I need to start doing better with lunches while at work. I am looking for some ideas on meals I can pre-make and freeze with a vacuum sealer and reheat with a microwave.

What foods have you found that stand up well to freezing and reheating in the microwave?

Chili, pinto beans, beef stew, leftover brisket I use to make chop beef sandwiches are some of the items I have in the freezer right now

Curry, red beans and rice, many things.

I freeze leftovers that have a good amount of liquid in 16 or 20 oz plastic cups. When frozen, snip the side of the cup, remove the contents, place id vacuum bag, seal, and place in the freezer.

Chili does very well, for that matter, so does pizza!!

I made chicken in a cream sauce over a month ago, froze it, and just thawed it out last weekend, and it was still excellent.

I've been meal prepping for about 3 months now and cook on Sunday for the next week's meals. Are you trying to prep far out in advance or just a week at a time?

I have found my recipes on YouTube, and 90% of the time use my crockpot and make some variations of chicken and have rice, canned potatoes, or mashed potatoes on the side. That has worked well for me.

Lasagna. Easy to make a ton of it, and easy to reheat.

Beef (steaks, burgers, meatloaf etc.).

As a potential learning experience, there is a whole line of Jimmie Dean Breakfast Bowls involving various combinations of sausage, bacon, chorizo, eggs, buscuit, gravy, potatoes, peppers etc they pre-cook & freeze in a small helping. 2 minutes in the micro makes them a feasible quickie meal. It seems a home version is very possible.

Typical retail is $2.82 but recently one chain has raised that to $3.99. They seem a real deal at one price but not so much at the other.
Protein ranges from 12g to 28g per bowl.

I did this a lot when I was still working. I'd take a day or 2 and do a cooking, portioning and freezing marathon. I'd grab a container from the freezer in the morning and take it to work.

Chili, Beef Stew, Chile Verde, ham and beans, spaghetti and meatballs, Goulash, lasagna, ground beef & noodles, homemade chicken noodle soup, beef soup, vegetable soup, taco soup/stew. Turkey or Chicken with Thanksgiving style dressing. I also liked to make chicken or beef Enchiladas, Burritos, etc. Beans & Rice, various Cajun style dishes, and more. Various styles of meat loaf, Shepherd's Pie. Also, I'd make big casserole dish size of Breakfast casseroles, that was one of my favorites, kept me out of the fast food breakfast drive thru window. Also, breakfast burritos and other breakfast sandwiches.

Sometimes I'd get the craving for Loaded Baked Potatos. I'd make several baked potates, wrap in foil, and store in the fridge up to a few days, or just swing through the Wendy's drive through, they have pretty darn good baked potatos. From my freezer I also kept zip lock freezer baggies full of toppings, grab one of those plus a baked potato and go.

I liked it because I could control the Sodium level and other spices, quality of ingredients, portion sizes, etc.

I had, and still have, a lot of quality Tupperware brand and alternate brands of good quality freezer containers, durable and reusable, sealed well, sturdy. It helped that I had an upright freezer as well as a smaller-ish chest freezer. I had a couple of large sturdy laundry baskets dedicated to just these food containers, wash the containers and toss in the baskets. Then once every other month or so, as necessary, I'd spend a day or 2 doing a mass cooking and freezing event.

Now that I'm retired I don't do as much as before, but I do still do this to a good extent. The reason is not just the convenience, but also when I get hungry, I find these awesome to eat and thus avoid running out for a fast food burger or other crap.
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I used to follow a guy when I was lifting weights (I think Athlene X). He had a good idea, he would buy trays of food from places like Whole Foods or Sprouts (I don’t recall exactly who it was but it was exactly but you get the idea), they were meant for large groups but they were healthier options. He would put away portions by weight and freeze them. You can get a variety of different meals without putting in all the cooking time. If I were single I’d try it.

quote:

Originally posted by gpbst3:
What foods have you found that stand up well to freezing and reheating in the microwave?

We regularly freeze chili, red beans & rice, baked ziti, John Wayne Casserole, all in portions for two for a quick easy dinner later. Whenever I make sunday gravy with meatballs, we will freeze portions to use later with freshly cooked pasta.

BBQ'd meats hold up well. I vacuum seal ribs all the time. Take them out in the morning (put in fridge) and at lunch just heat to warm. Pulled pork, brisket, it works with all of it.

That being said, not sure what you mean by "do better". Better food or healthy?

I make and freeze enchiladas, chili, bachelor tuna and noodles, bachelor goulash ,meatloaf and brat w/ sauerkraut and plain old hamburger pre cooked.

I use reusable Rubbermaid containers
But!
Never microwave in them ,
Take a glass bowl to use in the microwave.
Keep it at work.
All of the afore mentioned are short term freezables,
Ten days too 20 days max.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: bendable,

Rice, lentils, black beans, great northern beans, peas, etc heated with curry or Indian masala (spice) mixes. Varying basic staples and spices yields many variations.

Another option for a quick lunch is oatmeal with a sliced apple.

Pasta based dishes freeze well. Potatoes do not, commercial frozen potatoes are a different variety meant for freezing. Burgers off the grill, dress the buns and into ziplock, wave the burger. Chicken or beef w/noodles and mashed potatoes. Enchiladas, I’ll make them in a 9x13 pan using corn tortillas, I don’t think flour ones reheat right, treat it like lasagna, Mac and cheese w/ buffalo chicken along side.

Check the freezer aisles in the grocery for ideas. You can just about anything ConAgra can, except potatoes (tatertots would probably do okay mixed into some recipes I guess).

Grill fish. Costco, Sams, most grocery stores, have microwaveable steamed rice or brown rice bowls. Fish needs 50 seconds in the microwave, rice needs 90 seconds. Mix it up, and have some fruit for dessert.