Feature Articles: Cooking and Produce
Cook Once, Eat Twice
Janet Hackert,
Regional Nutrition and Health Education Specialist in Harrison County
University of Missouri Extension
Life can be so hectic. Wouldn’t it be nice to have good home-cooked meals ready to eat with little effort? But most folks don’t have a personal chef to take care of this daily task. With a little extra effort now and some freezer space, a person can cook once and eat twice or more.
The secret is to cook up a double or triple batch when
cooking some of the family’s favorite meals and to freeze
the extras in meal-sized portions for later. This can be
done with meat dishes, like stew, spaghetti sauce, or chili
and with non-meat dishes like macaroni and cheese or spinach
lasagna. Many vegetables from a garden or farmers’ market
that are relatively inexpensive these days can also be
frozen in meal-sized containers for quick use later.
Casseroles containing meat can be prepared as usual, keeping
fat to a minimum. Hold off on the potatoes in stews or other
dishes. Potatoes can get mushy and make casseroles watery
when thawed and reheated. Also, slightly undercook
vegetables so they don’t end up overcooked when heated the
second time around. Cool rapidly, package in meal-sized,
freezer-to-microwave containers marked with the contents and
date, leave headspace and freeze. Be sure meat is covered
with sauce so it doesn’t dry out in the freezer. Use within
3 months by partially thawing in the refrigerator. Reheat
and enjoy a meal in short order!
When preparing pasta dishes for freezing, slightly undercook
the pasta. Otherwise, prepare as usual, cool quickly,
package in ready-to-serve containers, label with contents
and date, leave headspace and freeze. When a quick meal will
be needed, partially thaw in the refrigerator. Then heat
uncovered in the oven or in the microwave until hot
throughout. These dishes will also last in the freezer for
up to three months.
Many dishes freeze well. Directions for freezing meat loaf,
leftover or planned over beef, pork, turkey and chicken,
soups, baked beans, scalloped potatoes, pies, raw cookie
dough and many more items can be found in the guide sheet,
Freezing Home-Prepared Foods, GH1505.
Resources:
1. GH1501 Freezing Basics, MU Extension
2.
GH1502 Quality for Keeps -- Freezing Fruits, MU
Extension
3.
GH1503 Freezing Vegetables, MU Extension
4.
GH1504 Quality for Keeps -- Freezing Meat, Poultry, Fish,
Eggs and Dairy Products, MU Extension
5.
GH1506 Quality for Keeps -- Freezer Problem Solver, MU
Extension
Last update: Wednesday, September 12, 2007
 |
Site Administrator: |
|
|
|
