This may seem silly, but cooking like this has revolutionized my life! No, seriously. It has! I’ve always been a ‘buy in bulk’ girl, we’d always divide the meat into the sizes we needed and freeze them. Then when we needed one I’d pull it out defrost it and make dinner. …except most of the time I would forget to take it out! So then I’d need to either nuke it, try to defrost it in water, or come up with something else to make!
One day it dawned on me to cook my meat before freezing it! Um, Hello? Duh! At first I would make different ‘flavors’ (Mexican, Italian, ect) but that was a pain. Now I just add garlic when I cook it (sometimes onion), when I want to use it I season it then. That way I always have what I want on hand. It’s easy as pie to do…
First things first, cook your meat and drain it.
Spread it on a parchment lined cookie sheet. (You don’t have to line it, but it is easier to get off the pan once it’s frozen) I buy a LOT and spend one day cooking it up. I usually have 2 pans going, that way the meat can cool a little before popping it into the freezer and I can keep cooking the meat on the stove top and still have somewhere to put it.
After it has been in the freezer for an hour or so take it out and lift your parchment to loosen the meat. If some of the pieces are big you can crumble them to fit in your bag (or container).
It’s quickest (and neatest) to put the parchment in the bag and then slide the meat in. But I’ve also just scooped it off the pan into the bag.
Now whenever I need meat for dinner it’s minutes away from being ready! I’ve even taken a handful out for lunch before. The best part is when you flash freeze them (on the pan) it doesn’t freeze together in a lump! Now there’s no worry about remembering to take the meat out to defrost!
I also do the same thing for cookies. I’ll make a double batch and make balls and flash freeze them on a lined cookie sheet, once they are hard enough I transfer them to a bag.
I like to write not only the type of cookie, but the temp to cook them at and how long to cook them. Now if you really want a cookie you can bake up just one, or if company stops by you can just defrost a few on a cookie sheet while your oven heats up and you are good to go!
Now I’m trying to figure out other ways to ‘cheat’… *Grin*
4 comments:
Thanks so much for posting this for me (and others!)! I had a great time talking about it with you yesterday. :0) We should get together sometime and hang out and find out other ways to cheat, I think I have a few ideas to share with you. :0)
i don't remember, but do you cook the cookies longer when they're frozen, or do you defrost them completely first?
Some times I cook them longer when they are frozen. But most of the time I take them and put them on the cookie sheet while the oven is heating up, once it's heated up they are usually defrosted enough. I rarely make more than one pan at a time (unless I am taking them somewhere), but if I do I just take out as many as I want and place them on a plate to defrost while the other ones cook.
So incredibly helpful!!! I've heard of 'flash freezing' before but never knew what it was. You really need to write more posts like this!!
You are one smart Mama!
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