So You Want to Start a Freezer Exchange?

It’s no secret that I am a super fan of my freezer meal group. Given just a sliver of an opening in conversation, I will rave about how much I love the convenience, community, money-saving, and ease of our freezer meal exchanges.

So, if you are interested in saving time, money, (and perhaps, your sanity), you might want to consider starting your own freezer group.  (Hold on to your hats, here comes a long post. But, never fear, not only is there a good amount of useful information, but there is a printable at the end.)

STEP 1: Find 2-5 friends.

You need to be a little picky about who invite to your group, not because you don’t like them. There are just some practical commonalities you must have in order for these exchanges to work. Start by finding families of a similar size. In our group, we all have a need for meals that feed families of four. All the meals we bring to the exchange include the same number of servings.

Next, think about who has similar culinary tastes. Consider questions like: Does your family like adventurous, gourmet meals? Are you okay with meals that may use cream of chicken soup? Do you eat meat or poultry with every meal?  Do you eat exclusively organic? Etc.

Finally, your exchange pals need to be dependable. Your freezer meal exchange will be most worthwhile if you have group members consistently participating.  Remember, it takes teamwork to make the dream work.

STEP 2: Agree upon group guidelines.

You’ll want to establish some guidelines for your group to function smoothly.

Communication

How will you communicate with one another about the date of an exchange and what meals you’ll prep? Our group started by using texts and Facebook messages. We’ve since graduated to a secret, closed Facebook group, which I think was a great move. I highly recommend you check out this communication option. I’ve also read about other groups that meet at a park while their kids play or at someone’s house while they snack on appetizers. I know of some groups that use group emails. There are many possibilities, find one that works for each member of the group.

Meal Preparation

Will your group prepare meals together or individually? There are definite advantages to both. When you prep the meals together, it’s like a party. You’re all together for the shopping, you split the workload, and only make a mess in one kitchen. It may be a long day, but you’re finished with all the meal prep in a day. For us, it has always worked well for us to each prep our freezer meals at home and do a trade on the day of the freezer meal exchange. It’s a little more of a flexible approach. I like this because then I can pick and choose when I want to prep my meals. Sometimes I find a great sale on beef, but our exchange isn’t for another few weeks. I’ll prep the freezer meal while the beef is on sale and fresh, then store it in my freezer until the exchange day. But again, there are advantages to both, so just pick what works best for your group.

Food 

How many servings should be included in each meal? How much should each meal cost? How will you package and label the meal? How many different meals will you each prep?

Like mentioned above, our group preps meals portioned to feed a family of four. We budget $5-7 per meal. On the rare occasion that an entrée costs less than $5, we include a side dish that will bring the total to the agreed upon range. Most of our meals are frozen in gallon-sized bags and the occasional aluminum pan. Miken shared a great tip on how to freeze casseroles without an aluminum pan. Check out this post to learn about it. To label the meals, we usually just use a Sharpie and write directly on the bag. I recommend to do this labeling before you put the food in the bag. Did I learn this the hard way? Maybe.

Frequency 

How often will your group exchange meals?

Think about how often your family eats freezer meals- a few times a month, once or twice a week, or most nights. This is a major factor in how often you meet and how many meals are exchanged.

Our groups meets just about every other month. We all eat at least one or two freezer meals a week. So, the math goes kind of like this:

≈1 ½ meals a week x 8 weeks = 12 meals

Since there are six members in our group, we each bring two different meals to exchange with the group. In the end, we have 12 meals tucked away in our freezers to last through the next two months.

STEP 3: Follow through and adjust.

By this point in the process, you’ve done all the leg work to get rolling. Make sure that you and your pals follow through. After your first exchange, talk about what worked in the process and what didn’t. Make adjustments to how your group functions until you start cruising along without any hiccups.

I’m such a believer in freezer groups. This wonderful group of gals and their freezer meals have really helped to simplify this part of my life. So, if you’re wondering if it’ll be a good fit for you, just give it shot. It might just be one of the best decisions you make.

Use this printable to help you record the choices you and your group make while organizing your freezer meal exchange group. 

Chili a la Amy

It's that time of the year again... cold nights, tired mommies, and hungry kiddos. In our house, the latter seems to be all the time! Being a home school family you might think that we have SO much time to cook and prepare large elaborate meals; that is, however, not the case at all. I actually feel that now that we are home, we have less time to cook. Between lessons, and refereeing arguments between siblings, and transporting kids places, I am so thankful for a few of my tried and true recipes I keep up my sleeve. And shall I add, recipes that don't take me all day to make either. One of my family's favorites is chili. Now, I have made chili for a number of years, but only lately have I been including a secret ingredient...MASA... mmm, goodness!

Chili a la Amy:

Many recipes combined to make this one...

2 tsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 pound ground meat (beef, chicken, turkey)
3 (or more) crushed cloves garlic
salt and pepper

1 tsp oregano
1 Tbls cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne (I omit for the kiddos)
2 Tbls chili powder

1 large can of tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup masa (corn flour)
1/2 cup water

serve with choice of:
cheese
chopped onion
FRITOS.... YUM!


Directions:
Get yourself a big pot, no need to do a lot of dishes with this meal! Who has time for that anyways!?

Cook onions on high heat in olive oil until then appear transparent. Then add the meat and garlic. Cook until meat is no longer pink. Drain off any excess fat you might see.

Now dump all your spices in with the meat. Give it a good stir and let everyone meet up with each other in the pot! Now is the time to open and dump...

Add all your canned ingredients and give it another stir around. Turn the stove down to simmer and let it cook for about an hour, or if you don't have time, just until it gets all bubbly and good tasting! I have made this and let is sit for a few hours and I have made it and served right away.

Right before you are going to serve, mix the masa and water in a little bowl until blended and add that to the pot of goodies. Stir together, taste and adjust seasoning as needed. If the chili is to thick, you can add some water to reach the desired consistency.

Just as an added note... this freezes and reheats wonderfully. I have plopped this right in my slow cooker frozen with some water and turned it on low... stirring every now and again.

Now who's ready for some chili!?! I know I am....

~ Amy

Pumpkin Coconut Curry Soup

Pumpkin is as synonymous to Fall as Douglas Fir is to Winter.  Anything pumpkin this time of year makes me happy. Last night I wanted something warm and not too heavy. It was one of those nights when I wanted a broth type soup but with some substance. The flavor combinations that came through with this soup was just the right spice and thoroughly warmed my soul.

Recipe (adapted from several different recipes)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil, ghee, or butter
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 clove garlic, minced
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 teaspoon yellow curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 cans 100% pure pumpkin
1 cup light or full fat coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat, and melt oil, ghee or butter. Add onion and garlic, cook until onion is translucent and garlic is fragrant. Add curry powder, cumin, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Constantly stir until spices become toasted and fragrant, about 60 seconds. Add stock, coconut milk, and pumpkin. Bring to a gentle boil, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Use an immersion blender to smooth out the soup.  You can also use a blender, working in batches, process until smooth.  Return soup to heat and bring to a simmer. 

Serve with a dollop of plain greek yogurt and roasted pumpkin seeds.  

Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken

Fall is such a wonderful time of year.  Here in Northern Californina we have been patiently waiting for the cooler weather and even more so for the rain to fall from the sky and quench our dry land.  This type of weather begs for me to pull out the slow cooker, fill it with a delicous dinner and let my house permeate with the warming smells of Fall.  It's a dinner that when set upon the table your eyes will feast, your nose will smell the aromatics of cinnamon and nutmeg, and your tastebuds will delight in the tang of the cranberry. Serve this dish with some of your favorite roasted root vegetables and a sauce from the pan drippings.  I am telling you, Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken will become a dinner you will put into rotation!

Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken

Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken breast or 6 chicken thighs or combo of both
1 can of whole berry cranberry sauce
1 pkg of dry onion soup mix
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1/4 tsp of nutmeg
1/2 cup of chicken stock or vegetable stock

Directions for cooking that day:
Place ingredients in crockpot. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low 6- 8 hours.
Check chicken periodically to make sure there is liquid to avoid drying out.
To make a sauce for the chicken by straining the drippings, adding a flour slurry, bring to a boil.  Finish with some honey or your preferred sweetness to cut the tartness and some butter  ('cause butter always makes things better).

Freezer Directions:
Label a gallon size Ziploc bag with recipe name and cooking hours.
Place all ingredients listed above in the order listed. Seal bag, knead to mix flavors, lay flat to freeze.

Sausage Tortellini Soup

This soup is on my Win-Win List. It’s a win because it’s cheap and freezable, and it’s a win because I have had every age from 2-70 enjoy it . . . how often can you say that?? It also makes a ton, is healthy, is easy to make . . . so Win-win-win-win?

I will say, to make this, especially if you are doing it as part of a freezer club and need to make six meals at once, there are a couple of tools that are VERY helpful. If you have not invested in a mandolin, it is so worth it when thin slicing all those carrots. And for dicing the onions and garlic, I love my chopper! Saves on tears and hand cramps- trust me!!

I hope you and all of your 2-70 year olds enjoy it as much as my family does!

Adapted from Thriving Home

Tortellini and Sausage Soup

16 oz. Mild Italian Sausage, crumbled
olive oil
1 onion, diced
1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced (or more if you like it spicier!)
4-5 medium carrots, sliced
3-4 stalks celery, sliced
4 garlic cloves, diced
1 zucchini, quartered and sliced
2 (14 oz, non-marinated) can quartered artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped
1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes with basil and garlic seasoning (liquid and all)
1 (28oz) can tomato sauce
2 cans French Onion Soup
4 cups Vegetable, chicken or beef broth
1 cup frozen corn
1 package frozen cheese tortellini

Optional:
Spinach leaves
Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

In a LARGE stockpot, heat olive oil.

After prepping your carrots, celery, jalapeño, zucchini and onion, sauté in olive oil over medium heat until they begin to soften (about 5 minutes).

Add diced garlic and stir constantly for about 1 minute.

Add remaining ingredients, except for sausage and tortellini. Bring to a simmer for 15-20 minutes.


***If you are freezing, stop here, cool, and bag to enjoy at a later time. After defrosting, continue with the following steps**

Meanwhile, cook sausage in a separate pan. Drain and pat dry. Add to soup mix.

Add in tortellini. Cook for approximately 5 minutes, or until done.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Optional:
In the last minute, add in fresh spinach leaves. Allow to wilt before serving

Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Crowd-Pleasing Slow Cooker Meatballs

Saucy meatballs are one of my favorite freezer meals. They’re quick to assemble, take very little time to prep for dinner, and my four year old will eat them every time. What else can you ask for in a freezer meal?

I typically just use stored bought, frozen meatballs. (Every once in a while, maybe two times a year, I’ll make homemade meatballs and flash freeze them myself. Best tool for mass producing meatballs?  A cookie scoop.) You can find meatballs in a bunch of different sizes, but my favorite are the party meatballs from Trader Joes. They are small, about 1” in diameter, and so are easy for kids to eat. These meatballs also have a nicely seasoned flavor that pairs well with many different sauces.

Here are just a few different sauce recipes that our family enjoys.

Saucy Asian Meatballs adapted from Gimme Some Oven 

2/3 cup hoisin sauce
¼ cup rice vinegar
2 cloves minced garlic
2 TBS. soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. ground ginger
2 lbs. frozen meatballs
Garnish: chopped green onions and sesame seeds

In a large mixing bowl, combine the hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, and ginger. Add the meatballs and stir to coat. Portion the meatballs into gallon-sized Ziploc bags. One bag should be enough for one meal for you family. Place bag in freezer.

On the day you’d like to eat this meal, place the frozen saucy meatballs in a greased slow cooker. Cook on high for 1-2 hours or low for 3-4 hours.

Our family likes to eat this over rice with stir-fry veggies on the side.

Meatball Stroganoff adapted from Rita’s Recipes 

2- 12 oz. cans cream of mushroom soup
2- 14 oz. cans of beef broth
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped mushrooms (I’ve never added this to our meal since we’re not huge mushroom fans in our house)
2 TBS. Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp. pepper
1 cup sour cream

In a large bowl, whisk the mushroom soup and beef broth together. Add the onion, mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper. Add meatballs and stir to coat. Portion the meatballs into gallon-sized Ziploc bags. One bag should be enough for one meal for you family. Place bag in freezer.

On the day you’d like to eat this meal, place the frozen meatballs and sauce in a greased slow cooker. Cook on high for 1-2 hours or low for 3-4 hours. About 20 minutes before serving, stir in the sour cream. Since this recipe uses about half as much sour cream as most stroganoff recipes, I stick to full fat sour cream.

Our family likes to eat this over egg noodles with roasted carrots and green beans on the side.

Sweet and Tangy Meatballs from Six Sisters Stuff 

1- 12 oz. jar chili sauce
1- 16 oz. jar grape jelly
2 lbs. frozen meatballs

Combine the chili sauce and grape jelly in a large mixing bowl. Add meatballs and stir to coat. Portion the meatballs into gallon-sized Ziploc bags. One bag should be enough for one meal for you family. Place bag in freezer.

On the day you’d like to eat this meal, place the frozen saucy meatballs in a greased slow cooker. Cook on high for 1-2 hours or low for 3-4 hours.

Our family likes to eat this over rice with broccoli on the side.

Meatball Subs adapted from Rick on the Rocks 

3 tablespoons garlic, finely minced
1- 28 oz. can Hunt’s crushed tomatoes with basil
1- 4 oz. can tomato paste
1/4 cup of olive oil
2 teaspoons of salt (more to taste)
1 teaspoon of cracked pepper (more to taste)
2 cups shredded mozzarella
6 kaiser rolls

Combine paste, crushed tomatoes, olive oil, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of minced garlic. (I usually just use a jar of spaghetti sauce, but Rick’s sauce recipe is yummy too.) Add the meatballs and stir to coat. Portion the meatballs into gallon-sized Ziploc bags. One bag should be enough for one meal for you family. Place bag in freezer.

On the day you’d like to eat this meal, place the frozen meatballs in a greased slow cooker. Cook on high for 1-2 hours or low for 3-4 hours.

Open the rolls and place them on a foil lined baking sheet. Toast them under the broiler until golden. Top with roll with scoops of meatballs. Add a handful of cheese to each sub. Broil again for about 3 minutes until cheese is completely melted. (Keep a close eye on the subs it only takes second the burn the edges of your bread.)

Be sure to have lots of napkins on hands. These meatball subs are a {delicious} gooey mess!

So, watch the grocery store ads. Frozen meatballs go on sale about every three months. When they’re sale, stock up and prep a few of these meatball recipes. You’ll be saving money and time!