• Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Kalyn Brooke

Simple Solutions to Manage Everyday Life

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Resources
  • Shop
  • Contact

Styles of Freezer Cooking

December 6 // 18 Comments // 3 Minute Read

Jump To Recipe · Print Recipe
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

This is the first post in Creative Savings’ freezer cooking series. You can find all posts listed on the introduction page.

This detailed post explains the 4 different methods, or styles of freezer cooking. Find out which one you should try first!

One of the things I hinted at the beginning of this series, was the fact that there are multiple methods to freezer cooking. And that’s a good thing!

It means you can pick whatever method works best for you, and still have a successful freezer cooking day.

Most methods are divided by the number of hours you spend preparing meals. For example, you could have freezer cooking in an hour, 5-hour freezer cooking, or something similar.

As a fairly new freezer cooker, I have a really hard time accurately estimating the amount of time I’m going to spend recreating each recipe.  Instead, I prefer to assign methods based on the types of freezer cooking I normally do. It just makes more sense!

The Preserving Method

This is the method I have typically used the most, especially when I was just starting out as a newbie bride.

I would take fresh garden or in-season produce and spend a few hours {or sometimes an entire day!} making freezer jam, homemade applesauce to freeze, or just freezing extra U-Pick produce.

Berries especially freeze well, and are taste amazing in smoothies, muffins, and fruit salads!

Freezing Strawberries
I have also experimented with freezing herbs, and I still have some fresh basil from last Summer. It really adds quite the pop of flavor to my pasta dishes.

Freezing fruits and veggies are a wonderful way to maintain garden freshness all Winter long, and if you’re lucky enough to have a deep freezer, you can build up quite the stash. Mine is still in storage until we can buy a house that has room for it. {Hopefully soon!}

The Doubling Method

The key to this method is to take the one recipe you’re currently making, and double it for the freezer.

So, if you’re whipping up a batch of muffins for breakfast, make a double batch. Instead of making one casserole for dinner, make two. It’s that easy.

Perhaps the best perk of the Doubling Method, is that is doesn’t take any more time than if you were only making a regular recipe. And having an extra meal in the freezer to use on a busy night, is really a time-saver!

You can read more about this method on Living Well Spending Less, where Ruth calls it Minimal Freezer Cooking. Definitely a good description too!

The Freezer Cooking Day Method

This method is the one I most recently tried, and I absolutely love it. You choose about 4-5 recipes, carve out a good chunk of time in the morning or afternoon, and make food exclusively to pack away in the freezer.

Styles of Freezer Cooking

Depending if you double some of the recipes or not, you can have quite a stash of meals by the end of the day to rotate throughout your regular meal planning schedule.

It gives you variety, without making you rely only on freezer meals. It’s doesn’t take more than a few hours either!

The Once a Month Method

If you’re a freezer cooking expert, {or just want to be super ambitious!}, you can commit to once-a-month freezer cooking sessions. This is exactly what it sounds like….creating one month’s worth of meals, in a short period of time.

It might take one day, or an entire weekend. It really depends on the types of recipes you choose.

However, even though once-a-month freezer cooking takes a lot more time in the beginning,  at least you would have a full month’s worth of meals and snacks. You really wouldn’t have to cook for the rest of the month!

The nice thing about having so many methods, or styles of freezer cooking, is you don’t have to pick one single method and stick with it.

You can experiment based on your particular season of life, and change it when the right time comes.

If you have young children right now, you might not be able to devote a whole day to freezer cooking, but doubling a normal recipe to give you an extra meal down the road, would work perfectly.

Every little bit helps, so create a method or plan that works for your family!

Do you have a specific freezer cooking method?

 

4 Freezer Cooking Methods

Tweetables:

  • Creative Savings explains 4 different methods to freezer cooking. Find out which one you should try first! <– {Click to Tweet}
  • Your freezer cooking method should be based on the season of life you are in. Here’s why: <– {Click to Tweet}
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
« Previous PostFirst-Time Freezer Cooking {The Series}
Next Post »Can You Really Make Money Blogging?


Comments

  1. Carrie says

    September 23 at 1:32 pm

    I typically do the freezer cooking day method. I like getting it all done at once! But right now I’m also trying to do an extra recipe once a week to stick in the freezer for the upcoming holidays. I know it will be so nice to have some extra “help” on those busy days. 🙂

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      September 23 at 6:14 pm

      That’s a great idea! I’m all for less stress around the holidays. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Casey says

    September 23 at 7:09 pm

    Our family has been doing the preserving method for quite some time. One of my favorite things to do is buy whole chickens when they go on sale, then cook them in my crock pot, de-bone and shred the chicken then package in freezer bags by 2 cup measurements. Most of my recipes call for close to that amount of cooked chicken. Saves a huge amount of time to have my chicken already cooked for those recipes. We also will do that with ground beef. I will fry up 4-5 pounds and add taco seasoning to some or just plain cooked ground beef for those recipes that call for browned ground beef.

    I have yet to tackle the freezer cooking day method. But I will put together some extra casseroles together when I make those. I usually package them in smaller pans as we don’t eat a whole casserole of anything and have wasted quite a bit, so instead of a 9X13 casserole, I will make 2 9X9 casseroles, bake one for dinner and freeze the other.

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      September 24 at 10:06 pm

      Between the meat and the chicken broth, whole chickens save sooo much money! Thanks for reminding me of that. I’ve only done it once, and it’s about time to do it again!

      Reply
  3. Trina Holden says

    September 23 at 10:23 pm

    I’m so a “doubler” type! and I absolutely loved how you gave me a type to claim, now I don’t feel like like a slacker because I don’t do OAMC. Doubling and Preserving work well for me in this season! Great post, really.

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      September 24 at 10:10 pm

      Thanks, Trina! Claim that type. 😉

      Reply
  4. aprila says

    September 27 at 7:51 am

    Thanks for these great tips. I need to do more freezer cooking

    Reply
  5. Dana says

    September 28 at 8:53 am

    Freezer Cooking could save me so much time! I need to try this!

    Reply
  6. Jazmin @ Frugality Gal says

    October 2 at 1:35 am

    I prefer to do a freezer cooking day. It helps me knock everything out in one day and I don’t have to think about it again for weeks to come.

    Though, I probably should try to do more of the doubling method. It’s just me and my husband here and most recipes feed four. I tend to halve most recipes to feed us appropriately, but I can actually get a freezer meal without much additional effort by making the regular recipe.

    Great post, Kalyn.

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      October 2 at 5:49 pm

      That’s exactly what we do…it’s only the 2 of us here too! Well, and a bunny….but she doesn’t eat much. 🙂

      Reply
  7. Tshanina @ Thrifty T's Treasures says

    October 18 at 4:12 pm

    I usually do the doubling method, but I’d like to try some of these other methods.

    Speaking from experience, if you’re going to use the doubling method, I highly recommend that you use recipes that you’ve already tried. You definitely don’t want to end up with recipes your family doesn’t like, much like I’ve done a few times. Live and learn, I guess! ;o)

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      October 18 at 8:18 pm

      I have definitely done that more than once too. 🙂

      Reply
  8. Tshanina @ Thrifty T's Treasures says

    October 18 at 10:25 pm

    Well, I’m glad to know I’m not the only person who’s done that!

    Reply
  9. Audy says

    February 8 at 11:05 am

    I am a Doubling Method kind of lady but it just does not give me enough. I have baby coming and that will mean 5 kids. As a homeschool mama plus secretary for my hubby business as well as Pastor’s wife, soccer coach, archery coach helper and wrestling coach helper, my life is going crazy. Not to mention all the animals. So I need to do something to make my meal time less stressful. My issue is with this pg I can only stand for 5 min. So I will have to have some family help (kids are great) and maybe grandma too!

    I am excited to try this 5 hr method of cooking. You are really helping me as I been looking for months but it has overwhelmed me. You break it down real nice.

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      February 10 at 7:17 pm

      You are SO welcome!

      Reply
  10. Nikki says

    March 28 at 9:13 pm

    The dish in the very first picture looks delicious! What is it and do you have the recipe?

    My household is just me and my husband, so I tend to use the “Quadrupling” method by accident – no matter how hard I try to stick to the recipe, I somehow end up making 8 meals’ worth of food, so I just pack three two-person portions in the freezer and eat the rest that night.

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      March 31 at 6:32 pm

      I know exactly what you mean about accidentally making too much. I always forget to halve everything! I’ll send you an email with the recipe too. 🙂

      Reply
  11. Linda Johnson says

    October 3 at 7:36 am

    Love your post. Thank you so much! I do some of all. I do preserving and doubling most of the time because my health doesn’t allow me to stay in the kitchen more than a couple of hours at the time. There are exceptions. I have a 22 qt slow cooker/roaster so if I am making chili, soups or stews, then I make enough to fill it. I will freeze those things in gallons. Right now, I am preparing for the holidays. I have gallons of dressing, squash casserole, sweet potato pie filling already in the freezer. I also have three whole chickens cooked and de-boned for a chicken casserole my son loves. This week I will be cooking 2 hams and slicing them so they are ready. Still have a few more casseroles and sweets to get done, but no stressing for the holidays. Just thaw and cook.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hi, I’m Kalyn—a recovering perfectionist who nerds out about organizing systems, personal productivity, and helping you prioritize what matters over the pressure to do it all. I have a feeling we’re about to become the best of friends! Learn more >>

New? Start Here!

  • Take a Tour
  • Become a BFF
  • Favorite Recipes
  • The Printable Library
  • Just for Bloggers
  • Visit the Shop

kalynbrookeco

👩‍💻 | I help value-driven women lead manageable + meaningful lives.
💬 | INFJ / Enneagram 1
🚙 | RV Life @openroading
👇 | Resources + Links

Kalyn Brooke | Virtual BFF


What’s one thing you budget for that other peopl
What’s one thing you budget for that other people might not? I always find those interesting. 😃⁣ ⁣ You might have a mortgage. I budget for campgrounds. You might want a separate clothing budget, while I’m fine combining it under “Beauty and Style.” Recently, we also added a new line item for our motorcycle—something I NEVER thought would appear in our budget. ⁣ ⁣ See, we’re all different! ⁣ ⁣ Recently, I rearranged my budget categories and created this “cheat sheet.” Sometimes I forget where things go, like picking up new wall art for the living room. Does this item belong in the categories of Household Items or Home Maintenance? 🤔⁣ ⁣ Now I know! And I save time processing receipts each Friday. 🧾⁣ ⁣ What budgeting categories do you use? Share one of your random budget line items with me in the comments below! 😃

I call 2020 the Year of Abandoned Books. ⁣
⁣
I

I call 2020 the Year of Abandoned Books. ⁣ ⁣ I’m never afraid to stop reading a book if it doesn’t live up to the hype. Why invest more time in a book I’m not all that excited about when I could be exploring new authors and storylines where I can’t wait to turn the page? 🤷⁣ ⁣ But in 2020, I let more books go than I normally do. I suppose my patience dwindled when I thought the world was ending. Not that I thought the world was actually ending…but you know what I mean. 😉⁣ ⁣ As an Enneagram 1, I hate giving up on a book. I’m prone to the all-or-nothing mentality, even in my reading habits. My eyes could glaze over boring prose and I’d still repeat to myself: “You MUST finish this book!” 😫⁣ ⁣ Why? ⁣ ⁣ No one is adding a plastic star to your Book-It pin, (Remember those?) This isn’t assigned reading from your high school English class. This is YOUR reading life. ⁣ ⁣ And YOU should choose what books deserve your attention. 📚⁣ ⁣ There are too many good ones out there anyway. Like one of my favorite reads from 2020. 😍⁣ ⁣ This week’s newest blog post rounds up everything I read last year (43 books total!) including 5-star psychological thrillers, a delightful royal series, a couple self-help books, and of course, historical fiction.⁣ ⁣ Click the link in my bio to read it! ☝⁣ ⁣ What were your favorite books in 2020? Our literary styles might be a match made in heaven! ✨

My planner/journal lineup for 2021. 👆 ⁣
⁣
T

My planner/journal lineup for 2021. 👆 ⁣ ⁣ These small but mighty sidekicks will be my saving grace this year. 📚⁣ ⁣ 1️⃣ Bullet Journal (Blue) - for everyday planning and goal setting⁣ 2️⃣ Regular Journal (Yellow) - to track gratitude (5 things a day!) and to process ALL the feelings⁣ 3️⃣ Growth Journal (Sand) - a space for me to brain dump everything I learn from books, podcasts, sermons, etc ⁣ ⁣ That last one is new to me as of this year and I can't wait to flip back through all my notes come December! 📆⁣ ⁣ What planners/journals are you using for 2021?

Self-care is just as important as making your famo
Self-care is just as important as making your famous sugar cookies this holiday season. 🍪⁣ ⁣ Because let’s be real. ⁣ ⁣ That Hallmark-esque Christmas magic disappears the moment disagreeable family members annoy you. Or when you feel irritable over too many late nights and little-to-no sleep. Or when expectations over meals and traditions and social activities fall short and leave you feeling disappointed. 😬⁣ ⁣ But instead of dwelling on these stressful moments and using them as an excuse to completely disconnect from reality (as I’m often tempted to do!), view them as an opportunity for you to respond with poise. 💞⁣ ⁣ ➕ Journal your feelings. ⁣ ➕ Go for a walk. ⁣ ➕ Prioritize what’s essential. ⁣ ➕ Remember to breathe.⁣ ➕ And try not to eat your feelings…okay?⁣ ⁣ Here’s your permission slip if you need one: You don’t need to do or participate in everything! Take a time out when you need it. 🙌⁣ ⁣ That’s the best way you can protect your emotional well-being over the next few days.⁣ ⁣ Merry Christmas, friends! 🎄


I know you’re ready for this year to be over. 🙋‍♀️ The last twelve months brought so many hard things into our lives—relationships were lost, our country became more broken and divided than ever, and oh yeah, we walked through a pandemic too. 🦠 🤯 No biggie, right? Ha! 😅 And while it’s easy to look back and wish we could skip 2020 altogether (or at least insist on a do-over), I don’t want this year to be the one where the hard overcame the good. 💕 Just as hard days don’t mean ruined days, hard years don’t mean ruined years. 2020 can still be good. 💪 For me, I want to remember the fun and exciting things we did. The adventures we had. The new shows we watched, and the books we read. The new life hacks and things I discovered that made my life easier or just brought me joy. 💞 You’ll find it all in my latest blog post (link in profile). If you still need to buy a gift for a loved one (or for yourself!), you’ll find plenty of fun and affordable ideas to fill up the rest of your gifting list. 📦 Otherwise, enjoy a stroll down the good side of 2020’s memory lane and leave your favorite things in the comments so I can try them. 👋


Pro minimalism tip: Use double-duty appliances. 🤯⁣ ⁣ With limited kitchen space, I have to be super careful about what appliances we invite into the RV. We already had an Instant Pot, Ninja Blender, and a Food Processor. But I really wanted an air-fryer! ⁣ ⁣ With no place to put it, I discovered that Instant Pot made a dual instant pot/air-fryer product. So I gave my instant pot away, and my mom bought me this one for an early Christmas present. I’ve only played with it a couple of times but I’m already in love! 💕⁣ ⁣ Kale chips...sweet potato fries...broccoli. I’m basically an air-frying queen now. And I can easily switch back to the instant pot whenever I want. Yay for two appliances in one! 🥳⁣ ⁣ Q: What is your favorite appliance to use? Is it double duty? 🤔


Load More…


Follow on Instagram


ARE YOU EXHAUSTED TRYING TO DO IT ALL?

Privacy Policy
You’ll love the freedom found inside my Saturday morning newsletter
Copyright © 2021 · Privacy Policy
ALMOST THERE!
Complete this form and click the button below to gain instant access.
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy
ARE YOU EXHAUSTED TRYING TO DO IT ALL?
Privacy Policy
You'll love the freedom found inside my Saturday morning newsletter
Privacy Policy
ALMOST THERE!
Complete this form and click the button below to gain instant access.
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy
ALMOST THERE!
Complete this form and click the button below to gain instant access.
Privacy Policy
ALMOST THERE!
Complete this form and click the button below to gain instant access.
Privacy Policy