The last year or so, I have really been starting to appreciate the time/money you save when you freeze things. I think this holds especially true for the past few months- while I have been dealing with the wonderful feelings of the first trimester of pregnancy, my family has definitely had their feel of homemade freezer meals and other quick and easy foods that have come from the freezer!

But even before that, I have come to realize how much easier it is to prepare meals when things are cut and frozen beforehand. You can also save so much money by stocking up on things when they are on sale, and freezing things that would otherwise go to waste. I also love being able to keep things on hand in the freezer that I might not usually have otherwise. My family actually invested in a full-size freezer (which we store in the our kids' room- oh the joys of apartment living;) ) so that we could fully utilize our freezer space.

I have been surprised at some of the things you can actually freeze. As I was researching more ideas for this particular article, I was seriously shocked and excited at some of the things I found! I have not tried all of these, but someone somewhere has, and I am totally going to give them all a try. One thing to keep in mind is that everything is going to have a different shelf life in the freezer- some things, like chicken, you can keep in your freezer for several months, whereas other things, like a loaf of bread, you will definitely want to use sooner.

Here are some of the things you can freeze:

*Fruit- think smoothies galore!

*Diced vegetables- I love keeping diced peppers and green onions on hand!

*Potatoes

*Corn on the cob

*Mushrooms

*Cheese- you can add a tablespoon of flour or cornstarch to the bag if you want to shred it first, to help keep the cheese from clumping together when it's thawed

*Cooked rice

*Pie- the whole thing or just a couple slices for later;)

*Pasta- easy meals ready to go!

*Flour (and other grains)- freeze it for a couple days just to prevent anything from hatching (kind of a nasty thought), or keep it in there longer if it makes you feel better:)

*Mashed potatoes

*Cookie dough- put them in balls first and then you can have cookies pretty much anytime you want- that could definitely be dangerous for me;)

*Soups/Stews

*Sandwiches- this is one I have never tried, but I'm pretty sure I'll have to now. I love the thought of being able to make five sandwiches for my hubby at the beginning of the week, and then each morning he can just pull it out and it will be ready to go by lunch- I am all for convenient! (And this helps remove the temptation to eat out for lunch- better for the wallet and for the waistline;) ).

*Potato chips, crackers and pretzels- another one that I have not tried, but according to the website I found this idea on, she says frozen potato chips actually taste better…. I am totally intrigued and you may or may not find a bag of potato chips in my freezer in the next week or two;)

*Milk and Juice

*Bread and other baked goods- I always have loaves of bread/bagels in my freezer because I love to stock up when they are on sale!

*Pancakes, waffles or French toast

*Frosting

*Cake

*Eggs- another one I have yet to try!

*Yogurt

*Frozen/cooked meat (chicken, hamburger, roasts)

*Bacon

*Lunchmeat

*Dough- homemade or store-bought

*Fresh herbs

*Citrus juice/zest

*Avocados- I am dying to try this one- these are so expensive but I love them! Come the next sale, I am buying a ton;).

*Nuts

*Garlic

*Butter

Wow!! So many ideas! I am seriously so excited to try some of these, and others I am so glad I have been doing already! Do you have any experience freezing any of these items? Is there anything else you freeze that's not on the list? I am looking for ideas to save us money and to help me when this baby comes, so please share your thoughts in the comments below!!

    Camille Hoffmann
    Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2014
    Email the author! camille@dvo.com

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