How to Begin Freezer Cooking

Freezer cooking is sometimes referred to as once a month cooking, but you can begine freezer cooking in smaller doses. Later, if you feel comfortable with it, you can graduate to cooking once a month.

To begin freezer cooking, you will need a few things. Gallon and quart size freezer bags come in very handy. You can also use heavy duty aluminum foil and plastic wrap. Aluminum pans are very cheap and can also come in useful. Of course, you will also need groceries.

You can begin one of two ways. Way number one, the simplest, is to just make extra of things you are already making. For example, if you are having meatloaf tonight, make up an extra for the freezer. That way, you use minimal pans and make minimal mess. You can freeze a meatloaf in an aluminum pan, or cover the bottom of your regular pan with aluminum foil (be sure it is heavy duty foil) and also cover the meatloaf. Freeze, then lift it out of the pan, wrap it in foil (you can also drop the frozen meatloaf and the foil you froze it in in a freezer bag) label it, and pop it back in the freezer. That way, you have your pan back. When you get ready to cook it, thaw and cook it in the pan it had been frozen in. You can do this with many different things, not just meatloaf.

Way number two is to make a grocery list, get the ingredients for the meals you would like to make, and set aside a day to make several meals at once. For instance, when our local butcher had a 10lb package of ground beef on sale cheap, I made up several meals having ground beef as the main ingredient and froze them.

In both of these instances, you can fill your freezer with great meals. Later, when you are out of time or just do not feel like cooking, there is always something to eat. This also saves money because you eat out less and you can center your menu around sales.

WHAT should you freeze, you may ask. Simple! ALMOST anything! Most casseroles will freeze. Sauces such as tomato sauces usually freeze well. I also freeze mashed potatoes. Once you cook them, let them cool, dump them into large freezer bags, flatten and label, then freeze. When you go to reheat them, they may be a bit runny at first, but if you continue to cook them, they will thicken up as they heat. Boil chicken and freeze broth in freezer bags for use later. The use the chicken in a recipe for the freezer.

You can find recipes for freezer cooking in books and on the internet. A search of "freezer cooking" yields a lot of results. A lot of the time, though, you can just freeze whatever you have on hand. Some things, like mayonnaise and cream cheese does not freeze that well, but IN a recipe will work. Some people even make sandwiches and freeze them for the work week.

Whatever you freeze, be sure to label it. Things sometimes look a lot alike when they are frozen. I use a sharpie and write what it is, how to reheat (such as thaw, cook at 350 for 20 minutes), and if it needs anything added, like my taco casserole that needs to be garnished with fresh lettuce and tomato.

If you are not sure if freezer cooking is for you, start small. Cook one or two things extra one week and see how it goes. You can also purchase divided covered containers and freeze leftovers into home made tv dinners. Once you see how easy it CAN be and how much money you can save, it will be well worth it!