Freezer Cooking

I've been on Pinterest...

Freezer Meals.  What more needs to be said?  A few hours on a Saturday and you have meals for the whole week!  Whoo Hoo!!

I always make a menu for 2 weeks before shopping.  Whether or not we stick to that menu is usually determined by how motivated I am to make dinner when I get home.  So sometimes, some of those ingredients are wasted, or used for other things.  And the amount of money spent going out to eat, is significantly increased.  So, in an effort to curb our out to eat spending habit, I went ahead and planned the next 4 weeks.  And left Wednesdays for leftovers, Friday open and only planned for dinners on Saturday and Sunday.  This should help.  And if the meals are already prepped, and all that is required is re-heating...BONUS!!  I was determined to give this whole Freezer Cooking thing a try.

So first thing, I scoured my "Freezer Meals" board for recipes that I liked.  And recipes I "knew" I could get my family to eat.  And when I say "knew", I am still crossing my fingers and holding out hope since these are new.  New is kinda scary in my house.

I came up with these:  - I'm not posting recipes, that takes too much of my precious time - if you want them, click on the links :)
Garlic Honey Chicken - http://www.savingyoudinero.com/2012/06/12/1-hour-1-mess-5-crock-pot-meals/
Crock Pot Beef Burritos - modified from - http://www.savingyoudinero.com/2012/06/12/1-hour-1-mess-5-crock-pot-meals/
Teriyaki Pork Chops - modified from - http://www.savingyoudinero.com/2012/06/12/1-hour-1-mess-5-crock-pot-meals/
Italian Sausage Soup w/ Tortellini - http://dreamingofpoultry.com//content/10-freezer-meals-1-day
Chicken Fajitas - http://www.savingyoudinero.com/2012/06/12/1-hour-1-mess-5-crock-pot-meals/

I also had a few other things I wanted to try:
Banana Bread - just cause we hadn't had it in a while, and the bananas in the freezer were starting to pile up
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispy Treats - modified from - http://www.yourcupofcake.com/2012/01/1036.html
Pancake Bites -  theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com

So, first item on the agenda - do an inventory of the kitchen and make a grocery list.  I had a $165 budget to get groceries for these next 2 weeks.  If you know my family, and how much we eat, that is a VERY tight budget!  And of course I did go over.  BUT, only by $35 - and I blame it on school starting.  Those little things for "I don't like school burritos" days and some after school easy snacks, yeah, they added up quickly.  So I went over, but it was worth it.  I went shopping Saturday morning, and filled the counter by noon.



Time to get started!

I busted out all the recipes and looked for a recipe that had pre-cooked ingredients.  Only the soup did, so that was the first item on the agenda.  The soup is almost totally cooked beforehand (only the tortellini goes in when you are ready to eat) and needs to cool before freezing.  I stuck to this recipe and as the family started arriving home, they all had to check out the pot and tell me how good it smelled.  Too bad they have to wait 2 weeks to eat it!

Next, I started writing on all the bags.  I learned previously that writing on a wet (or even slightly moist) freezer bag...doesn't work!  So write on the bags first.  I put the name of the dish and any prep instructions, as well as any serving suggestions or side dish suggestions. 

Then following the directions for the recipes, I started filling bags. 

First up - Teriyaki Pork Chops - this turned into Teriyaki Steaks as I forgot to buy the pork chops on the grocery list, and we had steak in the freezer already.  So I transferred the steak, made up the sauce, and viola, first freezer meal complete!

Next - I also modified the Crock Pot Beef Burritos because I knew some of the ingredients would be iffy for my family.  We used steak tidbits instead of the London Broil it called for 1, because I already had it, and 2,  London Broil is spendy!  And I went with no peppercorns, no vinegar, no chipolte and used 1 packet of taco seasoning instead.  Cross your fingers.

Then - Garlic Honey Chicken - I should not have taste tested the sauce on this one!  Oh My Delicious!!  At this point in time, I doubled the sauce recipe and froze it all.  It is amazing!

Next - Chicken Fajitas - I followed this recipe almost exactly.  Since there is a certain person in our house who does not care for peppers, I put in a few less than it called for, and an extra piece of chicken. 

Next - I started on the Rice Krispy Treats - this recipe must be done in phases.  It was a little difficult as many of the ingredients kept accidentally getting on my fingers and making their way into my mouth (it's ok, my kitchen in not certified by the Health Board, we encourage licking our fingers - but NOT eating off the floor!!).  They were definately well worth the effort!  I did leave off the top layer (chocolate gnache) but I didn't feel it needed it.  And I was getting full :)  Of all the things that we made, this was by far the favorite!

After That - Pancake Bites - these were super simple.  Loved the idea!  I did modify the recipe and use just plain old pancake mix and regular pancake syrup.  I prepared the mix as directed and added just a couple of squirts of syrup to the mix.  Then poured into the greased muffin tin and topped with frozen blueberries, chocolate chips, and bacon.  And I made a couple just plain, just cause. I heated these up for the kids breakfasts this morning.  Hit Made. 

Lastly, was the banana bread.  I just love the smell of banana bread baking in the oven.  It was as good as always, Betty Crocker provided this recipe. 

So, when all was said and done, this is what I ended up with:

Meals for a few days of the week so I don't have to cook, and enough goodies to last at least through Wednesday.  It took a while, and I kept getting interrupted, but the time spent was well worth it. 

I'll be doing this again in 2 weeks, when the next cycle of the menu rolls around.  And in the meantime, I won't have to worry about cooking dinner, except for 5 times.  I think I can handle 5 times in 2 weeks :)