General Tips for Freezer Food Fixing

Prepare
* Decide on meals and how many of each meal, then make shopping list (I use  “Advantage Cooking” software)
* Go SHOPPING!
* Cook ground beef (with onions, optional) and drain
* Boil the chicken (save broth, if needed) - let chicken cool in broth, makes the chicken more moist
* Put cooked ground beef and chicken in refrigerator for tomorrow!
{With my 6-month plan I watch for sales on the items I use and then do the final
shopping and cook the ground beef on Day One.  Day Two I put the ground beef
meals together as I cook the chicken.  Day Three I put the chicken meals together.
Day Four I combine miscellaneous meals.}

Cooking Day
* Tape recipes to the cupboards (one group at a time)
   * Chicken Recipes
   * Ground Beef Recipes
   * Miscellaneous (ham, rice, egg)
* Keep crock pot recipes going throughout the day OR I suggest save the simmering for actual serving day
* Chopping, grating, cutting...Do all at once (or most to get started).
   I like to save some chopping, so my feet can have a rest after an hour or two!
   
Storage Containers
   * I use foil pans @ SAMS 30 for $7.88 ($.27 each) -Costco is a bit cheaper...Recycle...  Could invest in metal pans?
   * Tupperware (storage containers) - allow room for food to expand
   * Freezer bags (2 gallon are great for big meals - don’t use cheap brand)
   * Glass containers - they say it works if you leave space at the top - broke when I tried it
   * Label everything - even if you think you’ll remember what’s in each container - masking tape - permanent marker on
       bags - write on side of foil pan to easily identify when it’s in the freezer
   * Put cooking instructions on each meal  -  then you don’t have to look up the recipe on cooking day     
      (Ex:  Chicken Tetrazzini   30-40 min. @ 350)       Assume Uncovered unless says Covered

General Tips
* Get food to the freezer quickly once meal is prepared
* Freezer will take a while to freeze everything solid.  Try putting a piece of cardboard between your casseroles until they
 are frozen solid.  Then you can rearrange and compact everything.
* Try your cooking on a day when your husband or children can help - it’s wonderful!
* Make spaghetti sauce last and put “almost” anything that’s leftover in it - delicious!
* Only take time to “rinse” out bowls, pans, measuring cups between meals.  It makes for dirtying less dishes and less
 clean-up time.
* “Wash” bowls, utensils, etc. between meals with different meats and always with use of eggs.
* If you run out of freezer space at the end of the day, decide which dishes you want to eat within the next few days and put
 them in the refrigerator.
* Keep an Inventory list of meals, checking them off as you use them.
* Bring foods to room temperature before freezing.
* Slightly undercook rice and noodles that will be frozen in a meal.  Then they will finish cooking and won’t be as mushy
 after the meal is baked.
* Remember to defrost the meal during the day (it’s easy to forget to take it out of the freezer).

Calendar the Meals
* I used to keep a calendar for a month or two with meals assigned to each day.  I found circumstances dictated changes
 so often (or there were leftovers to use up).  Now once a week I plan the meals for the following week, noting anything
 else I need to go with those meals - for shopping purposes.

Further Help
* Check out www.30daygourmet.com -  useful information and a cookbook to purchase on this site!
* Try surfing the net and you'll find many freezer food web pages which will give you more recipes and ideas!