Multiple meals at once for the week

[BeachBum1984]

Does anybody do this? Spend a day in the kitchen and make a bunch of meals at once for the week? DBF and I are thinking about trying it, but I don't really know how to proceed. I'm a pretty good cook, but have trouble thinking ahead for the week about what to eat. Usually I decide what we're having for dinner right before I start cooking it. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks :)

[kschick96]

I do not cook for the week, but do take a day and make up things that freeze easy for future meals. I make meatloafs, hamballs, homemade BBQ sauce, spaghetti sauce, taco meat, browned hamburger, shredded chicken, breakfast burritos, and homemade muffins.

I just keep this stuff in the freezer and when I feel like using it-I pull it out. Sometimes we go through it in a couple of weeks-sometimes it takes several months. It seems to work well for us.

Good luck!

[Abbybob]

I try to do a cook ahead day once a week. I bust out both crockpots and make at least two meals, plus I'll make pasta sauce on the stove. I also make apple sauce if we have any apples that look janky. I'll portion everything out: 2 servings for dinner, plus lunch portions (usually 2). I put half the sauce in the freezer for later.

We're going back to the zone diet, so I won't be baking as much :(. I know a lot of ladies bake ahead too. But I will be in better shape for my son.

[JulieDB]

I don't because some foods won't keep for a week. Like cooked ground beef. Unless you freeze it.

What I will do sometimes is make foods for two to three days at a time. Yes, we might eat the same thing twice in a row. I might make a really large pot roast with lots of veggies. We will eat this two days in a row then the leftovers will be combined with more veggies for soup. My mom would turn the leftover meat into hash but my family doesn't seem to like hash.

I sometimes buy big packs of ground beef at Costco and cook it all up at once. Then portion it out for the freezer so I can add it to pasta sauce or make something like a Tater Tot casserole. Sometimes I will season half of it with taco seasoning. I used to cook up a lot of chicken breast at once but daughter didn't like this. I finally just bought some frozen precooked chicken breast. Turns out she doesn't like that either. Gah! But she will happily eat the chicken breast from Wendy's which I know must come frozen.

Costco does sell some Mexican chicken in a big package that she will eat. And they used to sell Carne Deshebrada in a big package that was good for several meals. Wish they would do stock that again!

[cb1504]

I work all week and cook on the weekend. Here's some ideas that might work for you. Just cook what you love, make extra and freeze the leftovers in serving size portions.

Frozen browned ground beef is a must. I cook up a batch with a little olive oil and some onions and freeze it in about 1-1/2 to 2 cup size portions in zip bags. It's perfect for spaghetti, burritos, whatever - just season at will.

I like to boil up a big pot of chicken with poultry season S&P, & garlic, cool and shred from the bones. Freeze in -1/2 to 2 cup size portions in zip bags. We use this for fajitas, chicken salad. Sometimes I get a jar of gravy and heat it up with some chicken and serve over instant mashed potatoes. (think healthy KFC bowl and add corn)

Also a big pot of chilli freezes well in single serving sizes.

I make crock pot stew - just thickened soup and freeze it too. It's really nice to have a slow cooked meal, where the flavors have been able to develop, from a reheated freezer meal on a busy day. Chicken or beef (slow cooker pot roast).

You can freeze foil pans of enchiladas or lasagne. Individually freeze burritos on a cookie sheet then toss them in a zip bag. (Yumm! I'm getting hungry).

I do this because I only have to clean up on the cooking days - the reheating days are mostly a dinner plate in the microwave.