Fix, Freeze, Feast - Kati Neville [1]
If not that scenario exactly, you might regularly buy the warehouse packs of meat, knowing they’re a great way to save money, and split them into single-meal sizes before freezing them. The only problem is, when dinnertime approaches, you have a frozen chunk of meat and no good ideas for what to do with it. There has to be a better way! If these experiences sound something like yours, you have the right resource in hand. Read on!
We have created our recipes based on the large packages of meat from warehouse clubs—the tray packs. We developed the Tray Pack Method to help people just like you! The Tray Pack Method allows you to fix several meals at one time. No doubt you’re used to preparing a recipe from start to finish and then presenting a hot meal to your family. But our method is different: we scale the recipe to the warehouse tray pack of meat and then divide it into multiple meals. The meals are prepared right up to the final cooking stage. You then package and freeze them, and voilà—all you have to do is thaw one and cook it for dinner! It couldn’t be easier, especially with these tasty recipes and our proven system to get you started.
Not only is our system straightforward, but it’s also flexible. If you have only two hours every other week to prepare a few entrées, simply select two recipes that use the meat from two tray packs. Even this small step will yield several entrées. Devote a day and make six recipes that use six tray packs and yield many more entrées. By cooking the tray-pack way, you have the flexibility and control to prepare as many entrées as your time and energy allow.
Maybe you have already read articles or books on cooking ahead and filling your freezer. Admittedly, ours is not the first recipe book touting the benefits of using your freezer to keep ready-made food on hand. On our own bookshelves we have cookbooks featuring meals for the freezer that date back to the 1950s.
But what we offer here that’s new and unique is a method that’s updated to the modern warehouse shopping experience while preserving the proven benefits of storing main dish meals and other items in the freezer.
We know what it’s like to balance children, jobs, activities, and a household. As owners of meal-preparation businesses, we bring you our best of the best in this book. Yes, these recipes are straight from our stash—tried, tested, and true. Our clients have made many of these recipes countless times and rave about the delicious results. We are passionate about what we do and uncompromising in our commitment to using fresh, from-scratch ingredients wherever possible. We give you only dishes that meet the same standard we use to feed our own families and those of our customers.
Whether you’re a novice or an advanced cook, a bargain shopper or someone with money to spare, time-starved or a leisurely from-scratch cook, you’ll find here recipes and tips that will help you create wonderful meals without a lot of work!
BECOMING A WAREHOUSE GOURMET
Begin by evaluating how busy you are and what your family currently likes to eat. Do you need an entrée every night of the week, or will you still cook from scratch some of the time? Are you preparing for company, expecting a baby, or anticipating an interruption in your routine?
If you’re new to make ahead meals, we suggest you start with one or two recipes at first. Consider choosing a recipe for a simple marinade poured over meat—a quick and delicious