New meal planning idea

thriftlady_2 · 28 February 2006 at 5:34PM

All this meal-planning has got me thinking.I've come up with a formula for a week's plan.You need a freezer for this.

Monday - Baked potatoes filled with baked beans/tuna/cheese and coleslaw
or smoked mackerel/ham/cold roast meat/cheese with baked potatoes and salad

Tuesday - Meal from the freezer

Wednesday - Pasta with sauce from the freezer(or freshly made)

Thursday - Meal from the freezer

Friday - Fresh fish,potatoes,veg/salad

Saturday - Batch cook a triple meal - eat one and freeze two

Sunday - Roast,potatoes and veg

This would take a few weeks to get up and running.The idea is you spend one night cooking a triple batch of,say,chili con carne,freeze two portions so that you build up a bank of ready-cooked meals.When you have time you can cook up big batches of pasta sauce for the freezer too.The roast meal should provide cold meat for sandwiches and other meals.You could batch cook puds too.

Just an idea,I wonder if other people do anything similar? Sorry if I'm going over old ground.

SueRob_2 · 28 February 2006 at 5:50PM

Thats a bit similar to my system, tho I do a batch of cooking on Saturday or Sunday.
Sue

wigginsmum · 28 February 2006 at 5:51PM

Once a month I do big vats of bolognese, chilli and chicken curry - 5 or 6 2-person portions of each. I also freeze any leftovers from Sunday's roast, cut up small for use in stir-fries. We use pre-cooked stuff from the freezer maybe twice a week.

Lady_E · 28 February 2006 at 6:11PM

Really daft question then - if you batch cook and freeze , are you using fresh meat to start off with ? I have it from somewhere in my head , you cannot use frozen meat , to make a meal , and then freeze again . Am I right ? Or have i drunk too much cooking sherry?

comping_cat · 28 February 2006 at 6:12PM

You can use raw meat that has previously been frozen and once cooked, re freeze, if you are using cooked meat that was frozen , you cant re freeze!!!!

Trow · 28 February 2006 at 6:23PM

My plan involves a similar but different thing - instead of cooking up large batches once a week - when I make a meal (eg. chilli, lasagne, spag bol) that is freezable, I make two and freeze one (well, make 8 portions and freeze 4).

Also when I make mashed potato, I make a double batch and the next day make fish or cheesy tattie cakes with the leftovers to serve with whatever we are having.

Other things - make spag bol one day, take out half before adding herbs for a shepherds pie the next day (or to freeze).

Make a big pot of ministrone soup one day - leave the soup soaking into the pasta in the soup overnight and make a pasta bake with it the following dsay (just add breadcrumbs and grated cheese).

I also make pizzas and sweet and sour on consecutive days - to make the most out of a tin of pineapple.

thriftlady_2 · 28 February 2006 at 6:31PM

Lady_E wrote:

Really daft question then - if you batch cook and freeze , are you using fresh meat to start off with ? I have it from somewhere in my head , you cannot use frozen meat , to make a meal , and then freeze again . Am I right ? Or have i drunk too much cooking sherry?

I would either use fresh meat or defrosted raw meat to batch cook with.The rule for freezing meat is 'freeze once raw and once cooked'.

Skintmama · 28 February 2006 at 6:33PM

I cook enough for three meals for 4 people whenever I do any casserole or soup but freeze it in 2 person portions. Uses about 1.5kg of meat, or 2lbs mince for a chilli. I do have the 6.5litre SC, the main reason I bought it was to do this sort of thing.

Also, I make large quantities of tomato sauce which I then freeze for pizzas and pasta.

I make lasagne and cottage pies as one for that night and one to freeze.

I never cook just for the freezer but do one lot of prep for that night's meal, with the rest to freeze. This way I get days off but still eat home cooking.

You are right Thriftlady, the meals soon build up in there. We could eat all next week without cooking anything except the accompanying veg.

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