What’s the Deal with Freezer Meals??

freezer meals #homemanagement #freezermealcooking

Freezer meals are about the greatest thing ever invented! And it’s like you can’t believe YOU didn’t invent it!

Freezer meal cooking just means that you put together a number of meals at one time. The best way to store freezer meals is in freezer Zip-lock bags. I would suggest not using regular Zip-lock bags as some have split on me because they couldn’t take the temperature swings. You can also use plastic or glass containers to store your meals.

Why I LOVE Freezer Meals

Assembling a number of meals at one time is fast. The three meals that you see in the picture took 14 minutes to chop and assemble – I did time myself 😉
Clean up is easy – you only clean up once after 3, 5, 15 completed meals, rather than cleaning up after every meal you prepare on any given day.
They save you $$$ because you know what you’ll serve rather than resorting to fast-food because you didn’t make dinner.
They also save you $$$ because you purchase the main ingredients on sale. When the ads come out for the week, look through to see what meat product is on sale at the different stores. Aldi’s and Fresh Thyme usually have the best sales. I usually purchase about three dinner’s worth and make those meals, put them in the freezer and wait for the next week with new sales on different meats. The first couple of weeks may be difficult if you have a slim budget, but even if you can make a double batch of a meal, you will gain the benefits.
They reduce the stress of one more thing to get done in a day. Although my days of lots of toddlers are over, I remember VERY clearly how difficult it is to start making dinner at 5PM. I was usually wiped out and not interested in cooking. Even now, with only my husband here, I don’t feel like cooking every night, so I take a meal out when I want a break.
You can double or triple the recipes and then you have double or triple the meals without any more work!

How to Make Freezer Meals

Make your menu keeping in mind what is on sale.
Make a list for the grocery stores – is your grocery budget out of control? Make a list and stick to it!
Grocery shop making sure you have all your ingredients.
Purchase gallon freezer bags (quart size if you have sides to go along with the main meal, or if you want to make the separate parts of meal, then assemble when time (ie, pasta with sauce).
With a permanent marker, write on the bag the date and meal description. It’s also helpful to write any cooking instructions right on the bag, that way you don’t have to go looking for the recipe again.
Although not mandatory, I love the bag holders linked HERE. They really help hold that bag open when I’m filling it.
Put on a great podcast or music and start assembling.
Try to take out as much air in the bag when sealing.
Stack the bags flat, if possible (you’ll get more in the freezer that way).

I saved $15 on these three meals of Honey Parmesan Pork when pork loin was on sale. Recipe in free download.

3 meals assembled in 14 minutes, ready to freeze then cook when I don’t feel like cooking! Recipes in download.

How to Cook Freezer Meals

Depending on what you make, cooking is very easy.

The night before, take out the freezer meal and put it in your refrigerator. If, closer to the time you’re ready to cook, it is still frozen, you can put the bag in warm water for about 30 min. That should defrost the contents pretty quickly.
Most of my freezer meals are for the crock pot, so I do make sure to take them out of the freezer the night before, or early in the morning using the quick thaw method described above.