Convenient meals can be a lifesaver at times. They can be more nutritious than fast food and eaten at home. You can grab one of these meals when you have a busy schedule and feed you family an nutritious gourmet frozen meal.
There may be times when you have no choice but to grab a frozen meal from the grocery store, but many times, you have another option. Make your own gourmet frozen meal.
If you make your own meals and freeze them you are the chef, so you determine what goes into your family’s food. You can leave out those things your family does not enjoy and choose how spicy to make your food. Additionally, you can choose how much salt or sugar is added to the meals your family eats.
While many people just prepare the meals they know their family likes to eat, others like to experiment. If you are tired of the same old family favorites, here are some ideas that freeze well. Vegetable soup, beef stew, chicken curry, corn chowder or broccoli beef.
Pasta and rice do not do well in many of the freezer recipes. The double cooking of the meal tends to over cook these starches. If you are using recipes with these ingredients, freeze the sauces and cook the starch separately. A rice cooker is a quick easy way to cook rice and fresh pasta cooks in boiling water in only three minutes. You can find fresh pasta in the deli section of most grocery stores.
To get that freezer stocked try cooking meals that are two to four times the normal size. The excess should go directly to the fridge and not to the table. If it is on the table you will be tempted to over eat and the quality declines. It needs to be chilled as soon as possible for the best flavor.
Another option is to set a couple of days aside for shopping and cooking. Shop one day and cook the next. You should be able to prepare several meals at once for your freezer. Plan to double and triple those recipes so that you quickly fill the freezer.
Use a vacuum sealer to store your food. The bags are very heavy weight and prevent freezer burn. They can be used to heat food in the microwave or as a boil-in bag in a pot of water.
If all of this sounds like a lot of effort, take heart! There are actually renowned chefs who prepare frozen gourmet meals.
Don’t count on your local grocer to carry truly wonderful food that you can love. Instead, take a look online for a high quality gourmet dinner delivered to your door, frozen and ready to heat, serve and enjoy.
