Fill Your Freezer With Winter Meals
It seems that as soon as Daylight Savings ends, so does my burst of energy. Each fall I find myself wondering where my get-up-and-go went!
That’s usually also the time that I find myself putting in place an arsenal of time-saving techniques when it comes to Kitchen Patrol. I plan meals for a month at a time, and I fill the freezer with a variety of different meals.
In this way, when the limited sunshine for each day is spent, I don’t have to use my limited energy in the kitchen. Having ‘meals on ice’ makes dinnertime in the colder winter months so much easier to pull off.
There are a variety of meals that are well suited for the winter season.
Soup is good food.
Consider cooking up a large pot of soup or stew and freezing it in meal-sized portions. These make for easy lunches, snacks, or dinners. If your family has varied tastes in soups, pack the soups in individual portions. Each person can choose his own soup du jour. Add a side of bread and you’re all set.
Dish it in one dish.
Prepare a number of casseroles for freezing. These just need to be tossed in the oven 30 to 60 minutes before serving. Add a vegetable for a complete meal. Some favorite casseroles would include lasagna, baked ziti, enchiladas, and my kids’ favorite, Lawn Mower Taco.
Make it for the masses.
Don’t waste time making one meal when you could make two or three or more. Bulk cooking doesn’t take much more time than cooking for one meal. You’ll reap the benefits multifold in the coming weeks. Cook up a big batch of red sauce or a mega amount of taco meat. These meal components will save you time later and help your family avoid take-out or processed foods.
