Meals Ideas Needed

charley24

WOW Some amazing ideas thank you!

Am taking notes of all your suggestions !

I have to say I love CHEESE and we all love PASTA, CHICKEN, TOMATO...the kids foods tends to be plainer, my DD6 loves mince (altho I HATE IT) !!!!!!!!

I can't wait to eat my pea and ham soup, will let you know how it turns out !

The fajitas sounds great YUM !

Would you suggest buying frozen chicken breast etc for the freezer? We eat a lot of chicken !

Also I am going to attept some pies/cakes etc this week too!

Thanks for all the replies, tips and menu suggestions I certainly have a LOT to get on with !

HOLsale

Magentasue wrote:

If you're making meat based lasagne, could you pad it out with veg/pulses .

aubergine is great for padding out any mince based meal as when it's cubed it soaks up the grease and flavours from the mince and the texture is somewhat similar!

Sarahsaver

I would get whole chickens because then you can use the bones to make stock. Look at the price per kilo on th elabel and you will see that a whole birdie is cheaper than bits of one.

dora37

Hi,

Just reading through this thread and think cooking and freezing is an excellent idea both from a economical and health point of view.

Just a couple of questions - can all meat dishes (casseroles,stew,bolognases etc) be frozen and what do you use to freeze them in (containers,bags)?

Thanks

chardonnay_2

buying a whole chicken can be cheaper but having frozen chicken breasts can make things a lot easier and quicker. you can take these out to defrost or defrost in the micro if you have one. some swear by bying a whole bird and portioning it but this can be daunting so do whatever you feel is best for you.

squeaky

dora37 wrote:

Hi,

Just reading through this thread and think cooking and freezing is an excellent idea both from a economical and health point of view.

Just a couple of questions - can all meat dishes (casseroles,stew,bolognases etc) be frozen and what do you use to freeze them in (containers,bags)?

Thanks

I normally line a container with a bag, top up with a portion's worth of the casserole, freeze, and then lift the bag out. It will stack nicely and you get to use the container again.

Don't forget to label it - or write on the bag.

I've not found a stew type meal that doesn't freeze well. Yet

Becles

Keep an eye on the "reduced to clear" fridges in supermarkets.

I buy packs of mince, chicken portions etc., reduced as they are on their sell by date. However you can put them in the freezer and use them up as and when you like.

windym_2

dora37 wrote:

Just a couple of questions - can all meat dishes (casseroles,stew,bolognases etc) be frozen

Thanks

A general rule of thumb - if its been frozen in one form/state then it cannot be refrozen in the same ie. raw frozen chicken can be defrosted, cooked into a meal and frozen. You must ensure that anything, particularly poultry (cooked or just raw) which is frozen is 100% defrosted before cooking, and that cooking is thorough and hot.

Most other things can be frozen successfully albeit some suffer - I find bread tends to be a bit tasteless.

LH79_2

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food has a v good recipe finder. You can search by food programme, or just type in an ingredient and it will give you recipe suggestions. Also a bit on seasonal food, so you can find recipes for the stuff thats at the markets this time of year. Much cheaper than buying cookbooks! :j

Rebob

Soya chunks or mince is cheap and bulks out meat in most dishes. Soak a small amount with hot water and a bit of a stock cube.

My winter favourite is veg stew. Add a tin of stewed steak if you fancy or baked beans. Make a very large pan full.
Day 1. Add dumplings for the last 40 mins of cooking.
Day 2. Serve with pancakes.
Day 3. Add a pastry lid and call it resurrection pie!

Another similar idea is to make a large bolognese and serve with pasta. Day 2 - Top some of the mince with potatoes for shepherds pie. Day 3 - Add red kidney beans and chili powder and serve with rice.

Hope that this helps.