Reverse Meal Planning

Suffolk_lass

Events conspired against us on Friday, with two of the guests away, and forgot to tell me, one forgot, one could not get out because her morning carer did not arrive until 20 minutes after the lunch, one was ill, taking out her and her daughter who stayed with her, and one drop out the night before, after the food was prepared. We dropped off four take-away meals from the leftovers (sending one home for the daughter, one to the no-show carer person, and two to the man too upset by his dog being unwell. Then on Saturday morning I offered another to someone buying a ping-din in the local convenience store, so there were only two portions left- which we had last night! 

Phew! A bit like the feeding of the 5000, some leftover chicken and beef fed over 20 meals for £21.50. And I still have some leftover pudding in the fridge here!

Tonight will be the chicken I couldn't eat at the quiz night. £12 for the quiz and my meal was half a chicken and chips. It will make a small curry here. I might open a convenience jar as that way it won't be over-cooked. I have also got the final butternut from last year out of my pantry, so that this year's can go in. If it is not too fibrous that can go in the curry with some of the mountain of chickpeas and frozen spinach, potato and onion. There might have to be two...

rtandon27

SL - I'm in awe of your kitchen wizardry! Alluding to feeding the 5000 did make me giggle!

Today is (Canadian) Thanksgiving and tradition dictates the same dishes we eat every year! Last year I was on liquids so this year we shall have the feast. Unsurprisingly we have many of the ingredients already so minimal spends will be incurred!
Pumpkin pie - 🥧 pumpkin & condensed milk from the stores, shop bought pastry from the freezer.
Green beans - again they are prepped and in the freezer - the choice is between organic abundance or shop bought - given that the sauce is made with a can of condensed campbell's cream of mushroom, we may very well use the shop bought - only need to buy a tub of crispy onions as I don't have the energy or patience to prepare them myself!
Stuffing - sour dough croutons are in the freezer, as are lardons with herbs from the cupboard.
So again I've forgotten that the only turkeys to be had at thus time of year are dire frozen monstrosities from Mr. T's or eyewateringly expensive organic ones pre-ordered from the butcher. Mr. S to the rescue as we've discovered turkey thighs are a thing, fresh in the meat aisle.  We shall pick up two or three today from the superstore in the city which is a win as really the only cut of meat we enjoy from the bird.  There will still be bones for stock so I'm happy!
Gravy will have to be out if a pack, but my dearest friend gifted me with a costco sized supply of granules from a well know roast chicken chain at home.
Sweet potatoes and root veg we have in abundance so the feast will be complete and provide meals for the week!
There will be much reverse planning over the week to deal with the abundance we will prep today!

Suffolk_lass

rtandon27 said:

SL - I'm in awe of your kitchen wizardry! Alluding to feeding the 5000 did make me giggle!

Today is (Canadian) Thanksgiving and tradition dictates the same dishes we eat every year! Last year I was on liquids so this year we shall have the feast. Unsurprisingly we have many of the ingredients already so minimal spends will be incurred!
Pumpkin pie - 🥧 pumpkin & condensed milk from the stores, shop bought pastry from the freezer.
Green beans - again they are prepped and in the freezer - the choice is between organic abundance or shop bought - given that the sauce is made with a can of condensed campbell's cream of mushroom, we may very well use the shop bought - only need to buy a tub of crispy onions as I don't have the energy or patience to prepare them myself!
Stuffing - sour dough croutons are in the freezer, as are lardons with herbs from the cupboard.
So again I've forgotten that the only turkeys to be had at thus time of year are dire frozen monstrosities from Mr. T's or eyewateringly expensive organic ones pre-ordered from the butcher. Mr. S to the rescue as we've discovered turkey thighs are a thing, fresh in the meat aisle.  We shall pick up two or three today from the superstore in the city which is a win as really the only cut of meat we enjoy from the bird.  There will still be bones for stock so I'm happy!
Gravy will have to be out if a pack, but my dearest friend gifted me with a costco sized supply of granules from a well know roast chicken chain at home.
Sweet potatoes and root veg we have in abundance so the feast will be complete and provide meals for the week!
There will be much reverse planning over the week to deal with the abundance we will prep today!

Happy Thanksgiving celebrations. Enjoy your feasting! 🥳🥂🍾

StaceyJF

Hi all, 

I would like to join you if that's okay. Have been reading the earlier posts. I've been trying to do this for a little while in a bid to save some money whilst finances were tight. Money is better now but I'm really excited to continue. 

Yesterday was slow cooker pork casserole with 4 pork chops from the freezer, some veg from the fridge and herbs from store cupboard, served with baby potatoes. It went down well with everyone. Last night I got sausages and puff pastry out of the freezer as well as 2 portions of pasta bake. The pasta was eaten for lunch and I made some sausage rolls which will be served a bit later with h/m chips and salad for the 4 of us. 

Supermarket shopped today spending £49 and going to see how long I can stretch it. 

Suffolk_lass

Welcome @StaceyJF - we are a little bit intermittent in the summer but it usually picks up a bit in winter, with fewer people away, and some regulars realising there will be nothing for Christmas feasting if we don't take ourselves in hand (well me, anyway!).

I made the huge chicken portion from my quiz night into a chicken curry last night, cheating with a jar of jalfrezi sauce that had been in the drawer for ages. I added two onions, two small courgettes, and several chillies, which I chopped up. I also cooked white basmati rice (very rare). We both really enjoyed it and as the dish is in the dishwasher this morning and the bread crust has gone, I am guessing DH finished it before bed-time.

I plan to make a ragu today that will do three meals (stuffed courgettes and a pasta meal, and I might use one of the tins of chickpeas to make a small chilli too). And there is one of the chickens defrosting (I accidentally had 2 lots of 3 for £10 in the freezer). There is a cauliflower too so maybe that is us for the week

joedenise

Planning on making a chilli tonight using a bag of my HM tomato and chilli sauce.  May also need to add some extra chilli as not sure how hot the sauce will be once cooked with the mince base.  It tasted quite hot on it's own!!!  Not sure what beans I'll be adding yet but there's a selection in the cupboard!  That'll stretch it a bit and hopefully they'll be enough for another meal to be frozen.

EssexHebridean

Morning all - welcome to the gang Stacey! 

Our freezer pretty much reach capacity on Friday with the acquisition of a bag of mixed sliced meat offcuts in M's YS'd bits - £1.52 for just over 1.5kg, and it's been split out by MrEH into 17 different portions for lunches - some of which will do both of us, and some which will do one or the other. (I have a win with some corned beer, MrEH is looking forward to several days of tongue and one of brawn!) what a complete bargain?! I am informed by himself that if I should see "lunch roulette" bags again in there I am to pounce! 

So this week has been defined by "needing to use things from the freezer" - or at least not add anything more to it...
Sunday roast was a lamb breast.
Monday night was spicy ragu from the freezer with pasta.
Yesterday - couscous with the leftover lamb breast from sunday (this preventing it needing freezer space) and air-fryer roasted veggies.
This evening will be haggis (from the freezer - one we brought back from our last Hebrides trip!) with mash and frozen veggies.
Tomorrow we will have a break from freezer stuff in the shape of sardine & butterbean pasta - a good old stalwart in the "economical meals" category! 

I may well batch cook cottage pie for one day next week - that would in turn give a portion for the freezer but that should be fine by then, and it will also use up a pack of mince from the freezer so all things will balance out! 

RT - the mention of turkey thighs was useful - I must investigate that next time I'm in S's. I know that M's also do full turkey legs, which they break down into the drumstick and the thigh for easier management. I did briefly consider one of those when in store the other day. 

joedenise

I definitely need to do a bit of reverse planning now!  I got a good £1.50 box from Lidl this morning.  There's definitely a stir fry going to be made with some of it.  Got quite a few decent sized potatoes so no doubt jacket potatoes will be on the menu.  I just need to sort out a menu plan for the next few days to use some of the stuff up and decide what can be prepped and frozen!  Definitely too much to use in the next couple of days.

rtandon27

EH - was just having a ponder & wondering if you could do a turkey thigh in your new multi-cooker? We cooked two in the oven (because it was on) and have found it to do 4 meals for two people.  One would be perfect for two people with one meal of leftovers.  Also pondering if a chicken drum would do better in your new gadget than it does in the oven.  I've steered clear of them as I find more gristle than meat, but this may become tender & provide lots of collagen if cooked differently?

Tonight's dinner is cobbled together from (you guessed it) TURKEY from Monday's dinner, roasties from the same meal, but lovely fresh green veg, pan-fried with an onion from this week's veg box   I've found a lovely recipe in this month's Waitflower magazine that uses up leftover roast root veg into a veg tart with some interesting flavours.  We'll just need to pick up a pot of their 'pul biber' spice mix, but have everything else in house so that might be made tomorrow or Friday.

joedenise

Have rejigged my menu plan and have just made a parsnip and pear soup which will do for lunch today and enough leftover to freeze for another day.  Have got a load of carrots so think I'll be making a batch of spicy carrot and lentil soup for the freezer.  Will do that in the SC so I don't end up needing to keep stirring to make sure it doesn't stick!

Corn on the cob will get used tonight with a Fakeaway KFC.  Some of the potatoes will be used to make chips so that will be a bit more of the box used.  Still to decide what else to do!