I'm just gazing in awe at how organized your freezer is.....

I agree with Rosebud - and way to go for not having any processed food in your freezer. Flickr user sporkist needs a pat on the back

You mentioned pot pies - but individual Shepherd's pies work well, too. Soups and stews work tremendously. The only thing I've found that doesn't is rice dishes.

Hey, when you talk about baking up your pot pie straight from the freezer--I assume then you're freezing them directly in glass or other oven-safe dishes? The photo above shows all plastic containers--what do you do for reheating that stuff? Defrost in the fridge overnight and then transfer to another dish or pot to reheat? I always seem to forget to defrost and then am never sure the best way to reheat straight from frozen...

I am ashamed of my freezer looking at that picture! Perhaps an inspiration for how I can spend a super exciting Friday night...!

@Brooklynnina - Yes, in the case of pot pies, I always freeze in aluminum tins or oven safe ceramic bowls. When I freeze in plastic, I let the food defrost for as long as I can either in the fridge (if I have more than an hour or two) or out on the counter if I'm pressed for time. If I'm really in a rush, I'll run lukewarm water over the outside of the container until the frozen food melts slightly and I can slide it out into a pan or glass microwave dish. And in a pinch, letting frozen meat sit in a pan of lukewarm (not hot) water will defrost it in no time. I use that method over microwave defrosting all the time!

Cool--thanks for the tips!

Are those frozen udon noodles on the far right? If so, I need to know so I can go to the Asian market and stock up this weekend.

I'm just realizing as I look at this photo and think back to my freezer is that meat freezes in weird shapes then doesn't easily stack or stay in place without a lamb shank/chicken breast/pork tenderloin landslide every time I open the door.

I've got to figure out a way to curtail that... perhaps just putting all the oddly shaped meats in a see thru container that, itself, is square?

@smellykelly- My freezer came with a clear rectangular container to hold ice cubes. I use the container to hold my frozen meat & seafood that doesn't stack well (chicken breasts, tenderloin, meatballs, italian sausage, fish filets, etc.) and it's been a great solution for me.

I *WISH* my freezer looked like that! I try to always make extras and freeze in lunch-sized containers. Tomato-based pastas, soups & sauces, burritos, and empanadas all freeze well, but I find anything with potatoes doesn't really.

@Sisero - I haven't tried freezing anything with whole or chunky potatoes (aside from stew) but if you want to freeze mashed potatoes (like in a shepherd's pie mentioned earlier) I've found it helps to add an egg! It acts as a binder. :)

Sorry if this is slightly off-topic, but do they still make freezer tape for labeling? My partner suggested I use a grease pencil. Any ideas, friends?

i am also mesmerized by how organized and awesome that freezer looks.. jealous!

Currently, I have 2, 4, & 5 in my freezer. Balls of maple pecan mexican wedding cookie dough and pre portioned buttermilk cupcakes in silicone liners ready to bake, Rolls of homemade anise/sesame rolls (like my mom used to make), and plenty of stock - not to mention pieces of leftover vegetables for stock the next time I make it.

While I don't have marinara sauce in my freezer, during the summer I can tomatoes whole and so homemade tomato sauce is never more than some sautéed garlic and a bit of simmering (while the pasta cooks) away.

Sparkula, I've used a sharpie when I freeze individual pot pies in canning jars.

smellykelly i put a lot of my frozen meats on the door where they cant tumble out as easily. I always buy bulk packs and freeze individual portions so I know the avalanche problem!
I usually just put each type of meat into a larger bag to keep it all rounded up, otherwise its like socks in a dryer, you can never find that other pork chop... and less avalanches that way

@Sparkula, I don't know if they still make freezer tape, but I use drafting tape which I found at an art supply store. It's on a roll and I just tear off what I need. I use a Sharpie to write on it. It works really well. I've also used Post-It removable labels: http://www.shop3m.com/3m-post-it-super-sticky-removable-label-pads-single-size-packs.html. These work well, too, although they don't come off as cleanly as the drafting tape. They can leave a bit of residue. I think that usually happens when the container starts defrosting and the label gets wet. It's easy to rub off the residue, though.

I love the idea of cooking in bulk and freezing. As a busy grad student I do that a lot.

However, I'm not sure why one would want to make a bulk batch of tomato sauce when it's not tomato season...

Can you come organize my freezer? I am envious of yours.

Sparkula, I use these labels from the Container Store all the time.
http://www.containerstore.com/shop/kitchen/refrigeratorFreezer?productId=10025965&N=74068&Nao=16

And, I too am envious of that freezer!

Freezer tape is still out there, but you have to search for it. I usually find it in the summer with the canning supplies in the grocery store or Wal-Mart. You might also look in the plastic wrap section.

Really great idea during this transitional season, having a stockpile of meals for days when we're too pooped from working in the garden to actually cook!

I make and freeze bean burritos (black bean and sweet potato is yummy) and also make extra waffles to freeze. Not to mention ravioli and numerous casseroles....

My freezer is pretty organized: meat to be frozen is put in freezer bags, then those bags go inside a bigger freeazer bag.
chicken in one, beef in another & so on. Then they all fit in a shoe box in the freezer, like a file drawer...no lid, by they way. Is that too ocd? Makes things easier for me...

It's just me, so I don't generally stock up too much, but chicken stock -- definitely.

I've had a lousy time freezing pasta sauce (made from canned tomatoes). I find it gets really watery tasting.

I have a hard time w/ fresh frozen foods - they always seem to taste a bit freezer burned to me, even if they've only been in there for a couple of weeks (and my freezer is set at an average temp.).

I use Pyrex glass containers w/plastic lids. Someone told me to put a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the food in the container & it would stop that freezer burned taste from happening.

Does this work? Are there any other ideas out there?

@coleyb:
For anything that is pyrex worthy, this is what I do. When I'm making the food initially, I line the pyrex with foil, then dump in the food. After the food has frozen for a good amount of time, you can lift the foil out, wrap it tightly, and put the pyrex back in the cabinet. It helps with freezer burn and also frees up your bakeware. When you go to bake the food again, just plop it back in the dish.

Sparkula, I use blue painter's tape & a Sharpie to mark containers. The tape comes off easily from various surfaces without leaving a sticky residue. I also occasionally use the tape to hold a recipe card in place on a cabinet door at eye level when baking; works like a charm.

Yes, freezer tape is out there. While my grocery store has it, if yours doesn't, you can order it from Amazon. I love the stuff; it seems to hold better than other types of tape (like blue or drafting) and I use it all the time.

Thank you folks for all your suggestions!! Really appreciate that.

I freeze waffles all the time, I'm one of those people who never has enough time in the mornings... so one day a week usually I make a ton of waffles and freeze them. You can stick them in the toaster like you would an ego and they are wonderful!

Also a big fan of making "mini" lasagnas to freeze for the husband to eat, I have these little round pyrex dishes with lids that work great for a single serving lasagna.

I also make "tiny pies" I got the idea from here but I make them in tiny mason jars... yum!

Wow, my freezer is a disaster. If you use it a ton like I do, I'm not sure how you can avoid that! I am on a really tight budget, so I stock up on food, especially meat, when it's on sale. It just gets out of control messy, though! My solution is to at least keep a running tally on the fridge of what's in the freezer. While it may take a while to find it, at least I know that what I'm looking for is in there! I use regular old masking tape to mark items--just write on it with a sharpie. It never sticks, and the only time it falls off is if the container was a little wet in the first place. I also put lots of items (even things already in other small containers) in plastic zip top bags and write directly on the bag with marker. When that item is gone I rinse the bag, cross out the original words, and write again for something new. The bag always wears out before I run out of writing space!

@KirstenWI - Thanks for the tip. I'll use it the next time I try my hand at something worth preserving.