Every year I make a bunch of meals for my husband (and Dad and friends) to eat at moose camp. There’s a little bit of an art to making, packaging, and reheating meals so they aren’t overdone and mushy, so I’ll share what I’ve learned and some of the recipes I use over and over. 

Packaging Freezer Meals

I package my freezer meals with our Vacmaster chamber sealer. This makes them easier to stack in the freezer and smaller to pack in the cooler when we go on trips. If you’re at all interested in how a chamber sealer is different from a vacuum sealer, you can find out here. 

Tips for packaging with a chamber sealer

• Choose foods that freeze or reheat well (pasta, soup, rice dishes, chili, etc).
• Undercook your pasta. For normal pasta, just shorten the time for 2-3 mins. For softer pasta, like tortellini, I put it into the warm sauce but don’t cook it at all. 
• I always fully cook rice. Some dishes can turn out mushy, but better mushy than crunchy rice.  
• For stiffer food (like rice that is sticky), make the shape you want the bag to be before you seal it shut. 
• Clean the area where the bag will seal after filling and before sealing. 
• Do not seal any food while it’s warm. The boiling temp is lowered in the chamber so cool your food completely or you’ll have a mess… ask me how I know! 
• For more liquid food, I press into a flat shape after sealing. 
• For cookies – freeze in a single layer before packaging.
• Never package bread, even if it’s frozen, it will get smashed when sealed. 

Tried and true meals 

Camp Recipe 1: Tuscan Tortellini + Crack Bread

This tuscan tortellini has been in the rotation for YEARS. I bulk it up a bit with more meat and round up on the sauces. 

Modifications:
2lbs of Italian moose sausage
32 oz of homemade pasta sauce
Add shredded zucchini (I always have on hand vs spinach)
24 ounce tortellini from Costco

I follow the recipe instructions, but at the end, I just add the tortellini and cut the heat. The tortellini will finish cooking when it’s reheated 

I’ve been making this crack bread for a few years now and friends and family still ask me to make it ALL the time. I make a homemade sourdough loaf, and stuff the bread but I don’t bake it at all. The guys use a dutch oven to heat it in the field. I also send a caesar salad kit for this meal. 

Camp Recipe 2: Chicken & Rice

I used this Forgotten Chicken recipe, but I added the following and split the rice mixture between a 9×13 pan AND an 8×8 because I like to add more chicken than can fit in the 9×13. I also used boneless skinless chicken thighs.

Modifications:
5 medium carrots
3-4 ribs celery 
1 onion 
2 tbs fresh herbs (I used parsley, rosemary, and thyme)
14 oz of broth (instead of 10.5 oz of water)
4 tbsp butter, sliced thin (for topping the chicken)
Measure the onion mix with your heart
Season chicken with ranch seasoning 

The recipe gives multiple options for baking but I find this does best if you bake it at a lower temperature for longer. 

I find this rice dish does get a little mushy when reheated but the boys love it despite the slight decrease in texture quality. 

Camp Recipe 3: Hamberger Helper

I use this Healthier Hamburger Helper recipe but add:

Modifications:
More garlic (always)
2lbs total of ground meat
15 oz can of tomato sauce 
Double the spices
Add 2 tsp red pepper flakes 
17.6 ounce pasta from Costco

Shredded zucchini – usually I have it frozen and add a cup, but I added a whole fresh zucchini this time. 

I usually try to cook the noodles for a few minutes less than the package says so they aren’t mushy when they are reheated. It’s a little harder to do with this recipe because the liquid needs to be reduced. 

Camp Recipe 4: Pulled pork & Cheesy potatoes

I have made the Traeger pulled pork recipe for years and years. It takes some time, but it’s mostly hands off and the leftovers freeze really well. 

Modifications:
I don’t ever have apple cider on hand so I use water, honey, and ACV (measure with your heart) to replace the 2 cups of cider.

If you’re from the midwest you already know what cheesy potatoes are! I have the recipe memorized, but if you need it, here it is. 

Camp Recipe 5: Chili & Cornbread

This one is an obvious one that reheats super well. My own chili recipe has had amazing reviews! 

The cornbread recipe is one passed down from Jimmy’s grandma. It’s not healthy but we don’t modify perfection. I’ll move this to its own recipe page eventually, but here it is for now! 

Cornbread Recipe

½ butter – place in a 9×13” pan into a 350 oven while it preheats
Mix together:
4 eggs
1 c sour cream
¼ c sugar

The add:
1 can creamed corn
3 boxes Jiffy corn muffin mix

Mix well and pour over melted butter. Bake for 50-60 mins or until the center is set. Top with butter and honey… SO GOOD. 

*I do not package bread with the chamber sealer. I allow the cornbread to cool, slice, and place in a gallon ziplock bag. 

Camp Recipe 6: Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are HANDS DOWN the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made. I always get compliments on them whenever I share and they freeze really well. The only thing I do is sprinkle them with flake salt after baking. Also, substituting Heath bar pieces instead of chocolate chips is PHENOMENAL.

Once made and cooled I freeze them in a single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Once frozen, I chamber seal them in a single layer. 

Other meal ideas that would freeze and reheat well:

• Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta 
• White Chicken Chili
• Meatballs & sauce
• Chimichurri Steak & Rice