How to Organize a Meal Swap

You may be familiar with cookie exchanges at holiday time - so why not use the same time saving idea to make an entire meal? Busy families, singles, even retirees can benefit from this economical and efficient strategy for variety at meal time.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 5 - 8 Friends who want to participate
• Recipes
• Freezer large enough to accomodate your entrees
• Guidelines for the swap

1. Once you've found some friends or neighbors to join forces with you, it is time to establish some guidelines. Decide on a firm number of servings each dish will provide, the approximate cost of each meal (meat is more expensive than pasta), and the date you will exchange the food.

2. Ask each member to submit three different recipes to you (via email is preferable). Keep in mind these meals will need to survive freezing and re-heating. Once you have received submissions from each member, check to see if there are duplicates and ask for additional recipes if necessary.

3. Compile each member's 3 recipe submissions and share them with all members. Ask each member to vote for their favorite recipe from each group of three.

4. Count the votes, and tell everyone which dishes received the most votes. This is your menu for the swap. Remind everyone how many separate frozen meals they each need to bring to the swap (one for each participant).

5. Hold the swap. Every member brings frozen meals to the designated location at the pre-arranged time. Be sure each person gets one (and only one) of each different dish. It is easy to get confused, so ask everyone to clearly label their packaged meal with the date and contents.

Tips & Warnings

• Six members is a good number for the first round that you try this. Remember, each member needs to cook enough full meals for every other member.
• Choose a date for the actual meal exchange that is at least 4 weeks out to allow members to wait for the best price on their ingredients.
• Disposable trays are the best way to package your meal. Otherwise you may never get your casserole dish back. (Who has 6 casserole dishes, anyway?)
• On the day of the swap, it is helpful to bring a cooler to store your meals for the ride home.
• Consider hosting a recipe "preview": ask everyone to bring a snack-sized, ready to eat sample of their meal for a luncheon get together with the participants the day you exchange meals.
• People who have unique tastes or are "picky" may not be the best candidates for this idea. People who are open to trying new things will be more satisfied with a meal exchange.

[CAF2008]

on 10/6/2008 For even more information, check our www.cookingamongfriends.com and Cooking Among Friends, the Cookbook. It's the original freezer meal swap site -- established in 1999. We've got forming a group and cooking in bulk down to a science.