01/17/2019
Organized Meal Prep!
My baby started sleeping through the night a couple weeks ago, so naturally I figured I could now conquer the world. šŖ Translation = I meal-prepped 14 crockpot recipes (making a total of 18 meals) yesterday.
Because Iām certifiably crazy.
And after all that my baby decided to not sleep last night.
Yāall pray for me. š¤Ŗ
Back to Organized Meal Prep: I looooove to cook, but I havenāt made many (really, any) crockpot meals because I havenāt needed to... until now.
Life with a baby has greatly impacted my available time to cook each day, so I decided to jump on the crockpot train! I found an e-cookbook full of healthy recipes using whole food / clean eating and designed for the freezer-to-crockpot. I selected a few to try and began the prep plan.
The entire process was actually 3 days, but the final push was completed yesterday. I highly recommend starting with fewer recipes than I did, and maybe adding in a friend or two to make it a little more fun!
Note: Each meal I prepped will actually feed my husband and I for 2 meals. (18 prepped meals = 36 actual meals = 1 month of food in the freezer! š) These freezer meals will be my ābackupā during the next 3 months on days/weeks when there just isnāt enough time to cook like I usually do. If all goes well and we like these meals, the plan is continue this style of prep once a quarter.
If you are interested in crockpot meal prep but a little overwhelmed at how to start, here are a few suggestions to break it down and get you going!
Day 1:
1. Print your recipes. Iād recommend fewer than 14... maybe start with 3-5. š Donāt try to do this in the digital form - paper will make your life easier.
2. Make a master grocery list, categorized by location within the store (I.e. meat, dairy, produce, aisles).
3. Double check your pantry and refrigerator for items you already have or may need to restock. Update your grocery list.
4. Double check your herbs, seasonings, and other supplies (I.e. freezer bags for the meal storage.) Update your grocery list.
5. Conduct an inventory of your freezer for space. On a sheet of paper, write down the meals or other contents you already have in the freezer. Categorize the inventory by meats, veggies, soups, sides, etc. (This is also a good time to get rid of anything that is past its prime or make note of contents that need to be used ASAP.)
Day 2:
1. Grocery shop. (Or, grocery deliver!) This was my only effort on this day because of the quantity of ingredients needed for the crazy number of recipes I made. (And because I only shopped during Henryās naps.) I bought in bulk at one store and finished at another, and my amazing hubby came along to help with the bulk shopping.
Day 3:
1. On your kitchen table or counter, lay out a gallon-size freezer bag for each recipe. Place the print out of the recipe under each bag. This will serve as your reminder for what goes inside each bag.
2. Print labels for each recipe or write on each bag the name and instructions for cooking as well as the ācook beforeā date - usually around 3 months after assembly. (I.e. āThaw and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Cook before 4/16/19.) Also write any reminders of what to serve with it (I.e. āServe over riceā).
3. Wash all the produce. Keep meats in the fridge for now.
4. Chop/prep the produce and add to each bag as appropriate for the recipe. (For the quantity of what I prepped, I made a short list for this part as a cheat sheet... i.e. 3 onions diced, 2 onions sliced, etc.)
5. Add the spices and herbs to each bag. (Tip from cookbook: adding the spices as the āmiddleā ingredient helps keep them from sticking to the bag when you dump it in the crockpot.)
6. At this point, I had to stop and clean the kitchen to make my workspace a little more manageable. I like to keep meats contained as much as possible so I needed clean counters to do that!
7. Rinse, pat dry, and prep your meats. Add to appropriate bags. (Tip from cookbook: adding the meat last means itās the first thing that lands in the crockpot.)
8. Squeeze out as much air as possible in the bag, seal, and place in the freezer.
9. Add your newly prepped meals to your freezer inventory sheet.
10. Clean your workspace!
Bonus Tip: For Day 3, double the time you think you will need (start in morning or EARLY afternoon), and/or enlist the help of as many sous chefs as you can! š
FINAL NOTE: Hereās the best part... I tallied the receipts and found I spent $215.
When I divide that by 18 meals, thatās only $12 per meal! Considering we will likely have leftovers from each meal (so 36 feedings) it goes down to $6 per meal. Crazy!
Iāll still have to add in rice or a side or salad with these meals so that will increase the cost a little, but I couldnāt believe how much food gets prepared from such a small sum.
That alone made all the effort worth it. š
Try it out! It may seem daunting at first, but you can do it! Start small.
Your future self (and your budget) will thank you for your organized prep! š
