bulk cooking

[herm4]

Bulk cooking is the way to go but like the above poster find that taking one day to cook a whole months meals could be overwhelming. I have found that when I buy certain types of meat, that I can cook it many different ways if not on the same day but maybe in a day or two. I will make enough for 2 to 3 different times and freeze it.

I can't tell you how useful it is to have food already cooked in your freezer when you are under the weather. Also, when you have others that are ill and you're short on time and can't get out. I've saved many dollars by buying in bulk.

Interesting! I have never thought of doing my cooking this way. Also, I would think this would require a very large freezer. Which I don't have...

[cicy33]

Ill ditto the beware of not wanting to eat what you thought would be good 25 days ago!

Also while many say potatoes freeze well they change slightly, so does pasta, well all grains really, I would test it and see if you are ok with it before cooking up a months worth. Oh and sugar/vanilla it fades on freezing so awesome icecream is mearly ok without the comercial stabalizers, same with cookies and muffins, though many cannot taste it, I can.

I will also ditto the mini session, anytime you can fairly easily double I try to...getting harder with kids eating more! but I can often at least freeze some spag sauce maybe only enough for bubble n squeak, but still one less step.

also if you buy meat at a 'really good deal' marinade it before you freeze it, it thaws in the marinade and tastes great....I dunno the recipie, Husband is in charge of that part.

Okay, gotta know, what is bubble and squeak?

[thkgranny]

I do a combination of things - double/triple batches and cooking up the meat loss leaders in crockpots and then freezing them.
As far as storage space in freezer - square & rectangle containers work better than round.
I've also used freezer bags. To make them a uniform shape for conserving space, you keep the cardboard packaging other foods come in (cake mix boxes, snack crackers) or plastic containers for forms, place the bagged food in the container and let freeze. Then you can remove the 'brick' from it's form and stack in your freezer.

[mom-from-missouri]

I didn't know there were books-but I do it all the time. However, I find some foods don't freeze well--mainly the foods that have starches such as potatoes, rice and pastas as the main ingredent.

DH always BBQ, grills or smokes about 4 meal worths of a time. The meat I find freezes very well.

When I make soups/chili/meatloaf, I always do 2-3 batches at a time.

If I buy meat that is marked down due to its date, I buy it in bulk, cook it al up and then freeze what is beyond what we will eat for 1 meal.

Some I freeze in family size, other things I freeze in DH size. If I send it frozen with him to work, buy his lunch time it is thawed and ready for him to nuke, (and keeps the other food cool without needing an icepack). He works 12-14 hour shifts, so he likes a nice meal after being there 6-7 hours.

[whitestripe]

Here's a link to vegetarian once a month cooking:
Ellen's Kitchen

thankyou!!!!

[thomasm]

I usually cook enough extra for 2 or 3 meals and freeze it. I have to fix extra for my daughter's to take to work anyway. It's not that much more time consuming to cook a little more. I have always been used to cooking for a bunch anyway. It is only during the past 2 years that we haven't had a bunch of people around for meals.

I like freezing too

[Sebestian]

You may be looking for Jill Bond's Dinner's In The Freezer or Mega Cooking . I think there are many books out there on the topic.

Also, do a search on google for "once a month cooking"...there are tons of hits. good luck!

Yeah, I know about your mentioned books,

Really nice one!