Freezer Cooking: How I do it

Before I started my list I just want to give a disclaimer:  This is what I do, it may or may not work for you.  My advice is to start small and see what works best for your family.  


1.  Decide how many meals you want to make, then make your master recipe list.  I normally start with 30 meals.  

2.  Make a grocery list. 
 I use a lot of my stock pile.   I try to pick recipes that use things I all ready have at home     to limit the amount of shopping I have to do.   Also remember to pick up freezer bags, wax paper and disposable pans - depending on how you plan to store your finished meals.

3.  Clean out your fridge. 
You will need all the room you can get for your groceries.  

4.  Go shopping.  (do this a day or two before you plan on cooking)
I do not take my kids with me.  It is an all day trip, since I make several stops to get the best price on what I need. 

5.  Break your meals into cooking categories.
Here are the categories I use,  Cooked hamburger, uncooked hamburger, shredded chicken, raw chicken, meatless,  soups, pasta, misc. cuts of meat & bread.  Depending on what your family eats your categories will be different.

 Start cooking! 
 I put the whole chickens and roast in the crock pot and let them cook all day. I then cook all the ground hamburger at once.  I then make any marinades in the plastic bags I will freeze them in.  I use my food processor to chop any vegetables I will need.  I then cook & assemble by category.  I always start with the recipes that take the most steps first.  I always assemble soups & hamburger patties last. 

Here are a few helpful things I have learned: 
1.  Have a plan for the kids.  Normally Trevor takes them some where for most of the day.  The last time I cooked all day this wasn't going to work out.  The TV was the main attraction and kept the fighting to a minimum. 

2.  Have a plan for the meals you are going to eat that day.  Normally I just piece off of what I am fixing.  This time the kids were home - I had to feed them.  Cereal for breakfast,  Eliana was in charge of lunch (she thought it was a big treat),  we went out for dinner.   

3.  Make sure you have enough freezer space for what you are fixing.  I freeze most of my meals flat in ziploc bags. They take up less room that way. 

4.  Start out trying recipes you already use.  Most pasta & tomato based foods freeze really well.   I normally try 2 or 3 new recipes each month.  Some have been keepers other have been flops.  My two favorite sites  are:   
Once a month mom 
Six sisters stuff 

So that is how I do it.  I would love to hear how your cooking days turn out.