Freezer Meals Rock!!!
Hello everyone. I am so sorry it has been so long since I have blogged. I wanted to answer some freezer meal questions that I have been getting lately.
Recently, my husband and I sat down and discussed the budget. This was not a conversation I was super excited about, but it needed to happen. Because I am always so distracted when I go to the grocery store, thanks to my crazy busy toddler. I wasn’t paying close attention to what I was purchasing or how much I was spending. We were eating out more and more too. Now, we are not in a destitute place, but I believe part of being a wife is being fiscally responsible. I decided to make it my job to reign in the food budget and make some changes to our family eating habits!
I remembered the whole freezer meal idea from when I was working and in college. There was a company in Tulsa that you could place an order with, and then pick up prepped meals ready to be cooked in the evening after a long day of work. GENIUS! The price was even better. Well, that company went out of business, which made me so sad.
I then began reading books on freezer cooking, but the meal options didn’t look healthy or tasty. We are NOT casserole people, which seemed to be most of the meal ideas offered. There were a ton of unhealthy ingredients in the dishes and very little fresh vegetables and fruits. This was really frustrating for me as a wife and mom, as I want to provide the healthiest options for my family.
Fast forward to now….Thanks to the “Pinterest Era,” freezer meals options are now healthy, many with clean eating options, and easier than ever with tutorials and recipes! After asking a few friends how they make it work, I started preparing my own freezer meals. My niece Ally, married with a baby on the way, was also interested in reigning in her budget and simplifying dinner time, so we began working together to prepare the meals. This is a step-by-step guide to how we do it every month.
1. Month in Review. We look over the previous month of recipes. What ones worked out best? What recipes were the worst? We also look at the meal prep time from the previous month and think of ways to improve our efficiency in the kitchen.
2. New Recipe List. This usually consists recipes from other blog sites, recipe books and ideas we come up with on our own from experience. I take a picture with my iPad, but you can always just copy/paste the recipes into a word processor and print it. We make a list of about 20 recipes, but plan to double some that we know are crowd pleasers.
3. Grocery List. We do the cooking at my house normally, so I begin looking through my cabinets for ingredients we will not have to buy at the store. Organize your list by aisles or sections to make the shopping go a little quicker.
4. Pick a day to do EVERYTHING. We normally cook on Wednesdays, so I know to make sure everything is perfect in my kitchen. All dishes need to be washed and I would recommend making sure the dishwasher is empty as well.
5. Label. Label your freezer gallon bags the night before. I label a bag for each meal, complete with cooking instructions, with a Sharpie. On cooking day, this task can be a little tedious, so I recommend making sure you do it ahead of time.
6. THE BIG DAY. We begin at the store with our list early in the morning. I like to start about 8:30AM. After checking out, we head home and eat an early lunch (We prefer prepared sushi from the grocery store).
7. Organize. Place all of your ingredients on the table in sections that will make it easy for you to find. I like all fruits and veggies, meats, seasonings and canned goods. Put your meal list where you can see it and check the meals you have prepared off as you go.
8. Prepare. I like to begin with cooking whatever needs to be precooked, like meatballs. Cut up the meats first and place in bags. Using a separate cutting board and knife, begin cutting up the veggies and placing in the bags as well. Add whatever sauces or steps are to follow afterwards.
9. Freeze. Remove the excess air from each bag and seal. As you finish a meal, lay it flat on a cookie sheet in the freezer. I continue to stack one on top of the other until all meals are complete and frozen flat (They store better this way).
10. Be Proud. Make sure and take a picture of your accomplishment, as you will be so proud of yourself!!!
The benefits?
My evenings are now worry free, dinner is always in the freezer waiting to be thawed out and I no longer have to spend hours a week at the store. We also were able to cut down our spending on food by around 30%! It is worth it all the way around.
Looking for Recipes? Here are a few tips:
1. If you do not have a Pinterest account, GET ONE! It is the most valuable resource I have found for recipes. Just search "freezer meals" and you will be amazed at what comes up. Gluten Free, Clean Eating, Sugar Free...They have a recipe site for all.
2. You can turn almost any recipe into a freezer meal. Grilled meats, meatloaf, even lasagna...all do well in the freezer. Just know there are some items that do not freeze as well as others. I have not been too pleased with asparagus after freezing it, but most vegetables do great.
3. I will also be posting some of our recipes soon to help build your recipe database as well.
I hope this helps make your evenings run just a little smoother! Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions at all.
