Once a Month Cooking

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newcs
newcs Posts: 717 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Anyone else do this? I got an upright freezer for Christmas last year and am looking to start "feeding the freezer" with things other than desserts. I'm thinking homemade pierogi, ravioli, meatballs, portioned shepherds pie, healthier alfredo sauce and maybe some tomato sauce or just roasted tomatoes. I've been looking at this site for ideas: http://onceamonthmom.com/

Anyone have any other good resources for this? What's your favorite thing to make ahead and freeze? Any tips?
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Replies

  • denise032
    denise032 Posts: 108 Member
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    That's a great idea! I wish I had/could get a bigger freezer. I usually make chili in bulk and freeze it, along with some of my mom's homemade chicken and veggie soups in the winter months. :)
  • newcs
    newcs Posts: 717 Member
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    Hmm...I might have to get into soups more. I got potatoes and leeks from my farmshare so I made/froze some potato leek soup the other day.

    What do you freeze in? I got the 8oz wide mouth canning jars and the plastic lids and have started using those to freeze portions. I have a vacuum sealer that I use but usually for balls of cookie dough or for portions of raw meat.
  • denise032
    denise032 Posts: 108 Member
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    Glad containers -- http://www.glad.com/products/food-storage/containers/soup-and-salad/ . They're freezer and dishwasher safe. They're microwave safe too, but I usually defrost and reheat on the stove. :)
  • butterflylover527
    butterflylover527 Posts: 940 Member
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    I made this last week and it was yummy!!

    http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/03/shepards-pie-lightened-up.html
  • ANB22
    ANB22 Posts: 64
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    bump i have been looking for somehting like this for months
  • Ge0rgiana
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 Member
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    *bump!* My sister's done this. Also, I just bought a freezer on Saturday!
  • Emily_fitat30
    Emily_fitat30 Posts: 32 Member
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    Biryani is one of my favourite foods to batch cook & freeze :)
  • Lazygal53
    Lazygal53 Posts: 294 Member
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    Bump
  • ohnoetry
    ohnoetry Posts: 129
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    I LOVE my freezer. Living alone presents a lot of cooking challenges, so I make stuff all the time that I can freeze. Baked beans, soups, pastas, tarts, etc.
  • wrinju
    wrinju Posts: 93 Member
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    bump
  • KelseyDawn84
    KelseyDawn84 Posts: 129 Member
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    I make a HUGE batch of spaghetti sauce once a month (I add a LOT of fresh cut up veggies) and freeze it in separate portions; It's my son's favourite, so I usually make spaghetti once a week (at least every two weeks).

    I portion enough sauce for one supper and one meal of lunch leftovers; Then all I need to do is cook noodles and nuke sauce when I get home after work.
  • NikkisNewStart
    NikkisNewStart Posts: 1,100 Member
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    I use the books Don't Panic Dinner's in the Freezer and More Don't Panic Dinner's in the Freezer. I freeze anything and everything from enchiladas, ribs, parmesan garlic chicken, soups, bread dough...

    Get a whole chicken, cook it in the crock pot, pull the cooked chicken off of it and freeze it. Ready to go for salads, casseroles, anything... return the bones to the crock, add about 5-6 cups of water, cook on low for about 10 hours and then strain through a sieve. Let it cool, skim the fat off the top, pour in muffin tins and freeze. Pop out of tins and store in gallon sized ziploks... "ready to use" homemade chicken broth (no sodium too!) for use in any recipe. So you've just saved a bundle there. I use the broth to cook my veggies instead of water... loads of flavor!
  • dadzpeach
    dadzpeach Posts: 174 Member
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    bump
  • domgirl85
    domgirl85 Posts: 295 Member
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    Are you on Pinterest? There are always tons of posts for freezer meals on there. I don't have a big enough freezer to do most of them.
  • Ge0rgiana
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 Member
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    I use the books Don't Panic Dinner's in the Freezer and More Don't Panic Dinner's in the Freezer. I freeze anything and everything from enchiladas, ribs, parmesan garlic chicken, soups, bread dough...

    Get a whole chicken, cook it in the crock pot, pull the cooked chicken off of it and freeze it. Ready to go for salads, casseroles, anything... return the bones to the crock, add about 5-6 cups of water, cook on low for about 10 hours and then strain through a sieve. Let it cool, skim the fat off the top, pour in muffin tins and freeze. Pop out of tins and store in gallon sized ziploks... "ready to use" homemade chicken broth (no sodium too!) for use in any recipe. So you've just saved a bundle there. I use the broth to cook my veggies instead of water... loads of flavor!

    Oh wow. This is awesome. I got a whole chicken in the freezer that I need to cook when I feel industrious! Need to go buy a muffin tin now.
  • blb1230
    blb1230 Posts: 69 Member
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    BUMP!!! Wonderful ideas!!
  • VickiG36
    VickiG36 Posts: 350 Member
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    Pintrest has a ton of links to just this sort of thing.
  • bethmillerwilson
    bethmillerwilson Posts: 43 Member
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    Once every few months I do a big cook that lasts a while. I use the Jean Paret Company's Coming series book called Make Ahead Meals. She gives lots of great tips for freezing and some pretty great recipes.
  • MdmAcolyte
    MdmAcolyte Posts: 382 Member
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    Get a whole chicken, cook it in the crock pot, pull the cooked chicken off of it and freeze it. Ready to go for salads, casseroles, anything... return the bones to the crock, add about 5-6 cups of water, cook on low for about 10 hours and then strain through a sieve. Let it cool, skim the fat off the top, pour in muffin tins and freeze. Pop out of tins and store in gallon sized ziploks... "ready to use" homemade chicken broth (no sodium too!) for use in any recipe. So you've just saved a bundle there. I use the broth to cook my veggies instead of water... loads of flavor!

    I do this too! Once a month!! Yay!!!

    Well, I dont use muffin tins... I pour a cup into plastic cups, freeze the cups, and pop them into a freezer bag when they are frozen. You can run the cups through the dishwasher and reuse them ;)
  • kokaneesailor
    kokaneesailor Posts: 337 Member
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    Buy turkey when It's on sale ( xmas and thanksgiving) . Cut it up and bake it off ( if your familiar with cutting up a turkey/chicken) Strip meat from bones, place on a pan and freeze it. Take chunks of frozen turkey and place in tupperware like containers in freezer. Now you have ready access to cheap healthy protein. Take a chunk out for soups, stir fries, sandwiches,taco's, etc. Don't forget to use the bones for stock. I cook a whole turkey, split in half on my electric bbq in one hour. Give it a whirl. :wink:

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