freezer cooking

Plan Shop Prep Cook Clean Enjoy

6 Steps to Dinner in the Freezer

Planning


Pick your recipes

•Variety•Family Favorites•1-2 new recipes•Splurge meal•Double or Triple

Recipe List

1.French Dip Sandwiches2.Broccoli Beef3.Tortilla Soup4.Chicken Piccata5.Italian Chicken6.Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos

Planning


Pick your recipes

Schedule your meals


•ZipList.com•Pen and Paper

Menu PlanSun Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat

4 5 6 7 8 9 10Ward activity

11 Mom’s DayChicken Piccata

12French Dip

13Zoo dinner

14 Activity DaysBroccoli Beef

15 teachpizza

16Italian Chicken

17 ShrekLeftovers

18Tortilla Soup

19 play rehearsalPizza

20Chicken Piccata

21French Dip

22Italian Chicken

23Broccoli Beef

24 Anna’s BirthdayShrimp

25Dinner w/Reid’s takeChicken tacos

26 No school

27 28 Activity Days

29 30 31

*1 Cilantro Lime Chicken Taco leftover to give to Jane after Surgery

Planning


Pick your recipes

Schedule your meals

Clean your fridge


•ZipList.com•Pen and Paper

Shopping


Make your Shopping list

•Check your pantry•Don’t forget containers

Shopping List – tally sheet

Ingredient Total Tally

Chicken 13 lbs (6lbs can be frozen)

IIII IIII III

Beef Roast 2 (3 lb) roasts II

Flank steak 3 lbs III

Mexican Blend Cheese 2 meals II

butter 1 cube IIII I

Sour cream 16 oz IIII IIII IIII I

Soy Sauce 9 oz IIII IIII

Garlic 2 heads IIII IIII IIII

Artichoke hearts 2 cans II

Kidney Beans 2 cans II

Black beans 4 cans IIII

Shopping



Prepare to shop


•Make room in the car•Bring a list of recipes•Bring a pencil for notes

Notes for shopping

French Dip Sandwiches2 (3-4 lb) Roast

Broccoli Beef3 lbs Flank Steak

Flash freeze fresh broccoli or frozen broccoli

8 garlic cloves, pressed

Italian Chicken4 lbs Chicken (Can be frozen)

Can add leftover onion

Chicken Piccata4 lbs Chicken (tenders or thin cut, or fresh for cutting…could try

whole?)

Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos3 Lbs Chicken (fresh preferred

for cutting, or whole to be shredded)

5 garlic cloves peeled

Tortilla Soup2 lbs Chicken (can be frozen, or

thighs)Cut onion

Cut avocado2 garlic cloves pressed

Shopping



Prepare to shop Shop


•Make room in the car•Bring a list of recipes•Bring a pencil for notes

•Shop off peak•Don’t take the kids

Prepping to Cook


Write out steps

•Group similar recipes together•Combined steps

Steps

1. Wash cilantro2. Rough chop one bunch cilantro; add to tortilla soup bag3. Chop Bell Pepper; add to tortilla soup bag4. Halve avocados, remove pit, place in quart sized bag; Freeze 5. Chop onions6. Divide onions between tortilla soup and Italian chicken bags7. Peel 15 garlic, 5 cilantro pesto (blender), press 8-Broccoli Beef & 2-Tortilla soup8. Dice chicken 3 lbs chicken for tacos, add to bag9. Butterfly 4 lbs chicken for Piccata, add to bag10. Slice flank steaks; add to Broccoli Beef11. Add roast and Consumme to French Dip: Freeze12. Add Chicken and Italian dressing to Italian Chicken; Freeze13. Add dry ingredients to Broccoli Beef14. Make Broccoli beef sauce; put in quart size bag inside beef bag; Freeze15. Add remaining ingredients to Tortilla soup16. Add Chicken to Tortilla Soup, Add water to cover Veggies; Freeze17. Add Dry ingredients to Piccata18. Make Piccata sauce in quart sized bag, put in Piccata bag; Freeze19. Make Cilantro Pesto, But in sandwich bag, inside Taco bag, Freeze

Prepping to Cook


Write out steps

Clean your kitchen and

freezer


•Empty dishwasher•Empty the trash

Prepping to Cook


Write out steps


freezer

Label your bags


•Recipe Name•Date


Prepping to Cook


Write out steps


freezer

Label your bags

Stage the kitchen


•Recipe Name•Date

•Arrange recipes and steps•Organize pantry ingredients•Multiple measuring cups and spoons –wet set, dry set


Cooking


Prepare yourself

•Wear comfortable shoes•Sink full of hot soapy water

Cooking


Prepare yourself

Have a plan for the family

•Movie•Nap-time•Snacks•Pizza for dinner


Cooking


Prepare yourself

Have a plan for the family Freezing

•Movie•Nap-time•Snacks•Pizza for dinner

•Cool foods before freezing•Food Danger Zone 40˚-140˚•Air is bad – get it out•Lay flat to freeze•Lay cookie sheet in freezer


Clean-up


It’s worth the mess•Have someone else do it!•Keep all your recipes, lists, and steps for a different cooking session

Enjoy!


Good for 3-4 months

Enjoy!


Good for 3-4 months Thaw first

•Fridge, Coldwater, or Microwave•*Fridge in pan to catch drips

What it could look like

Different ways to fill your freezer

Group/Swap+Easy to Prep

-Not good for picky eaters

PartnershipKeep receipts

Swap responsibilities

Double-upDouble or triple what you are already making then

freeze what you don’t cook or eat

Slow build-upPick a couple recipes and

try it out

Meal KitsDo all the prep, but no

cookingPizza, fajitas, tacos, stir-fry

Building blocksGives you variety, but cuts

down on the daily workBeans, sauces, cut raw

meat, cooked meat in sauce

Smart ShopperFreeze the extra stuff you got on sale, or from your

garden

The Big One+Don’t have to cook for a

month or more-Lots of work

Mini-session+Less work and time than

the big one-Have to do it more

frequently

Converting Recipes

•Experiment with a family favorite – it improves your odds•Google it – someone has probably already converted it for you•Try it in the crock pot first, next time try freezing first

Don’t Freeze:Raw fruits and Veggies with high water content: celery, lettuce,

tomato, cucumber – texture changes – not bad in soupsMayonnaise – blend back in, or add at cooking timeDairy – it separates – blend it back in, or add at cooking timeRaw Potato – partially cook first – steam, bake, boil

Oven or Stovetop Low Crock Pot High Crock Pot

15 -30 min 4 -6 hrs 1 ½ - 2 ½ hrs

35 -45 min 6 – 8 hrs 3 – 4 hrs

50 min – 3 hrs 8 – 16 hrs 4 – 6 hrs

Need to have some liquid, but probably not as much since there is less evaporation

IdeasIdeasBreakfastBreakfast burritosBreakfast sandwichHome FriesOatmealPancakesWafflesFrench toast

BlintzCinnamon RollsMuffinsStrataBreakfast casseroleQuicheGranolaSmoothiesscones appetizers/snacks/lunchStuffed mushroomsWonton shrimpMini quicheCrab CakesHot wingsSlidersMozzarella sticks

Pizza bitesPB&Jtaquitos DinnerPot stickersFried riceChow MeinSweet and Sour ChickenBurritosFrench dip sandwichesSoup/stew/chiliChicken noodle soupTomato soup Taco soupTortilla soupPea soup Albondigas soupzuppa tuscanaMeatloafBeef with broccoliMacaroni and cheeseShepherd’s PiePulled porkCoconut shrimpPork chopsLasagnaChicken curry

Stuffed chicken breastsChicken cacciatoreJambalayaEnchiladasPot piesTuna noodle casseroleShrimp creoleEgg rollsStuffed shellsStuffed cabbagePizzaSloppy joesTacosScampiherbed chickenCasserolesSalisbury steaksChicken stripsBurgersTri-TipWhole chickenEnchiladasFishShrimp skewersNachoscalzoneAlfredoLettuce wraps

ravioloi SidesMashed potatoesBeansBlanched vegetablesGreen bean casseroleSuccotashTwice baked potatoesCauliflower gratinGlazed carrotsRoasted potatoesDinner rollsPopoversRiceFrench friesBlanched veggiesRatatouilleRollsBreadCornbreadBiscuits

DessertCakesCheesecakeCobblerCookie dough

PiesIce cream sandwichesWhoopee piesBrowniesChocolate covered bananasFudgehot fudgeTrufflesFrosting Building Blocksmeatballscooked chickenspaghetti sauceshredded beefcooked ground beefgravybaconpestoseasoning mixescondensed soups

freezer cooking

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