Once a week cooking?

[Luckybustert]

Do you cook a really big meal on the weekend and have the same thing (or variations of the same thing) throughout the week? This is something my husband loves to do....he'll cook a big pot of spaghetti, or a roast, or a ham or turkey, and he'll eat that all week long. I generally prefer a little more variety in my diet, but I also have to admit that his way can be a real timesaver during the work week!

[Ssindi]

I'm like you,I prefer more variety in my diet. If I cook a large piece of meat,I change the sides for the leftover meal. Then I'll get a fresh meat and use the other leftover sides. I may fix a lunch for work and freeze it in a freezer/microwave container for later.
I've been trying to freeze leftovers if they end up being a lot.I can't always seem to manage the cook for two meals. I have several late nights at work and sometimes a late hair appointment. DH likes for me to get take-out on those nights but,pulling out a few frozen leftovers works for me.

[dcompton]

I do this as much as I can, because I don't like cooking, and I really don't like cooking before or after work. I can eat the same thing endlessly and it doesn't bother me. I try to have meats all cooked, and veggies to last at least for several days.

I fill it out with really quick things like a mac and cheese to add to stuff into or something like that. I also have things to make sandwiches a lot of the time. But I want the Big Cook over and done with on one of my days off.

[mauimagic]

I love doing this and I know that I need to plan a little better to make it even more productive and frugal. It always comes down to planning for me!!

Baked a chicken last week - meal #1
With the chicken bones I made meal #2
The left over chicken became white chicken chili - meal #3
and chicken salad - meal #4.

and of course the chicken was on sale - I bought two and froze one for later use!!

Would love to hear more ideas too!!

[dcompton]

Freezing helps too with the variety. This week I dumped two large trays of chicken breasts in the crockpot with just salt and onion and garlic powder - a lot of chicken. This week I'm using it to eat as is (chunk o' meat) and I've made chicken salad for sandwiches. I'm off Tues-Wed, so one of those days I'll probably make a big skillet of fried rice with it or some sort of pasta dish.

I put about half of it in the freezer, ready for another week. When I run out of the chicken, I also have other pre-cooked meats in the freezer - some barbequed pork chops, pork roast, and ham I could pull out to finish out the days until another Big Cook.

So it's more or less once a week cooking, but it's not all necessarily for the same week.

[Ceashels]

I do this with chicken, turkey, pork and ham. I tend to cook Thurs or Friday, it sets us up for the weekend and typically a busy early part of the week. Having the ingredients on hand for stir fry, sandwiches, impossible pie, pot pie, etc has made a big difference in my stress level.

[frugalfranny]

I try to have meats all cooked, and veggies to last at least for several days.

I fill it out with really quick things like a mac and cheese to add to stuff into or something like that. I also have things to make sandwiches a lot of the time. But I want the Big Cook over

I am with you dc. As long as I have the meat cooked up I am good to go......the rest is a breeze. Can always toss something together to go with it.......or go for sandwiches.

I cook lots of chicken and hamburger...(well, lots for one person)....when I cook it. Both are very versatile and great to use in other dishes.

Often when I find a sale on hamburger I will buy a lot, patty a few up and freeze, then cook (crumble) all the rest. Try to do it in one lb. batches and season them all differently. Bag them up and into the freezer they go. (in my case it is into snack bags for some of it as that is all I need)

[Grainlady]

I like to cook once and get lots of meals out of one thing.

I like to cook a large cut of meat on Monday that will serve for several meals including sandwich meat for lunches, possibly the base for soup (chicken/turkey carcass, broth/meat from roast beef, etc.), bits added to stir-fry, and hopefully some for the freezer. Ground meat from these large cuts are packaged into small portions to use for meat spreads for sandwiches. Shredded meat is also portioned and frozen. Shredded meat can be added to casseroles, sandwich wraps, or topped with bbq sauce for a sandwich.

-Tuesday I serve leftovers from Monday. It usually takes on a completely different look.

-Wednesday - stir-fry. If I planned well, I will have most of the veggies already prepared from the previous two days meals. The meat may be from Monday, but it also may be previously cooked and in the freezer.

-Thursday - Something with an International flare. Now Monday's roast beef or baked chicken can be used in Fried Rice or in a Mexican or Italian dish.

-Friday - Vegetarian. Using lower-priced meat substitutes will help with those food dollars. If you don't have time in the mornings for a traditional breakfast, this is a good night to serve pancakes, egg dishes, crepes, breakfast casseroles...

-Saturday - Soup and/or Sandwiches
Mostly based on former Monday Meals, but found in the freezer - ready to thaw, heat, eat.

-Sunday - Homemade pizza or dinner salad
A good way to use up veggies in the crisper drawer and bits of all kinds of meat.

-I also like to make shredded cabbage salad that will last for most of the week. It's a wonderfully versatile mixture that includes coarsely shredded red and green cabbage, shredded carrots and celery as the base.

This base salad works well all by itself, topped with shredded cheese or salad dressing. I use this same base salad as a sandwich topping (instead of lettuce), or on bbq meat sandwiches served on homemade buns. Take out a portion and quickly make it into coleslaw. If I'm making homemade vegetable soup, I can add it to the soup. This same base salad can be used in stir-fry.

You can add other vegetables to the base, but "wet" veggies, like tomatoes and cucumbers, you need to add when served, not to the base, or the base gets too soggy.

-I also like to prepare large portions of bite-size meats (steak, pork, chicken) and portion and freeze them. Spiced and quick-fried, this pre-cooked meat is used in stir-fry, topping for dinner salads, used in sandwich wrap...