Cleaning The Freezer

As much as we want to jump into the freezer right now, it's really good time to clean it out. We may have overbought during lock down and the top of our fridges may be bursting. It's time to clean out and see what we can do with those frozen meats and veggies.

Many bought burgers during the pandemic, and kept them there as restrictions eased and our favorite restaurants opened. Now is the perfect time to grill them for family barbecues. They can also go into the air fryer for a few minutes if you don't want to stand in 90 degree heat. One thing about hamburgers is that they are versatile so you can make them a variety of different ways. Try them as Salisbury steaks served with a sauce made from mushroom gravy or mushroom soup over precooked noodles or rice. You can also break them up and add them to crockpot chili or Bolognese sauce. The same can be done with veggie burgers such as Gardein's or Boca too. What is a fun meal is taking those frozen fries and making a sheet pan dinner with them and the patties. It's an easy way of having a summer classic without too much fuss. The same can be done with those chicken patties that have been hanging out by the ice cream. Add some pasta  sauce and top with Parmesan cheese. You can even serve these with a side of just plain spaghetti and let everyone mix the sauce on their plates.

Your freezer probably has a ton of frozen veggies too. Luckily these can be made into the perfect summer side - salads. It's easy to steam broccoli or green beans in the microwave and then toss with a vinaigrette. Chill in the fridge for a few hours before serving. Salads don't have to be limited to just those veggies. You can make a pea salad using frozen peas and mint leaves. Add some feta to make it a bit more substantial. Mixed frozen veggies can be added to stir fries or used in sheet pan recipes.  The last is just tossing them in olive oil and laying flat on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper.  They can also be added to various stocks to create minestrone soup. Frozen corn can be turned into a chowder or added to a potato soup for color and flavor. As for those bags of frozen fruit. Thaw them out for all sorts of toppings for ice cream sundaes or parfaits. They can also be added to smoothies for more flavor and chill. Save them for breakfast where they'll be perfect with waffles or French toast.

It's time to clean out that bursting freezer.Let it have a rest from all that pandemic buying.  Empty it to create tasty meals and desserts.