I got this idea from Top Chef… but if you cook up a HUGE batch of chicken (season it well, etc), cube it, and individually quick freeze them.
Then make a HUGE batch of different types of veggies (or just buy frozen veggies), as well as a pot of delicious sauces and stocks that normally take hours to make being frozen into little cubes using an ice cube tray (or buy it in bottles to pour on top of the food).. you could actually mix and match your frozen meals and be able to reach into the freezer, pick out what you need (chicken with alfredo sauce? Or with tomato sauce? Or teriyaki sauce?), throw together a meal quickly and eat.
It’s also cheaper… It’s something I’d like to try once I get a home. See how that works out for me. I know how it is when you get home from work, you’re tired as hell, and phoning for chinese takeout is just so much easier than trying to figure out what to make.
They can be my backup meals… that are healthy and homemade.
The other way, is to not individually quick freeze everything, but to make a lot of chicken pot pie at once and freeze them in individual portions so it’s easy for your family to reach in, pick out a bag, toss it in the oven or microwave, and eat rather than whine “there is NOTHING to eat in this house!” (something I’ve done many many times to my poor mother).
Or with other items that freeze well like meatballs, meatloaf…anything 🙂
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Anon: I’ll have to check out the site later on. Rocco is a very entertaining to watch 😉
Hmm…I never thought about custom freezing my own meals! That sounds like a really cool idea; Especially separating them so you can mix and match…I’m totally gonna try that now 🙂 I used to be extremely anti-frozen food, but when I found Bertolli’s Mediterranean Style frozen dinners I completely changed my tune! They’re absolutely incredible; minus all the hard work! You should check out http://www.whatsyourmedstyle.com and try them! I work with Bertolli, so I can vouch for ‘em 😉 You can also check out Rocco DiSpirito preparing some amazing dishes on that site! Now I’m gonna go work on some of these cool custom dishes you suggested!
Oh yes.. I never even though about portion control!!!… I tend to eat as much as my eyes want LOL
This is a great idea, Rachel Rae gave this tip once, but I’ve actually never done it myself. Its also really good for portion control if you freeze by portion in sandwich bags or something. I don’t usually take the time to cook weekdays either, because by the time I get home, I’m too exhausted to dish something up.
I think there’s a way to freeze it properly…
If you watch Top Chef, it’s season 3, episode 7 called “Freezer Burn”
I eat soooo much frozen food, and it definitely eats into my budget. I’ve tried freezing stuff before, but it always ends up nasty. I’ll have to try it again, though.