by Pat Merewether

Created on: March 07, 2008   Last Updated: June 29, 2009

I enjoy cooking, I just don't like doing it every day. I have a sort of Zen approach to preparing meals, and follow how I feel and go with the flow, sort to speak. This is why I cook things in batches and freeze some for the day (or days) I just don't want to think about what's for dinner?". As question my husband has learned to avoid, it's a self-defense thing.

Here are some of the meals I make in batches and serve one and freeze two or more for later.

Meatloaf. I use meatloaf to incorporate veggies and non-beef protein into our meals. I do use some beef, but also ground turkey, VTP (a soy vegetable protein), and carrots, onions, green peppers and a potato processed in a food processor. I make a batch with five or six pounds of meat and the rest is egg, bread crumbs, veggies, etc. I divide it into four meatloaves, cook one and freeze three. Freeze the meatloaf uncooked, it just gets weird and crumbly if you cook it then freeze it.

Lasagna. This freezes very well. I bake two large pans and bake it, then freeze it. It just seems better cooked then frozen.

Chili. My family loves my chili (well, it's my Dad's recipe) so I make a six-quart crock pot full and freeze in two-quart containers.

Stew. I use grass-fed, organic beef, but only a pound in a six-quart batch (again crock pot). I chop it in small chunks and this gives the stew a nice flavor, but not a lot of red meat. Stew freezes great and I freeze it pre-cooked.

Tuna Casserole. This is a very simple dish that we think of as comfort food. It's cooked pasta (I use elbow macaroni - whole grain), canned cream soup (celery, mushroom, chicken, whatever) and peas are the main ingredients. This I bake in individual glass casserole dishes, Pyrex , and bake three at a time and freeze two.

Ground Meat: I purchase a pound of ground chuck and two pounds of ground turkey and brown it in a frying pan, then freeze it in about three-quarter pound servings. I take it out to thaw ahead of time to make tacos or Sloppy Joes.

This saves you a lot of time on busy days. Add a hot vegetable and a salad to the meat dishes and you're good to go. Even the kids can cook' these meals. The stew's and Chili are even easier. I serve them with salad and bake some cornbread (I confess I use a mix).

Other things you can do is chop and freeze peppers and onions. I often do this during gardening season. They come in really handy and it doesn't take much more time to make up ten packets than one if you use a food processor. Lately I use the Press and Seal product so I can make sure all the air is out and there's no freezer burn. I make up ten to twelve packets and place the packets in a plastic bag and freeze them.

If you like home baked rolls, make up a batch or two and freeze the frozen dough. It's a lot cheaper than store bought and you can use whole grains.

Knowing you have your own frozen meals ready to heat and serve takes a lot of stress and pressure off of the cook in the family. I sometimes freeze individual servings as well.

Another way to take stress of off the cook is to have a weekly menu and shop from it so you have the ingredients on hand. Part of what bothers me about meal preparation is trying to think of what to fix and then hoping I have the ingredients.

Make a list of a dozen or so meals that you and your family like (make nutrition a big part of this). I used to have a notebook for this, until it feel apart just about the time the kids left home. Make a shopping list of ingredients beneath each meal and that makes shopping day much easier.

Thinking and planning ahead will take only one day a week and you'll be a lot less stressed and spend less time worrying about dinner. This also saves you from the "Let's just order a pizza or get takeout" syndrome.

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