There’s nothing worse than cooking a meal and no one liking it. Or, to make it worse, cooking a whole batch of something. That’s why I am here today to share my #1 trick for freezer meals that actually get eaten.
I feel you, it’s happened to me. I was seriously tempted to call it quits. But then I thought about the freedom meal planning gives me, and all the time I save from knowing what’s on the menu, and being able to plan to double or triple meals so I do not need to cook every single night of the week. And I decided to stick to it.
Lo and behold, my #1 trick for freezer meals that actually get eaten
Freeze foods that are versatile. It is that simple. Why this makes a huge difference is that you can make many different types of meals from that key ingredient/s that you’ve put together. And in much less time too.
Let me give you a few examples.
- Prep and freeze a plain bolognese sauce
The sky’s the limit over here! Whilst your picky eater may only like this over pasta, you may want to add some chilli and kidney beans and transform it into a chilli con carne for the rest of the family. Or throw some mashed potato over it, bake it, and transform it into a cottage pie. Or stuff some bell peppers with it, grate some cheese on top, and serve stuffed bell peppers. See where I’m going with this? - Cook a whole chicken
Bonus points if you cook it in a slow cooker – it will take you seconds to throw it in there! Once it’s cooked, shred it. Then portion it up in several freezer bags and stash it away until you want to cook something with chicken. Again, picky eaters get to eat their chicken plain without worrying they won’t eat your more interesting dinner. And you can make so much with shredded chicken! Sandwiches, soup, stir-frys, enchiladas, wraps, pasta, salad, pie, tacos, rice dishes….the sky’s the limit! - Roast veg and freeze
Roasted veg is another versatile keeper! Just keep in mind that when defrosted, the structure of the vegetables is due to change a little bit. This is due to the high water content. I find that I prefer to use roasted, frozen vegetables for specific dishes such as soups, wraps, pies or casseroles. They’re also a great to blend and hide the veg in a pasta sauce for younger kids that will not eat much veg otherwise.
If you want to serve as a side, as is, drain the excess water when defrosted, and re-roast in a hot oven.
These tips have been a saving grace for me on many an occasion. It is so much easier to cook meals when you have a basic meal or ingredient/s that’s already been cooked in advance, and you get bonus points for keeping it simple for some, and going all out for others!
Don’t forget to add those favourites you come up with to your database, so next time you meal plan, you can do it quickly, too!
Love,
Nakita xxx
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