Cooking in bulk helps us save money AND is a tremendous time saver. Most folks might assume the opposite but we’ve found that if we set aside a little time each week to cook in bulk (about 2-3 hours at the most) then we save a lot of time in the long run. Plus, when I'm pressed for time (which is a standard mode of me) it’s a major de-stresser to simply pull a fave dish out of the freezer (thaw and heat!) or to have ready-to-go food to nosh on all week without "making to order." Cooking in bulk also aids my meal planning. Often I can determine my budget for the week based on what I may already have in the ready to go from the freezer. As you can imagine, I find myself cooking in bulk more often when I have a surplus of food (see my "buy in bulk" post) and and less in leaner times. It all balances out.
Here's a shot of my freezer from last October:
PESTO!! I typically make at least a quart at a time and freeze for future use...
Here’s how cooking in bulk works for us:
Designate a “bulk” cooking time
For us, this usually happens Sunday afternoon. The labor varies: One week my husband (affectionately called “Danger Dad”) might start prepping and chopping veggies and I’ll assemble the dish. Or maybe I’ll start the process and he’ll be in charge of making sure it gets cooked, like pasta sauce. We usually choose about 2 recipes; typically those include a side dish, a sauce and/or a main dish.
Create versatile dishes for the week
Our bulk cooking includes creating something that can be eaten all week long, in a wide variety of ways. Good examples include:
-Beans – Excellent in scrambles, tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, with rice or as a side dish
-Quinoa – Make a “plain” batch and then reheat and toss with dried fruit or shredded parmesan or sun-dried tomatoes when a meal is needed.
-Macaroni and Cheese – A popular side or main dish at lunch or dinner. Seriously, mac and cheese rocks and my recipe won't make you feel guilty about eating it...
-Meatloaf – A hearty main dish, but also good sliced in sandwiches or crumbled into scrambled with eggs at breakfast.
-Roasted veggies - We toss with a little olive oil and kosher salt then roast on the grill, using a grill pan… Great for a side dish, wrapped in tortillas, tossed in pasta, layered in lasagna, scattered over rice and more…
-Chicken – Either baked, roasted or in a crockpot , a chicken is always a fave make-ahead meal since it can be used in about a thousand ways all during the week… Shred over fresh, organic greens; create a spicy chicken salad with chipotle mayo; tuck into enchiladas and on and on.
Create freezer meals
We love keeping our freezer stocked with meals and side dishes. Items that freeze beautifully are:
-beans (black, red, you name it...)
-lentils
-hummus
-lasagna
-tomato sauce
-enchiladas
-pesto
-pizza dough
-waffles
-mac and cheese
We’ll make a big batch of any of the above, save some for eating that week, and freeze the rest.
Next up: The tools of my "bulk" trade... I'll share my fave products and methods for storing food.
Organically yours,
Minde
What are your fave dishes to COOK in bulk? Share your recipes here... :)
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