Gloss How-To: Cook Once, Eat All Week

To help you get meals on the table for your family in minutes, some cooking experts suggest cooking once per week, or even once per month and freezing or preserving until mealtime.

If you have a reliable, large freezer and want to devote one weekend a month or one day a week to a marathon cooking session, you can easily reduce the amount of time you spend at the stove every day. If you love to cook, this might not be the method for you. Where I enjoy tooling around in the kitchen, even after a stressful work day, others deplore it.

Depending on the size of your family and your appetite, you can either cook double batches of your favorite recipes and freeze them in smaller containers for meals or you can buy a large quantity of meats, vegetables and ingredients and prepare a large batch of dishes like soups, sauces, chili to help make it easier to cook meals throughout the month – since the hard part will already be finished.

No matter which method you choose to do, there are some important things to keep in mind.

Tip #1: Plan! Before you hit the grocery store, make sure you have a menu plan and a list of what you’d like to make. There are even some programs online that will help you make a shopping list, suggest menus and cooking methods.

Tip #2: Stay organized. Some people might feel stifled by such advance planning, but if you write all your plans in advance. Find the recipes, plan amounts, then make your grocery list. Stock your pantry with plenty of Tupperware containers or heavy duty freezer bags (like Ziplock). Once a Month Mom offers menu plans, recipes and shopping lists that will help you get started.

Tip #3: Think beyond the casserole. If the idea of eating twenty casseroles a month doesn’t appeal to you (and why would it?) you can season and freeze meat and vegetables for fajitas, chicken or seafood spring rolls, baked pasta dishes, soups and chili for fast, easy, weeknight meals.

Tip #4: Share the work. If you have a husband, partner or kids, make cooking for the week or month a family affair. Make your lists together and divide the shopping so that no one tires out too quickly. Assign younger kids simple tasks and let older kids cook a full meal – you’ll probably enjoy it even more.