Everyone who accompanies me to the supermarket often expresses shock at their preserves and ready-to-eat meals and asks, “How do you people find the time?” Actually, I find that this procedure saves me a ton of time and cash. Here, I’ll offer some advice to make this task much more effective and manageable.
Don’t be put off by certain recipes’ size; the majority are freezer-friendly. And keep in mind that multiplying or tripling a recipe requires the same amount of work as making it in one batch. The same dishes must be washed, the same kitchen must be cleaned, and the same heat must be used. A busy family that is conscious of its budget would benefit greatly from having prepackaged meals available.
Put complicated recipes into stages. For instance, you may prepare the filling on Tuesday, the sauce on Monday, and assemble everything for freezing the following evening. This kind of step-by-step breakdown makes the dish more manageable and allows it to be completed on short notice.
To ensure you always possess a few on hand, save all of your takeout foil containers and buy a couple. Save as many of the plastic clam containers from baked goods, salads, and berries. Additionally, keep a box as well two of sizable sealable bags on hand, or a great deal of clean, re-usable bread bags. All of the aforementioned bags and containers are recyclable after they have served their purpose and may be cleaned and used again.
Aim to prepare at least one substantial dish each week while the garden is at its height for harvest. For instance, you may create 8 mini lasagnas and freeze the other 7, keeping one dinner out for dinner that day and perhaps remains the next. Before you know it, you’ll have cooked hundreds of different dishes, ranging from enchiladas and chili to various kinds of pasta and lasagna.
The majority of desserts may be prepared in advance, frozen, and then removed anytime you need dessert to give or pack on a vacation. In order for each of us to have a selection of sweets and snacks ready in the freezer, we prefer to keep several different varieties of cookies, a couple breads of loaf, buns, flat breads, and muffins stored. The task of preparing homemade meals is made easier and the desire to purchase fast food is diminished when there are snacks on hand and dinners ready to throw into the oven.