete meals/bags
Ingredients
- 2 cups sweet potatoes (unpeeled and cut into ½" pieces)
- 2 cups green bell peppers (cut into strips or cubes)
- 1 cup red bell pepper (cut into strips or cubes)
- 2 cups zucchini (chopped into circles 1 thick)
- 2 cups onion (chopped into 1" pieces)
- 2 tablespoons quick cooking tapioca (or some other thickening agent like whole-wheat flour or arrowroot powder)
- 2 pounds chicken thighs (or drumsticks, kept whole)
- 2 - 15-oz jars tomato sauce (plain (cans will work but may be lined with BPA))
- 4 tablespoons rapadura sugar (or honey or maple syrup)
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons ground mustard
- 2 cloves garlic (finely minced (about 2 tablespoons))
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Label 2 one-gallon freezer bags.
- After chopping, divide everything into the two bags. Shake them up, seal, and lay flat in the freezer.
- Day of cooking: Pull one bag from the freezer and lay it on the counter for several minutes to slightly thaw. Peel away the bag, dump the contents into your slow cooker, and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or on low 6-8 hours, depending on your specific slow cooker.
- Serve with a salad and a grain like brown rice (if you eat grains).
Notes
Nutrition Facts
I hope you enjoyed learning about this cooking method. My cookbook further answers any questions you would need to know about how to get started and how the assembly process works. I also have a FAQ page and sometimes host a free Slow Cooker Freezer Recipes Webinar where you can learn all about my tried and true tips and secrets and have an opportunity to ask me your questions directly. I am also really good about answering all questions on the blog or the M+BL Facebook page, so if you ever need help, just shoot me a question and I am happy to answer!
Stephanie Brandt Cornais is the Founder and Creative Director of Mama and Baby Love, a real food, natural parenting and lifestyle blog. She is the author of From Your Freezer To Your Family, Slow Cooker Freezer Recipes, The Mama and Baby Love Guide to a Conscious Childbearing Year and Grain-Free/Gluten-Free Baking-A Healthy Baking Cookbook for Mama's Who Don't Know How To Bake. You can also find her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube and Instagram.
Stephanie Brandt Cornais is the Founder and Creative Director of Mama and Baby Love, a real food, natural parenting and lifestyle blog. She is the author of From Your Freezer To Your Family, Slow Cooker Freezer Recipes, The Mama and Baby Love Guide to a Conscious Childbearing Year and Grain-Free/Gluten-Free Baking-A Healthy Baking Cookbook for Mama's Who Don't Know How To Bake. You can also find her on *Stephanie's book is no longer for sale, but not to worry - this is another favorite e-book of ours featuring real food slow cooker recipes.
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