I've been experimenting with freezer cooking (aka
OAMC) on and off for about 6 years. A year and a half ago we began the process to adopt from Russia and anticipated 2 or 3 trips to Russia and a difficult adjustment when we got home (we already had 3 kiddos - 7, 5, and 1). I took the waiting time to buy every freezer cooking book (I now own 9, I've read 5 others) I could find and find the best way to do it. I researched cooking co-ops, "BIG cooks", 'dinner station' type places, just cooking extra to build up a stock of food, dinner swaps, "make a mix" etc.
My goals were to:
1. save time AND money (sometimes hard to do both at the same time) and
2. serve things my kids (esp. my 8 year old who claims he doesn't like casseroles or sauces - we're working on it) AND my husband would eat (also difficult to do both).
My results:
1. In my ever so humble opinion, the best cookbook out there is the original (updated, though) -
"Once a Month Cooking" by Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth
Lagerborg. Of the 4 dozen or so recipes we've tried we like about 3 1/2 dozen enough to do again. They are a good mix of dad and kid friendly (not gourmet but not stuff I could have just thrown together).
2. I don't find their method efficient enough. I think it takes more time and more money than necessary.
My method:
1. Find my own recipes (mostly through the
OAMC book) and cut and paste to put together my own cookbook, sorted by the type of meat and meat preparation it calls for. Ground beef (raw), then ground beef cooked with onions, ground beef browned with taco seasoning, then chicken tenders (raw), etc. Meatless dishes are
categorized by their most expensive ingredient.
2. Watch rock-bottom price meat sales. About twice a month pick recipes using that cheap meat (or meats). I use this order:
1. pick recipes (if I KNOW we like it, I often double a recipe)
2. buy meat
3. come home, prepare the meat (brown, slice, etc.) and put in labeled non-generic zip-
locs (a few exceptions go in a casserole dish) with name, where to find recipe, cooking instructions, "go withs" I might forget and ingredients needed to serve the dish (starred in big letters on the bag). Sharpies are your friends.
4. keep things refrigerated as much as possible.
I can do all of this in an easy afternoon then (usually the next day) I
5. using the recipes, find all canned goods and fridge items needed to make all the recipes (I put all the fridge items in a dish tub in the fridge) and make a list of all the items I do not have in my pantry (leave the others on the counter - make sure you have enough for all the recipes you want to do)
6. Shop
WalMart or your cheapest store (I coupon shop separately so often have most of what I need stockpiled).
7. Finish the recipes (keeping meat refrigerated as much as possible)
8. Refrigerate until cold then
freeze flat a few at a time (you can then "file" them like files in your freezer, standing up on end)
9. VERY IMPORTANT - put them on your meal calendars - I print these
http://www.organizedhome.com/printable-monthly-menus in pencil. I freely swap throughout the month but keep track. We try to schedule to eat everything within 2 months. If you did all chicken dishes just do about every third day and fill in the rest of the month when you do pork loin (my fave), ground beef, etc. next time (watch the repetition and put things out as far as you need to to keep a good variety).
10. The first two months may be a little rough but then it's heavenly. :)
Later I will try to post my best tips and favorite recipes. Now I'm on to tweaking my laundry system.
