I started at 11am and by 5pm, I was done. But keep in mind that I was working and homeschooling during this time frame. Oh- and I took an hour long break to eat lunch and watch General Hospital. So it probably only took me 3 or 4 hours in all. By the time I was finished, I had 8 meals plus dinner for the night for a total of 9 meals. Sweet!
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| 9 Meals in 4 hours! |
Here's what I made:
- Veggie Fajitas
- Crockpot Bean, Barley & Veggie Stew X 2
- Marinara Sauce
- Baked Ziti Casserole
- Scalloped Potatoes X 2
- Crockpot Lentil Veggie Soup
- Crockpot Black Beans & Rice
I realize that this is a bit of a weird combination of meals but I literally decided last minute that I was going to do this. I did NOT go grocery shopping first or put together any sort of master shopping list. I simply made these meals based upon what I already had in my refrigerator and my pantry. Now that's pretty awesome if you ask me!
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| Add the barley but NOT the liquid |
For the Veggie Fajitas, I followed my recipe exactly except I did NOT put the olive oil in the ziploc bag. When it's time to cook this meal, I will add the olive oil in while it thaws for 24 hours in my fridge. Then cook and serve with tortillas and beans. I had some peppers that I needed to use up but I simply didn't have enough for a double batch. Oh well...next time.
With the Bean, Barley & Veggie Stew- yes, I did add the barley in with everything else. Add extra spices and feel free to mix in any veggies you have available. I put in carrots, celery, onions, garlic, cauliflower, peas, kale and green beans. Do not add in the water. Just add it to your Crockpot when it's time to cook. And same thing with the Black Beans & Rice. I added the washed rice but left out the liquid and will add that in later as well.
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| Use a measuring cup to ladle liquids into a bag |
Make one batch of this yummy Marinara Sauce and use half to 3/4 of it for your Baked Ziti Casserole. This casserole is seriously the easiest meal you'll ever make. Combine cooked ziti with the marinara and top with parmesan cheese and mozzarella. I use the remaining marinara for stromboli or homemade pizzas. Perfection!
Here's a few tips:
- Cut all your veggies & separate into bowls before you even get started. Same thing with your garlic. Then you can just scoop the right amount into your ziploc baggie as you put together all the ingredients.
- Use canned beans for your recipes. Dry beans simply won't cook right and might end up still being hard when it's time to eat.
- Do the easy stuff first. Yeah- you heard me. Get the easy meals out of the way. I saved the Scalloped Potatoes for last because they take the longest.
- Double up the recipes if you can. Because I didn't really do any prep work for this, I could only make one batch of certain meals. Next time, I will plan on making double batches of everything. That way I'm getting twice as many meals for half the work.
- Make sure you write the recipe in sharpie on the bag or container. And don't forget to include instructions if needed. How long to bake, what temp and of course if you need to add anything prior. You can even put what to serve it with if you wish.
- Try to make full meals when doing this- basically, something that can stand alone and doesn't need sides. Like if you make a roast, you'll want something to go with it. With these meals, almost all of them are complete meals. For the scalloped potatoes and baked ziti casserole, all that's needed is a quick salad and dinner is done!
I'm SO looking forward to being able to pull out a homemade and healthy meal from my freezer this summer. I don't know about you, but I really don't like cooking when it's hot outside, so this will make my summer a breeze. A little prep work now will save you time and money and bonus- it's good for you too!
Happy cooking friends!
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