A New Spin on Freezer Cooking

When you think about freezer cooking, do you automatically think of setting aside an entire weekend to stock up on prepared meals you can just heat and serve to your family? Usually, this weekend would consist of one day for planning and shopping and one entire day for cooking, packaging and freezing.

Well, what I would like to know is who has time to set aside one entire weekend to cook?

Certainly not me and probably not most of you. That's why I developed a new spin on freezer cooking. It's more of a cook as you go method that allows you to stock your freezer, one meal at a time.

With my one-meal-at-a-time method, you simply prepare the meals you have planned for your family in your weekly menu. If you have planned a meal using a recipe that you would normally cut in half, prepare the recipe as written. If you have planned a meal that can easily be doubled, double it.

Since you were planning to prepare that meal anyway, my method takes up no more time than your normal dinner preparation would.

Here are some of the recipes from the Tips to Organize Life Recipe Collection that are perfect for freezer cooking:

Best Ever Meatloaf: Prepare this recipe as written and cook. Serve as much as your family can eat and tightly wrap and freeze the leftovers for up to 6 months. You can either reheat and serve again as meatloaf or crumble the loaf into a jar of spaghetti sauce for the most delicious meat sauce you have ever tasted. Defrost in the refrigerator for one to two days and then cook until heated through.

Killer Lasagna: This is one of my favorite recipes to freeze. Prepare this recipe as directed up to the point of layering the ingredients into the lasagna pan. Instead of making one lasagna, use a disposable foil lasagna pan to make two smaller lasagnas as you layer. Cook one immediately and cover the other tightly with aluminum foil to freeze for later. Defrost the frozen one in the refrigerator for a day and then cook as normal.

Quick and Easy Chili: This is a recipe that can easily be doubled or even tripled and chili freezes beautifully. Prepare as directed. Portion the leftovers according to the size of your family and freeze in plastic storage containers or freezer bags. Defrost for one day in the refrigerator and then heat in a pot on the stove top before serving again.

These are just a few examples of how you can create a stock of meals in your freezer with no extra time or effort than your normal mealtime preparation.

So who needs to set aside an entire weekend?

Just think about each meal that you make, double it up, freeze as you go and you will never be without a quick and easy meal that you can just heat and serve.