Does Anyone Do the Weekend Cook-n-Freeze Thing for Dinners?

I've used the crockpot recipies from "who needs a cape" http://whoneedsacape.com/2012/11/crockpot-freezer-cooking/

I chose 6 of the recipies I thought sounded good, made 3x of each, and had 18 meals in my freezer. It took next to no time. We use them in a pinch, or if we want to change up from the usual.

Best,
F. B.

Google power cooking. Basically, this is a way to make basic ingredients and get multiple meals to freeze by using them in different ways. For example, brown a lot of ground beef with onions, peppers, and a little seasoning. Put into freezer bags, 1 of beef mixture per bag. In one bag, add additional seasoning for tacos. In another bag add sauce to make it into sloppy joe. In another bag, add a can of beans and some spiced diced tomatoes to make chili. Etc.

I don't do a weekend thing, it's more like, I try to put 1-2 things in the freezer a week, so I batch cook. Every so often hubby and I will do a big batch of meatballs, chicken pot pies, etc. I honestly don't know what I'd do without my freezer.

It's taken me a few years, but I've gotten good about freezer cooking. It's an attitude, instead of making enchiladas for one nights dinner, you make 4. I usually crock pot a big thing of beans and then make a bunch of meals the next day. Currys and dahls freeze great too, and then you just cook up fresh rice.

I don't have any websites. It's just normal food I cook. I even freeze pies and cakes.

I love to do meatloaf. I'll make two. Cook one, freeze half, and freeze one uncooked. 4 dinners in no time at all. Stuffed shells, lasagna, Mexican rice-I double the recipe and have enough for 4 dinners- Mac and cheese... I do pork shoulder carnitas and freeze dinner size portions of meat. I do the same with chicken...I always have beans and rice in the freezer, just microwave, and instant dinner.

I do it as I go, so it is not necessarily during the weekend. So if I make spaghetti, I will take the left overs from that night and freeze it. Sometimes there is just a little left over, so when I am ready to use the food, I might toss in a small pizza to go withe the meal.

Pampered Chef is currently doing freezer meal workshops. I had one at my house. It was great. We got a shopping list of meats to bring and the girl had all the spices etc we ordered from her. Made 10 meals in about 2 hours. Froze them and then just pull out and stick in the crock pot. (you can do in oven as well but crock pot works for me) I love them.

I always did this when my kids were younger. I'd do all my cooking on Sunday late afternoon/evening and throw everything in the fridge. When I got home from work I'd just have to do sides and reheat whatever was for dinner.

Now that its just hubby and me I still buy all my meats at costco and break them down into meal serving size and then throw them in the freezer. Things like ground turkey to throw in pasta sauce I'll cook the entire package, divide out cooked portions into meal servings, and throw the cooked meat in the freezer to use in the future.

I don't do this every weekend, but I'll do a few things here and there to keep on hand. Tonight I'm making veggie burritos to freeze. Grilled peppers, onions, beans, brown rice and cheese. I've also made breakfast burritos with egg and turkey sausage and then make more when we run out. I find it's nice to have individual sized frozen items for lunch - soup, burritos, lasagna, etc. that I can just heat up at work.

We cook a couple of things on Sunday. Usually meats and perhaps rice and beans. Meats smell so good cooking it has become expected around here! Sometimes I find all the dishes to clean so annoying but I really think it saves money and we can make casseroles or soups all long with it.

Tried it once, not my preference.
What I do is this:
-crockpot when I can

but the best thing I did was:
-cook ground beef. Cool & put in freezer bags to pull
out later to use for spaghetti, tacos & any other dishes. It's a lifesaver.
-cook chicken breast to freeze for a later dish.

-shepherd's pie to freeze for a later date as it takes time to cook from scratch

That's all.

Hi P.,

I don't do this...I work full time and Sunday is my only chance to get even a few hours of oh so precious me time...sorry to sound like golum.

Anyway, on Sunday mornings, over coffee and the newspaper, my DH and I sit down and make up a grocery list for the week that includes what we plan on making for dinner Sun through Fri. We assign who will cook which night, we trade off on the cooking/cleaning.
Whoever cooks doesn't clean and visa versa. Then he goes to the grocery store....trust me this is a much safer choice for all of southeastern MI. He brings it home, we put it all away and post the list on the fridge. There are times when we deviate from this but it usually goes as planned. We order in or go out on Saturdays....because I know I'm not cooking. I'm also a huge slow cooker fan. We use it at least once a week.

give it a try...you might groove on it and just because you do it once doesn't mean it has to be every single Sunday...maybe just a bonding time for you and your almost 8 year old once a month.

:-) S.

not any more, but it was a lifesaver back in the Busy Busy Days. pasta dishes lend themselves particularly well for this.
sometimes it's more a matter of having a variety of ingredients ready to go, like browning a costco sized package of ground beef, then freezing it in individual-sized serving bags. i've become a late tofu fan, so do the same thing there, squeeze it, crumble it, season and brown it, then freeze it in small batches to throw into sauces and casseroles.
khairete
S.