Freezer Meals

Freezer meals are the result of cooking more than necessary for one meal and being able to essentially save the rest for later. It can be as easy as doubling that family favorite soup recipe and freezing all of the left overs for an easy future meal or as involved as cooking meals for a whole month in a single weekend!

There are many good arguments for preparing freezer meals at home:

• They are much more nutritious than traditional prepackaged foods, ordering out, and the much loathed fast food trip.
• They are a great dinner solution for those hectic evenings.
• They are a great way to cook good meals on a budget!
• No need to worry about what's for dinner! It's already made. Some can be set out in the morning to defrost throughout the day and some go straight from the freezer into the oven.

Some of the less used names for freezer meals are once a month cooking, investment cooking, freezable meals, and freezer cooking. You can even get with a group of friends and plan freezer meals together! Buying in bulk and having your meal plan prepared in advance can keep those last minute restaurant trips to a minimum.

You don't need to have a big freezer. If space is an issue, you could do two week plans instead of a whole month of freezer meals. You could possibly even barter for some unused space in a friends' freezer. Keep in mind that the most space saving container we have found is the ziploc bag, just be sure to get all of the air out and try to make them flat so they will stack easily.

There are many cookbooks available to get you started with some new recipes, but don't be afraid to convert your own! You will find that many of you families favorites will work just fine. With a little bit of time and some planning, you will be on your way to blissfully free evenings thanks to freezer meals!