Well, you could use any ground meat, really. However, this is what I do when ground beef is on sale. My big girl is all about the meat loaf and would probably eat it every night. And meat balls- just like meat loaf to her, but little and cute.
Ground Beef Freezer Plan:
Meatloaf Mix – 6 lbs ground meat
Meatballs – 5 lbs ground meat
Pre-cooked ground beef – 5 lbs ground meat
Meatloaf Mix (I package this in 3 gallon sized freezer bags. You can divide it into 4 bags of your family eats a smaller loaf.)
Each loaf serves 8 to 10
12 slices soft GFCF bread, torn into pieces (you can tear up Noah’s rolls in a pinch) (or use 3 cups finely ground GFCF cereal such as Mesa Sunrise)
6 pounds ground beef
3 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered
6 garlic cloves
6 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces
6 carrots, scrubbed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons dry mustard
2 1/2 tablespoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
Place GFCF bread in your blender or the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade; pulse until you have fine crumbs. Transfer to a large bowl, and add ground beef.
Working in batches, place onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and parsley in your blender or the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade; pulse until fine. (If your family has trouble with texture, you can blend the veggies until smooth.) Add to meat mixture, using hands to mix well. Add egg, ketchup, dry mustard, salt, and pepper; use hands to combine thoroughly.
Divide mix into 3 heavy duty zip sealed freezer bags. Label with contents, date and baking instructions.
Baking instructions: Preheat oven to 375. Shape loaf and put into a loaf pan. Place in the oven with a baking pan set on the rack below to catch drippings. Cook until a meat thermometer inserted in the center reads 160°, about 90 minutes. If top gets too dark, cover with foil, and continue baking.
Variations: “Pizza Meatloaf” Replace ketchup with pizza sauce. Do not add dry mustard. Add a green pepper to the finely mined veggies. Add 1 T dried oregano and 2 t dried basil.
Freezer Meatballs
Makes around 80+ meatballs
5 pounds lean ground beef
2 1/2 cups soft GFCF bread crumbs (or crush GF cereal such as Mesa Sunrise–add 1/2 cup GFCF milk substitute if you are using dry crumbs)
5 eggs
10 tablespoons minced onion
5 cloves garlic, crushed
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Preheat oven to 400.
In a large bowl, mix beef, crumbs, eggs, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Shape into 1 to 1 1/2-inch meatballs. (I use a small scoop to make fast work of shaping.)
Arrange about half the meatball on two 10-by-15-inch jelly roll pans. Bake in preheated oven until meat is browned, with no trace of pink and juices run clear, 10 to 13 minutes. Cook the remainder of the meatballs the same way.
Drain, let cool to room temperature, divide into 5 heavy duty freezer bags, removing as much air as possible and seal. Be sure to label the bag before putting in the freezer with contents of the bag and the date!
Pre-cooked ground beef:
I precook hamburger with diced onions and garlic. I generally will also add diced green pepper. After the meat is no longer pink, I drain the fat, cool in the refrigerator, then package into 4 cup heavy duty freezer zip closed bags. Be sure to label with the contents of the bag and the date you are packaging your bags. In a couple of weeks you will not remember what is in the bags and everything frozen will look the same! You can use this for anything that calls for cooked ground meat: chili, spaggetti sauce, stroganoff, tacos, etc.
Great plan though. You are one effecient mama!
I’ll make sure that she gets a “spa” treatment this week!
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