Saving Money and Time with Freezer-to-Crockpot Meals

Over the past winter we discovered the fine art of making freezer-to-crockpot meals. This method of meal planning and preparation combines the best of both OAMC and slow cooking. The idea is that whenever you do your grocery shopping, you prepare several dishes and freeze them in zippered bags.

When ready to use, just thaw in the fridge the day before, and plunk into your crockpot the day you want to serve the meal. Recipes often have timings for both the high and low setting; times can vary from a low of around 2-3 hours, to dishes that need anywhere from 6-8 hours to cook through.

The advantage to cooking this way is that all the chopping, making of sauces, browning of meat, etc. gets done in one shot. With a single prep session I can make two or even four bags of the same dish. It takes a little more time to prep the meals up front, but once they are ready for freezing I'm pretty much done! While some meals involve adding a second bag later in the cooking, or maybe even a last minute addition of spice or sour cream, or something to thicken the sauce, these meals are pretty much no-fuss. I turn on my crockpot and walk away.

Preparing this many meals in advance allows me to take advantage of sales on meats, produce and canned or frozen ingredients. When something goes on sale I can buy a larger than normal quantity and, because I can store the meals for a month or more before eating, I don't have to worry about my family getting sick of eating the same thing multiple times.

This means you can take advantage of your grandma's recipes that feed 8 or 10 people - just divide the meal into two or more portions and only serve what your family will eat at any one time. Or plan for leftovers! Package up a single serving in a microwavable container or a small foil tin that can be heated in the oven. Write the heating instructions in the container, and put it away.

These are a healthy, low-cost alternative to commercial frozen dinners. Leave one out for hubby when he's getting in late from work. Or make up a care package for a student living away from home, or an elderly neighbour who has difficulty cooking.

Image courtesy of Hajime NAKANO/ Flickr CC-BY 2.0