Why You Should Try Bulk Cooking

I do once-a-month freezer cooking, where I will prepare about 30 slow cooker meals in gallon freezer bags and then store them in the freezer. I usually prepare meals like chili, chicken alfredo, chicken noodle soup, barbecue pork, and pork or chicken fajitas, just to name a few.

When I am ready to cook one of the slow cooker freezer meals, I thaw one out one day in advance in the refrigerator. Then I simply dump the freezer meal in the slow cooker, turn it on, and go about my day. It helps to cut down on running to the store or ordering out when I know that a delicious, healthier meal is already waiting for me at home after work. Also, because I do all of my meal prep on one day, it saves time preparing the meal and washing all of the dishes it takes to prepare it.

 

Pardon me but cooking food in bulk for storing the leftover in the fridge or freezer is not a good idea. First, it loses the nutrients because is it not fresh anymore. Second, the taste is affected particularly when the food is frozen. I'd rather cook everyday and spend money and exert effort just to have fresh cooked food. There are times that you don't save money in exchange for the quality especially when it comes to food.

 

I totally agree with you Denis Hard. At home, every 2 months I will try to make large quantities of beef stew, chicken stew, and other things, like for example lasagnas, and burritos in large quantities. I usually store them as rations in plastic containers and Ziploc bags for the burritos. This way when I don't feel like cooking, or I'm to busy to do so, I can have dinner ready in less than 15 minutes by just reaching into my freezer.

 

I make a weeks worth of soup in advance freeze some and put the rest in meal size savings containers. When we have a large turkey I will divide it up into meal size baggies and freeze them so that I do not have to worry about the meat spoiling. Having these meals ready means all I have to do is prepare the side to go with the meat, which is quicker for getting dinner on the table. It also helps to have food that the teenagers can fix for themselves. That cuts out the need to pick up a pizza once a week.

 

I agree as well. If I have time on the weekends I will try bulk cooking for the week and freezing two or three meals. I love not having to think about what's for supper. I often make a large batch of spaghetti sauce which I divide up into 2 or 3 meals. I can pull this out and in a pinch I can have spaghetti, a pasta casserole or sloppy joes. This definitely cuts down on buying take out and premade meals. All it takes is a little organization and some time and you can save a lot on making homemade dinners.

 

I love the idea of bulk cooking. This is something I would like to get into more often. Do you write the dates of when you prepared the meal? How long would you have when it comes to freezing in bulk? We have a deep freezer at home so it would be convenient for bulk cooking since the freezer in the fridge is small.

 

Oh without a doubt - cooking in bulk will very definitely save money - as well as guarantee a whole host of other benefits too.

As not only is cooking in bulk cooking less time consuming and more economical all round as it ensures that nothing ever goes to waste and is healthier too - as all the ingredients are fresh and frozen at their prime - but it can save a huge amount of money - as with a plentiful supply of ready made meals available that are both quick and easy to prepare - you never have to worry eating out or ordering a take out - on those days when you don't have time or don't want to cook or when unexpected visitors arrive and they need feeding.

Along with other added benefits - such as helping to keep meals interesting - as you can switch them around from day to day without having to spend too much time in the kitchen - they're a great aid when needing something for lunch at short notice - particularly as the majority of previously frozen meals - can easily be transformed - with the addition of a few extra ingredients - into deliciously tasty lunchtime snacks that can be eaten at home or packaged and eaten at work or at school.

 

I find that bulk cooking has its pros and cons. More pros than cons, so I do cook my breakfasts and lunches for the week every Sunday. I never get tired of a frittata for breakfast, but sometimes I get bored with the same two or three lunches. That’s when I find myself most tempted to dine out. And I do indulge in it, but not more than a few times a month. Sometimes I just want to treat myself, but it’s no longer a real treat if it’s two or three times a week or more.

 

I love doing this! I'm not a good cook, so I find many nights I have no idea what to eat for dinner. The crockpot is my best friend! I can make great meals by throwing all the ingredients into the pot and walking away. The best way to make crockpot recipes is to make them in bulk ahead of time and freeze them. Not only do you have dinner for the night, but I usually have enough left to have for lunch the next day as well.

 

I do this too, although admittedly I mostly only do it with soup. For bigger dishes like stews, we usually just keep eating it for the next few days so there isn't much reason to freeze portions of it, and I think doing it this way is pretty much the same already anyway. Though, I have been meaning to try it in an even bigger bulk so I could possibly save it for the next month, but planning ahead that long kind of worries me because that will be a good amount of freezer space I won't be able to use for a month.

 

I have not started to do bulk cooking just yet, but it has definitely been something that I have had in mind for a while since re-hauling my diet to a healthier one. This method will save money, and if you don't feel like cooking one day all you have to do is take some of the bulk frozen food out of the freezer, warm it up and you are still getting the nutrients and such, as opposed to buying fast food.

 

Yes, my roomate does this all the time. He buys large quantities of chicken, beef and turkey and cooks them all at once. He then freezes the left overs. It is very efficient for him and saves him money as well. He usually only goes to the grocery store, once or twice a month so for him cooking in bulk is a way to save money and to get what he needs in terms of his food. I think it is a good idea. I think I might get tired of eating the same foods all the time though. I don;t know if cooking in bulk is the best thing for me.

 

I am trying to get in the habit of making food and meals that I can freeze to use at a later date, but have not quite gotten there yet. The hardest part is finding recipes that will hold up in the freezer over long periods of time. I only eat pasta meals once in a while, so filling the freezer with pasta dishes is not an option for me.

 

I agree, you can also save gas that way because you will be cooking in one batch, so your gas will last longer. Over at my parent's house, cooking in one batch is common, and the leftovers are stored in the ref.

 

This is a smart idea. I do something similar by cooking all my food for the week on Sunday, I make several meals so when I get home from work I can just quickly heat them up and have left overs. It makes such a difference during the work week and saves so much time. I also tend to make a majority of my lunches for the week on Sundays so I am not scrambling in the morning to put together food.