Freezer Cooking

I've cooked excess food to place in the freezer for years. Sometimes I'm more consistent with the practice, and when I am I save big bucks. If I have something to pop right in the oven, or heat in the microwave, we are less likely to spend our hard-earned money on quicky foods and take out.

There are a multitude of resources and books out there to help you, but don't let it overwhelm you. I started with what I already knew how to cook. I didn't start out doing an all-day-cook-a-thon, though a whole day's worth of work can reap dozens of meals when you have the time. I just doubled or tripled what I was originally going to make for dinner, starting earlier, and placed the excess in the freezer. I still work that way most of the time.

A few tips for preparing to freezer cook:

1. Look over recipes and make a list. Include items like extra foil, ziplock bags, and foil pans from the dollar store if you feel you'll need them.

2. Clean out your fridge and freezer

3. Shop sales and use up what you already have on hand when possible.


I cook oatmeal pancakes, breakfast burritos, muffins, and such, to have on hand in the refrigerator and freezer. Saves big on all those breakfasts out for my husband. He LOVES my oatmeal pancakes and asks guys he works with if they like them. They have NO IDEA what he's talking about because not many people know about them, or make them. He doesn't realize how privileged he is to get moist, nutty, oatmeal pancakes, hot out of the toaster or microwave. I'm sleeping soundly while he heats them up, and microwaves his turkey bacon, of course. :)