Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Cook a bunch...Save it for later!

beef vegetable freezer soup

Remember this soup...I call it OMG Beef and Vegetable Soup and it really is amazing. It uses a bunch of veggies and heart healthy grains and beans and lentils and my entire family actually eats it...even My Youngest who isn't a very good eater.  The only problem, is that it is time consuming.  It's not hard, but you do have to chop a bunch of vegetables and you have to let it simmer for a couple of hours so...you are making a bit of a commitment when you make it.


So, the next time I made it...I made a big a big improvement on my method...I made a double batch.  One to eat that night and the other to freeze and eat at a later date.  I did have to wash two giant pots and had to chop twice the amount of veggies...but once you're going it really doesn't take very much more time than doing a single batch.


I actually did more than just cook a double batch of  soup, I also browned up a couple of pounds of ground beef with onion and salt and pepper to freeze as well.  The nice thing about having some already browned ground beef ready to go...is you can turn it into so many things on the quick.  Tacos.  Chili.  Spaghetti Sauce.  Loose Meat Sandwiches.  It is a great thing to have on hand.

Here's what I did.  To start, I bought a 4 lb. package of ground beef.  I got out my two giant pots, you see above, put a splash of oil in each, heated them up over medium high heat and placed two lbs of ground beef in each.  I let them brown up nicely, then added a diced onion to each pot and seasoned with salt and pepper.  Once the meat was browned, I took the meat from one of the pots, let it cool then placed it in a zip top bag and popped it in the freezer.  The other pot I split the cooked ground beef evenly between the two pans and then commenced making a double batch of soup.

So, in one evening I had dinner.  Soup for another time and two lbs of ground beef to use at a later time.  This is something I encourage everyone to do.  If you are cooking something that is easy to make multiples of...do it.  It will save you time another day and make you a happier homemaker.

Oh by the way...
Mrs. Hines is back at the Cafe to show us how to tackle those big home organizing projects. You don't want to miss this if your desk and crafting area look anything like mine!!!

Head on over to the Cafe...


This project shared Here:
Coastal Charm
Adventures of a DIY MOM
Nap-Time Creations
My Uncommon slice of suburbia
Sugar Bee Crafts
Crafty Confessions
Lady bug Blessings

Thanks for reading!


Heather

6 comments:

  1. I really need to do this. take away is so expensive and by Friday I just cant be bothered cooking. I'll have to check out the soup, sounds amazing

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    1. I love having food stashed away. I really hope you give it a try.

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  2. Heather I do remember that soup! Yummmm! I love anything that I can make a lot of and freeze for a quick dinner later. I also like having some good, healthy food in the freezer that I can send home with my son when he visits. I don't mind all the chopping....I find it relaxing for some reason!

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    1. Danni, this would be perfect then. You can eat the night you make it, freeze a bunch and send it home with your son when he comes by. This soup is really tasty!

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  3. Great advice! I'm planning on making a huge pot of soup today. Its freezing here in N.C. I hate peeling potatoes. Thats a good reason for me to double my batch, get it over with. Your soup looks amazing! Thanks for sharing! Have a wonderful day!

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    Replies
    1. Sherry, you need to double it then!! You will be so happy in a couple weeks when you get to pull out that 2nd batch of soup you were able to freeze.

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