30 Meals in 3 hours. Wowza!
It was raining {again} when I got up yesterday so instead of working in the garden, I decided to get some cooking done. I had planned on trying to use up as many of the 5 dozen eggs that were sitting in our fridge.
But things didn’t exactly pan out that way.
I started with a simple frittata.
I had purchased a USAPAN mini fluted tart pan a while back and wanted to give it a try.
Usually if I have a lot of eggs to use, I’ll make a quiche. But a frittata just seemed easier {no crust} and I really liked the idea of being able to stack and freeze mini frittatas rather than slices of quiche.
The pan worked like a charm. I didn’t spray the pan or use any butter. I just poured the egg mixture in and popped the pan in the oven. Once the frittata cooled, I just popped them out of the pan and into freezer bags. Viola! Breakfast in a flash.
While the frittatas were in the oven, I made a small pot of soup with a bit of previously frozen pot roast {and juices}. The only things I added were 1 sliced carrot and some dehydrated kale and potatoes. It turned out fantastic.
I also made a double batch of black bean soup.
This soup freezes particularly well and all you have to do is heat it up when you’re ready to enjoy it.
Previously frozen mini meatballs over rice with {basically} pineapple pepper jelly poured over the top. We’re having this today for lunch. 🙂 Yum Yum!
While all this was going on I had bread proofing on the back counter in one of Zoë’s bread bowls. We’ll use the bread for egg salad sandwiches.
I also made a batch of our favorite mac and cheese {we had some of that yesterday for lunch} and froze the rest in double portions.
I also made a batch of cookie dough. Do you freeze your cookie dough too? Since it’s just the two of us in the house now, I like to freeze mine instead of baking all the cookies at once. It keeps us from devouring the whole batch of cookies at once.
I also boiled some eggs {for egg salad sandwiches}.
I ended up making 30 meals in 3 hours without even really thinking about it.
- 6 individual frittatas
- 4 portions of spaghetti
- 4 double portions of mac and cheese {so really, 8 meals}
- 2 portions of sweet and sour meatballs over rice
- 7 {16} ounce containers of black bean soup
- 3 {16} ounce containers of leftover pot roast soup
- 1 batch of cookies
- 1 loaf of bread
- A tub of leftover rice and some boiled eggs
Pro Tip:
Cook like you’re not doing the dishes. Once your husband sees all the lovely food you just made, he might offer to wash them for you. Mine did. 😉
30 meals in 3 hours and a clean kitchen to boot. What more could a girl ask for?
Now, if the weather cooperates and all goes as planned, I’ll just be popping meals in the microwave the next 7 days. A week of not having to cook. Giddy up! I am ready. Although now that I think about it, I may still make that coconut cream pie I’ve been craving. We’ll see.
Do you ever do this? Make a bunch of meals at once so you can spend your week doing other stuff?
Do tell. I’d love to know what you make and what your method is.
Have a good one,
~Mavis
Christine says
Did you convince him to put the cheese grater in the dishwasher?
Mavis Butterfield says
Ha Ha Ha. NO! He’s a weirdo and likes to wash it by hand. But hey, I didn’t have to do the dishes so what do I care, right?
Hawaii Planner says
We do this in smaller batches – we cook on weekends for the week ahead, and then just warm up meals during the week. I also do a few freezer prep weekends here & there, as backup plans, for when we run out of leftovers.
Beth says
Mavis,
As usual your meals look impressive! Now that I have a new upright freezer I might do that. The old one was so unreliable there was no way I would have done it.
I did cook a pound of Rancho Gordo beans yesterday and today I will marinate them. I’m planning to use them in big salads this week- it’s warm in southern Idaho so I don’t want to heat up my kitchen. I also have chicken breasts marinating and tonight we will grill them…salads with chicken for days.
I also made an amazing lentil dish from the Rancho Gordo newsletter- braised lentils with fresh fennel…it was delicious and I’m not sorry there are leftovers. I served it with leftover rotisserie chicken and caprese salad…
Rosemary says
I don’t make a bunch of meals all at once but since there are only the 2 of us, when I make a large meal, I will freeze half of it (otherwise we get sick of eating the leftovers). The things I usually make and freeze are:
• Eggplant parmesan – When I make this, I make a lot of it as it is quite messy and I would rather just clean up after it once. I pack it into smaller containers.
• Lasagna – another messy item, so I make a large amount
• Ham
• Turkey
• French Toast
• Cinnamon Buns
• Cookie Dough (I make over a thousand cookies for Christmas, so during the fall months I make cookie dough and freeze it – it saves me time and energy later.)
• Rotisserie chicken (from Costco) – sometimes we just eat the wings and legs, so I freeze the breast meat to use later for chicken fajitas, chicken salad, etc.
• Prep items – bell peppers, onions, green beans, strawberries, etc. When I buy a large amount of fresh veggies & fruit, I cut them up and freeze them (usually do all the prep cutting when I get home from grocery shopping). Another time saver for later.
• Not frozen but I make enough fruit smoothies and chilled Frappuccino to last a week. Saves me from having to wash the blender every time I want a smoothie or Frappuccino.
Saving time and energy . . . so we can enjoy & do other things!
Peg says
I make quiche minus the crust. I’ve never made changes to temperature or baking time.
Erin says
Same here!
Nicole says
“Make it look like people live here.” Your sink is evidence of that! Ha-ha…goal accomplished.
Ashley Bananas says
I haven’t done this in a while. But there was a time where I would do the following meals typically, bagged bbq chicken frozen for the crockpot later, meatloaf cupcakes frozen for later, pasta shells stuffed and set up in a pan with sauce for later, pumpkin bread loaves usually give extras to neighbors, banana bread loaves, frozen cookie dough usually chocolate chip. I still enjoy doing this but haven’t as much lately.
Bonnie Schmidt says
Please share the fritatta recipe! I plan to order the tart pan. Great idea.
Mel says
If you still have eggs to use, brioche and ice cream used to be my go-tos.
Lynn Y says
I know all that rain can bring disease to the garden, but thank the Lord right now for the rain. Here in northern Illinois we are in a drought already. My garden is struggling and it is only the first week of June 🙁 . The farmers planted their fields here but, as you know, those tender seedlings need rain.
kathy brown says
About every 6 -9 months, I have a Mega Meat day. I take 10 lbs extra lean ground beef, 5 lbs ground turkey and 5 lbs ground pork. Mix all together very well. Add a good amount of salt, pepper, chopped onion (fine chop) and garlic powder. Then I divide it into one pound sections. I add extra spices, breadcrumbs, sauces or whatever is needed to each one lb section to make the following:
Bacon Blue Cheese Meatloaf
Cheeseburger Meatloaf
Italian Meatloaf
Grilled Onion and Swiss Meatloaf
Homestyle Meatloaf
Meatballs (5 lbs worth)
Browned meat for Tacos, lasagne, spaghetti, skillet cheeseburger macaroni, and a ‘whatever’ (2 lbs of each one)
Once everything is cooked, it’s frozen in containers and ready to defrost and eat – or quickly put into a dish (like lasagne). This saves me a huge amount of time!
I’ll also put 10 lbs of chicken breasts in my crockpot with chicken broth and cook those on low all day. Then remove, shred and separate into one pound portions, and seal-a-meal for the freezer. Again, they can be defrosted and make quick meals.
Tawni says
Hi Mavis, have you written about how you freeze your meals? I’d like to start doing this again and am very interested in learning about your best practices–and what are the black dishes you use? Are they just recycled takeout containers?
That was an impressive three hours! 🙂
Mavis Butterfield says
Hi Tawni,
I like the Stack Man brand of deli containers for freezing soups as they are durable and reusable. I use meal prep containers for meals.
Rhonda R. Relyea says
I just love your new stove and Lucy posing with it make it even more beautiful. I used to have your ambition when I was your age, but I’ve really slowed down as I live with chronic pain. You go girl. I think you’re awesome! Kisses for Lucy!
Mavis Butterfield says
Thank you Rhonda. Lucy sure makes life fun. 🙂
Jennifer says
Over easy eggs over rice was a regular breakfast growing in SC where there was always a pot of beans, a pot of rice and a cake of cornbread on or near the stove. If it was a particularly fruitful week, you had bacon to chip up in it.