Food Preppy!

By: Erin Rose Hennessy

I like to cook. I’m not a world-class chef by any means, but I do enjoy cooking and spending time in the kitchen. I’m sure I get this from my mother, who is a fantastic chef, just like her mother – my grandmother.

One of the conundrums I run into while cooking is that most recipes are built for four or six people and I’m one person, unless I have guests over for dinner! My solution to that problem (which isn’t really a problem!) is to prep the entire meal and then freeze individual portions for a later date. 

Last weekend, I spent the majority of Sunday afternoon preparing a total of 14 separate meals for my freezer. Two old staples – taco meat and Italian spaghetti with sausage. I also tried two new ones – lemon garlic shrimp and carrot potage. Carrot potage is basically carrot soup, but really thick and creamy, like pudding consistency. It’s the very first time I tried it and it is excellent.

My favorite things to food prep are meat dishes like chicken, fish, or pork, paired with a vegetable. Sometimes I will add rice, potatoes, or another starch. I also like to freeze pasta meals – but only tomato-based ones. Ones that are more creamy based don’t tend to freeze as well. 

Part of being a food prepper is trying out new things to freeze. I’ve had the most luck with meat dishes, but I seem to be hit or miss with pasta. It is my most commonly screwed up kind of meal! Good thing my best friend is The Pasta Master, eh?

I love prepping food to freeze because it’s so nice to come home after a long day and just pop one in the microwave and just eat it. I get the added bonus of knowing I’m eating something that I picked out and prepared, not some pre-packaged processed food loaded with sodium and fat.

Do you have experience with food prepping? What is your favorite kind of meal to freeze?