slow cooker bagged meals for the freezer?

Tink_04

Ok I have been looking at spending a day making up SC bags - prepped raw meals, bagged then frozen so i can buy everything I need and spend an afternoon prepping all my meals saving time and money.

The idea of bulk prepping and freezing slow cooker meals so they are ready to defrost and bung straight in the SC seems great, but I'm only finding American sites and recipes about this.

Does anyone do this? I'm thinking of what meals I could plan & if I'd leave the meat out of the bags?

Would love some ideas as this would save me loads of time if it worked -as a working mum of two this seems like a fab idea!

Tink_04

This is one of the sites I have found
http://whoneedsacape.com/2012/11/crockpot-freezer-cooking/

grandma247

I have been trying out the Maggie roasting bag so juicy range that is on offer at mr S for 50p a packet. A slightly lazy way to do it but it works.

I pack everything in the roasting bag, put the tie on it and pop it all in the freezer. I take a bag out the night before and defrost in the fridge. In the morning I add a little water to the slow cooker pot then place the bag inside with the bag tie very loose so air can escape. I cook on low all day.

I did 8 different ones to start with including a roast chicken one and so far they have been great. Not had one we don't like.

FairyPrincessk

I've found the same--most of the recipes seem to rely on lots of meat and pre-packaged sauces, soups and flavorings.

I've tried converting a couple of SC recipes to work for this--a chicken and pearl barley stew that has chopped carrots, onions, celery and chicken in the bag. You then add stock, tinned tomatoes, pearl barley and a few spices, but we got bored of it pretty quickly and it involved more meat than most of our meals so I haven't done it again.

Tink_04

This seems like such a good idea in theory but ok just can't find any good recipes that would work - would love any help - the Maggie bags are good I usually make them up in the fridge for the night time but have never put them in the school before.

Drachenfach

I've tried doing a couple of these, but the flavour is so much better when I've browned the meat first that I tend to cook the meal and freeze it after.

Using the maggi bags sounds like a good idea though.

pavlovs_dog

rather than chop and freeze things as meals, I simply have containers in the freezer full of individual types of prepped and chopped veg. I never follow a recipe when cooking, it is very much a handful of this, a handful of that and a dash of whatever is lurking in the fridge that needs using up!

This system allows me to take advantage of supermarket whoopsies on veg.