How to Store Frozen Meals for Once a Month Cooking
One of the challenges of once a month cooking is figuring out how to store up to thirty family meals in a small freezer. The following article will walk you through the most common methods of storing your frozen meals. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Using Containers to Store Frozen Meals
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Plan ahead. You've picked recipes and created a monthly menu. The next step is to plan your food storage options. Review each recipe and decide the best way to store it. Don't forget to add the storage items (ie: plastic bags, freezer paper and plastic containers) to your shopping list.
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Store prepared soups and ground beef meals (like tacos and spaghetti sauce) in plastic freezer bags.
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Choose your meals wisely. Meals such as casseroles, whole chickens, roasts and meatloaves can be easily frozen (and reheated) in plastic containers or disposable aluminum pans.
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Consider investing in a vacuum sealer. Vaccuum sealers are wonderful for keeping foods fresh and preventing freezer burn.
Storing Foods Without Containers
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Line your cooking pain with tinfoil.
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Add a layer of plastic wrap on top of the foil. Make sure there is enough additional plastic wrap to cover the entire meal.
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Put your food into the pan on top of the plastic wrap and foil.
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Wrap the dish making sure that you do not allow any air into the meal.
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Place the securely wrapped dish into the freezer for a few hours. Once it is solid enough that it can be removed from the pan, remove it from the pan and place the food "brick" back into the freezer.
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Thaw the frozen meal slightly, when you are ready to cook and place it back into the original pan. Prepare as indicated by the recipe.
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Tips & Warnings
Don't forget to label all of your completed meals. The label should identify the meal, the date it was cooked and the day it was frozen.
As you are placing your frozen meals in the freezer keep a notebook or chart of each item. Once you decide to use the meal, cross it off of your list so you know exactly how many (and what kinds) of meals are left in your freezer.
