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Don't let my title confuse you. I completely understand making ingredients and pre-cooking meats and veggies to toss into a dish.
I made a gallon of spaghetti sauce last Thursday night that I froze in quart jars. I also have cooked and shredded beef and chicken in the freezer as well. I always make and freeze stock when I boil chicken for chicken salad, shredded chicken, etc.
Don't let my title confuse you. I completely understand making ingredients and pre-cooking meats and veggies to toss into a dish.
I made a gallon of spaghetti sauce last Thursday night that I froze in quart jars. I also have cooked and shredded beef and chicken in the freezer as well. I always make and freeze stock when I boil chicken for chicken salad, shredded chicken, etc.
I like to freeze my liquids in Ziploc bags. Usually, I use quart bags, mark the contents & the date, and then fill & freeze flat on a cookie sheet (or a handy box of something in the freezer).
You can flash-freeze individual items - hamburger patties, fruits, cookie dough in cookie-sized balls, what have you. Then they can be put into a container and pulled out individually as needed. This works best in a deep freeze, rather than a frost-free freezer.
I second (third?) the idea of preparing double meals and freezing the second pan. For instance, I like to make enchiladas. The first pan is for us to eat immediately, the second pan is lined, prepared (but not cooked) and put into the freezer. After it's frozen, I remove the pan from the freezer, taking the frozen uncooked meal from the pan, and sealing it in foil or plastic. When I want it, I can unwrap it and put it into the original pan, and bake.
Lasagne can be frozen in portions for lunches. Better homemade than Lean Cuisine! Same with many "one pot" meals. If you don't have a million containers to freeze things in and don't want to buy a lot, line the appropriate lunch containers with plastic wrap, freeze, then tightly wrap and use your containers elsewhere.
Keeping a freezer inventory is really helpful. When I do make extra food, I like to keep a sheet on the freezer that shows what I have frozen and how many servings or meals. Obviously, cross off what you use.
I definitely don't have a lasagna in the freezer now though I have the pans and ingredients to do so. It is usually one of the first meals that I pre-make.
I do know that even though I am tightening up the belt for the next several months I am expecting at least one more house guest for the summer. I sneaking suspicion is I will have 2 more so that is at the back of my mind here, too.
I started using jars for certain items but they are all in my refrigerator freezer where they are not so prone to abuse. Most things in my deep freezer are in aluminium containers with lids, plastic bags, lined with wax paper and wrapped in foil or plastic wrap.
I do label and date my items but I do not keep an official inventory. Thanks, I will definitely try to incorporate this idea.
Oh, I thought of something else - you can make your pizza crusts ahead and freeze either the dough or partially cooked crust. You can make pizza kits, too. This way you can take advantage of the sales on expensive items, or better prices on bulk items, like flour.
The inventory I use is from Organized Home.com. There are lots of hints there, and free printables.
I've found I can make a "from scratch" meal pretty quick if I have cooked frozen ground beef, shredded chicken or shredded roast beef. I also have a variety of frozen veggies like broccoli, carrots, peas, green beans, etc., that I can throw in for quick soups, stir fries, or homemade hamburger type meals.
My kids don't like meat loaf so I rarely make it any more. Before I had them, I used to mix together all of the ingredients to make a meat loaf and then thaw it when needed and bake that.
My big go to frozen meal is homemade burritos. I usually make those when I have leftover roast. I shred the roast, and add taco seasoning, then I cut a similar amount of potatoes into small cubes and microwave those until cooked, but still firm. Mix together and then put some on a tortilla. Add a bit of cheese. We prefer sharp cheddar. Roll up into burrito and wrap individually in freezer paper. Put as many as I can fit into gallon size freezer bag. Microwave a couple of minutes when needed. It's single serve for when we are hungry.
This isn't exactly what you asked, but lately I've been trying out more of a set menu to keep things flowing. One of my hardest things is deciding what to cook every day. We have designated Tuesday nights as spaghetti night. It's quick and easy with already cooked ground beef from the freezer. The kids love it. I'm not tempted to eat out since it is so easy. Thursday night is now soup night since we have evening soccer practice. The soup varies each week. I prepare the main ingredients earlier in the day so all I have to do is throw it on the stove when we get home from practice. This Thursday we will be eating Trisha Yearwood's Tortilla soup. I cooked and shredded the chicken today. Will put in freezer tonight and pull out on Thursday. Have frozen chicken broth also. Most of the other ingredients like beans come from a can. Basically, I just needed to make sure I have necessary ingredients.
Oh, I thought of something else - you can make your pizza crusts ahead and freeze either the dough or partially cooked crust. You can make pizza kits, too. This way you can take advantage of the sales on expensive items, or better prices on bulk items, like flour.
The inventory I use is from Organized Home.com. There are lots of hints there, and free printables.
Pizza crust? This is going to sound crazy but IMO worth it.
My local Dollar Tree has a California styled extremely thin crust for $1. I have volleyed between making my own from scratch, to using a boxed dough, to using a canned dough. Pizza is one of those items where calorie wise and such I will splurge.
I prefer a cracker thin dough so the Dollar Tree brand works for me right now. I current have 3 prepared pizzas in the freezer and 2 crusts that I will use to prepare two more.
That said I did get a bread maker for Christmas. How effective would it be for making pizza dough? My youngest daughter likes a pan or thick dough so please share your info.
I've found I can make a "from scratch" meal pretty quick if I have cooked frozen ground beef, shredded chicken or shredded roast beef. I also have a variety of frozen veggies like broccoli, carrots, peas, green beans, etc., that I can throw in for quick soups, stir fries, or homemade hamburger type meals.
My kids don't like meat loaf so I rarely make it any more. Before I had them, I used to mix together all of the ingredients to make a meat loaf and then thaw it when needed and bake that.
My big go to frozen meal is homemade burritos. I usually make those when I have leftover roast. I shred the roast, and add taco seasoning, then I cut a similar amount of potatoes into small cubes and microwave those until cooked, but still firm. Mix together and then put some on a tortilla. Add a bit of cheese. We prefer sharp cheddar. Roll up into burrito and wrap individually in freezer paper. Put as many as I can fit into gallon size freezer bag. Microwave a couple of minutes when needed. It's single serve for when we are hungry.
This isn't exactly what you asked, but lately I've been trying out more of a set menu to keep things flowing. One of my hardest things is deciding what to cook every day. We have designated Tuesday nights as spaghetti night. It's quick and easy with already cooked ground beef from the freezer. The kids love it. I'm not tempted to eat out since it is so easy. Thursday night is now soup night since we have evening soccer practice. The soup varies each week. I prepare the main ingredients earlier in the day so all I have to do is throw it on the stove when we get home from practice. This Thursday we will be eating Trisha Yearwood's Tortilla soup. I cooked and shredded the chicken today. Will put in freezer tonight and pull out on Thursday. Have frozen chicken broth also. Most of the other ingredients like beans come from a can. Basically, I just needed to make sure I have necessary ingredients.
Ah, I could benefit from having "night meals" that are planned ahead. A breakfast for dinner night is always appreciated in my household.
Let me knock around a bit more and see how far I can stretch this.
I usually sniff around in the Food Forum but I am glad that I started this thread here.
Pizza crust? This is going to sound crazy but IMO worth it.
My local Dollar Tree has a California styled extremely thin crust for $1. I have volleyed between making my own from scratch, to using a boxed dough, to using a canned dough. Pizza is one of those items where calorie wise and such I will splurge.
I prefer a cracker thin dough so the Dollar Tree brand works for me right now. I current have 3 prepared pizzas in the freezer and 2 crusts that I will use to prepare two more.
That said I did get a bread maker for Christmas. How effective would it be for making pizza dough? My youngest daughter likes a pan or thick dough so please share your info.
Oh, bread machines are great for pizza dough! Try out the recipe that came in your book, see how you like it. We actually like ours, but I'm off wheat because it aggravates my arthritis. Boo. Anyway, you can use the dough cycle for any bread recipe, as long as it isn't more than the capacity of your bread machine (usually 2 lbs). You don't have to bake your breads in the bread machine, but it does make it easy! We used to set ours so the bread was ready first thing in the morning. Nothing like waking up to that aroma.
I was getting my all purpose flour at ALDI for $1.49/5 lb bag. Even at double the price, it's cheaper to make your bread & pizza crusts than to buy them. I never tried the pizza crusts at Dollar Tree, but I think their breads are horrible. Buy your yeast in bulk; it's a lot cheaper than the packets or small jars at grocers. Usually, I have seen/heard $3-4 a pound. Refrigerated, it lasts a really long time.
You could make individual size pizza crusts, too, which would be fun for DIY dinner night.
I pre-make and freeze some of my meals because not only does it save money but it saves time. I have a busy schedule, work out and have to eat healthy. So I try to eat the same meals everyday. One of which is chicken, broccoli and onion soup. Its delicious (even after being frozen) and extremely healthy. I can make 6 days worth in one cooking session in about 2 1/2 hours. The time would be shorter but I don't have a food processor to chop up the veggies. Maybe its time for me to get one......
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