I am so excited to introduce a special guest-blogger today! Megan from NEPA Mom is sharing how she makes her life easier with bulk cooking. Megan is a very busy stay-at-home mom/blogger who shares family-friendly activities, great deals, and reviews of products that make her life easier! NEPA Mom is a great site to bookmark if you’re looking for things to do in northeastern Pennsylvania, or if you’re planning to visit. It’s such a wealth of information-you’ll never search for something to do with the family again!
So with a big round of applause, let’s welcome Megan!
Now that Fall is fast approaching and we are back into the swing of our extracurricular activities I find myself craving traditional comfort foods and trying to figure out ways to streamline our dinner routine. One way that I streamline is by doing bulk or freezer cooking. What this means is I prepare multiple servings of the same meals and freeze what I have prepared to use on an upcoming busy night. That way I always have something to pull off the freezer and all I have to do is defrost and cook~meaning I always have a healthy, home-cooked meal ready to go!
One of the easiest meals to do this with is meatballs. Just this past week I made over 8 dozen meatballs at one time and froze all of them. When I am ready to use them I just pull out the number of meatballs I want to prepare, drop them in the sauce frozen, and let them and the sauce warm up. Prepare some noodles, garlic bread, and a salad and you have a great, homemade meal in no time!
The meatball recipe that I use is one my mother has always used and it is pretty simple and straightforward. (obviously, I increased the amount I was using to make such a large batch)
Compliments of NEPA Mom
www.nepamom.com
1 lb Ground Beef
4 tsp. parmesan cheese
4 tsp. bread crumbs
4 tsp. butter (softened to room temp)
salt and pepper
( I also like to add a dash of Worcestershire sauce to my meatballs even though it is not included in the original recipe.)
Mix all ingredients well and form into small balls. Fry in oil until cooked through.
NOTE: When doing a large batch you can do one of two things. You can fry in oil to crisp up the outside and then transfer to a large baking sheet to cook fully or you can just bake them in a 350-degree oven for 20-25 minutes.
Once they are done cooking just move them to a plate covered with a paper towel and let them drain. Once they are cool I just load them into freezer-safe Ziploc bags and freeze them.
This is just one example of a meal that I make that works well in the freezer. I also do the same with chicken dishes and breakfast foods including muffins, waffles, and specialty bread. The possibilities are endless! Looking for some additional information? Check out the website www.lifeasmom.com as she often does bulk/freezer cooking. Additionally, there are plenty of cookbooks that deal with freezer cooking~two of my favorites are “Don’t Panic, Dinner is in the Freezer” and “Once a Month Cooking.”
With a little advanced preparation and work, you can have easy and stress-free family dinners even on busy weeknights! Enjoy!
What a great way to simplify mealtimes, Megan! These meatballs would be great with pasta or as meatball subs! Thanks for sharing, Megan! Be sure to stop by NEPA Momand say “hi”! Tell her It’s a Keeper sent you!
Christina
If you like this post, be sure to stay connected by subscribing to It’s a Keeper by email!
You can also follow me on:
I’ve shared this recipe on a number of websites, blogs, and recipe swaps that I’ve found. Please check out these sites on the Link & Link Parties tab above.
And, make sure to come back for my It’s a Keeper Thursday recipe and craft blog hop!
OMGosh I do this too! I always ask moms how they get food on the table every night since they have to cook every night. I pull dinner out of the freezer almost once a week. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one who does this.