The idea behind once-a-month cooking (OAMC) is to spend a set amount of time cooking, be it a day or two, but cooking and freezing enough meals to last through the whole month. Some people, especially beginners, feel intimidated by the process and do it on a weekly basis instead of monthly.
Some benefits are using less time and energy…it takes longer to make three chicken meals one at a time, than to make them at the same time. Another benefit to having meals on hand is not relying on processed food when you are pressed for time.
I don’t take credit for the following tips, I’ve had them saved on my computer for a while and the original author is unknown to me. It’s a great tutorial and if any of our readers know who write it, please let me know so I can give proper credit.
STEP ONE: Choose 20 recipes.
This will last a family of 4 about 4 weeks, (allowing for leftovers, eat-out nights, scratch cooking nights, baked potato nights, etc.) Try to have a balance of casseroles, soups, stews, pasta, meats,
ethnic foods and so on.
STEP TWO: Make up a master grocery list.
Make sure you list EVERY SINGLE ITEM you will need. Include products like aluminum foil, freezer bags and scouring pads. Don’t forget simple things like flour, salt and sugar. (You don’t want to run out of something on cooking day!) Once you have your list, check off the items you will need to purchase.
STEP THREE: Start a notebook of your very own recipes.
Either copy the recipe or rewrite it on a 8×11 sheet (one recipe per page). On cooking day, you will be taping these up around your kitchen, so you don’t want to have to hassle with cookbooks or recipe
cards. Organize them to your liking in a 3-ring notebook. After a few months, you’ll have a nice notebook full of recipes that WORK!!!
STEP FOUR: Read through each recipe and break it down into simple steps.
On a sheet, list the recipe names in columns. Write the steps underneath. Do it in an order that makes sense to you. Then take similar steps from ALL the recipes and do them together.
Example: To make spaghetti sauce and lasagna
chop onion (x cups or x pounds of onions)
grate cheese (x cups or ounces)
chop peppers
chop veggies
mince garlic
combine cheeses
brown meat and drain
make layers
add tomatoes
wrap pan and freeze
simmer
bag and freeze
On cooking day, do similar tasks together, i.e. all the chopping, sauteeing, peeling, boiling. Put soups and stews which will cook for a long time on early to simmer. Then put the casseroles together;
wrap carefully and put in the bottom of a chest freezer or on the bottom of shelves. (They take up more room and also take longer to freeze).
STEP FIVE: Label your items!
Put a “sharpie” indelible marker on your shopping list if you don’t have one. Ink pen is not legible and regular markers run. Include any preparation instructions on a piece of paper slipped inside the
double bag. Be sure to write down the number of servings! (You will not remember!)
STEP SIX: On cooking day, start as early as you can and dress to work.
Wear comfortable, supportive shoes. Have a change of aprons ready and lots of clean towels. Clear off your countertops and clutter so that you have maximum workspace. Tape up the recipes where you can see them in plastic page protectors. You will be amazed at how quickly things go together if you’ve done steps ahead of time (the chopping, browning, etc.)
STEP SEVEN: Evaluate how your OAMC session went.
Make notes on your recipes if you want to make any changes the next time. Clean up your kitchen so that you don’t have to face that mess tomorrow!
STEP EIGHT: Don’t cook dinner on your big day!
Order in a pizza or go out to eat. If you are short on funds, save your crockpot for your evening meal so that you don’t have to fix another dish. You will be TIRED, but it will be worth it.
This is a good list to have on hand for those of us that like to do once-a-month or once-a-week cooking. It will take the guess work out of the question “Can I freeze…?”
Don’t Freeze Well:
Greasy foods (they just become greasier)
Cake icings made with egg whites
Cream fillings and soft frostings
Pies made with custard or cream fillings
Fried foods (they tend to lose their crispness and become soggy)
Fruit jelly on sandwiches may soak into the bread
Soft cheese, such as cream cheese (can become watery)
Mayonnaise (it separates; use salad dressing instead)
Sour cream (it becomes thin and watery)
Potatoes cooked in soups and stews (they become mushy and may darken. If using potatoes, cook until barely soft and still firm; then freeze quickly.)
Changes During Freezing:
Gravies and other fat-based sauces may separate and need to be recombined by stirring or processing in the blender
Thickened sauces may need thinning after freezing; thin with broth or milk
Seasonings such as onions, herbs and flavorings used in recipes can change during freezing. These are best added during reheating to obtain accurate flavors
Vegetables, pastas and grains used in cooked recipes usually are softer after freezing and reheating (under cook before freezing, or add when dish is reheated)
Heavy cream can be frozen if used for cooking, but will not whip
Some yogurts may suffer texture changes
Raw vegetables lose their crispness, but can be used for cooking, stews, etc.
Many cheeses change texture in the freezer. Most hard cheeses turn crumbly (which makes them okay for grating, but not for slicing)
Take a peek at this PDF file from the USDA Center For Nutrition. There’s 78 pages of meal plans and recipes for you to use. A lot of these recipes can be doubled or tripled and used for once a month cooking.
These recipes are easy and fast and help you avoid those expensive store-bought frozen meals and those nights when you didn’t have anything ready (we all know how expensive those “take-out” nights are!)
FRENCH BREAD PIZZA:
Spread jarred spaghetti sauce/tomato sauce on french bread. Top with cheese/toppings. Wrap and freeze. To bake. Bake frozen at 400/425 for 20-30 minutes.
EASY STIR FRY:
Divide a large bag of mixed frozen veggies among freezer bags. Among those freezer bags, divide a bag of frozen shrimp or cooked chicken breast. Freeze. Just throw in a wok in the frozen state and add soy sauce or stir fry sauce while it cooks.
PASTA SALAD:
Boil pasta, drain. Add a bottle of salad dressing, jar of olives, can of artichokes, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Optional : add cooked diced ham or chicken. Bag and freeze. Just thaw and eat.
CHICKEN MANICOTTI:
Uncooked manicotti, uncooked chicken breast (sliced into strips). Stuff a piece of chicken into the uncooked manicotti shell. Continue until all are filled. Place 1/3 sauce in freezable baking pan. Place stuffed manicotti in pan, top with the rest of the sauce mixed with 1 cup water. Top with cheese. Wrap and freeze. Bake from the freezer at 350 for 1 - 1 1/2 hours. Watch the pasta after a while if it looks dry add a little more water to the baking dish.
TACO RICE: (this has minimal cooking)
1 lb cooked ground beef or turkey, 1 chopped onion, 1 taco seasoning packet (or homemade), 1 can diced tomatoes, 2 cups cooked rice. Mix all ingredients together in a pan. Bring to simmer, simmer for 20 minutes until thick. Bag and freeze. Makes a good taco, taco salad, burritos or on top of tortilla chips for nachos. Can be doubled/tripled.
QUICK TURKEY ROLL UPS
1lb deli turkey meat ( I always seem to find turkey end slices in the markdowns at the deli)
3 cups prepared stuffing (either homemade or boxed)
1 can cream of chicken soup mixed with 3/4 cup water or about 2 cups homemade chicken flavored white sauce
Place a spoonful of stuffing on the end of one turkey slice. Roll up. Continue to fill and roll until all the turkey is used. Place rolls in a foil baking pan or freezable baking dish. Pour white sauce or cream soup over the top of the turkey rolls. Top with cheese if desired. Cover dish, freeze. Either thaw and bake or bake from the frozen state.
QUICHE IN A BAG
1 cup cooked sausage or diced ham (Optional)
10 oz. frozen package chopped spinach or broccoli, thawed a little and broken up.
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 small onion chopped
2 cups milk
4 eggs
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
Mix eggs, milk, flour and baking powder with a wisk or mixer until well incorporated. Add meat, veggies, cheese and onion. Pour into a freezer bag. Freeze. To cook, thaw bag, squish the bag well a few times to incorporate the ingredients. Pour into a pie plate sprayed with non stick spray. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes until set. I vary the meat and veggies all the time. Right now in my freezer I have a few asparagus and mushroom quiches and a few sausage and spinach ones. They’re great to have on hand for Sunday breakfast. But we also eat for dinner with a salad and rolls. Great way to use eggs on sale.
CROCKPOT REFRIED BEANS
I don’t really have a recipe. This is what I do. Soak some dried pinto beans in water overnight. In the morning dump in the crockpot with more water to cover. Add a chopped onion and garlic. Let cook all day. If you need to, drain some of the liquid when they are done cooking. To the cooked beans, add cumin, corriander, salt and pepper to taste. Then mash with a potato masher. I like to leave mine a little chunky. Then just cool, bag and freeze. They freeze very well.
FRUIT CRISP MIXTURE
6 cups oats
3 cups nuts (optional)
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 cups butter or margarine , melted
2 tsp cinnamon
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Divide among 6 freezer bags. Store in freezer. To make fruit crisp, place fresh, frozen or canned fruit in bottom of baking dish. Sprinkle fruit crisp mixture on top. Bake at 375 for about 25-30 minutes.
20 PIE CRUSTS FOR THE FREEZER (This recipe is great! Dough will last up to 1 year in the freezer)
3 lb can shortening
5 lb bag flour
3 cups ice water
2 Tbsp salt
In a large bowl, dump flour and salt. With your hands, cut in the shortening adding ice water to form a dough. Shape into 20 disks. Wrap individually in Saran Wrap then place in freezer bags. Freeze. Thaw in fridge or on counter for 30 minutes when needed.
This article was contributed by Gallo, a busy mom and part of the Frugal Families team. This and other great frugal recipes are available in our Recipe Section at http://www.frugal-families.com/Recipes/
