Freezer essentials in the Edwards house

My little list of freezer essentials and bits that are just as good frozen

I must admit it; I am the worlds biggest fan of Farmfoods (and with my blog being born this evening we can all agree they do not sponsor me, so this is from the heart!) I am all for ethical, fair trade and organic but essentially when I have a £20 budget to feed my family for the week (and yes, that happens at the end of most months) Tesco, Asda and even Aldi just would not cut it. Besides, as a busy working family we do find that when we do a 'normal' supermarket shop we end up with mainly fresh food and a busier than usual week resulting in waste. When we buy frozen the food seems to go on and on and on. If you haven't already, please try it for just one week- you will be surprised. I have ALWAYS wanted a chest freezer but don't have anywhere to put it. With one of those babies I would be in batch cooking/stock piling heaven!

Without further ado, here is a list of our 'freezer favourites':

Frozen Peas - Are there any other kind?!
Frozen sweetcorn - Much cheaper than canned and we really cannot tell the difference. Works out half the price though and absolutely ideal last minute stirfrys/tuna and sweetcorn jacket potatoes etc.
Steak mince - Only from Farmfoods, nicer than fresh for all mince in sauce recipes (spag bol, chilli etc) but not so good for burgers as not as firm as fresh. Handy to have in the freezer.
Cubed Steak Chunks - THE nicest beef chunks we have tried, that included Waitrose - honestly. Fab. I will be posting a few beef recipes as soon as I buy beef (so I can add pictures)
Chicken breasts - Great value, they do shrink a little but the meat is always lovely. So versatile too- definately essential.
Quorn Mince - Even if you are not a veggie this is a cheap way to bulk steak mince out and fussy men and children will not notice :)
Frozen peppers - Ideal, last forever and always useful - As I post more recipes you will notice how often I use these!
Puff pastry - ideal to keep a block of this in the freezer to make a pie out of leftover mince/chicken etc. Farmfoods do two packets of these for £1 and I have never made a pie and had leftovers!
Frozen veg - Yes, fresh is better, but not when it is mouldy. I try to use veg in all recipes or as a side with all meals. Keeping a few bags of different veg in the freezer makes this so easy. Plus the freshness is sealed in so you will get a lot more nutrients from frozen veg than past its best fresh!
Milk - I always take advantage of offers and keep a spare in the freezer, running out of milk will cost £10 in the corner shop by the time you pick up all the 'bargains'. Having it in the freezer is a big save and convenient.
Bread - Ditto bread, I always take advantages of offers here and keep a loaf in the freezer. You can pop it in the toaster from frozen too.

Most items can be frozen, check packaging and if your not sure Google it - someone will have tried. I have gotten into the habit of scanning my fridge (on times it has food in it!) and if I have anything that will go out of date before it can be used I freeze it if possible. If this is not possible I try to use it in a recipe that is freezable. Once you start trying to cut the cost of your food bill you will find that waste REALLY annoys you and you become very creative at avoiding it!

What are your freezer essentials? Please share!

Kate x