Make ahead freezer meals?

I had several requests for my lesson plan...so here it is...it is VERY long, so I apologize for the book...

OAMC –Lesson Plan

First things first…let’s talk equipment. You will need measuring cups, spoons, storage and of course a freezer. Other things you may find helpful are cutting boards, knives, a wide-mouthed funnel, thermometer, pots and pans and a garbage can.
Next…there are three different types of OAMC
• Double/Triple Batching –cooking a larger quantity of whatever you are making for dinner and freezing some for later use.
• True OAMC –creating a menu for the month and cooking all the dinners and freezing for the month.
• Ingredients Style –breaking recipes into basic parts and cooking like items at the same time, freezing for future use.

Let’s talk about double or triple batching. While you have the cutting board, knives, etc, out, it’s just as easy to prep twice as much as it is to prep for one meal. This will save time on future prep work, and washing up the equipment. It’s also very cost effective, and time-saving. Two pans of chicken will cook in the same amount of time as one, for example. This is particularly easy to do with casseroles, chili, stews and soups.

Some tips:
• Ensure product reaches a minimum of 165F before beginning the cooling process.
• Ensure product reaches 70F in 2 hours before putting it in the fridge. Ensure product reaches 40F in 2 additional hours before putting it in the freezer. This keeps you and your family safe from foodbourne illness. You can help cool food faster by putting the pot in a sink filled with ice water and stirring occasionally. You can also put the food into smaller containers to cool it faster. You can also drop freezer bags filled with frozen water into the container.
• If you are using freezer bags, freeze them flat until they are solid enough to stack on their edges like records. They will take less space that way. Double wrap product by putting the food in a cheaper zipper bag, then into a better, branded one. You can also use plastic wrap, freezer paper, and heavy duty foil.

True OAMC requires some good planning and really good shoes! When I do this, I make a menu on Friday afternoon and try to double up meals so I am not making an original meal for each day of the month. I go grocery shopping on Fridays nights and get a good night sleep! Saturday morning, I will lay out my pans and get started. First I put anything in the oven that requires longer cooking times, like roasts. Next I start prepping vegetables and start two pots of water boiling for blanching. Once the roasts are done, I cool them and then slice into portions and put them in those small foil disposable trays and wrap them well. Next, things like chicken breasts go into the oven. And then I assemble casseroles and lasagnas, while my crockpots with stews and chili are going. This continues onto Sunday til about noon.

Like I’ve said before, ingredients style is my favorite. I start three large pots of water boiling and drop in 20 pounds of ground turkey in one, 20 pounds of chicken in another and use the last for blanching veggies. Start three crockpots with beans, chili and vegetable soup. If you stir the ground meats, they will break up on their own. Strain out the ground turkey, but save the water. Shred the chicken, and save the water. Package and freeze the veggies and save the water…. Toss in scraps of veggies into each pot, add roasted chicken bones, roasted beef bones to their respective pots and simmer for several hours with a splash of vinegar. Divide meats into three bowls…season one Mexican style, another Italian style and the last with just salt and pepper. Package into meal sized portions and freeze. Make 5 pounds of rice and package into meal sized portions. Package veggies. Par bake pizza, quiche crusts and package. Wrap bread dough and freeze. Let stock simmer til reduced by half, cool, scrape off any fat and freeze.

What I end up with after all that is usually something like this:
• 20 packages shredded/sliced chicken (Mexican, Italian, plain)
• 20 packages ground turkey (Mexican, Italian, plain)
• 10 packages sliced onions & peppers
• 30 packages mire poix (onion, carrots, celery)
• 5 packages Trinity (onions, celery, bell peppers)
• 15 packages concasse tomatoes (tomatoes peeled, seeded and diced)
• 10 packages broccoli florets
• 15 packages cooked assorted beans
• 5 packages chili
• 5 packages vegetable soup
• 10 packages raw seasoned steak or beef strips
• 10 packages raw seasoned fish and/or raw prepped shrimp
• Several ice cube trays with pureed herbs, wine and lemon juice
• 10 packages rice
• 10 packages sliced cooked sweet potatoes
• Dough for 5 loaves sourdough, 5 whole wheat, 5 batches of wheat dinner rolls, 5 batches of biscuits, 5 batches of garlic bread, 5 loaves of oatmeal bread, 10 pizzas and 5 quiches/pies

In the end, what you choose to make is based off the things you and your family like and enjoy, with the recipes tailored to meet your nutritional goals. I freeze the things I feel are most time consuming and in the stages that work best for me (which is why I freeze some things as “raw seasoned” or “raw prepped”). My family is okay with casseroles, but not really their thing, so I don’t make many of them. My vegetable soup is basic in seasonings, so I can add a bag of Trinity, file, some shrimp and some okra and get a pretty good knock off gumbo. Or I can add shredded chicken, salsa, some black beans and call it tortilla soup. I try to keep things that I can mix and match.

Now, I realize it looks like a LOT of work, but I am a firm believer in delegation (which is why I am known as the Meanest Mom In The Entire World). My husband is usually on dish & trash duty. My kids have been helping me since they were 18 months old. Even the very youngest kids can snap beans, peel garlic, count out peppercorns, or just run things to the trash for you. My 14 year old has helped out often enough that he can do this with just my ten year old for an assistant. They both understand what equipment is needed, what ingredients need to be prepped and how to cool and package the product. Put on some good music and then reward yourself with a glass of wine when its done!

I love the ingredient approach, what I usually do is buy one or two family packs of hamburger or ground turkey and then cook all of those on the stove, then divide into 1 lb labeled ziplock freezer bags. These can be thrown into chili, spaghetti, tacos, etc.

At the same time, I usually cook a large bag of frozen chicken breasts in my crockpot with some basic seasonings and maybe a little bit of chicken broth or bouillon for flavor. Then I shred these up and divide them as well.

Exactly...it's so versatile!

As long as you package it correctly, your cooked food should last a month or two in the freezer. I don't store anything already cooked in the door of the freezer, and I buy heavy duty freezer bags for more liquidy stuff. Meats get tightly double-wrapped in plastic, then in heavy duty foil. I use a magic marker to write what it is and the date on the foil.

I love my crock pot for cooking up large quantities of meat at a time. I don't cook the veggies ahead of time, but I do keep bags of birdseye frozen vegs on hand to pop in the microwave. Anything else I just cut up the day of and toss together.

I just made both of these & froze them in 2 cup servings. I love soup in colder weather & both of these are very filling & delicious with good calorie & protein counts.

Tomato Basil Soup:

Dei Fratelli - Crushed Tomatoes-All Natural, No Salt Added, 4 container (3 3/10 cups ea.)
Domino - Granulated Sugar-1 Teaspoon, 1 tsp
Basil Leaf, Fresh - Generic, 70 leaves
the Spice Hunter - Grill Shakers - Roasted Garlic, 2 tsp
the Fresh Market - Sea Salt Spice Grinder, 0.5 tsp
Spice - Cracked Black Pepper, 0.75 tsp
Land O' Lakes - Traditional Half & Half, 8 tbsp (1/2 cup)
Kraft - Natural Shredded Parmesan Cheese, 1.5 container (1 1/2 cups ea.)

Per 2 Cup Serving: calories 318 / fat 12 / carbs 33 / protein 20 / fiber 8

I'm one of those cooks who dumps & tastes & add some more with spices, so those are a guesstimate. My suggestion is to not add salt, until after you've added the cheese & then salt to taste. Saute the onions & garlic in olive oil, then add the rest, except for the 1/2 & 1/2. I just chiffonade the basil into small strips, so you don't have to blender the soup when you're done. I usually simmer the entire pot for an hour or longer, then add the 1/2 & 1/2 right at the end. It is absolutely delicious!!!


Doc's Chicken "Tortilla-less" Soup:

1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth, low sodium
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, no added sodium
8 oz. chicken breast, shredded
1 can Goya pinto bean, light (thoroughly rinse to decrease sodium)
1-1/3 cups corn, frozen
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp red pepper
1 TBSP cumin

*I use rotisserie chicken stipped from the carcass & chopped, it adds tons of wonderful flavor & make prep really easy!

Saute onions & garlic in olive oil. Add the remainder of ingredients & simmer for 30 minutes. Once again, I often add some extra cumin or a a little chili powder, as I like some heat. May add garnishes such as avocado, tortilla strips & cheese. (Note: garnishes are NOT included in calorie count.) Serving size: 1 cup.

Nutrition Info/cup: calories 141 / fat 3 / carbs 17 / protein 12 / fiber 5

I usually serve a 2 cup serving (double the calorie info) & add a little 2% Mexican Cheese mix & some fresh avocado cubes. You really don't need the tortilla strips, as the corn gives you the same flavor. A 2 cup serving is incredibly filling! If you want to add more for your hubbie or kids, serve with chips & fresh homemade guacamole, or make them a cheese quesadilla.

**I love the taste of fire-roasted tomatoes, so I use those, instead of plain tomatoes (I believe it's Hunt's brand). My sister has changed my recipe up a bit, and replaces the tomatoes with a jar of salsa, adds a whole jalapeño (remove at the end) & the juice of one lime. Both of our families love the soup & ask for it often!

Thank you for starting this thread! I have stalled out and need to get back on track and was thinking about doing this, especially with the holidays coming up.

I have a vacuum sealer that I try to use when I'm going to freeze meals. It's a little time-consuming to make, fill, and seal the bags, but it prevents freezer burn and helps me portion out leftovers in a way that I don't waste any. I've always had luck freezing homemade spaghetti sauce and meatballs (beef, chicken, or turkey). I also make chicken for tacos in a big batch and freeze in 2-serving portions.

I also like to do some kind of homemade burritos that I wrap individually in foil. Usually it's chicken, beans, and cheese, but the last time I made them I used this recipe for quinoa vegetable burritos: http://www.thegardengrazer.com/2012/06/quinoa-fajita-burritos.html

I have packs of grilled chicken breasts cut in serving-size pieces that I can defrost and use for sandwiches, salads, etc. Soups (as long as they're not cream or milk-based) will freeze well, too.

My schedule gets crazy sometimes, since I'm a college professor and get papers to grade about once a month, but when I'm too busy to cook I can just go into the freezer for a healthy meal, or at least the start to one.

Liking what I've seen, and bumping to see more as they come in, as this is something I want to do more of.

Thank you everyone, the information is wonderful! Very shortly my husband will be down south for the winter, while I'm home more than not. These ideas and techniques will certainly help me with the laziness I feel cooking for myself (especially during the work week), but also portion control.

I'm hoping my daughter's will join in and cook ahead for themeslves as well.

Hi, Jessica...I teach classes in Once A Month Cooking (OAMC). The easiest way to start is to simply make a double batch of whatever it is you are making. Most anything you find in the freezer section at the supermarket can be frozen at home. A few tips to make things easier and ensure your product is consistent:

*Freeze things on a sheet tray whenever possible, then pour into a container or freezer bag. This allows you to take out what you need later, without having to thaw the whole thing.
*Most veggies need to be blanched. Just dip the veggies into boiling water for 30-60 seconds to preserve texture and color when you reheat it.
*Containers and freezer bags are essential. You don't need to have a separate deep freezer to accomplish this. I've stored a months worth of meals in a regular freezer above my fridge in freezer bags, stacked upright, like records. I buy good freezer bags...seal product in a cheaper zipper bag and then put them into the good freezer bag. You can reuse freezer bags this way. Double wrapping items keeps them fresher longer.
*Label and date your products. Most items in a home freezer will last 1-6 months in the freezer. I try to keep it down to 1-3 months. The defrost cycle on residential freezers can age food a little faster because the temperatures don't stay as consistent. Keep in mind, First In, First Out. Use older product first.

Aside from double or triple batching recipes, you can also shoot for a smaller goal...try cooking for the week first and see how it goes. Lastly, and my favorite way to bulk cook, is "ingredient style". This means I cook 20 pounds of ground beef at a time and package it in meal sized portions. I spend a weekend cooking and /or seasoning veggies, ground beef, chicken breasts, turkey and fish, then package it away for future use. I prefer it because I can mix and match my meals, rather than be stuck with 5 lasagnas at the end of the month.

My favorite story regarding the ingredients style method: I was really, really sick when I was pregnant with my daughter. My husband had to open a bag of rice, open a bag of prepped peppers and onions and open a bag of sliced beef, add a cup of water and cover it. Dinner was done with very little fuss, muss and cleanup.

If you like, I can dig out my lesson plan and can send it to you, if you would like more information.

thanks!!

In addition, some things don't need to be frozen...particularly when you are starting with cooking for the week. I love mason jars. They come in a variety of sizes, the lids only come in two sizes (replacements are easily found on their own in the store, you know...for when they mysteriously go missing).

I packaged up chicken and dumplings for the kidlets this week...the 10 year old has hers in a half pint jar (no dumplings), the 14 year old has his in a 12 oz jar (extra dumplings), and the hubby has his in a pint jar (hot sauce added). All jars are sitting in the bottom of the fridge just waiting to be added to their lunch boxes. (The kiddoes will nuke them before putting them in a thermos...they don't have access to a microwave at school.) Also in pre portioned in 4 oz jars: pineapple chunks, applesauce, chopped egg whites, granola, salsa, and baby carrots. The wide mouthed ones are awesome for baking...so there are some jars of banana bread, pumpkin bread and zucchini/carrot bread, too.

These are NOT "canned"...just stored in jars in the fridge.

WOW you are incredibly creative... how handy for you all to pre-plan so when everyone gets up to head to school and work it's simpler. What great ideas you've shared on the thread. Thanks again

I had several requests for my lesson plan...so here it is...it is VERY long, so I apologize for the book...

OAMC –Lesson Plan

First things first…let’s talk equipment. You will need measuring cups, spoons, storage and of course a freezer. Other things you may find helpful are cutting boards, knives, a wide-mouthed funnel, thermometer, pots and pans and a garbage can.
Next…there are three different types of OAMC
• Double/Triple Batching –cooking a larger quantity of whatever you are making for dinner and freezing some for later use.
• True OAMC –creating a menu for the month and cooking all the dinners and freezing for the month.
• Ingredients Style –breaking recipes into basic parts and cooking like items at the same time, freezing for future use.

Let’s talk about double or triple batching. While you have the cutting board, knives, etc, out, it’s just as easy to prep twice as much as it is to prep for one meal. This will save time on future prep work, and washing up the equipment. It’s also very cost effective, and time-saving. Two pans of chicken will cook in the same amount of time as one, for example. This is particularly easy to do with casseroles, chili, stews and soups.

Some tips:
• Ensure product reaches a minimum of 165F before beginning the cooling process.
• Ensure product reaches 70F in 2 hours before putting it in the fridge. Ensure product reaches 40F in 2 additional hours before putting it in the freezer. This keeps you and your family safe from foodbourne illness. You can help cool food faster by putting the pot in a sink filled with ice water and stirring occasionally. You can also put the food into smaller containers to cool it faster. You can also drop freezer bags filled with frozen water into the container.
• If you are using freezer bags, freeze them flat until they are solid enough to stack on their edges like records. They will take less space that way. Double wrap product by putting the food in a cheaper zipper bag, then into a better, branded one. You can also use plastic wrap, freezer paper, and heavy duty foil.

True OAMC requires some good planning and really good shoes! When I do this, I make a menu on Friday afternoon and try to double up meals so I am not making an original meal for each day of the month. I go grocery shopping on Fridays nights and get a good night sleep! Saturday morning, I will lay out my pans and get started. First I put anything in the oven that requires longer cooking times, like roasts. Next I start prepping vegetables and start two pots of water boiling for blanching. Once the roasts are done, I cool them and then slice into portions and put them in those small foil disposable trays and wrap them well. Next, things like chicken breasts go into the oven. And then I assemble casseroles and lasagnas, while my Crockpot's with stews and chili are going. This continues onto Sunday til about noon.

Like I’ve said before, ingredients style is my favorite. I start three large pots of water boiling and drop in 20 pounds of ground turkey in one, 20 pounds of chicken in another and use the last for blanching veggies. Start three crockpots with beans, chili and vegetable soup. If you stir the ground meats, they will break up on their own. Strain out the ground turkey, but save the water. Shred the chicken, and save the water. Package and freeze the veggies and save the water…. Toss in scraps of veggies into each pot, add roasted chicken bones, roasted beef bones to their respective pots and simmer for several hours with a splash of vinegar. Divide meats into three bowls…season one Mexican style, another Italian style and the last with just salt and pepper. Package into meal sized portions and freeze. Make 5 pounds of rice and package into meal sized portions. Package veggies. Par bake pizza, quiche crusts and package. Wrap bread dough and freeze. Let stock simmer til reduced by half, cool, scrape off any fat and freeze.

What I end up with after all that is usually something like this:
• 20 packages shredded/sliced chicken (Mexican, Italian, plain)
• 20 packages ground turkey (Mexican, Italian, plain)
• 10 packages sliced onions & peppers
• 30 packages mire poix (onion, carrots, celery)
• 5 packages Trinity (onions, celery, bell peppers)
• 15 packages concasse tomatoes (tomatoes peeled, seeded and diced)
• 10 packages broccoli florets
• 15 packages cooked assorted beans
• 5 packages chili
• 5 packages vegetable soup
• 10 packages raw seasoned steak or beef strips
• 10 packages raw seasoned fish and/or raw prepped shrimp
• Several ice cube trays with pureed herbs, wine and lemon juice
• 10 packages rice
• 10 packages sliced cooked sweet potatoes
• Dough for 5 loaves sourdough, 5 whole wheat, 5 batches of wheat dinner rolls, 5 batches of biscuits, 5 batches of garlic bread, 5 loaves of oatmeal bread, 10 pizzas and 5 quiches/pies

In the end, what you choose to make is based off the things you and your family like and enjoy, with the recipes tailored to meet your nutritional goals. I freeze the things I feel are most time consuming and in the stages that work best for me (which is why I freeze some things as “raw seasoned” or “raw prepped”). My family is okay with casseroles, but not really their thing, so I don’t make many of them. My vegetable soup is basic in seasonings, so I can add a bag of Trinity, file, some shrimp and some okra and get a pretty good knock off gumbo. Or I can add shredded chicken, salsa, some black beans and call it tortilla soup. I try to keep things that I can mix and match.

Now, I realize it looks like a LOT of work, but I am a firm believer in delegation (which is why I am known as the Meanest Mom In The Entire World). My husband is usually on dish & trash duty. My kids have been helping me since they were 18 months old. Even the very youngest kids can snap beans, peel garlic, count out peppercorns, or just run things to the trash for you. My 14 year old has helped out often enough that he can do this with just my ten year old for an assistant. They both understand what equipment is needed, what ingredients need to be prepped and how to cool and package the product. Put on some good music and then reward yourself with a glass of wine when its done!

:laugh: Even better, your lesson plan! Trying to keep all your helpful ideas in one place to copy later.

You've all shared some fabulous helpful ideas... excited to try them:flowerforyou:

Lentil and rice and lentil soup recipes tend to freeze very well

BUMP this is amazing

*Freeze things on a sheet tray whenever possible, then pour into a container or freezer bag. This allows you to take out what you need later, without having to thaw the whole thing.

?? How can you pour something that is frozen? I don't get it.

Example: You're freezing several chicken breasts, you freeze them side by side on a tray, then put them into a container. That way all of them wont freeze in a lump.

I freeze spag bol, coq au vin, spicy tomato sauce with seafood, beef casserole and lots of curries, thai and indian. I use the uncle ben's 2 minute rice with those, evening meals take no time at all to prepare. plus it saves you so much money if you buy, cook and freeze in bulk.

Gosh, pretty much anything you eat regularly now can be frozen.

Something I prepare and freeze often are egg sandwiches. I make egg white mixed with a whole egg little patties loaded with vegetables and feta cheese, enough servings for the week. I also pre toast the muffins I put them on, wrap them up in tiny lunch freezer bags and boom: instant frozen breakfast sandwich I just have to heat up before I go about my day.

I marinade and grill an entire bag of chicken breasts from Sam's club and then cut it all up and put in baggies that are 4 ounces each. I can pull one out of the freezer to throw on a salad or several out to make fajitas or whatever my mood suits me. It is very versatile and makes life a little easier on a busy week night. I have done it will pork and beef too.