Freezer Cooking Prep

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This is the third post in Creative Savings’ freezer cooking series. Last week, we talked about Choosing the Best Recipes, and you can find all posts in the series listed on the introduction page.

Believe it or not, freezer cooking takes time….and a lot more prep than I originally thought. It's just not something you can throw together at the last minute!

Preparing at least a couple weeks in advance can really go a long way in making your first freezer cooking day a success. Between picking the right recipes, to making sure you have enough of the essential ingredients – it can get pretty crazy.

And after all that work, I'd really hate for you to hate freezer cooking!

The following strategies are tips I've implemented every time I have a freezer cooking day scheduled.  It's amazing how much they make my entire kitchen experience flow much more smoothly!

1. Schedule Enough Time

If at all possible, schedule a freezer cooking day when there is nothing else going on, especially if it's your first time. 

When I started out, I really had no idea how long each recipe was going to take me, so I really couldn't estimate a certain number of hours. So, I picked a Saturday when we had absolutely no commitments, and labeled it Freezer Cooking Day……literally. It just won't happen if it's not listed on the family calendar!

I would try to schedule a freezer cooking day at least 2 weeks in advance. Not only will it give you enough time to prep, it will also help you clear out the freezer {More of that in #2}.

FYI – If you have children, it might be best to do a freezer cooking session during nap time, or see if your husband or a friend can watch them while you work.

2. Clear Out the Freezer

Deep freezers are awesome, but if you only have a small freezer in your kitchen, you can totally make that work too. You just have to clear out some items to make more room in there!

Start eating from your freezer {just like shopping from the pantry} as soon as you have your freezer cooking day scheduled. This not only creates space for new foods to freeze, you also save money by not having to go grocery shopping that week. Win-win!

3. Make a Detailed Shopping List

As you choose your freezer cooking recipes, carefully read over each one, and write down ingredients you need, along with the quantity you need.

And don't forget pantry essentials! Just because you already have butter, flour, and sugar, doesn't mean you have enough. 

This will take a lot of refrigerator and pantry searching, so that's why I suggest you don't do it the night before. I work on my recipe and grocery list a week before our actual freezer cooking day, so I am extra prepared.

Oh, and if you need foil pans and freezer bags, put those on there too. You don't want to make all these foods, and having nothing to put them in!

4. Create a Plan

Keep your recipes accessible by making a copy of each one {especially if they happen to be located in 5 different books} and decide the order in which you want to tackle them.

In addition to writing down the order of recipes, I like to write down steps, and cross off as I go.

For example, if I'm going to make Money Saving Mom's delicious cinnamon rolls, I'm going to make this type of list:

• Make dough and set bread machine going
• Make filling
• Roll out dough, spread filling, and cut into rolls
• Flash freeze and pack in freezer bags

It makes it so much easier to find exactly where I am in a recipe, especially if I have multiple things going on!

Do you feel prepared to tackle your first freezer cooking day, yet? I hope so!! But if not, I have one more thing to help – a Freezer Cooking Day Printable! 

This printable goes hand-in-hand with this series, and will help you plan out your first {or next!} freezer cooking day. You can download the printable here, or click on the graphic above.

All you have to do is write down each recipe you are planning to make, and list out the steps that go along with each recipe. There's also a spot for notes, because let's honest, one can never have too many notes!

I hope this post gives you the confidence you need to tackle your first freezer cooking day. It's so much more fun, not to mention more organized, when you actually put in the time to prep!

How do you prepare for a freezer cooking day?

If you have been enjoying this series, please share with your friends via the buttons below. We still have one more post to go, so come back next week for a post on how to make your actual freezer cooking day a success!

Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. Read my full disclosure policy here.