My summer cooking preps

[Decaff]

Living on second floor, with a mogsplosh means I can't open the windows very wide or he will fall out. This means it gets far to hot to cook much in the kitchen and having no outside space to BBQ or anything it gets stiffling in the flat so I started to make my version of ready meals last night to make life bearable. Mr Decaff still in hospital so just for myself and son. I'm not keen on shop ready meals as not the healthiest or tastiest things out there and my son can eat at least 3 of them so works out expensive.

I now have 4 portions of chilli con carne, 4 spaghetti bolognese, 6 portions of lasagne, 4 portions of toad in the hole and 2 cheesey chive breads in the freezer. All I will need to do is boil rice, pasta or potatoes or chop a salad and that is a huge reduction in cooking time. Took me till 2am to get it all portioned up and in the freezer but so worth it.

Tonight I will make chicken meals and add to the freezer. I tend to use my slow cooker to reheat them which also cuts down on the heat and gas costs.

Does anyone else do this?

[PreppingPingu]

When ever I make anything like a chilli con carne, curry or cottage pie, I always freeze a portion or two down at the same time. Sometimes at the end of the money when money is tight, we have odds and end night - everyone choses what they fancy for dinner. In the past if I have known that I have a busy week where time is of a premium, I will spend Sunday cooking up food and freezing and putting some in the fridge for the next few days. As you say, all you have to do is cook your carbs to go with it - pasta/rice/potatoes, or in the case of shepherd's pie, just some extra veg. Good prepping to store a supply. Useful for when people go into hospital or money is tight.

[Decaff]

I do try to do that too so there are always a few meals ready to go in the freezer if I don't fancy cooking, which at the moment is often due to traipsing back and forth to the hospital visiting Mr D.

It saves so much time to bulk cook and gives more time to do the things we want to do.

Going to make chicken fajitas, curry and sticky chicken tonight after its cooled down out there!

[Hillbilly]

My mom cooking for the week on the weekend and freezes it down.

We don't use the oven when it is not necessary and we are kinda vegetarian on the summer time, because veg dishes need less time to cook.

[Brambles]

Yep, do it all the time. Something else that freezes really well is cauliflower cheese. I also freeze and dehydrate Winter mash and mashed Sweet potato, both of which rehydrate really well, sort of instant veggie mash.
I also can a lot of ready to eat meals and with home canned meat you can have a meal ready in minutes.

[pitchshifter]

We do this whenever we make something really big, but I always forget to label them and so every now and again when I work late my husband has one of our 'mystery meals'.

I live in a 6th floor flat with cats and our flat gets unbelievably hot in the summer, we sellotape our venetian blinds to the window frame so that we can have the window open! Not sure if this would work for you but maybe take a look at these: http://www.flat-cats.co.uk/

[Deeps]

I'm chief cook and bottle washer now that I'm effectively retired and when I make a big wok full of chilli/bolog etc I freeze the extra, we use the reusable take away cartons that we somehow seem to acquire from time to time

The other thing I do is when I buy chicken breasts I chop some of them up into portions, I can get 3 out of a good sized chicken breast and freeze them for later use in stir fries, curries or pasta dishes, it's a lot quicker to defrost the smaller pre chopped portions than a whole chicken breast, it's also a good bit cheaper too.

[Decaff]

[quote="Hillbilly"

We don't use the oven when it is not necessary and we are kinda vegetarian on the summer time, because veg dishes need less time to cook.[/quote]


I know what you mean, I prefer veggie food in the Summer, it feels lighter on the stomach. My son will eat veggie but does seem to prefer meat!

[Decaff]

Yep, do it all the time. Something else that freezes really well is cauliflower cheese. I also freeze and dehydrate Winter mash and mashed Sweet potato, both of which rehydrate really well, sort of instant veggie mash.
I also can a lot of ready to eat meals and with home canned meat you can have a meal ready in minutes.

Mmm I have a couple cauli cheeses in the freezer, just love it, especially the really crispy bits I've not frozen mash per se but have frozen my own bubble and squeak which is fabulous with a poached egg on top...

Tonight I added 8 chicken fajitas to the freezer each one wrapped in foil ready to reheat in the oven, my son wanted to eat them as I made them.. I don't think they are going to last for long

[Brambles]

Yep, do it all the time. Something else that freezes really well is cauliflower cheese. I also freeze and dehydrate Winter mash and mashed Sweet potato, both of which rehydrate really well, sort of instant veggie mash.
I also can a lot of ready to eat meals and with home canned meat you can have a meal ready in minutes.

Mmm I have a couple cauli cheeses in the freezer, just love it, especially the really crispy bits I've not frozen mash per se but have frozen my own bubble and squeak which is fabulous with a poached egg on top...

Tonight I added 8 chicken fajitas to the freezer each one wrapped in foil ready to reheat in the oven, my son wanted to eat them as I made them.. I don't think they are going to last for long

I've never frozen mashed potato, but the winter mash (mashed Parsnip, Celeriac and Carrot) in particular feezes really well and dehydrating the cooked mash is a doddle all you then have to do is add hot water and it's ready.