Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Time Management Week: Day 2

Something I've been using a lot lately in my kitchen: my freezer. 

Yah, you read that correctly, I said my freezer. 

Before you think I'm making Big Mike eat ice-sicles for dinner, hear me out. 

When I make lasagna, I make 2.  I brown the meat.  I mix the ricotta.  I layer two dishes full of delicious goodness. 

Then, I cook one, then I cover the other one in tinfoil and I stuff it into the freezer. 

A few weeks later, I take it out of the freezer and shove it into the refrigerator for a day or two.  When I'm leaving work, I call home and tell Big Mike to take it out of the fridge, leave the foil on, and shove it into the oven. 

When I get home, dinner is cooked!  I just slide it out of the oven and it's ready to eat.  (Remember, my commute is usually 45 minutes to an hour.  That's perfect cooking time!)

Other things that I've frozen include enchiladas, pot roast, and breakfast sandwiches.

The trick with enchiladas and lasagna is to assemble everything, but not to cook it. 

Pot roast is obviously cooked, then frozen. 

Breakfast sandwiches get an english muffin, scrambled egg, slice of ham or pre-cooked bacon, and a slice of cheese.  I throw them in a plastic baggie and toss them into the freezer.  Then, each morning I can take one out and wrap it in a paper towel.  I can microwave it for about one minute (depends on your microwave) at 70% power and viola! I have a fast and easy breakfast.  You're paying upwards of $2-$3 for breakfast sandwiches at Subway, Jack in the Box, Carls Jr, and McDonalds.  Why not save some money and make it yourself? 

So there you have it, my meal time fix.  You know what I freeze, now I want to know what you freeze!  Meatballs?  Muffins?  Entire meals?  I'd love to know so I can try it out too!

3 comments:

Kristen said...

Great idea! I'll be doing the same when I'm a housewife, why do the same work twice when you can do it once? Work smarter not harder is my motto!

Brittany said...

Genius! :) You're a thinker

Dani said...

The only thing I have frozen is Baked Ziti, but I am so going to try lasagna!