OAMC - My first try!

[mrshart]

Yep, I'm gonna try it. I sure hope it works and I don't end up with a huge mess and not much to show for it.

I'm starting out with Lasagna, Chicken lasagna roll-ups, pasta shells and cheese, baked ravioli, burritos, taco meat, rice (several flavors), beef noodles, tomato sauce.

For anyone that does this, do you use the throw away dishes, or have you stock piled on pyrex? This month I got a bunch of the throw away tin foil types while I hunt around at yard sales for pyrex. I'm hoping to get enough dishes that I wont need to buy the cheap stuff anymore. I can see where doing that will make the cost of the meal go way up.

Anyone have any help or ideas for me?

Melissa

[katrinka99]

I guess I'm lost - what's OMAC???

[NaomiMarie]

Originally posted by katrinka99
I guess I'm lost - what's OMAC???

You & me both

[eaparham]

Once a Month Cooking, I believe

[NaomiMarie]

Originally posted by eaparham
Once a Month Cooking, I believe

OHHHH, OK

[rafala]

I have done smaller versions of OAMC, like making a large batch of spaghetti sauce and freezing what isnt needed for that meal. or making extra baked ziti and freezing the left overs.

I bought some small dishes with good fitting lids, very important if they are staying in the freezer for a month. but for liquids i let them cool then put them in ziploc bags. make sure you let all the air out, some people suggest putting a straw in to get as small a hole as possible and suck the air out. also if you use ziplock bags freeze them on cookie sheets so they are flat and they will stack easier in the freezer.

right now i usually just freeze spag. sauce. I found a lot of the recipes i looked at called for peppers to add taste and we arent big on peppers. dh also notices when things have been in the freezer and reheated

make sure you make a list of what all you make and how many so you know what is in there, or make a menu for the month using all your baked goods.

best of luck with the cooking and finding good dishes for freezing in at cheap prices

[mrshart]

Thanks for the tips. I'm excited actually.

For those that don't know how it works, I think it goes something like this:

Get the sale ads for that week, scan, and look for the best meat deals.

Plan out your meals for the next month using the meats that are on sale. You may pick 10 meals and just double or triple the batches, or you could pick out 30. Its totally up to you.

Day 1 is shopping. Most people use a shopping software that when you tell it what you're making, it tells you what to buy, how much, etc.

Day 2 is All Day Cooking. This includes chopping veggies, grating cheese, browning meat, assembling meals, etc. You also reward yourself by not cooking that nights meal.

I've also seen where people do this in "mini-sessions" where they only cook meals for a certain meat that is on sale. Or if they just don't want to cook for 10 hours. Or they space out the plan over 4 days. (Day 1 scanning ads, shopping list. Day 2 shopping. Day 3 prep work. Day 4 meal assembly.)

I did spend almost 2 hours in the store today as I was also trying to use coupons for what I could. Tomorrow I'll get up early and start with sauces, browning meats, etc. I'm going to take a lunch break and then tomorrow afternoon actually assemble the meals and get them in the freezer. It should be interesting.

There are quite a few websites out there just for this kind of thing. I've been reading, and it doesn't seem so impossible as when I first read about it. I just hope I don't go insane in the middle and not want to finish.

Melissa

[katrinka99]

Sounds like a GREAT idea and time saver, but realistically I don't know if I'd follow through! I'd probably get done with the shopping part and procrastinate long enough on the cooking part that I'd have to just freeze everything I've bought uncooked. LOL

I don't like to cook too much in the summer anyhow, but maybe I will try it on a small scale to start in the fall, Thanks for the tips!

[cata5]

You can also use foil to line a pan and then freeze the lasagna you have made. Once it is frozen you lift the lasagna out of the original pan and wrap. when you are ready to reheat it, you drop it in the original pan. Of course, I have never done this before...just read about it.

If you haven't already seen this, it may help.
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I usually make extra sauce or maybe double a hot dish. Also, I am more likely to freeze leftovers. We used to try to eat them over the next day or two. Now I put them in small containers for when one or two people need to eat at a different time or whatever. So every little bit of planning helps even if it isn't OAMC. I don't think I would be up to standing in the kitchen all day even if it meant saving time later. If I worked outside the home I would definitely make the effort though. It could save you money by not opting for fast food in a pinch.

I would be interested in hearing how you did.

[mrshart]

Well, today went well, but I'm so tired of cooking!!! I want to be done, but now have the side dishes to make and freeze.

I ended up sticking the following in my freezer so far:
Beef and Bean burritos - 2
Stuffed Pasta Shells - 2
Lasagna - 2
Chicken broccoli wraps - 1
Chicken broccoli lasagna - 1
Baked Ravioli - 1

I'm pleased with it so far, but see how if you were making meals for the entire month you could go crazy on cooking day. There are so many dirty dishes!

Melissa

[rafala]

Melissa,

that is fantastic you did a great job. I personallyl wouldnt bother with side dishes they are usually simple enough to make and often i do seasonal things that i dont want to freeze. what are you thinking for side dishes?

i would love to have your recipes for ravioli, beef and bean burritos and chicken broccoli wraps. have you made them before? i am always looking for good meals to make that are tried and true

have a good rest and enjoy a night out for dinner tonight

karen

[mrshart]

I'm done! I'm done! I'm done!

Did I say that enough? /grin!

For side dishes, I cooked a ton of rice, and then added different spices to it for different flavors.

I also made Chicken black bean burritos as one more main dish. And then chopped up what veggies I had left and tossed those in the freezer too. I feel so organized!

***Chicken Broccoli Wraps (got this from betty crocker and modified it)

2 large chicken breats, cooked and chopped up small
2 broccoli heads? (There was 3 in the bunch I bought), boiled for 5 minutes and chopped fine
lasagna noodles cooked (Each noodle makes 1 wrap, so boil as many as you need)
15 oz ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 tablespoon oregano
tomato sauce - whatever kind you make/have

Noodle filling:
beat the egg
add in ricotta and parmesan cheese, spices
stir it all up
Add chicken and broccoli
stir it all up

lay noodle flat
scoop filling onto noodle, spreading length wise along the noodle
Start at one end and roll noodle like you would a sleeping bag
place wrap in pan

repeat for as many noodles as you have

Cover with tomato sauce
Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top

Bake in over at 350 for 30 mins, or until cheese is melted and heated all the way through

Enjoy!


***Burritos for freezer
tortillas
refried beans
hamburger - cooked
cheddar cheese

spread beans on tortilla
add hamburger
top with cheese

roll and fold in sides.
Wrap in a paper towel
wrap in plastic wrap
Freeze

When you pull these out, add salsa and sour cream

****Ravioli (betty crocker again, I changed it)
Package of ravioli from the store, whatever kind you like. I bought the kind in the refridgerator section
red or white sauce
mushrooms, canned or fresh
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese

In pan, spread a little bit of sauce just to cover the bottem
Place 1 layer of ravioli in the pan
Sprinkle half of each kind of cheese on top
Cover with half of your sauce
Repeat

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes

[jskarp]

I've been dying to try this.............think maybe I'll give it a whirl. Thanks for the inspiration! ~Joy

[rafala]

Melissa,

I would be interested in hearing more about the flavored rice you were freezing. I absolutely hate making rice, never can get it right, so would love to be able to just make a big batch and freeze some for other nights. have you ever done rice before? what do you do to cook it? what flavorings did you add?

thanks

karen

[DIVAGIRL]

I didnt know that you could freeze rice-I thought it was unfreezeable! can anyone give me more info on this..
how does it taste after it is frozen (when you re-heat it)?

I freeze lots of things. I also love to bake. I will make individual size cheesecakes and freeze those-it gives my Dh a extra treat in his lunchbox once in a while. I also bake cookies, muffins ect.. they freeze great!

Iam real interested in this once a month cooking!!! Iam going to try it!