It’s this year’s Back to School Freezer Cooking Plan!
Back to School Freezer Cooking Plan, 2019
I have to do it every year. I can’t not do it. I make all the food and I stock up on everything under the sun. My brain somehow cannot handle thinking that we might have to go to the store for toilet paper on the third day of school, so I make sure we have three…cases. Every year. Apparently, we need toilet paper to get us through until Christmas, as if I won’t go to the store for other things before then?
Even though I do think that in some ways my brain is crazy, there is much to be said for my desire to get ahead a little and stock-pile food and essentials before a new school year begins. With a new school year comes fall soccer season, which for our family is intense as we have players, referees, and a collegiate coach under our roof. We live, eat, breathe soccer from August until November. This year we added a brand new 5-year old soccer player to the ranks.
When we found his first pair of soccer cleats on clearance this summer, he was beyond excited. Finally, he can be a soccer player like his big brothers!
And let it be noted that this year we are also toting a Boy Babe to all the games with us while trying to keep him from eating electrical cords and climbing into the fireplace during a homeschool history lesson. So now who’s making fun of my three-case stash of Northern?
I’ve been working since mid-July to fill the freezer and stock-pile essential ingredients and household goods. I’ve taken wonderful advantage of Amazon Prime Pantry and Subscribe and Save. Amazon brings me joy…and groceries. And yeah, lots of toilet paper.
Here’s what I’ve been working on so far to get ahead:
Chicken Cheeseballs with a Kick
I got three pounds of ground chicken on mark-down, so I quickly added this recipe to my freezer-cooking list. These mix up quickly, and having them in the freezer ready to bake for a quick lunch or dinner will be perfect during this busy time of year.
Burritos. Always burritos. I cannot tell you how good it is for me to have burritos in my freezer for my boys to warm up when they need one (or two).
This isn’t actually in my freezer, but I did make a huge batch so we can pull it out for quick breakfasts or easy dinners. Man, I love this mix.
I also mixed up a huge batch of Muffin Mix so that all we have to do is add liquids and whatever add-ins we want before baking up a batch of muffins. It’s so easy!
One of my favorite tricks for saving time is baking several pounds of bacon, then freezing it to pull out and rewarm on the stove. When I do this, we can have hot sizzling bacon with our eggs or pancakes in just 30 seconds.
I also love cutting up bacon and making several pounds of bacon bits to use in salads and in scrambled eggs.
It’s our family’s favorite meal, so having a couple in the freezer will be great!
I cooked 7 pounds of hamburger meat in my Instant Pot. So now I have meat to use quickly as needed. You can see a list here of 33 meals that can be made quickly once there’s meat already cooked and ready.
This is one of our favorites. If I have it in the freezer, I can slide it into a 250-degree oven before a game and it will be baked and ready to eat a few hours later when we get home!
This is also a favorite, and I can do as I mentioned above – bake it while we’re at a game and have dinner ready immediately when we get home!
In addition to all these prepared foods, I have worked to stock up on a supply of most of our essential ingredients so I can “shop from the pantry, fridge, or freezer” as much as possible instead of going to the store.
Want a cheat sheet full of Simple Ingredients to help you have all the real food basics on hand too? It’s free – grab it here!
Also in the freezer:
- Strawberries, bananas, mango, pineapple, and peaches for smoothies
- Green beans and peas for quick sides
- Chicken nuggets and hotdogs #noshame
- Homemade Ice Cream
Why the Homemade Ice Cream? Because it is as essential as toilet paper. Obviously.
What’s in your freezer these days?
It’s great that you do this! I think of this as the modern version of canning. Women have always wanted to make sure that their family is fed. Having a little boy and a baby added to the mix? All the more reason! There is something really wonderful about having healthy “fast food” all ready to go. I also stock up on toilet paper before the holidays. Not in August, but around October. I do not want to think about it again until January. It is important to save space in our brains for all the one million other details we need to attend to in busy seasons of life.
Great minds think alike! I just made a large batch of Morning Glory muffins and put half in the freezer. I also have chicken meatballs and burritos in the freezer for quick lunches. I am planning to make pizza rollups and ham and cheese pockets before co-op starts as well :)