Cook with Friends, Share and Freeze Meals

Co-op cooking—friends hanging out and cooking together—is huge...and for good reason. You can save money (as much as $250 a month) by buying food in bulk, making a bunch of recipes and packaging them to freeze. So get your BFFs together, cook for a day and have made-ahead meals ready in the size that works best for you.   

5 steps to easy meals

• Get the group together and decide on easy recipes that freeze well.
• The host buys the groceries. (And maybe few bottles of wine.)
• Divvy up the grocery bill so everyone who cooks pays an equal share. This keeps recipes cheap.
• Work together to make big batches of the recipes you planned.
• Bring containers from home to package up what you make. 
• When you get home, freeze the meals... and congratulate yourself for being so smart. 

 Make & freeze weeknight dinners for a week!

These are good choices to make ahead and freeze. While the meal reheats, bake some Crescents or breadsticks... sound good?

• Classic Chicken Pot Pie
• Chicken-Asiago-Spinach Quiche
• Super Speedy Chili 
• Macaroni and Cheese Makeover
• Chicken Fajita Crescent Braid

Ten tips for freezer success

Convenience rules when you make ahead and freeze.  Here's some things to keep in mind:

• Freeze casseroles before or after baking. Either works.
• Bake frozen casseroles about 10-15 minutes longer than the recipe specifies. (Keep an eye on it as it bakes.)
• Fresh potatoes do not freeze well, nor do sour cream, half-and-half or ricotta and cottage cheeses.
• Cook meats, veggies and pastas just until tender because they will cook more during reheating.
• Add crisp toppings like nuts, crushed chips or bacon after the dish is thawed.
• Cool foods before freezing. Store at 0 F or colder.
• Freeze foods in sizes just right for your family. Individual servings are always handy.
• Use airtight containers that can go from the freezer to the oven or microwave.
• If microwaving frozen casseroles, stir during reheating. For a dish that can't be stirred, like lasagna, let stand to allow heat to equalize.
•  Use  frozen foods within 3 months.