On today’s podcast, we’re celebrating the frigid month of January with a show about freezer cooking. Get inspired to use your Instant Pot or slow cooker with my guest, Rachel Tiemeyer, co-author of, From Freezer to Cooker. Learn how to make time-saving family meals using your pressure cooker, slow cooker, and your freezer. Putting dinner on the table night after night for your busy family just go a whole lot easier!
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Rachel Tiemeyer co-wrote the new cookbook, From Freezer to Cooker: Delicious Whole Food Meals for the Slow Cooker, Pressure Cooker, and Instant Pot. The recipes are easy, delicious, family-pleasing, and nourishing. We’ll dig into Rachel’s new recipe for The Humble Home Cook’s Beef Bourguignon, which you can be made in a slow cooker or instant pot … and we’ll share the fiber-rich, plant-based recipe that I contributed to Rachel’s cookbook for Instant Pot Barley, Carrot, and Chickpea Soup (which you can also make in the slow cooker). Rachel is co-founder with Polly Conner of Thriving Home, a down-to-earth lifestyle blog that they began in 2012 as a way to encourage and equip moms at home with recipes, DIY projects, budgeting, and more. Their website is one of the top sites for freezer cooking in the online space.
“Our highest goal with our recipes is that they are delicious.”
-Rachel Tiemeyer
Cookbook Giveaway: One lucky U.S. listener or reader can enter for a chance to win a copy of From Freezer to Cooker: Delicious Whole-Foods Meals for the Slow Cooker, Pressure cooker, and Instant Pot by Polly Conner & Rachel Tiemeyer. Post a comment in the Comments section at the end of this post and tell me about your favorite slow cooker or Instant Pot recipe. Or if you’re a freezer diva, tell me what you like to cook from your freezer! Giveaway ends on February 5th.
Special FREEBIE page for LHT listeners: ThrivingHome.org/lizshealthytable
- Top 10 EASY Freezer Meals – This collection of favorites will get you started right away on stocking your freezer.
- Instant Pot Cooking Times Chart – We spent years testing these cooking times (for fresh and frozen meals)!
- Weekly Menu Planner – A simple printable to help you plan each week.
- Freezer Smoothie Pack Bundle – Stock your freezer with delicious and healthy smoothies.
Beef Bourguignon recipe from, From Freezer to Cooker
Barley, Carrot, and Chickpea Soup
Show Highlights:
- Get to know Rachel Tiemeyer, a busy mom of three who lives in Columbia, MO. Rachel is known as a “Freezer Cooking Evangelist.”
- Why freezing prepared meals does not deplete nutrients
- Rachel’s first book, From Freezer to Table, published in 2017; it covers how to prep, pack, store, and thaw freezer meals
- How every recipe in Rachel’s new book, From Freezer to Cooker, can be prepared in either the slow cooker or Instant Pot and used as a freezer meal
- Why you don’t want to fully cook a “freezer” meal before freezing
- Rachel’s Beef Bourguignon: A flavorful concoction of stew meat or chuck roast, bacon, aromatics, flour, red wine, chicken broth, tomato paste, soy sauce, thyme, bay leaf, carrots, mushrooms, and potatoes
- Rachel’s secrets for using a pressure cooker or Instant Pot for freezer meals
- Safe ways to thaw freezer meals: in the refrigerator, in a cold water bath, or in the microwave
- Why the Instant Pot keeps food juicier than a slow cooker
- Why people often over cook chicken in the slow cooker (it dries it out), and Rachel’s chicken cooking tips to fix that mistake
- Rachel’s rules for cooking great meals in the slow cooker
- Some favorites from the cookbook at the Tiemeyer house: Jack’s Chicken and Dumpling Stew and French Dip Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
- Breakfasts and desserts can be made in the slow cooker and Instant Pot, including steel-cut oats, egg casseroles, and french toast casseroles
- How to use “Pot in pot” cooking
- A favorite vegetarian recipe in the book: Pumpkin Chili
- A random question from the Mason jar about Rachel’s favorite food
LINKS and RESOURCES:
My email: [email protected]
- The Parents On Demand Network
- www.superhealthykids.com
Check out my “Reduce Your Kitchen Carbon Footprint” blog series. In January, we’re tackling COMPOSTING
Episode 11 featured Rachel’s first cookbook, From Freezer to Table
Website: ThrivingHome.org
Have a question about the show or a suggestion for a future show? Ask away by posting a comment below or joining my Podcast Posse
For other Liz’s Healthy Table Podcasts, check out:
Beautiful Boards with Maegan Brown
Two Peas & Their Pod with Maria Lichty
Recipes and Tips for Memorable Family Mealtime with Bri DeRosa
I love making burrito bowls in my instant pot!
I haven’t tried it yet. Tell me more!!
Favorite freezer meal is a Lime Chicken Taco in the slow cooker. Love your podcast. Thank you, Liz!
Oh yum. Anything with lime has got to be great!
I received an instapot for Christmas, so I’m still learning, but my favorite thing to make in it so far is broccoli. Not really a meal, but our whole family loves the way it comes out!
My favorite thing to make in my slow cooker is chili. I would love to have your cookbook as my doctor told me to eat clean so I dont have to go on meds for high cholesterol.
Hi Liz! I love to make any lentil stew or soup in the instapot. I made your red lentil stew in there. I love a recipe I have for lentil vegan “beef” stew. It literally taste like beef stew(without the beef haha).
I’ve been trying to meal prep and freeze some meals. I need help. My freezer meals are not that good. I’d love to learn how to prep meals for my pressure cooker and use the freezer to make it easy and fast!
I have owned an Instant Pot for well over a year, but only recently have been learning to use it. I have been checking out many Instant Pot books from the library, and testing new recipes. My favorite lately is Butternut Squash Risotto (from Eating Well magazine.) I love how delicious and creamy it comes out, and it is so cool that I don’t have to stand at the stove stirring it for 20 minutes. I love your podcast!
I’m so glad you’re loving the podcast! I love hearing from listeners, so thanks! And I’ll have to google that recipe. It sounds marvelous!
I love making chicken soup and risotto in my instant pot 🙂 I also love to make hard-boiled eggs. They come out great and peel so easily!!
In the past, I’ve been part of a freezer meal exchange group. We each made a big batch of a different recipe and exchanged them. I came away with 8 yummy freezer meals!
Oohh! I love that idea!
“fussy day chicken” old recipe, i used to use in crockpot in the ’80’s
Basically a whole chicken, and a whole bottle of any bbq sauce, cooked on low all day…
My favorite crockpot recipe…”fussy day chicken” old recipe, I used use in the ’80’s.
Basically a whole chicken, and a whole bottle of any bbq sauce, cooked on low all day…
One of my favorite slow cooker dinners is the Sunday Brisket recipe from your cookbook! Everything cooks perfectly and it’s so delicious. I’ve served it to company several times. I love it.
I love pea soup in slow cooker
Chicken and dumplings is a dish I make in the crockpot that my husband just loves. I would like more reliable crockpot recipes. I am a working mom and it would save me so much time in the evenings. I always enjoy your podcast Liz!
I just got an instant pot for Christmas and so far it’s been great for dry beans and last night I used it to make orange chicken and general tso’s chicken. It was so great! They were both freezer meal recipes I had to try out before making for the freezer – definitely going to make some more to freeze this afternoon!
My husband likes meat. I’m pretty close to vegan. I’ll make him large batch of pulled pork, put in the freezer. I’ll also freeze homemade black bean burgers for me. I need to take my instant pot out more often to learn more recipes
Wow. That’s a lot to navigate, but it sounds like you have it down!
I like to make charro beans from dry beans in my pressure cooker! They are always a hit!
I love slow cooking sandwhich stuff, stews, and soup!!!^_^
I’m new to pressure cooking, other than beans and rice. We had short ribs recently that were delicious! Love using the freezer to store a second round.
I’m with you. Ribs made in the pressure cooker are delicious.
Chicken wings in my instant pot have always turned out well and I love a good white chili in the slow cooker!
Last fall, my favorite thing to make in the instant pot was chicken corn chowder. I like to make big batches of soup and freeze half. By mid-winter, there is quite a variety in the freezer to choose from.
I love that strategy. You always have a hearty soup on hand. I froze the Beef Bourguignon from Rachel’s book, and I’m looking forward to having leftovers in a few weeks 🙂
I love to make spaghetti and sausage in the instant pot.
I am new to the instant pot. My daughter likes to make vegan chilly and experiment with new recipes. She likes to make a lot of food and freeze. Then she can take all frozen goodness to college and do not need to cook for 3-4 weeks.
I pressure cook chicken breasts with salsa, shred and freeze in smaller portions for tacos, soups, and tostadas.
I am still learning to use my new Instantpot…..so far I love making my spaghetti squash. I like making chicken fajitas in my crock pot.
My favorite Instant Pot recipe is Balsamic Pork: pork tenderloin, garlic, balsamic vinegar and oregano.
I almost always make lasagna in the slow cooker rather than the oven. It’s so much easier, less messy, and tastes great.
I finally got an Instant Pot after several friends told me how much they love theirs. I have made all kinds of foods in it, but the best was Lasagna. SO EASY and fast. I put extra cheese on top when it was done and then let it cook for 5 more minutes and it was perfect!
I need to try pasta in the IP. Sounds delicious!
Liz can I just say your my hero too! I have learned so much from your podcast and I love how you present your content. I get so excited about this topic and this podcast really gave me so me good pointers. I love making freezer meals because school can get overwhelming and it is so nice to have a back up plan or a night off. My aunt gave me an insta pot when we got married and I have loved experimenting with it. My go to/always a hit, is the Mongolian chicken, like Mongolian beef but with chicken! I freeze it uncooked or make it fresh. I got the recipe from Carlsbad Cravings and I love making it in the insta pot.
Well, thanks for your kind words! If there is ever a podcast topic you want me to tackle, just ask! I need to try that Mongolian Chicken 🙂
I love beef stroganoff.
We love making spaghetti and meatballs in the instant pot. Simplest one pot meal ever! Just put uncooked spaghetti noodles along the bottom, scatter frozen meatballs on top, and cover and sauce. Don’t even stir it. Comes out hot delicious and ready to eat!
Oh yum. Great use of freezer and IP
I love to make beef stew in my crockpot. Thank you so much for all that you do.
I’m wit you. Beef stew in the slow cooker and IP are the BEST! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
My favorite two Instant Pot recipes right now are for chili (I’ve made it with both hamburger and chicken) and Enchilada Chicken Soup. I’ve also made awesome spaghetti in the Instant Pot! But, I am really looking to expand my repertoire and this book looks great!
I’m with you. I’m always looking to expand my repertoire. I need to try pasta in the IP!
I have been an “old fashioned cook” and have used my pressure cooker for almost 40 years of marriage. My adult kids gave me a pressure cooker for Christmas so I am slowly experimenting with recipes so it’s still new to me. However, the family favorite with the “old” pressure cooker is a “Beef Burgundy” recipe that is simple, yet elegant enough when entertaining guests. Everyone loves it!
Thanks for sharing your story! I love that you’ve been using your pressure cooker for 40 years 🙂
My go-to is making perfect white rice in my instant pot. I also like to make pulled pork and vegetarian chili.
I need to make rice in my IP. I never have luck on the stove!
Favorite IP recipe has been baby back ribs. It’s amazing how tender they come out.
I’m getting ready for wrist surgery, so I love the idea of making healthy food uses slow cooker that freezes well and tastes great.
Good luck with the surgery. This book would certainly be perfect for you right now.
My favorite slow cooker recipe is Green Salsa Chicken from 100 Days of Real Food. It is a crowd pleaser and everyone loves it. And it’s super easy. I am still trying to figure out my instant pot, but my favorite thing to make so far is hard boiled eggs. They peel perfectly!
I steam eggs and they peel easily, but I have heard that the instant pot is the way to go!
My favorite recipe for my Zavor so far (only had 2 weeks) is Tofu & Broccoli from https://www.emilieeats.com/takeout-style-tofu-and-broccoli/
Also, you mentioned looking at the carbon footprint in the kitchen, so I think you’d find my recent blog post about energy comparison between our gas range and our multi-cooker at https://www.greenlifestylechanges.com/cooking-with-gas-vs-pressure/
Loving the podcast so far.
I’ll take a look. Thanks!
I love using my crockpot and use it weekly! Tonight I made ranch chicken. I think one of my favorite crockpot recipes is for meatloaf!
Family slow cooker favorite is Italian pork roast
I haven’t made many recipes in my instant pot yet, but I’d like to use it more! So far, beef stew has been a hit. Thank you for the chance to win the giveaway!