I always make extra lasagna for freezing, it does really well. I usually heat and eat within two months, so there's no chance of freezer burn.

These enchiladas also freeze well. I figure if I'm going to go to all the trouble, I might as well get a few meals out of it, so I double it. It's not really any more work. It's such a treat to pull something tasty and homemade out of the freezer after a long day at work.

I have to agree that freezing something changes it, often in unpleasant ways. However, it's far superior to take out pizza.

Our freezer is essential - not only are we too busy to stand over a stove nightly, but we don't seem to get through certain things (whole chickens, loaves of bread) fast enough - the freezer ensures nothing goes to waste.

There's bolognese in there right now (though I leave the cream off and add it just before serving) along with frozen garlic bread and also enchiladas and some soup. These take a long time to defrost/heat, but are completely hands-off. I try to keep the soup in a container shaped so that I can just pry the contents directly into the crock pot and leave.

We freeze meal components - I'll pound chicken breasts or tenders flat and freeze a stack of them - they defrost in no time. Or when we get buried in CSA greens I'll blanch, chop and freeze them, so I can just throw them into soup or saute them later. Egg whites defrost well. And zucchini bread. And fruit - I freeze berries spread out on a tray then collect them into bags. And there's always bacon in the freezer so I can cut off an inch or so to saute something.

I think the most important way to keep your freezer your kitchen buddy is constant turnover.

I agree about freezing. But as an author with an impending deadline, I would rather have stuff in the freezer than takeout. Sometimes even pulling together the energy to figure out fresh/last minute is too much. Thus, this is a super helpful list for me. Thank you! PS I have had good luck with soups in the freezer, but they aren't summertime fare....

I freeze the following regularly, usually in 1-serving or 2-serving sized containers:
*my mother's Italian meat sauce (it makes enough to serve 12! so freezing extra is a necessity)
*lasagna - this freezes so well. Freeze it before you cook it. A loaf-sized aluminum pan works really well for 2-servings of lasagna. Thaw and cook per normal instructions.
*summer fruit, especially blueberries (I do the same as tasterspoon). There is nothing better than tossing a handful of frozen blueberries into hot oatmeal in the middle of December. Cools the oatmeal down and tastes great!

Other than that, my freezer isn't big enough to add much else. Gotta have room for the ice cream. :)

I make up turkey meatloaf, shape it and freeze before cooking.

I recently cooked up a bunch of chicken that was on sale and shredded it, then froze. I'll use it for casseroles and enchiladas.

My family LOVES frozen peaches--in juice and lightly sugared.

My recent favorite is fried rice. Next time you are making rice cook some extra and toss it together with sauce/seasonings and frozen veggies then freeze. You just defrost it and scramble an egg or two in a pan then add a bit more oil with the rice and veggies into the pan and toss it around over the heat till its toasty. Can even add fresh green onions or leftover bits of meat if you are up to it/have them on hand.

Is it as good as fresh? No. But it makes an incredibly fast filling dinner! Even if you forget to defrost it just zap it in the microwave with a little water and it comes right apart and ready for the frying pan.

When I make the potatoe dought roles from an earlier post, I take half of them out of the oven before they get golden and freeze them. They are nearly as good as fresh after a few minutes in the oven!

Any kind of beef stew especially those made with wine like beef burgundy seems to taste better after you freeze it.

I like to freeze dinner rolls too. They only takes minutes to re-heat in the oven and they are great with soup or stews or even a salad.

I make a couple batches of potstickers at a time and freeze them. I love making a bunch of hand pies (savory) at a time and freezing them for a quick, delicious dinner. I understand about wanting to make fresh, simple meals, but I really don't think that things like tomato sauces and doughs suffer at all in the freezer.

My sister just graduated med school and moved to NYC to a small apartment with a tiny kitchen. She's working 90 hour weeks, and certainly doesn't have time to cook! So, for her graduation present, I just finished cooking 30 portions of meals that freeze well, froze them in individual freezer bags, and drove down to NYC to stock up her freezer. Now she can eat home-made dinners all month when she gets home from work!

Chili! I always have individual servings in the freezer. Great over chips or a baked potato.

I don't have a microwave, so I guess my take on freezing is a little different... but first I'd have to say muffins! And veggie koftas, especially in a coconut cream sauce, freeze brilliantly. Most vegetable soups and stews freeze well. Also, marinara sauce- I have the tiniest freezer, so I fill up freezer bags, lay them flat and stack them up. Leftover coconut milk, wine, and stock (one of which will inevitably be essential for whatever I'm cooking) freeze this way too. That way, I waste less, and I can just toss things out of the freezer and into the pot come meal time.

Like microwaves, freezers are wonderful! - if you don't ask them to do things they can't do. (Microwave ovens don't bake; freezers can't preserve fresh textures).

Previous commenters have made many good suggestions - @virtualjess is SO right about the flat freezer bags - but haven't mentioned one of the most important freezer functions: If you want to eat local produce and meat year-round, the freezer is your best friend.

Being an evangelist for the thing, I've posted a long list of foods that freeze well, recipe links, and tips for choosing and caring for freezers at http://leslieland.com/2009/01/a-love-letter-to-the-freezer-with-choosing-and-care-tips.)

This has been most helpful. I'm planning a gathering for a 2nd time mom-to-be who did not think it was apropos to have a shower for baby #2. The guests and I are going to fill her calendar with promises of meals for the next few months, and it is becoming clear that the ability to freeze these meals is pretty important. Thanks very much.