Introducing how to freeze meat and potatoes with photos! Storage period and arrangement recipe released

“I want to stock up on meat and potatoes for lunch boxes!”

You may be wondering, but it can only be stored for about 3 days in the refrigerator. This makes it difficult to prepare in advance. However, freezing allows you to preserve it for a long time.

However, it is generally said that meat and potatoes are not suitable for freezing. This is because it contains ingredients that are not suitable for freezing. However, with some tweaking, you can enjoy it even when frozen.

This time, our website, a food freezing media that has frozen and introduced more than 100 foods, will introduce freezing methods with photos.

In addition, we will introduce everything from important points to remember when freezing to recipes using meat and potatoes.

Let's use the method of freezing meat and potatoes to put them to good use!

Advantages of freezing meat and potatoes

You can shorten the cooking time of meat and potatoes.

Cooking meat and potatoes takes time and effort, including cutting the potatoes and carrots, preparing the meat, and stewing it.

By freezing meat and potatoes that require a lot of time and effort, you can quickly shorten the time.

Can be used as a convenient stock menu

Nikujaga is a basic seasoning for simmered dishes (sweet seasoning such as soy sauce and sugar), so it is a very familiar taste to Japanese people. Therefore, it is easy to arrange and can be used conveniently in various situations.

The fact that the shelf life can be extended to 2 to 4 weeks is another key point that makes Nikujaga useful.

About freezing meat and potatoes

Meat and potatoes are not considered to be suitable for freezing. Therefore, we recommend refrigerated storage (storage period - approximately 3 days). However, it is possible to freeze it with just a little effort.

Reasons why it is not suitable for freezing

There are two reasons why meat and potatoes are not suitable for freezing.

One is that it uses "potato" as an ingredient, and the second is that it uses konnyaku such as "shirataki" as an ingredient.

If the two ingredients are both frozen and thawed, the texture will change and the taste will be lost. The reason why it is said that it is not suitable for cooking meat is because potatoes are an essential ingredient, so much so that the name of the dish is ``Jaga''.

When to freeze

When freezing meat and potatoes, you can make delicious meat and potatoes even if you freeze them by not adding konnyaku (shirataki) and mashing all the potatoes. (If the carrots were cut into large pieces, either crush them or cut them into smaller pieces.)

Therefore, if you don't mind the potatoes being crushed, we recommend freezing them.

In the following cases, meat and potatoes should be frozen.

・When used for baby food
・When using as an arrangement for meat and potato croquettes, Japanese salads, etc.
・If you don't mind if the potatoes are crushed when you eat them after thawing.

If you reheat the meat and potatoes several times in a pot or simmer them thoroughly, the potatoes may fall apart. When you think about it, it's surprisingly delicious to eat the thick meat and potatoes with mashed potatoes as is, so we recommend it.

How to make it delicious even when frozen

Key points for making meat and potatoes for freezing

When freezing meat and potatoes, the points to be careful of are slightly different from those you would normally make. When making meat and potatoes for freezing, please pay attention to the following points.

・The texture of the potatoes will become crumbly after thawing, so mash them all (be careful not to leave anything unmashed)
・If the carrots are cut into large pieces, it is better to crush them so that they do not become watery after thawing and are more delicious.
・Don't add string konnyaku as the texture will become rubbery after thawing (if you add it, remove it before freezing)

Freezing method

1) Remove the heat from the meat and potatoes.

2) Place 1) in a freezer bag (a sealable bag such as a ziplock bag), remove the air, and seal. You can also put it in an airtight container such as Tupperware.

3) Using your hands, mash the potatoes and carrots in a ziplock bag. Be careful not to leave any mash left behind.

If you want to store it in a Tupperware container, mash it with a fork in advance in the pot.

4) Flatten the bag from 3) as much as possible, place it on a metal (such as aluminum) vat, and place it in the freezer. If using Tupperware, just leave it in the vat.

[Points to avoid losing flavor when frozen]
・To prevent deterioration such as oxidation due to exposure to the air in the freezer, store in an airtight container. If you transfer it to a ziplock bag, remove as much air as possible before sealing it.
- Metal trays (especially those made of aluminum) have good thermal conductivity, so the heat from the meat and potatoes can be quickly dissipated to the outside. Therefore, it can be frozen more quickly, making it less likely that it will lose its flavor.

5 remake recipes

Easy to arrange croquettes that can also be used for lunch boxes

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/1976931

An easy menu that uses seasoned meat and potatoes, just fry it! If you make it before frying and freeze it, it will be a great companion on busy mornings!

☑材料
肉じゃが　ある分だけ
じゃがいも　適量
小麦粉　適量
卵　適量
パン粉　適量

<How to make>
1) Finely chop the remaining meat and potatoes. If you feel like you don't have enough potatoes, add more.
2) Mix 1). If there is a lot of water, boil it down in a pot or heat it in the microwave to evaporate the water.
3) Shape it and coat it with flour. For lunch boxes, shape into smaller pieces.
4) Dip 3) in egg and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
5) Store lunch boxes in the freezer. If you fry it when you eat it, it's done.

Remake meat and potato gratin

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/3520987

It's a perfect dish for remaking frozen meat and potatoes as it uses crushed Nikujaga ingredients. It's easy to make and just mixes in milk.

☑材料 （１人分）
肉じゃが　適量
牛乳100ml
チーズ(とろけるタイプ)　お好み
塩　適量
こしょう適量

<How to make>
1) Mash the meat and potatoes with a fork.
2) Add the milk and the meat and potatoes from 1) to a frying pan and heat while stirring.
3) Add salt and pepper to 2) to taste.
4) Once it thickens, turn off the heat and serve in a gratin dish.
5) Add cheese to 4) and bake in a 200℃ oven for about 8 to 10 minutes. Please adjust the doneness.

Remake meat and potatoes Japanese style curry

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/1868474

Meat and potatoes in curry? Popular menus quickly turn into popular menus. This Japanese-style curry can also be adapted into curry udon.

☑材料 （2~3人分）
肉じゃが　2~3人分
カレールウ　2個
牛乳か豆乳　50cc
しょうゆ　大さじ1

<How to make>
1) Warm the meat and potatoes and add the curry roux.
2) Once the roux has melted, add milk or soy milk and soy sauce and mix.

Melty omelette with meat and potatoes

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/1851796

How can Japanese-style meat and potatoes be turned into an omelet? ! This menu uses mashed potatoes, so it's perfect for frozen meat and potatoes.

☑材料 （1人前）
肉じゃが　適量
とろけるチーズ　適量
卵　２個
牛乳30㏄
バターかマーガリン　適量
マヨネーズ　適量
乾燥パセリ　適量

<How to make>
1) Discard the remaining juice from the meat and potatoes, add the warmed and melted cheese, and mash it lightly with a masher.
2) Add milk to the eggs, beat them well, melt the butter in a warmed frying pan, and add the eggs.
3) Stir occasionally until it is half-heated, then turn off the heat and add 1).
4) Transfer to a plate, sprinkle with mayonnaise and dried parsley, and it's done.

Egg-cooked meat and potato bowl

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/4321277

It would be a waste if there was leftover juice left over from meat and potatoes! This arrangement is recommended when this happens. If the ingredients are large, it will be difficult to eat, so it is also easy to use frozen meat and potatoes with smaller ingredients.

☑材料 （2～3人分）
肉じゃが　適量
玉ねぎ　半分
人参　1/3本
卵　3個
ご飯　人数分

<How to make>
1) Break up the Nikujaga ingredients into small pieces. Add thinly sliced onions and carrots and heat until heated through.
2) Beat the eggs and add them to the pot from 1). Boil on medium heat for about 1 minute and then turn off the heat.
3) Add 2) to the rice and it's done.

Conclusion

I introduced how to freeze meat and potatoes and the key points when freezing. What do you think?

Meat and potatoes can be turned into a dish that can be frozen by simply adding a few steps (mashing the potatoes, cutting or crushing the carrots into small pieces, and removing the string konjac).

Meat and potatoes can only be stored in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. However, by freezing it, you can keep it for 2 to 4 weeks, and it can be conveniently used in a variety of dishes.

We recommend that you learn how to freeze meat and potatoes so that you can use them conveniently and deliciously.