Freezer Cooking

Freezer cooking, there are many different approaches. The way this works for me is simply preparing most of a meal and freezing it. Later, I thaw it for the night we want to eat it, and add the finishing touches. These are really just meal "starters" but they save a TON of time during the week.

I do not (at this time) own a large freezer. I use a standard freezer, the one that came with my refrigerator. I put my meal starters in Ziploc freezer bags and sometime casserole dishes. I have purchased foil pans too, for clean up convenince, they are nice but can take up a lot of space, so I use sparingly.

As a general rule I don't like to freeze cooked noodles or rice (usually). There are a few exceptions. I think the meal tastes fresher if I can add these items right before serving.

I do tend to prepare food in 'clumps'. If ground beef is a good price, I buy 5 or 6 pounds of it. That right there can be 3-5 meals. I use sale prices to guide my meal planning, This is not always possible but its great when it works out.

Here's the bottom line, there isn't anything special about my recipes. (I'll share them anyway) The secret is getting a handle on the time consuming prep work and maximising the effort in the kitchen.