Make-ahead meals

jessdrelles
jessdrelles Posts: 1 Member
in Recipes
My husband and I work different schedules and have dinner at different times. Neither of us are usually excited about cooking for one. I'm looking for a few good recipes that I can make ahead and then will heat up in individual portions throughout the week. Ideas? Thanks!

Replies

  • Sarahsue94
    Sarahsue94 Posts: 96
    If you are home in the morning you can try some crock pot meals. Let them cook all day while your at work and when your done just throw whatever is left in the fridge/freezer for reheating later.
  • Sarahsue94
    Sarahsue94 Posts: 96
    If you are home in the morning you can try some crock pot meals. Let them cook all day while your at work and when your done just throw whatever is left in the fridge/freezer for reheating later.

    here is a blog that has a few good recipes on it! hope it helps!

    http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/09/slow-cooker-freezer-meals-make-8-meals.html
  • Cassierocksalot
    Cassierocksalot Posts: 266 Member
    If you are home in the morning you can try some crock pot meals. Let them cook all day while your at work and when your done just throw whatever is left in the fridge/freezer for reheating later.

    here is a blog that has a few good recipes on it! hope it helps!

    http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/09/slow-cooker-freezer-meals-make-8-meals.html

    I do this! It is really great to come home to the house smelling of lovely cooking dinner. I got my ideas here: http://whoneedsacape.com/2012/11/crockpot-freezer-cooking/

    They're not all winners, and I'm still learning how to modify things on my own. But its super time saving and really helps the old wallet!
  • awesomek001
    awesomek001 Posts: 167 Member
    I don't use my crock pot enough - - and I'll be looking more closely at those recipes that you ladies posted (above). I had participated with a group that was using the cook book "The Big Cook" which is the same type of idea, but I found my daughter is pretty picky when it comes to that, so working with a group didn't work for me.


    I try hard to cook for extra meals when I do get to cooking ( yesterday's supper is today's lunch). My freezer is stacked full, but it's easier that way to make sure I have healthy alternatives available for when it's crazy at home. My only warning is that it does get a little boring if I go overboard and have 12 frozen meals of the same thing waiting to be eaten . . .

    Good luck with this.
  • gvheintz
    gvheintz Posts: 138 Member
    I love using my crockpot to make soups. I find it a way to pile in vegetables including some that I don't particularly favour on their own. For example, tonight was "butternut squash soup." Mom's visiting. Her answer was it was "different." "Good, but different."

    The crockpot is also great for meats .... they don't require "expensive" cuts because they cook slowly. I recently picked up some pork roasts on special for half price ... had about 10 people for supper and had piles of pulled pork leftovers. It was great with an easy coleslaw salad.

    I use "cheater sauces" like VH ... and will throw in a bunch of vegetables with some boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Easy stir fry.

    I also enjoy using the George Foreman grill. I will fold a tortilla in half and put in pizza sauce, piles of vegetables like onions, mushrooms and peppers, a bit of cheese, and some kind of meat (usually ham). Has the taste of pizza without the crazy calories from the crust.

    Other "fast foods" for one I often make for breakfast include oatmeal and fruit smoothies in the morning.

    Oh ya, and pita with hummus.
  • AphelionPDX
    AphelionPDX Posts: 105
    What is VH?
  • Zoeegirl
    Zoeegirl Posts: 100 Member
    bump
  • jnlynn
    jnlynn Posts: 101
    bump
  • Kelly_Runs_NC
    Kelly_Runs_NC Posts: 474 Member
    A lot of times (especially when I'm broke) I will buy one package of chicken breasts and a bag of quinoa....I'll prep them both and then all you need to do is add your veggies of choice for each meal!! Measure, put in container and done!! Lunches, dinners, whatever!!
  • Darlene4prayers
    Darlene4prayers Posts: 148 Member
    My husband and I work different schedules and have dinner at different times. Neither of us are usually excited about cooking for one. I'm looking for a few good recipes that I can make ahead and then will heat up in individual portions throughout the week. Ideas? Thanks!

    My hubby and I work different shifts he is on first and I'm on second. I make crockpot meals more through the winter, casseroles are easy to make just put in the oven or microwave to warm up. I make a lot of different salads in the summer my hubby has to have a lot of protein so I try to get recipes with a lot of meat and beans. I just made stuffed green pepper in the crockpot today. It was very delicious. I found black beans keeps us fuller longer and now is my favorite bean. I'm making cabbage soup in the crockpot next week maybe on New Years Day. You can find many recipes on the internet. Beware cooking cabbage will make the house stink like old socks. My family thinks I'm crazy. I found a lot of stove and oven recipes can be made in the crockpot you just have to experiment. My mother says to brown meat before putting in the crockpot to give it the browning taste from the oven.
    Happy cooking!
  • learning2fly4
    learning2fly4 Posts: 303 Member
    My BF and i work all kinds of crazy hours. Typically we cook on the weekends a huge family size package of chicken plain - so that it can be reheated with bbq sauce or pasta or frozen veg. We also make 3lbs of either meatloaf or meatballs most weeks. You can mix up meatball parm, subs, or just pasta.
  • dahkneeka
    dahkneeka Posts: 163 Member
    I love make-ahead meals..especially because they can be so quick and nutritious (i use them for lunches)
    My man and I just whipped up some burger patties, turkey and lean beef which were seasoned, cooked and individually wrapped. I will use them througout the weeks with a salad or steemed veges.

    The beef ones have tex-mex spice which is awesome when warmed up and crumbled on a salad with some cheese.

    Other ideas are;
    -stew
    -cabbage rolls
    -chili
  • Corachan
    Corachan Posts: 21 Member
    This recipe makes a ton. It is a modified Cola Pork with diet cola. Use the slow cooker and cook for 8-10 hours on low. It is also gluten-free.

    Makes: 16 servings

    Diet Cola 1 cup
    Diced Green Chilis (fire roasted is best) 1 can
    Tomato Paste 1 can
    Spices - Cumin Powder 1 tbsp
    Spices - Garlic powder 1 tbsp
    Chipotle Powder 0.5 tsp
    Brown Sugar 1/3 cup unpacked
    Salt 1 tsp
    Pork tenderloin 4 lb

    Per Serving: 161 calories 6g carbs 4g fat 24g protein 74mg chol. 246mg sodium
  • SandraAtGong
    SandraAtGong Posts: 4 Member
    :laugh: Our make ahead is Bolgnese sauce, goes with

    pasta or
    into tacos, tortillas,
    over baked potatoes,
    into shepherds pie etc.

    We start from scratch with grated vegetables, to keep additives down.
  • gc2951
    gc2951 Posts: 30
    I got a recipe book off Amazon.com called Once A Month Cooking. It gives the shopping lists and menues for two one month sessions and a low calorie two week session. You shop one day, cook the next and you are done til the next month. Just follow the step by step instructions given with the recipe lists, package in containers or freezer bags and pop them into the freezer to eat later. Since there were three of us in the family and each recipe is enough to feed 6, I split them up to get 2 meals from each recipe so I only cooked once every two months. Most everything was deliscious. The more I used it, the easier it got to substitute things for what we didn't like. Made our busy lives so much easier.
  • gvheintz
    gvheintz Posts: 138 Member
    http://www.vhsauces.ca/en/home.html

    Also, a great resource might be some of the books by Sandi Richard. She has great stuff.

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