Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in Living on the Cheap.
Are you looking for more time during the week? Maybe spending more time with your family is high on your to-do list or you want to take up a new hobby but can never seem to find the time.
There is a solution to your time dilemma that you may not have considered before: freezer cooking.
When freezer cooking becomes a part of your life, you find more time, more money, and less mess.
You can do so much more that needs to be done and you still get dinner on the table. Sounds too good to be true?
Are you curious about what freezer cooking is or how to get started? Let’s take a closer look through some of the questions you might have.
What is freezer cooking?
Freezer cooking is making a batch of food in advance and freezing it until you are ready to serve it.
There are several different ways to freezer cook. First, you can go ahead and do all your meals in one day. Second, you can make recipes whenever you find extra time. Or third, you can get together with your friends and divide up who will make what and share the food.
That’s one of the great things about freezer cooking – it’s so versatile and can be done however you want.
What are the benefits of freezer cooking?
One of the benefits is the time you save with freezer cooking. When you make all your meals ahead of time, you spend less time in the kitchen each night. You no longer have to prepare every meal from start to finish; all you need to do is take the food out of the freezer and put it in the oven.
Not to mention, cleanup is a breeze. You’ll have fewer dishes to wash, and the kitchen will be less cluttered if you have to cook food that night.
When you cook all the food at once, you can save money by being able to buy in bulk. For example, if you know you’re going to use a lot of cheese in a recipe, you can buy cheese in bulk instead of buying it in smaller packages.
How do you get started with freezer cooking?
Freezer cooking is easy to get started. Once you’ve made the decision to try freezer cooking, simply find a recipe you think your family will enjoy.
After compiling a list of recipes and deciding how much food you want from each recipe, write down all the ingredients and go shopping. It’s that simple to get started. Then, you simply plan to prepare all your meals.
What if you are overwhelmed?
It’s easy to start with every intention of preparing and freezing food for a month and then be completely overwhelmed. In fact, I think it’s one of the main reasons more people aren’t continuing with their freezer meal plans.
If this is something you want to avoid completely, sign up for Erin Chase’s MyFreezeasy Freezer Cooking Workshop ($5 Dinner Mom).
The secret, he says, is having the right recipe. Its subscription service allows you to choose a recipe every month.
What supplies are needed to start freezer cooking?
You probably already have the supplies you need for freezer cooking in your pantry:
- Zip-top freezer bag
- Glass container
- Aluminum case
- Aluminum foil
Who benefits from freezer cooking?
Not only do you benefit from the time you spend in the kitchen, but your family benefits as they get more time with you. Plus, the food you eat comes from your kitchen and not from the drive-through.
You can also have a binge in the fridge and spend more time with your friends. And they can also benefit from ready-to-eat home-cooked meals.
How long?
If you have a full day to commit to freezer cooking, then an entire day. Or you can break it down into different days. The choice is yours.
What are some freezer cooking resources I can turn to to learn more?
The best place to find freezer cooking recipes is probably MyFreezeasy Meal Plan Service. It focuses on budget-friendly freezer meals and has probably been around the longest. Starting at $8 per month.
Another place you can look is on Pinterest. You might be surprised at how many recipes are actually just for freezer cooking. There are recipes for whole foods, crock pot meals, main dishes, and side dishes all intended for freezer cooking.
There are also ebooks on the market to help you learn more about freezer cooking.
If the idea of spending all day cooking sounds a bit overwhelming, you can still benefit from freezer cooking by choosing one thing to make in bulk. For example, if your family loves French toast sticks, you can make them in bulk and freeze them.
Then, the next time you decide to try your hand at freezer cooking, you can choose another recipe to make and go ahead and make some of those meals.
Over time, you will see your freezer start to fill with different types of food and you will eventually have enough food to last you several weeks.
Whether you want to jump headfirst into all freezer cooking or you want to test the waters, there are benefits to both.
Freezer cooking saves you time, money and your sanity. Are you ready to start saving?
