Comments on: Preparing Your Own Skillet Meals In Advance

By: Tara

Tara — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 19:36:04 +0000

Thanks for the tips… been trying to figure out how to freeze skillet meals (we like to cook up curries/thai for weeknight meals).

Just wanted to add that if you’ve got a big stewpot or crockpot another great way to cook in advance is to make up a huge pot, then freeze directly into large canning jars. The big jars are great for two people. Just pop into the refrigerator the night before or defrost enough to get it out of the can before you warm it up. I do this with corn chowder, chili, bean soup, minestrone (w/o the pasta), and a bunch of other soups. If you’ve got a big freezer its nice to have a variety. Soup, bread, and a fresh salad is an easy weeknight meal for us.

By: michael bash

michael bash — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 11:17:18 +0000

I’m happy to say I’m not even sure that a “skillet meal” is. Why would I want one/buy one? Trent says they’re more expensive and contain “industrial” products. 2 reasons not to buy. What attracts people to them? Advertising or convenience (read laziness/ignorance). Maybe it’s my age – 64; maybe because I am a serious amateur cook and Child & Hazan & Roden don’t think that way. I don’t know; we have more ingredients than ever before, and still I’m worried. RSVP

By: Organic Baby Food

Organic Baby Food — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 05:48:55 +0000

Wow… thanks for the great recipe! I will definitely be making that as soon as I write this comment, and then I’ll be having it first thing tomorrow! Thanks a bunch!

By: J Luther

J Luther — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 23:49:47 +0000

Cook’s Illustrated’s skillet lasagna is pretty awesome.

http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipe.asp?name=&recipeids=2575

(Membership required but they have a 14-day free trial.)

By: Wyntyr

Wyntyr — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 04:00:15 +0000

Ok Trent,
We hear how much you love to cook all the time. We also know how much you love to be frugal. Why not come up with a cookbook that you could sell on this site? I would love to buy a cookbook with ideas like these.
We would need tips on how to freeze various dishes. (veggies, rice, etc.) What would be some great meals that don’t cost an arm & a leg? Maybe you could get a collection of recipes from your readers? Maybe family recipes? Just an idea! :)
Thanks for the time you put into this site. I’ve learned a lot, and I appreciate it.

By: Becca

Becca — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:20:49 +0000

Here is another tip. If you cook the rice ahead of time (or mostly cook it) and then freeze it with your skillet, you don’t have to wait for it to cook. I am assuming that the rice is what is taking 40 minutes to cook.
My husband and I recently switched to brown rice instead of white rice, which takes about an hour to cook, compared to 20 minutes. So I either cook it when I have time to wait for it (on the weekend or some night when I am cooking anyway but it is not an ingredient) and then refrigerate or freeze it depending on how long it will be until we need it, or you can cook it in a slow-cooker that day. This strategy works well if you plan your meals out in advance. We plan 2 weeks worth of meals because we go shopping every other week, and so I can tell if I am going to need rice ahead of time. I find this strategy also helps save me time and money, since I know what we are going to eat, and when, and I can plan faster meals on nights we have other stuff to do. Plus, I dont have to rush out to the grocery store because I want fish tacos and we have no mangos for the salsa. (This has happened. It didnt end well. No mangoes that week at the store.)

By: AnKa

AnKa — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 15:04:46 +0000

Honestly, I think you would be better off putting those ingredients in your slow cooker in the morning (I guess you would chop the night before). I think it would likely taste better.
I am all for prep-ahead meals though, but I don’t eat frozen veggies (with a few exceptions)…

By: Paula

Paula — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 19:33:56 +0000

Wow Nikki W! some great tips, thank-you.

Thanks everyone for the inspiration and ideas, I have been meaning to get my act together in this way for a long, long time. I’m off to the grocery store, with a list!!(has to be the first time ever).

Wish me luck, I’m hoping this week ahead will be a little less insane as a result of the prep I do today.

By: Mandi

Mandi — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 18:36:29 +0000

Oh, but don’t forget to freeze them on a cookie sheet, then bag them! Otherwise, you’ll have a frozen broccoli brick.

By: Mandi

Mandi — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 18:34:42 +0000

@ WendyB. I garden and attend livestock autions (at which I can be surplus veggies and fruits for really cheap), so I can at home, but I also freeze the excess veggies with no problems. I too believed that you had to “flash freeze” vegetables, but I thought I’d experiment. turns out, there isn’t too much difference, just make sure you blanche them first. I make stirfry and freeze it all the time with little trouble. Hope that helps you.

By: MT

MT — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 02:28:35 +0000

This casserole recipe has been in my family for years. It only takes about 30 mins.

1 pound Beef
1 can Mushroom Soup
1 can Mixed Vegtables Or 1 bag frozen vegtables
1 Bag of Tater Tots

Brown ground beef and drain. Stir in Mushroom Soup and Mixed Vegtables. Let simmer for a minute or two. Place Tater Tots on top of mixure. Bake according to the directions on the Tator Tot bag.

This is fast and simple and uses only one skillet. My boys love it.

By: Rob in Madrid

Rob in Madrid — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 16:59:44 +0000

Just a note on frozen veggies, in my humble opinion they are better than fresh for the simple reason they are frozen when ripe where as fresh are picked green (think tomatoes) and aloud to ripen in the store. Fresh veggies picked when rippened wouldn’t last the long trip to the store or all the handling they get.

By: Schizohedron

Schizohedron — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 16:35:09 +0000

Thanks to this post, I have a pint of my frozen chili thawing on the counter. Chili is one of my two go-to make-a-bunch-and-freeze meals (the other being a meaty pasta sauce). My lunch needs are now secure. Much obliged for the reminder, Trent!

By: BigRed

BigRed — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 15:16:33 +0000

Jen–that’s a great idea, esp as people will be bringing you food (as an excuse to see the baby, of course!) and/or asking you if you need anything. We got a lot of “complete meals”–usually a pasta based entree, which you can freeze, and a salad (gotta eat that now) and dessert–from friends. We had a teeny freezer when we were new parents, or having a reserve would have been a great idea.

Congrats, by the way–my two are 18 months apart, so I know what’s it like having them close together.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 13:02:12 +0000

Love this idea, have you ever tried substituting ground turkey for beef? I’ve found that it’s less than half the price, not so hard on the environment and the taste difference is negligible. In fact, we use turkey for everything including (especially) chili and tacos.

By: Jen

Jen — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 02:53:17 +0000

I think I’ll have to try this one. I normally cook every night and I do enjoy it. However, I’m a SAHM mom to a 2 year old son and my second child is due in about 7 weeks. I think I could easily makes something like this up and keep it in the freezer for after the baby comes! I bet my DH could probably heat this up without messing up….and that’s a big deal around here! :) I made some meals ahead and froze them before my first son was born and it helped a ton (both with our budget and hectic nights), so it will be nice to add something new to that rotation. Thanks!

By: WendyB

WendyB — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 21:04:22 +0000

My mom has always told me not to freeze fresh vegetables. She says that they have to be “flash-frozen”, which I assume is the same as quick-frozen like some of the other posters said was done on Top Chef. Or that you could cook them first.

What’s the deal?

By: Thea

Thea — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 19:24:33 +0000

If you lightly pre-cook and then freeze your veggies, starch and meat on cookie sheet (with wax paper) and prepare your sauces in an ice cube tray, your 40 minute meal will be done in 10 minutes or less.

No water from the tap and reduced cooking time, energy in the end.

By: Nikki W

Nikki W — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 19:01:59 +0000

Something I’m a pro at – almost. Search on “once a month cooking.” You don’t have to do all the cooking at once – start small.

As mentioned above, 2x your current recipes, cooking up, and freezing half is a good way to start.

As an alternative – I do this even when I’m working 80 hours a week – I do the bulk meat cook, because then 1/2 of your dinner is done.

I buy my meat in bulk (warehouse club), and just cook that up the minute I get home.

For burger – I’ll make the “meat base” for different recipes at once, often starting as I unpack the groceries and get settled in. (the meat is freshest then).

Think about how many of your recipes start with “brown hamburger,” like tacos, spaghetti, pizza topping, and even casserole bases.

While the first round of browning happens in each skillet, I’ll dice onions (food processors make a lot more sense when you are doing a big lot). I drain the burger, add the onion, and mix in the garlic (as needed), and cook that in w/ the drained hamburger until the onion is clear.

After that,I’ll also take one skillet and add the taco seasoning, one with my italian seasoning, etc…

Then, measure the ziplocks (x-cups per bag, depending on household size and recipes), and freeze FLAT on cookie sheets (as soon as they are “set up” I can store them on end, labeled, in a shoebox/organizer box so I can thumb through in my freezer). Label them… (cooked meat – you can wash & reuse zip locks, raw meat never).

To use, if I remember, before I leave for work, I’ll yank out the ziplock for that night, and put in the frig… head start for supper. If not, a quick low-power defrost works, while I boil the water for the pasta and heat the sauce in a saucepan. (In the summer, I grill up the bulk pack of chicken thighs and then dice and freeze for salads).

Of course, lots of sites have good recipes… I like the cookbook mentioned above and there are some other formal sites.

And don’t forget my very favorite “easy” way – the crockpot/slowcooker. Absolutely fabulous (especially if you freeze up the leftovers)… We loved corned beef, and bbq beef, and great soups (homemade chicken, for example). I can no longer comprehend paying $2 a can for soup, when I can easily make wonderful ones. I couple that with hearty breads (rye, for example) from my Good-will purchased breadmaker… yum.

Planning ahead is the key, though!

By: Dana

Dana — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 18:54:08 +0000

Bulk cooking is now a fad, and it cracks me up. Look up the “Dinner By Design” company and you’ll see what I mean. It’s cute when yuppies think they’re saving money with this sort of thing.