Simplified Suppers - Freezer Cooking Made Easy

There are many books and websites that tout "Once a Month Cooking" - an excellent program if you have the time, energy, and freezer space to devote to it. For those of us who are unable to do OAMC, there are still ways to use the freezer to save time and money.

Think in terms of "Buy bulk, cook (if needed), and freeze." This works well if you plan your meals (weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly). It also works well if you track the supermarket sales. If you know that there's a fantastic deal on chicken parts or fish, you can plan several meals around the sales. You should also think in terms of "easy" and "emergency" - what can you assemble for the freezer that you'll want to pull out and prepare on a night that you're so tired, so sick, or so overwhelmed you just want pizza? What can you have in the freezer that will help you if company comes over?

There are some things which do not freeze well and should not be part of your recipe. This includes mayonaise, cream and cottage cheeses, gravies, and some uncooked vegetables (like cabbage). Many people dislike boiled potatoes and cooked pasta, when re-heated.

Here are some ideas to get you started!

Buy the largest package of chicken you can find. Determine how many meals you can make with it by calculating how many pieces your family will eat per meal. A 16-thigh package will make 3-4 meals for most families... more if you're cooking for just two. The easiest way to process a large amount of chicken at once is to either boil or bake it. I prefer to boil it, because the broth can be used for meals as well. Lightly season with a generic seasoning. Remove the chicken to a colander and allow to cool just enough to handle. Pour 1/2 of the broth into a second pot. Shred several pieces of chicken and place some in each pot. Add chopped onion, pepper, and other vegetables (no potatoes) and cook to not-quite-tender. Cook in the refrigerator, then freeze (XL zip-loc bags or large tupperware work great!) Pot # 1 becomes chicken stew on cooking day when you add potatoes and cook.

For Pot # 2, thaw and add rinsed rice (guestimate how much liquid is in the pot). For a twist, add a can of diced tomatoes and some frozen corn. That leaves half of the chicken remaining to be processed. Put half of it in a gallon ziplock bag with a can of mushroom gravy. Thaw and bake. Shred several pieces and freeze; use this for chicken fajitas (add frozen tortillas and fresh veggies). Run the rest through your food processor, add mayo and chopped celery, and you've got an effortless lunch (do not freeze - if you want to make this ahead simply freeze the chicken and add mayo later). See how easy it was to make several meals?

Wait until the grocery store has those huge salmon on sale and bake it. Slice into several large pieces. Cook some rice. Put one of the large pieces and some of the rice in a disposable tin pan, along with a package of mixed stir-fry type veggies. Cover with foil and freeze; to cook simply pop in the oven until hot. De-bone another piece, add the rest of the rice, two or three eggs, and some seasoning salt. Mold into a loaf pan and put the whole thing into a ziploc bag. This makes a wonderful salmon loaf. Bake some potatoes in the microwave and serve with a crisp salad. Debone the rest and freeze in a bag. On cooking day, add milk (cream if desired), water, diced potatoes and a bag of frozen corn. Instant-easy fish chowder!

Hamburger can be used so many ways! I don't recommend cooking hamburgers ahead of time, and since you should not re-freeze raw meat it's not always feasible to make patties to cook later. However, if you simply brown the ground beef there are thousands of potential recipes. (ground turkey, pork, or venison are equally good) I generally add an onion, a green pepper, and celery to the ground meat. Cook until lightly browned, and drain the fat. Portion into small freezer bags for instant tacos, sloppy joes (add diced tomatoes and heat), pasta sauce (add sauce and heat), shepherd's pie (add corn and instant mashed potatoes), and GB casserole (add cooked rice and tomatoes). You can also mix the raw ground beef with frozen onions and peppers, and crushed crackers. Mold in loaf pan and freeze. Top with catsup and bake.

If you stick to cooking just 3-4 freezer meals at a time by purchasing an extra amount of meat, you'll cut your cooking time down to just once or twice a week!