One of the things that can slow down dinner prep is dealing with the meat portion.
A beef roast or whole chicken that is frozen is going to take a long while and some hands on work to get it to the table. Frozen pork chops, chicken breasts or beef steaks won’t take quite as long to thaw and cook, but they still aren’t quick.
My solution to this is to keep my freezer stocked with meats that are already cooked.
Here’s a list of what I like to keep on hand, along with a few links that explain the process of prepping them:
Cooked Chicken
Whole Chicken in the Slow Cooker
Turkey Breast in the Slow Cooker – it’s not chicken, but it works the same way for recipes and soup.
Ground Beef
I usually just brown ground beef and/or sausage on top of the stove. Rinse it under hot water to remove extra grease and then freeze in a zip top bag. A quick minute in the microwave is all it takes to thaw.
If you’d like to cook a lot of ground beef easily, try cooking it in the slow cooker.
Meatballs
Having meatballs cooked and frozen can really speed up dinner. They are so versatile and can be used for a lot more than rounding out a plate of spaghetti.
Ham and Smoked Sausage
Both ham and smoked sausage are already cooked. These meats are wonderful for quick dinners, because you basically just need to heat them.
I don’t do it as often, but cooked beef roast can also be shredded and frozen. Use it in casseroles or Mexican dishes.
This is such practical, common-sense advice. I took you up on it. I bought two rotisserie chickens at BJs. We ate most of one the first night and I processed the rest of it as well as the second one for the freezer. We even used some for quesadillas for lunch the following day! Thanks for the tips!
What about beef liver.
Got two large bags and I’m single so plan to cook a bag, eat some & freeze left over.
Good idea or not?
Thank you,
Rod