we just added freezer #3 for food storage. prior planning prevents poor performance!

I don't know how in my house I just discovered how versatile those cheapo rotisserie chickens at the grocery are. They're always on sale for 4-5 bucks at my store and I've been getting them, shredding the chicken and freezing it for meals later.

I am impressed, and I would love to be organized enough to do this myself, but that sale meat really icks me out.

ladidi - if you've ever grilled marinated tofu, the principle is the same (and if you freeze/thaw it in marinade, it's a lot more flavorful).

@jmorri26 - I used to use the pre-roasted chickens the same way! But I found that buying whole chickens and roasting them (or cooking them in a slow cooker if I'm in a bind) is a lot more cost effective. Then I can use all the left over bones for stock.

I need to take some hints from this post and organize my freezer a bit more!

Great idea! Our sale meat is still nowhere nearly as cheap as the prices she paid!

That's pretty impressive, both the prepped meals and how much she spent total on all that. I wish the meat clearance at my local grocery store was half as good as what she was finding.

I would never do this (being single and not wanting/needing a spare freezer), but I do try and make a habit of freezing half my leftovers for later.

Impressive, despite the fact that I'm a vegetarian. But what I don't like is the amount of waste. I realize this is a great way to portion control, but I don't like the idea of using so many plastic baggies. And the line about using a baggie as a bowl so you have one less thing to clean up really irritated me.

Ditto ChicagoCook. Plus, at some point you're going to have to figure in the cost of all those plastic bags.

I'm also impressed by this, especially the low cost, but the amount of meat kind of freaks me out. (I'm a vegetarian, but even if I weren't, it seems excessive.) Anybody have recs for vegetarian or vegan dishes that can be portioned and frozen ahead of time?

I had started doing my own chicken roasting, until I got turned onto Costco's rotisserie chickens. Theirs are consistently moist and juicy, much more so than the 5 local grocery store varieties we have. They are also the cheapest in our area at just above $4 regularly. Most times, in this area, it is hard to get a whole chicken the same size for under $5-$6, so by the time I waste the electricity to heat my oven, I'm well over what I pay at Costco for them to do the work. I can't say it is as good as a home roasted bird, but it is dependable, cheap, and someone does the work for me, so in the summer time, I take the help gladly.

when i read the plastic bag comment, i assumed it was a bag to be reused, i.e. storing the meat+marinade, and not a bag just to marinate and throw!

it does bother me how many bags are used to store stuff in the freezer, but i currently do not have that many glass containers (trying to avoid plastic ones as well) , and they take up more space as well :(

Another option for portioning without using so many plastic bags is to freeze portions in a muffin tin, then move the portions to a single large plastic bag or container for storage.

I'd also be interested in freezer-friendly vegetarian/vegan meals.

As someone posting from Switzerland (only for one more month... *sigh*), I have to say that the approach for quick meals is different here.

People here tend to have really small fridges, and live in apartments, and so rarely have a big freezer.

The strategy here is to shop fresh daily -- generally, you shop for dinner on your way home. The grocery stores are brilliant -- they are very small by American standards, but incredibly well organized with ingredients of amazing quality. The different refrigerated pastry doughs you can buy in the refrigerator case for example, are of amazing quality, with no preservatives or additives. Everything in the store is fresh and meant to be consumed that day -- even avocados.

One quick and simple meal is to make vegetarian calzones with the dough, some frozen spinach , cheese, egg. Or pasta with a tuna sauce.

Have to also add that lunch tends to be the main meal of the day, so dinners are usually more modest than what we are used to.

(A little known fact is that all enterprises of sufficient size here are required by law to provide their employees a canteen, or with lunch money... yes, employees get lunch pay, and are expected to frequent local restaurants and take 2 hours lunches. I believe it is the same in France.)

It is impossible to cook this way outside of New York City probably, but it is interesting to see how other parts of the world have a totally different approach, rooted in cultural customs and approaches to urban design and planning (those small grocery stores are walking distance for those living in apartments, and so very, very handy).

I would feel like I cooked twice to get one meal on the table (you would still need to heat up the frozen main, make sides/salad), so I prefer to make something really simple when I'm pressed for time.

This seems really wasteful to me. I understand the value in saving time but there is just so much "disposable" plastic involved... and especially with the individually wrapped potatoes then placed in MORE plastic bags... I don't think I could stomach doing this unless I religiously washed and re-used all the bags.

I can roast a mean chicken...

But I find it's actually cheaper to buy the rotisserie chicken from the store. We eat the meat off the bone, no fuss dinner, and i use the carcasses to make stock.

Not really practical for a single person living in an apartment, but good for families. I sometimes do batch cooking but I don't really feel I need to.

@mschatelaine Not impossible outside of NY. Lots of people in North America have room for this kind of thing. Though in my part of Canada I don't really find we get those kind of deals on food.

@mschatelaine - i thoroughly enjoyed reading your comment! thanks for sharing the info!

I think this is pretty impressive, but this is not the way I eat, and I find that cooked meat suffers greatly in the freezer. It's great that this blogger has found a way to feed her family what seem like pretty healthy (if meat-heavy) meals and do it in a way that works with her schedule.

There's no way this won't sound snotty but I'll roast my own chicken over a Costco rotisserie bird. Those cheap rotisserie birds are hormone and antibiotic filled commercially farmed birds...usually shot full of cheap veg oil for roasting. Cheap meat is cheap for a reason. Love Costco for many things but a great deal of my Costco's fish is farmed and I won't purchase that either. See? Snotty. I know...

@mschatelaine: interesting to read about Switzerlands way of life from an outside perspective. I wouldn't say that we typically shop every day and that products are meant to be eaten in a day, but I do think that we shop a lot more often and tend to consume things faster. And the smaller supermarkets in walking distance surely is true, and one of the things I really missed while living abroad. The two hour lunches are not for everybody though. Maybe if you come from some country where nobody really takes those it migh seem that way, but for a Swiss person I have to say that they sadly become rarer and rarer. For example, many schoolchildren nowadays don't have two hour lunchbreaks anymore, so if even the children don't have them anymore and can't go home to eat, the family lunchtime break surely isn't the same anymore. When I worked as a cashier we only had one hour lunch breaks, and I do think this is typical for many companies nowadays. However, many small shops close between 12- and 14, or maybe 12.30 and 14.00. And in some companies you might actually get a two hour break, but I wouldn't count on it anymore.

@mschatelaine: two hour lunches are not really the norm in France. Both my partner and I had one hour breaks, which was more standard. Plus you don't get paid for your lunch hour(s). However, compared to the UK where we live now (and the States), where people often eat a sandwich in front of the computer, I admit that one hour was still a (necessary) luxury!

I think this is a good idea in theory and practice, but I find the texture of meat often changes in the freezer. I'm single and live alone, but I still like to make a few things to keep in the freezer during busy periods, particularly because I log long hours at work.

For those looking for vegetarian, summer meals to freeze, I like cooking up big batches of beans to keep on hand. Homemade veggie burgers, spicy lentil stews (usually consumed in hot climates), marinaded tofu (as someone above suggested), chilladas (lentil patties), pesto, red beans and rice, curries made with beans or lentils, mujadara (Lebanese - rice with caramelized onions, lentils and cumin), Ethiopian dishes (many are veg), veggie enchilada or taco filling, etc. I think there's a lot out there. I do find veggie dishes can be more time consuming than omnivore dishes because of the active cook time so many of the recipes require and the (often) more elaborate cook time.

*more elaborate prep time.

Between work and school, I have very little time to cook during the week, so I end up cooking for a week over the weekends. Good vegetarian bulk options: refried beans, black beans, enchiladas, chili, quiche, philly cheese seitan filling, marinated tofu, twice-baked potatoes, breakfast burritos, pot pie, spaghetti sauce. Everything gets portioned into small containers, to feed me through the week.

While I understand the waste concerns, sometimes it becomes a balancing of resources. Sure the bags are wasteful, but sometimes the alternative for a busy person/family becomes buying food that is more processed. The process itself contributes to waste as well as its own packaging.
Given that, this method may be a 'lesser of evils.' At any rate, planning ahead is always worthwhile.

Fresh is best if you can. I'd rather eat really basic/simple meals and have them fresh than to be living out of a freezer. I understand it's not possible for many people though.

...but it should be. <3

As a stay at home mom, I do have the time in the afternoons/early evenings to get quick and healthy dinners prepped before the crazy dinner hour hits. However, I have a 3 year old, 2 year old, and 1 year old, and there are days when things don't go according to plans, so I always try to have four or five dinners pre-made and in the freezer. When I make something that freezes well (chili, curry, soup, etc) I double the recipe and freeze half for one of the crazy days. Like another poster said, it might not be 100% ideal, but it is better than buying prepared foods or takeout when things don't go according to plan.

Also, I cook nearly everything from scratch, so it isn't possible for me to do everything at the last minute. I make dough for four loaves of bread at once and freeze two for a later date (I thaw and bake so it tastes fresh). I make large batches of refried beans and freeze in small portions. Any of these things can be quickly defrosted for a quick, but still homemade meal.

I grew up in a farming community where we raised our own beef, and my son usually provides venison every year, so frozen meat is 'normal' for me. I always have at least some of my side (yes, half a cow at a time) of beef processed into premade patties. I also have a big garden and can/freeze fruits and veggies.

For those who want to only 'eat fresh', please consider how long that food has been in the butchers case or in the produce asile. My beef and chicken is free range, no hormone, humanely slaughtered, raised less than an hour from where I live and packed into the freezer promptly. My veggies are minutes from garden to freezer.

I really believe in eating local as much as possible (you can't grow rice in the Midwest LOL), and that means things will be in season for a realitively short time and preservation is key for a varied diet. Even meats have a 'season'; historically, meat animals were slaughtered in the fall to have the best weight after being in the pasture all summer. And of course, venison, some types of fish like wild salmon, and game birds can only be legally harvested during limited shooting/fishing seasons.

Living out of the freezer and pantry just takes a little planning. A meal plan and pantry/freezer inventory is key. Use up a little of everything every week (don't splurge on your favorites, then get stuck with a ton of 'second string' meals later). Good eating, everybody.

I have never seen a blogger use so many exclamation points. Ye gods.

This woman needs a food saver... I'll give her a benefit of the doubt and assume she is resusing all those plastic bags.

As another person said, cheap meat is cheap for a reason. We buy shares of various animals so we can have affordable, ethically raised meat and then supplement with some fresh when we need it. Otherwise, we go veg. But the same principles still apply. Always freeze half...

We just added freezer number two.. and I am loving the extra storage. I always cook double and freeze half for a lazy day.

I'm an always in moderation person. When I am making something like chili, stew, soup etc. that is easy to freeze, I make extra and freeze it (in glass containers) for days when we are busy or don't feel like cooking. Bottom line: I'm not going to spend a day preparing all my meals for the next two months, and I'm not going to always be able to eat something I just pulled out of my garden or CSA box. That's life. There are good ideas here, but everything should be kept in perspective.

Also, Threadbndr - that all sounds lovely, I don't think people were put off by frozen meat, but rather by frozen meat that had already been cooked - I think there is a difference there. I am much happier buying frozen beef or pork from my local organic farmer than "fresh" meat from a store (even my super yuppy fancy store I shop at).

I'm impressed by and envious of her organization. I would love to do this but these sorts of sales and savings really aren't available in Toronto so while it would save me time, it is difficult to save that kind of money shopping here.

I agree with @Threadbndr. We also live in the midwest and get our meat from local farmers less than a mile away and grow our own fresh produce. Do any of you "eating fresh" even know exactly where your food comes from?

@Threadbndr, thank you for being an amazing voice of reason!

My local supermarket sells ready-cooked free-range chickens for the same price as uncooked ones! (They source them from a small town just outside of the city I live in) I buy one each week, and shred, portion and freeze it to use on sandwiches or in salad or for quick pasta meals.
I also pre-chop onion and other vegies, and have different packs ready to go for different meals (stir-fry, risotto etc). I buy my fresh produce from a couple different places - a farmer's market, a local market and a cooperative nearby.
For me it's about health more than anything, as on nights when I get home late and I'm exhausted it means the healthy choice IS the easy choice, and I don't get tempted by something fast but unhealthy.

Why not use reusable plastic containers instead of bags. That's what I do. Also I do not like frozen cooked meat unless its in a stew, soup, chili or spaghetti sauce as I think it tastes reheated, so those are the only things I freeze except for fresh raw meat.

this is a great strategy for busy families or even singles, but it's just that - a strategy. make your own recipes, buy 4 free range chickens when they're on sale, only get organic veg, whatever. the principle of buying in bulk when on sale and prepping ahead of time to allow for fast meals is universal.

personally i don't like freezing already cooked meat, but i am a huge fan of buying bulk chicken and seperating into bags with different marinades, then freezing. makes for quick grilling/roasting later. buying whole chickens and learning how to break them down is also a big money saver if you have the time.

when i was young my mom would make one freezer meal per week. usually soup of some kind, chicken & dumpling, black bean, broccoli cheddar...she would make a ton and freeze half. we would eat through that soup for the week and then a month later we'd defrost and eat through the rest. she did this every week and we always had a stock pile that us kids could heat up when she was working late.

Holy cow. If I made and stored 46 meals in our little half freezer, my roommates would kill me. :P

Jeez, could you be any more critical? The blog was written by someone who just writes about her life and how she lives it. She didn't ask to be quoted on Apartment Therapy and doesn't deserve some of these remarks.

Good idea to make meals ahead to save time & money. Nothing wrong with that! Helpful if have busy family, busy job, new baby, illness, etc. Ever heard of Super Suppers? They charge lots for this sort of thing.

Seriously Manhatn beach! Keep it in perspective folks. If you are a single or a couple than 42 meals may not work for you. But, if you are feeding multiple people and want to eat healthy and well, this is a good method. So many haters ou there. Give the woman props for not driving through mickey d's in the mini van.

I love this! Very inspiring. My daughter had severe allergies to high fructose corn syrup (and if you didn't already know... its in everything!) We found out there are corn derivatives in lots of every day things she uses too. Down to deodorant, toothpaste & shampoo. Who knew it was that invasive? Anyways, this is PERFECT for people who have to make things from scratch. Wish I'd read about this several years ago. It would've saved a lot of time and stress. We're planning on doing this sometime this weekend. Woo! Hoo!

I live alone and eat a paleo diet- I make meals from meat & veggies from scratch and methods like this are invaluable to me. If I weren't doing mass cooking and using my freezer, I'd spend a huge chunk of each day cooking, and I'd probably be wasting a good bit of produce. I recycle, I use re-usable tote bags, all that jazz, and I really don't get all the critical comments here; bravo to her for sharing some tips for keeping her family fed with homecooked meals on a budget. And great point by the commenter who noted that the whining about plastic baggies really doesn't make sense because she is buying far less packaged foods than a lot of other folks. The bags save space in the freezer, and help keep things organized (and she did mention on a later post that she does reuse them); we all have to choose our battles, and let's not let perfection be the enemy of the good.

Wow, a lot of these comments are so negative. I think a lot of people have already addressed some of the comments. I just want to add that "Cheap" meat doesn't necessarily mean bad meat. It depends on your grocer. Sales are a great way to get people into the grocery store and they don't signify that the meat is bad. A grocer isn't going to last in business very long if he sells bad meat. Also, steak and roasts (not for pork or chicken) benefit from being older. That crazy gray colour means that it has aged and will be more tender. II was always told that grocery stores (in Canada at least) add red colouring to their meat to make it more "appealing" to the mass market, as consumers assume that it should be red. While it is ideal to be able to saunter to the local grocers and buy fresh food, depending on where you live, it is not a practical notion. This woman is sharing her strategy for how she deals with maintaining a healthy meal plan for her family and should be applauded. We should support our fellow women and moms and not drag them down.

I didn't used to do this type of cooking, but now that baby #2 is almost here, I'm finding it more of a lifesaver. As for her meals being meat-heavy - isn't it possible that these are the 'mains' and she serves fresh crudites or salads etc on the side? I know I do that. I do prefer to freeze my meals in glass containers, but I can only keep so many on hand so when I run out I switch to ziplocs. And yes, I reuse some ziplocs (depending on what was in them and how likely it is that I can clean them sufficiently!)
And for the haters of frozen food - I've heard that the frozen veggies at the store can have more nutrients because they're picked closer to their peak and often flash-frozen on site, where as 'fresh' produce is picked early and shipped long distances and loses nutrients over that time. Could be incorrect, but it sounds plausible.

I am not a big fan of frozen freezer meals, I don't want to direct bargains with my health. Although it take some time to cook fresh, i always have some recipe of cook delicious on short time.