Company's coming! Stock your freezer!

Now’s the time to stock your freezer for entertaining. There will be lots less stress when the holidays roll around!

Hosting family and friends for the holidays? Let us help! Just think how wonderful it would be to have a freezer stocked full of delicious food ready to ease you through the holiday hosting season.

Start preparing now, and relieve yourself of some of the stress that can come with hosting guests. We've got all kinds of ideas for you to stock your freezer- for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even dessert! Oh, and there are some helpful tips at the end to help make sure your food comes out of the freezer tasting delicious!

Best Ever Granola – This is a family favorite and shows up almost everytime we're all together. Freeze it in glass mason jars and you'll have a wonderful topping for fruit and yogurt!

 

 

Deliciously addictive, this oat-free Double Almond Paleo Granola is easy to throw together with just five basic ingredients! This is perfect if your company happens to be gluten-free. It also makes a delicious snack!

 

 

These rustically beautiful Morning Glory Muffins are moist and super delicious. They’re also loaded with fiber – and lots of great nutrition- and they freeze beautifully!

 

 

These delicious, golden glazed Buttermilk Brioche Buns have a soft, tender crumb, and come together, start to finish, in less than an hour! They pair perfectly with the Brown Sugar Balsamic Pork below, but would also be wonderful for sandwiches of any kind.

 

 

This easy slow cooker (or instant pot) Brown Sugar Balsamic Pulled Pork takes minutes to put together – what a delicious crowd pleaser! You can make it completely ahead and then freeze!

 

 

 

 

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili- Drawing on the flavor of classic Buffalo chicken wings, this chili is super easy, and loaded with delicious flavor!

This Roasted Pumpkin Coconut Curry Soup so easy and SO delicious! It makes a wonderful lunch with some crusty bread (see below!) and maybe a green salad.

 

 

With less than 10-minutes of hands-on time, the name Ridiculously Easy Focaccia Bread says it all! Almost. It’s also ridiculously delicious! And it's a lifesaver to have when you stock your freezer for company. Perfect for sandwiches, soups, and dinner!

 

 

Easy Farmhouse Buttermilk Cake- Everyone will flip over this moist, delicious buttermilk cake. My friends have nicknamed it “crack”. No one has to know how EASY it is! And again, this freezes beautifully! Dessert from your freezer!

 

 

 

If you love peanut butter cookies and quick, easy recipes, you’ll go crazy over these crisp, buttery, One-Bowl Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookies!

 

Café Tips for Stocking Your Freezer

• When freezing individual things like muffins and cookies, place them in the freezer on a sheet pan or a plate for about an hour, then transfer to a ziplock bag or storage container. Then you will be able to pull out just the amount you need and they won't be squished or stuck together.
• For soups and chilis (and anything else hot), cool completely before freezing either in the refrigerator or over an ice bath if you're in a hurry.
• I find it helpful to freeze things like soup and chili in smaller quantities instead of the whole batch. This way they thaw faster and also you are able to pull out only the amount you need.
• Be sure to label and date your food!
• The safest way to defrost food is in the refrigerator. The FDA recommends 5 hours of defrosting time for every pound of food.

So, get started now and stock your freezer so you can really enjoy your company this holiday season!