Disclosure Notice: No Affiliate Links here! I couldn't figure out how to get through Amazon's new screens to get a good picture. Ergo, this fun picture that I took with my phone.
I had to laugh when I was reading Jessica's introduction to the book. She talked about Once A Month Cooking. (OAM). Have any of you ever done that hot mess? It was a big thing back in the 90's. I would sit down and carefully plan out my meals for a month (or a little longer). I would vary my recipes between chicken, beef, pork, and vegetarian. I would then spend a day shopping. We're talking a huge grocery shop here. I'd go to BJ's, and I'd spend about $150 on the food. Come back home and stuff it all in the fridge and freezer. The next day was cooking day. I'd chop vegetables, cook meat, saute things, assemble meals, and then freeze them all. Clean up was hideous. Every pot pan and bowl in the house was used. BUT - at the end of the day, I had cooked meals for a month or so. My kids were all born in the 90's, and I loved having quick meals to pull out and put on the table when they were infants and toddlers. Not having to do meal prep with hungry toddlers running around. Not quite bliss, but it was wonderful. Over the years, I've moved away from OAM meals, but I am still a very big fan of cooking ahead. I'll assemble meal kits, or crock pot dump meals, or cook two of something and freeze on for later use. This has saved me more than once when faced with the conundrum of "What's for Dinner?" I am always on the lookout for recipes that lend themselves well to preparing ahead, but don't leave me with a frozen, soggy mass of limp vegetables and tough, overcooked meat. I was browsing through my local library last week when I found this gem! Not Your Mother's Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook is going to become a staple in my house.
This is not a collection of dump recipes. Nor is it a collection of casseroles. Yes, there are some casseroles. There are a couple of dump recipes. But what really sets this book apart for me is that you are assembling meals. Sauces and spices and meats are frozen together so that when you get ready to prep a meal, items are combined to make a fresh fantastic meal.
I've tried two recipes out of here so far. The Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole is a freezer meal - but not the way you might expect. The raw chicken was stored in a zip top bag with the marinade, and that bag was stored inside of a larger bag with the rice and seasonings. The night before, I pulled the materials out to let them thaw in the fridge, and we had an awesome dinner the next night. I came home, dumped everything in a 13 x 9 inch casserole, put dishes in the dishwasher away, and then looked up in surprise when dinner was ready. Holy cow, that was good! (Hint- if you do check this book out and decide to try this recipe, keep an eye on the rice. It doesn't need a full 2 hours of bake time. Mine was done in about an hour.)
I tried the fish tacos over the weekend. So awesome! The make ahead version calls for the fish to be stored in a zip top bag, and for the seasonings to be stored in a separate baggie within the bag. Personally, I'd be tempted to also store the corn tortillas in the same zip top bag. I like having as many parts together as possible when I pull something out of the freezer.
For me, with my food allergies, I love the recipes. Jessica calls for fresh, not processed foods. No processing means no chance of gluten or dairy. Even better, it is easy for me to substitute out the foods that I can't eat or don't like.
If you're looking for some new, fun ideas for freezer cooking, give this book at try!
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