This weekend, that all changed!
A friend of mine came over and we set out to make multiple meals in one afternoon, and I'm going to tell you how I did it.
First I will say that I borrowed all ideas and recipes from other pinners on Pinterest or from Google, so I don't want to take any credit there. In fact, until I actually cook all of the meals that I made, I can't even guarantee they'll be good. ;)
Here's what we did FIRST: We figured out how many recipes we wanted to make and we searched for the recipes online.
NEXT: We made a list of what we needed to buy and figured out what we could buy in bulk from Sam's Club.
SHOPPING TIME! Since we were both making the same meals, we went shopping together and split the cost. Some of the ingredients we already had in our kitchens, and for most of the meat for my meals, I used frozen deer meat that we already had in the freezer.
Once we got home and unloaded groceries, we did the earliest stages of prep work including:
partially thawing the meat that we needed to chop,
opened all the cans,
wrote the titles and instructions on each gallon size freezer bag,
and made a large batch of chicken stock.
We also chopped, shredded, and cut up anything that needed to be cut. I used my food processor for anything that I could which saved a ton of time!
We put together one recipe at a time. Some of the recipes we doubled, tripled, or quadrupled.
We planned for 11 recipes and in the end we had 44 total bags. (We each took 22 home.) About half of what each of us ended up with will feed us for at least two dinners, some of them for three. It just depends on the size of your family and if you eat it for leftovers or not.
First I will say that I borrowed all ideas and recipes from other pinners on Pinterest or from Google, so I don't want to take any credit there. In fact, until I actually cook all of the meals that I made, I can't even guarantee they'll be good. ;)
Here's what we did FIRST: We figured out how many recipes we wanted to make and we searched for the recipes online.
NEXT: We made a list of what we needed to buy and figured out what we could buy in bulk from Sam's Club.
SHOPPING TIME! Since we were both making the same meals, we went shopping together and split the cost. Some of the ingredients we already had in our kitchens, and for most of the meat for my meals, I used frozen deer meat that we already had in the freezer.
Once we got home and unloaded groceries, we did the earliest stages of prep work including:
partially thawing the meat that we needed to chop,
opened all the cans,
wrote the titles and instructions on each gallon size freezer bag,
and made a large batch of chicken stock.
We also chopped, shredded, and cut up anything that needed to be cut. I used my food processor for anything that I could which saved a ton of time!
We put together one recipe at a time. Some of the recipes we doubled, tripled, or quadrupled.
We planned for 11 recipes and in the end we had 44 total bags. (We each took 22 home.) About half of what each of us ended up with will feed us for at least two dinners, some of them for three. It just depends on the size of your family and if you eat it for leftovers or not.
The recipes that we made are:
Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken
Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos
French Dip
Hearty Beef Stew
Black Bean Taco Soup
Sloppy Tamale Pie
Enchilada Wraps
Bean Stew
Creamy Farmhouse Chicken and Vegetable Soup
and Sausage and Bean Supper
(recipes to follow)
At first glance, it just looks like my kitchen is super messy! But no - magic is about to happen here.
Thawing meat in my sink.
My kitchen is pretty small with little counter space. We had to stack things on the floor!
More cans and veggies.
This is only my first time doing mass cooking like this, and I can tell you that it is a lot of hard work! But it's totally worth it! Here are my pointers:
Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken
Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos
French Dip
Hearty Beef Stew
Black Bean Taco Soup
Sloppy Tamale Pie
Enchilada Wraps
Bean Stew
Creamy Farmhouse Chicken and Vegetable Soup
and Sausage and Bean Supper
(recipes to follow)
At first glance, it just looks like my kitchen is super messy! But no - magic is about to happen here.
Thawing meat in my sink.
My kitchen is pretty small with little counter space. We had to stack things on the floor!
More cans and veggies.
This is only my first time doing mass cooking like this, and I can tell you that it is a lot of hard work! But it's totally worth it! Here are my pointers:
Be as organized as possible! Make your list well in advance and figure out how many of each ingredient you'll need for each recipe. For example, when I was slicing carrots, I scanned all recipes and figured out, in total, how many I would need to slice and I sliced them all at the same time. Same thing with shredding veggies (thank goodness for my food processor), chopping, dicing, etc.
Don't do it alone! Me and my friend Jessica were in the kitchen for 5 hours straight. That doesn't include shopping time. Doing such a daunting thing on your own can be overwhelming. It's SO much more fun with a friend or family member along side!
We chopped a BUNCH of onions and we were practically crying for most of the night. Next time I'll probably use all dried onions in my recipes.
Here are the recipes:
CROCK POT CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart chicken stock
1 tablespoon chicken soup base
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste
1 (8 oz). can tomato sauce
1 (19 oz.) can enchilada sauce (or two 10 oz. cans)
6 small corn tortillas*, minced
16 oz. Velveeta, cubed
1 cup co-jack cheese, shredded
1 22 oz. bag Tyson roasted and diced chicken, thawed
1 can whole kernel corn**, drained (optional)
Garnishes: pico de gallo, sour cream, shredded cheese, crunchy tortilla strips
In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and saute' the onions until they are tender. Add the minced garlic and cook another minute or two, then scrape the onions and garlic into your crock pot. Add all the other ingredients, except the chicken and corn. Cook over high heat for two hours or low for four. Whisk until smooth (you may wish to use a stick blender). Add the chicken pieces and corn and heat through, maybe another 30 minutes to one hour. Check seasonings, and garnish as you like before serving.
In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and saute' the onions until they are tender. Add the minced garlic and cook another minute or two, then scrape the onions and garlic into your crock pot. Add all the other ingredients, except the chicken and corn. Cook over high heat for two hours or low for four. Whisk until smooth (you may wish to use a stick blender). Add the chicken pieces and corn and heat through, maybe another 30 minutes to one hour. Check seasonings, and garnish as you like before serving.
*Most of the recipes that I found online called for one or two cups of masa harina to thicken the soup. The store I was shopping in didn't carry that, so I got the brilliant idea to just chop up some corn tortillas and let them dissolve in the soup. it worked perfectly, and gave the soup great flavor...just like chicken enchiladas!
**Chili's chicken enchilada soup doesn't have corn in it, but it's delicious in this, amplifying the corny flavor of the tortillas. You could even go crazy and also add a can or two of black beans. That would be yummy, too.
CROCK POT HONEY SESAME CHICKEN
recipe form: Baby Center
(we doubled the original recipe, and even then we still wanted more! This is the doubled recipe)
2.5 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thighs would be fine too)
Salt and pepper
1 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 tablespoons diced onion
4 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoon canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
4 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tablespoons water
Sesame seeds
Season both sides of chicken with lightly with salt and pepper, put into crock pot. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken.
Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through.
Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce. Dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornstarch in 6 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce.
Replace lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes or until slightly thickened.
Cut chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce before serving.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice or noodles.
CILANTRO LIME CHICKEN TACOS
**Chili's chicken enchilada soup doesn't have corn in it, but it's delicious in this, amplifying the corny flavor of the tortillas. You could even go crazy and also add a can or two of black beans. That would be yummy, too.
CROCK POT HONEY SESAME CHICKEN
recipe form: Baby Center
(we doubled the original recipe, and even then we still wanted more! This is the doubled recipe)
2.5 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thighs would be fine too)
Salt and pepper
1 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 tablespoons diced onion
4 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoon canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
4 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tablespoons water
Sesame seeds
Season both sides of chicken with lightly with salt and pepper, put into crock pot. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken.
Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through.
Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce. Dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornstarch in 6 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce.
Replace lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes or until slightly thickened.
Cut chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce before serving.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice or noodles.
CILANTRO LIME CHICKEN TACOS
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
juice from 2 limes
1/2 cup of cilantro
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 teas. dried onions
1/2 cup of water
Add every single ingredient to the Crockpot. This could be cooked on low all day, or you could set the Crockpot to high and cook for four(ish) hours. Once the chicken is cooked, use a fork to shred it, and stir well.
Spoon chicken into soft taco tortillas. Top with cheese, sour cream, salsa, and tomatoes. Garnish with a few lime wedges......
HEARTY BEEF STEW
juice from 2 limes
1/2 cup of cilantro
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 teas. dried onions
1/2 cup of water
Add every single ingredient to the Crockpot. This could be cooked on low all day, or you could set the Crockpot to high and cook for four(ish) hours. Once the chicken is cooked, use a fork to shred it, and stir well.
Spoon chicken into soft taco tortillas. Top with cheese, sour cream, salsa, and tomatoes. Garnish with a few lime wedges......
HEARTY BEEF STEW
Ingredients:
1 pound beef stew cubes
4 carrots, sliced
4 red potatoes, cut into large cubes
1 package dry onion soup mix
2 cans 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (10 oz) package frozen green peas
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag. Mix together and zip bag closed. When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook on LOW for 7-10 hours (or HIGH for 5-6 hours).
Serve with 3 Ingredient Parmesan Rolls.
(I double-bagged this stew because it stuffed the freezer bag to the brim! Better safe than sorry!)
BLACK BEAN TACO SOUP
1 pound beef stew cubes
4 carrots, sliced
4 red potatoes, cut into large cubes
1 package dry onion soup mix
2 cans 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (10 oz) package frozen green peas
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag. Mix together and zip bag closed. When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook on LOW for 7-10 hours (or HIGH for 5-6 hours).
Serve with 3 Ingredient Parmesan Rolls.
(I double-bagged this stew because it stuffed the freezer bag to the brim! Better safe than sorry!)
BLACK BEAN TACO SOUP
Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef (or ground turkey works too!)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 package mild taco seasoning mix
1 (16 oz) bag frozen corn
1 (16 oz) can black beans drained and rinsed (you could use kidney beans or pinto beans)
2 (14 oz) cans stewed tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilis
1 lb lean ground beef (or ground turkey works too!)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 package mild taco seasoning mix
1 (16 oz) bag frozen corn
1 (16 oz) can black beans drained and rinsed (you could use kidney beans or pinto beans)
2 (14 oz) cans stewed tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilis
Directions:
Brown meat and onion, drain. Let meat cool for a minute, then dump into a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag.
Dump the remaining ingredients into the bag, mix together, and zip bag closed.
When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook on HIGH for 1-2 hours or LOW for 2-3 1/2 hours.
Brown meat and onion, drain. Let meat cool for a minute, then dump into a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag.
Dump the remaining ingredients into the bag, mix together, and zip bag closed.
When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook on HIGH for 1-2 hours or LOW for 2-3 1/2 hours.
Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole
SLOPPY TAMALE PIE
INGREDIENTS
1.5 lbs Ground beef
1 carrot, shredded
1 zucchini, shredded or finely diced
1 onion chopped
1 bell pepper finely chopped
2 cups frozen corn
1 can whole olives (sliced – buy them whole then slice them yourself)
1 packet taco seasoning
2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
Serve with Cornbread
DIRECTIONS
Brown ground beef, carrot, zucchini, onion and bell pepper until done. Drain and cool. Add to a gallon zip lock bag with remaining ingredients. Freeze. Thaw and cook in crock pot on low for 5-6 hours or high 3-4 hours. Serve “sloppy joe style” over cornbread.
SLOPPY TAMALE PIE
INGREDIENTS
1.5 lbs Ground beef
1 carrot, shredded
1 zucchini, shredded or finely diced
1 onion chopped
1 bell pepper finely chopped
2 cups frozen corn
1 can whole olives (sliced – buy them whole then slice them yourself)
1 packet taco seasoning
2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
Serve with Cornbread
DIRECTIONS
Brown ground beef, carrot, zucchini, onion and bell pepper until done. Drain and cool. Add to a gallon zip lock bag with remaining ingredients. Freeze. Thaw and cook in crock pot on low for 5-6 hours or high 3-4 hours. Serve “sloppy joe style” over cornbread.
ENCHILADA WRAPS
INGREDIENTS
3 Chicken Breasts (boneless, skinless)
1 large (28 oz) can Enchilada sauce (make sure it’s gluten free if that’s an issue for you!)
1 onion, chopped
1 can olives (chopped)
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup shredded cheese (or cheese substitute)
Corn or flour tortillas for serving
DIRECTIONS
Add all ingredients into a gallon zip lock bag. Freeze. Thaw and cook in crock pot on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. Shred chicken in crock pot once done. Serve in tortillas.
BEAN STEW
Add all ingredients into a gallon zip lock bag. Freeze. Thaw and cook in crock pot on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. Shred chicken in crock pot once done. Serve in tortillas.
BEAN STEW
6 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth (add when putting in crock pot)
1 cup dry beans, picked over and rinsed
2 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely diced
3 tablespoons uncooked white rice
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence or dried thyme
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground white or black pepper
Combine ingredients in a gallon zip lock bag (minus the broth). Freeze. Thaw, add broth and bag to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours. Serves 4-5 people.
1 cup dry beans, picked over and rinsed
2 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely diced
3 tablespoons uncooked white rice
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence or dried thyme
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground white or black pepper
Combine ingredients in a gallon zip lock bag (minus the broth). Freeze. Thaw, add broth and bag to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours. Serves 4-5 people.
CREAMY FARMHOUSE CHICKEN AND GARDEN SOUP
1/2 package (16 ounces) frozen pepper stir-fry vegetable mix
1 cup frozen corn
1 medium zucchini, sliced
2 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup half-and-half (or non-dairy milk for dairy allergies)
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 can (14 ounces) fat-free chicken broth
Put all ingredients in a Ziploc bag except chicken broth. Freeze. Thaw and put in slow cooker and add chicken broth. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir in 3 cups prepared noodles. Serves 7-8 people.
1/2 package (16 ounces) frozen pepper stir-fry vegetable mix
1 cup frozen corn
1 medium zucchini, sliced
2 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup half-and-half (or non-dairy milk for dairy allergies)
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 can (14 ounces) fat-free chicken broth
Put all ingredients in a Ziploc bag except chicken broth. Freeze. Thaw and put in slow cooker and add chicken broth. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir in 3 cups prepared noodles. Serves 7-8 people.
SAUSAGE AND BEAN SUPPER
1 lb Sausage, thinly sliced or crumbled
1 Onion Chopped
1 Celery Stalk Chopped
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1.5 tsp Dry mustard
¼ cup Honey
1 can Tomatoes with Chili Peppers
1 can Butter Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can Garbanzo Beans, rinsed and drained
In a large skillet brown sausage and onion, drain and allow to cool (totally optional, sausage will cook in the crock pot but there will be excess oil if you don’t pre-brown it). Place sausage in a ziptop bag with other ingredients. Freeze. thaw contents of bag and place in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
Serve with shredded cheese and tortilla chips over rice. Serves approx. 5-6 people.
1 lb Sausage, thinly sliced or crumbled
1 Onion Chopped
1 Celery Stalk Chopped
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1.5 tsp Dry mustard
¼ cup Honey
1 can Tomatoes with Chili Peppers
1 can Butter Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can Garbanzo Beans, rinsed and drained
In a large skillet brown sausage and onion, drain and allow to cool (totally optional, sausage will cook in the crock pot but there will be excess oil if you don’t pre-brown it). Place sausage in a ziptop bag with other ingredients. Freeze. thaw contents of bag and place in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
Serve with shredded cheese and tortilla chips over rice. Serves approx. 5-6 people.
Email me with any questions! amusgrove@hotmail.com
Enjoy!
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