Frugal Menu Mamas

Fridays will be about freezer cooking. I will be posting tips on freezer cooking each Friday. I will also include a recipe.  I’m guessing you’ve heard of it, as it is becoming more and more popular. For those of you who are not on the “up and up” here’s an introduction to freezer cooking.

Freezer cooking involves making meals to put in your freezer.  Then you just thaw them overnight, heat, and eat!   This method saves time on busy evenings and saves money.   How does it save money?  When you are feeling lazy or overwhelmed, don’t spend money going out, just pull a meal from the freezer!  Its great!!!!   I actually have become addicted to freezer cooking and I am not sure I will ever quit.

There are several ways to freezer cook:
*When you cook, make a double or triple batch and freeze the extra.
*When you buy fresh meat, freeze in ziplocs with a marinade.
*Cook on the weekend and freeze meals for the week ahead.
*Join a freezer co-op.
*And the once-a-month cooking method where you cook for an entire month. (check out this site, organized home, or 30daygourmet)

Curious about how I freezer cook?  I have a cookbook about once-a-month cooking, but the idea of doing it in one day seemed scary to me, so I formed a freezer co-op (details on that next Friday).  The cookbook did give me recipe ideas (not all casseroles!) and marinades to use when freezing fresh meat.  I also like to make double batches of recipes that I know freeze well.  I have enough stuff in the freezer at any one time to eat a freezer meal once or twice a week.

If you want to get started, just Google “freezer cooking” or “once-a-month cooking” to find recipes.  NOT EVERYTHING FREEZES WELL, so go with proven recipes or test your own.  I will only post proven recipes on here.  I’ve only been doing this about a year, but I’ve learned so much!  Hopefully, the tips and tricks you read here will help you.  Leave a comment letting us know what you think about freezer cooking. If you want to be featured about freezer cooking, email me (chadsjoy@gmail.com)!

So, this week’s recipe was perfected by my amazing mother (THANKS MOM!  I LOVE YOU!) and it was a favorite at our co-op.

Country Style Steak

cubed steak, 4-6

flour

Mrs. Dash

brown gravy mix, 2 pkgs.

Place cubed steak on wax paper or plate and sprinkle with Mrs. Dash. Flour both sides of meat. Brown in hot oil. Drain on a paper towel.  Once cooled place 4-6 in a Ziploc freezer bag.  Squeeze all air out and freeze.  (don’t forget to label the bag)

On cooking day…thaw the night before.  Arrange in a baking dish. Mix gravy and pour over the cubed steak. Cover and bake at 350 F for 1 hour.

If gravy package says 1 cup water, mix with 1 1/2 cups water and then pour over steak. No need to boil.

Serve with baked potatoes (cook at same time) or mashed potatoes.

**I buy a big package (12 or more) of cubed steak (for no more than $2.99/lb) and cook them all up and freeze in meal size portions.  Sam’s Club is a good place to get a good package.  You can also get a big container or brown gravy mix there and big containers of Mrs. Dash.