Recently, I made a video tour of my pantry.

OK, I know that sounds a little strange. Allow me to explain.

One of the modules in my Solve Your Dinner Dilemma virtual cooking class, covers how to stock a pantry, along with some life-saving pantry recipes. So the pantry video tour was to illustrate an example of a working pantry.

Anyway, while I was filming, I started thinking how I really should use my freezer as an extension of my pantry. And that it would be great to show my students my freezer as well.

On quick inspection, my freezer was looking like it had been banished to Siberia, rather than a wonderful source of last minute meals. So the freezer tour idea was promptly scrapped.

Not long afterwards, I was contacted by Susan Austin, a friend of a fabulous friend who has written a cookbook called Frost Bite: Easy Cooking for Your Freezer. Would I be interested in having a look? Absolutely.

So inspired by Susan’s inventive book, here are 8 ideas to save time using your freezer.

1. keep a stock of frozen vegetables. While fresh tends to be best from a taste perspective (apart from frozen peas), frozen veg can save valuable time. And lets face it, frozen vegetables are better for you than no veg. Chopped and ready to go, things like frozen broccoli, spinach, cauliflower and beans cook in about the same amount of time as fresh, but save valuable minutes in the prep area.

2. make sandwiches for lunches in advance. Susan’s book has a heap of suggestions for making school (or adult) sandwiches in bulk and freezing so in the mornings you just need to pull them out and they’re good to go. Filling suggestions include cooked meats, canned fish, cheese, pesto and more.

3. freeze cooked foods that will defrost in a lunchbox. If you’re bored with sandwiches, it doesn’t mean you can’t also take advantage of the freezer lunch idea. Especially great for dishes that can defrost during the morning and be eaten at room temperature. Lentil salads, fried rice, and meatballs are a few ideas to get you started.

4. make brunch in advance While having people over for brunch can be a wonderful way to catch up, who wants to get up super early to prepare a feast? I love Susan’s brunch chapter with recipes for cheat-day pancakes, corn breads, muffins, pastries and pies.

5. freeze fresh meat & fish prepared ready for the oven. Prepare your raw proteins with marinades, stuffings or herb crusts so they’re ready to bake or BBQ as soon as they’re defrosted. A great tip for stress-free entertaining.

6. freeze leftovers and small portions. I’ve avoided stating the obvious about the whole cook in bulk and freeze for later idea. Leftovers, however, are something that I rarely think to freeze. Perfect for small households who aren’t keen on eating leftovers the next day.

7. freeze cookie dough ready to bake. Next time I make a batch of these cookies, I’m going to be freezing what I don’t need for another day. Can’t wait.

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