We had a sad incident the week before last where a family member (who may just be the one who is typing this post) didn’t close the freezer properly and by the time it was discovered the icepops were liquid and the freezer dinners were only fit for the bin. When I got over the dismayed of binning 20 days’ worth of dinners for the kids, the frozen vegetables and the big bag of nice ice for my gin and tonics I realised I needed to get cooking.
I’ve a problem though, I love having a full freezer but hate spending a day or two batchcooking. So over the course of a week I’ve managed to refill my freezer with a bit of extra peeling and chopping and very little time investment.
Since everyone seems to think that batchcooking and having meals ready in the freezer is hugely time-consuming I thought I’d share how I’ve done it. (This meal plan is very, very red-meat heavy, we intersperse lots of other quick, lighter meals during the week and the odd beige one)
Sunday
I made Beef and Chorizo Casserole for dinner. Three times what I’d normally make. Two were eaten, the other portions frozen along with the leftover mashed potato. Freezer stock: 2 family sized dinners and 2 days’ worth with mashed potato for the kids to bring to their minder, and a spare porition of mashed potato
While the potatoes were cooking I made some Quick Tomato Soup. Three times my normal recipe, when portioned out into ziploc bags for the freezer divided up that’s lunches for 5 days for the three kids.
Beef and Chorizo Casserole with added mushrooms
Tuesday
Working from home today I cooked a Sausage Butterbean and Leek Casserole (double portions) for dinner which we ate with rice. I also oven baked a double portion of meatballs for the following day’s dinner while we were eating our dinner (meatballs bought in Aldi).
I made Broccoli Soup for lunch, cooked a double portion so I’ve three more lunches in the freezer.
Meatballs
Wednesday
I made a Tomato Sauce for the double batch of meatballs I’d cooked yesterday and while it and the pasta were cooking I put on a Chili Con Carne for Thursday’s dinner (again double the meat). Later, I cooked the rice for the following day.
Child sized portion of chili con carne with rice ready for the freezer
Saturday
We had homemade fajitas for dinner and while they were cooking I made a massive chicken curry, two days’ dinners frozen, one in the fridge for Monday.
The Results
So in one week of cooking for the family with very little extra effort my freezer has:
- 1 family-sized portion Meatballs and tomato sauce
- 1 family-sized portion Chili Con Carne
- 2 family-sized portions of Beef and Chorizo Casserole
- 1 family-sized Sausage Butterbean and Leek
- 2 family-sized Chicken Korma
- 1 day worth of child-sized portion Sausage Butterbean Leek Casserole with rice
- 2 days’ worth of child-sized portions of Chili Con Carne with Rice
- 2 days’ worth of child-sized portions of Beef and Chorizo Casserole with mashed potato
- Spare portion of mashed potato
- 5 days’ worth of tomato soup for the kids for lunch
- 3 portions of broccoli soup for lunch
