[MaryCarney]

I just finished three mornings of OAMC- 49 meals in the freezer for autumn, dishes done, kitchen clean!! The final tally is:
5 browned ground beef (for beef and noodles and other such recipes that start with "brown a pound of hamburger"...
3-6 cup portions of chili
8 spaghetti sauce
7 mexican style shredded pork
7 BBQ pork
7 sloppy joes
7 taco meat
3 pork chops
2 marinated sandwich steaks

I was going to do vegetable soup tomorrow, but picked up an extra night at work instead. So I'll do that next week, along with some mixes (cornbread, biscuit and such). Then buy a couple frozen lasagnas, some fish, and a turkey breast or two, and I'm set until after Thanksgiving!!! It is SO WORTH IT!!!!

 

[jas]

I bet is sure feels good to have it all ready to go and you don't really need to think about what's for dinner for awhile.

 

[Gotonenerveleft]

Way to go!!!

 

[jlaporte]

wow wtg! i have thought of doing that but damn its too hot to do all that cooking. but i should rethink it. alotof nights if i dont have my menuy plan i have no idea what to make. that oamc sounds great!where to begin tho? do u just cook up a batch of say hamber as u like it and just seperat it into serving portions for the recipies u make? i am intrested...

 

[mauimagic]

Love this plan. Need to rethink my freezer anyway - I know I am not making the best use of it. Shall return for inspiration!! Mahalo!

 

[frugalfranny]

Way to go Mary!! And look at how you will be able to relax and have the extra time for other things.

I have done the hamburger thing for a long time. Still say it is ONE of the best things I have ever done.

Just a couple weeks ago I probably cooked up 7 pounds of hamburger. Cook two or three 'plain' then one or two with taco seasoning, and the others with whatever. Toss them in a ziploc and in the freezer and you are ready to go.

 

[MaryCarney]

I try to just do one protein type per day. For example, I'll make taco meat, sloppy joes and meat loaf on one day - all ground beef.

If you are new to it, a plan I really recommend (I literally wrote a book about this!!) is to just make four or five meals of whatever you're fixing for dinner, eat one and freeze the rest. It really doesn't take but a couple more minutes to make five meatloaves as one. Do this just twice a week, and in a month's time, you'll have around 40 extra meals in the freezer.

I have LOTS more to say on this topic - what would you like to know???

 

[Contrary Housewife]

Wow! that's a ton of planning ahead!

I just did 10 servings of stuffed baked potatoes for the freezer. They had a 5lb bag on sale last week for 99c, so half of it is cooked for later, and the others we will eat in the next couple of weeks.

 

[mauimagic]

Cannot believe all the bargains that you find!!:congrats:

 

[Luckybustert]

If you are new to it, a plan I really recommend (I literally wrote a book about this!!) is to just make four or five meals of whatever you're fixing for dinner, eat one and freeze the rest. It really doesn't take but a couple more minutes to make five meatloaves as one. Do this just twice a week, and in a month's time, you'll have around 40 extra meals in the freezer.

This is such an awesome tip for getting stated....thank you so much! I've been wanting to do the OAMC but it seemed a bit overwhelming to me. Using this approach, I think I could stock the freezer very nicely!

 

[mauimagic]

Me too!! I need to make better use of our freezer. Even though it is small (the one over the refrigerator), I know that I can rearrange and pack things better.

Question - do you cook the meatloaf before you freeze it?

 

[Luckybustert]

Question - do you cook the meatloaf before you freeze it?

I've seen different responses to this question. I made meatloaf and froze it and I did not cook it before freezing. Just mixed it up, molded it in the loaf pan, then packaged it using the Food Saver. When it was time for meatloaf, I thawed it out, plopped it back into the same pan and baked....it turned out great! I was kind of afraid if I cooked it then froze it, I'd overcook it when I went to heat it up. Would probably be fine, but I just didn't want to take any chances.

 

[Jamielane]

Okay I know this is a atupid question but I have been wondering for months now what does the abbreviation OAMC stand for exactly? Thanks for filling me in .

 

[scooby8themall]

Once A Month Cooking = OAMC

 

[Laurie in Bradenton]

I'm doing the opposite right now. We're eating out of our feezer. DH has been out of work too long and in order to keep things together we've started to eat down our freezer and pantry stock. Lots of leftover soup and baked goods. Thank Goodness for all those items I saved earliler this year. Big ziplock bags with supper leftovers have become soup for lunches during the week.
All those extra bananas have become muffins, breads and cakes.

Laurie in Bradenton

 

[redmaples]

What do you recommend for someone just starting out in OAMC?

I have a big pack of ground beef & a big pack of boneless chicken breast that I was going to break up & freeze into patties & smaller packages. I'd like to try making a few freezer meals...where to start?

I do have a food saver w/ plenty of bags & freezer containers too.

 

[Lora88]

You are awesome

 

[calimomx2]

Wow that's a lot of work.....way to go!!
I've just spent the last 6 weeks not shopping and clearing out the freezer.........I need to do this to fill it back up!

 

[MaryCarney]

I would start with something you already make regularly and KNOW freezes well. The time to be adventurous and creative is NOT when you are making twenty servings of something - something you will be forced to look at every time you open the freezer .
I think ground beef applications are especially good for a starting point - sloppy joes, taco meat, meatballs, meatloaf.

 

[frugalfranny]

I am with you laurie........trying to get my freezer down too.

The summer harvest really filled it up......but that is a good thing.