There are many options for cooking ahead. Some people undertake bulk cooking, cooking meals for a month or more all in one day. Others cook ahead on a smaller scale, cooking several meals in an evening or just doubling or tripling a recipe that they are making for one meal.
Making double or triple recipes is a good way to get started cooking ahead. You will need only a small amount of freezer space and it takes much less preparation time. It will also give you a chance to see how well a certain recipe will freeze and reheat. You may also want to try cooking ahead on a smaller scale if you are uncertain if cooking ahead will work for you and your family. If you decide that cooking ahead is a good plan for you, you might want to commit more time and freezer space.
To begin, find a tried and true recipe that your family enjoys. A casserole recipe would give you a great start. You will want to pick something for this first time that is not too complicated.
Next, think back to your family's history with this recipe the past few months. How much is usually left over at the end of the meal? By making more than one recipe, you may be able to package the casserole so that there will be no leftovers at each meal. This is a great idea for couples and smaller families. For example, if there is about one-third of the dish left at the end of a meal, you could prepare three times your usual recipe and package the casserole in smaller packages so that you can get four meals out of just three recipes.
When you've decided how many recipes of your casserole you will be preparing, you are ready to calculate the amounts of each ingredient. Simply multiply the amount of each ingredient by the number of recipes you want to make. With experience, you might want to modify the recipe slightly, but you won't go wrong by simply multiplying amounts.
You will also want to decide how to package the food for the freezer. If you're preparing a layered casserole that needs to stay in layers, you will want to freeze it in a serving pan. If it doesn't need to stay layered, you can simply mix it, then pour into a freezer bag.
Making double or triple recipes is a good way to get started cooking ahead. You will need only a small amount of freezer space and it takes much less preparation time. It will also give you a chance to see how well a certain recipe will freeze and reheat. You may also want to try cooking ahead on a smaller scale if you are uncertain if cooking ahead will work for you and your family. If you decide that cooking ahead is a good plan for you, you might want to commit more time and freezer space.
To begin, find a tried and true recipe that your family enjoys. A casserole recipe would give you a great start. You will want to pick something for this first time that is not too complicated.
Next, think back to your family's history with this recipe the past few months. How much is usually left over at the end of the meal? By making more than one recipe, you may be able to package the casserole so that there will be no leftovers at each meal. This is a great idea for couples and smaller families. For example, if there is about one-third of the dish left at the end of a meal, you could prepare three times your usual recipe and package the casserole in smaller packages so that you can get four meals out of just three recipes.
When you've decided how many recipes of your casserole you will be preparing, you are ready to calculate the amounts of each ingredient. Simply multiply the amount of each ingredient by the number of recipes you want to make. With experience, you might want to modify the recipe slightly, but you won't go wrong by simply multiplying amounts.
You will also want to decide how to package the food for the freezer. If you're preparing a layered casserole that needs to stay in layers, you will want to freeze it in a serving pan. If it doesn't need to stay layered, you can simply mix it, then pour into a freezer bag.
Now you're ready to prepare your shopping list. Don't forget to add supplies for packaging the food if necessary.
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