We actually traveled for Spring Break this year. We drove to Texas and stopped in New Mexico on our way back. We had such a great time. HOWEVER, every time we have a big trip I forget to schedule a couple days just to catch up. Our first week home was full of play practices, church activities, volleyball and choir practices. Needless to say it's taking a while to catch up.
I did start my freezer meal cooking for the month of April. We had used all but two of our freezer meals before we left, so it was a mad dash and not nearly as much planning as usual. So, why would I share the chaos version of freezer meal cooking? The simple reason is I don't want people to think there has to be a perfect plan. It's okay to wing it when needed, and it's absolutely okay to slow down and work with your schedule when necessary.
The mainstay of this month's menu was boneless skinless chicken breasts. Our Sam's Club allows you to purchase a case of approximately fifty pounds at $1.66/lb. This is by far less expensive than most sales, and it's a constant price so I don't have to worry about purchasing and cooking during the sale. In addition, even though it's a "case" of chicken, it's really a box of their prepackaged chicken breasts in the display case so it's easy to work with. Also, every package is individually labeled. If you're thinking you can't use fifty pounds of chicken, think about teaming up with a friend and splitting the cost. We also purchased 5 pounds of ground turkey, simply because tacos are a mainstay in our home and we can't live without them.
This is an approximate breakdown of how the meat was separated. Please keep in mind I plan meals for six or more. If your family is smaller, cater your menu to your needs.
Mexican Lasagna - 14 pounds (4 recipes)
Chicken for Chicken Alfredo - 7 pounds (5 recipes-I use 1 1/2 breasts for each meal)
Chicken Parmesan - 2 pounds (1 recipe)
Chicken Francese - 2 pounds (1 recipe)
Orange Chicken - 6 pounds (3 recipes-we make A LOT the kids INHALE this)
Thai Peanut Chicken - 2 pounds (1 recipe)
Stir Fry - 3 pounds (2 recipes)
Southwest Chicken Salad - 1 pound (1 recipe)
Chicken Enchilada Soup - 2 pounds (2 recipes)
Creamy Crockpot Chicken - 6 pounds (3 recipes)
Lettuce Wraps - 4 pounds - (was suppose to be 2 recipes, but the kids REALLY loved these and ate a little more than one recipe, so we froze what was left to use for when I have lunch company)
BBQ Chicken Salad - 1 pound (1 recipe)
Taco Meat - 5 pounds (4 recipes-we'll use the meat for Tacos,
Taco Soup or Taco Salad)
I can't BELIEVE I haven't posted the Creamy Crockpot Chicken recipe yet, and will post it with the others soon. We have already made the Lettuce Wraps, so that will be up soon also, but the others...well, they are new recipes, so you'll find out how they taste with us.
What's Next?
You have your food prepped, it's bagged and frozen, and you're not sure what to do.
Make a calendar. One of our new favorites is Cilantro Lime Shrimp. I bought 2 pounds of shrimp to make that this week, and we have pizza EVERY Friday. So, the other item in our freezer is a HUGE bag of pepperoni. Between all this and the chicken, we have 34 dinners, plus the southwest chicken salad was planned for lunch a weekend we have company.
I started my calendar on April 2nd. We will be gone Easter weekend, so there were three free days. With all this, we have our menu planned through Monday, May 9th. One of the main things we look at when planning our menu is game schedules. We have a volleyball player in our troop, and the games can go until 6:00 p.m. about 30 minutes from home. Those nights always end up with a crockpot meal or a salad. All the work can be done in advance, and we're ready to eat as soon as we get in the door. The joy to planning is it eliminates the need for fast food stops on those crazy nights.
This post is getting really long, so I'll just finish up with a couple quick notes. All of these meals require something more than what's in the freezer. I don't have the space in my freezer to keep the full meal, and some things just don't freeze as well as others. With that in mind, the last key to success is making sure you have supplies on hand for the night you are planning to use your frozen food. For example, with the chicken alfredo we only freeze the chicken. Because we made enough for five dinners, I also purchased enough pasta and alfredo sauce for the five dinners. If you need to, label what's in your pantry to make sure it's there when you need it.
Last, the way I do freezer meals does not eliminate grocery shopping through the month. We go through a lot of milk and fresh fruits, and as you can see salad is a frequent on our menu plan. I do try to think about side dishes and plan according to keep shopping minimized to once a week when at all possible. If you have room in your freezer for frozen vegetables, you may have a little more flexibility than I do.
This may seem like a lot, but I promise it is absolutely worth every ounce of effort you put into it. I cooked over two days total, with stops in between for laundry, dishes, and everything else that goes with getting back from vacation. More to follow on the cooking details.
