Easy bulk meals?

[Rainman8772]

Smoked pork chops.
Bacon wrapped stuffed jalapeños
Smoked beer bratwurst

Love both my pellet smokers. I use the little one for small things and the big one for meals for a group of people. Either I can cook a couple days meals in one go.

 

[Teasel]

I'm kinda psyched to have a good meal

That’s great :D Hope you enjoy it too ?

 

[TruthSeeker]

Am struggling quite a bit with this recently. Cooking feels like far too much effort. I can just about face making sandwiches or heating something up in the microwave. But can't live on sandwiches as it puts my blood sugar up too much.

Looking for suggestions on meals that can be extremely easily made and do multiple meals, so, can be stored in fridge for eg.

Or any very simple meals.

I can't do dairy and need to eat low carb, low fat just to make things awkward.

Any help much appreciated. I know there was a thread on this but I can't find it.

1. I keep Premiere protein drinks (I like the chocolate) on hand in the fridge and never run out.... which have 30 g of protein (and chocolate flavor is okay but is really good if I add a 1/2-1 cup of milk. Without the added meal, its a complete meal...... and I put it in a big cup and drink it all morning. I hate breakfast (even though I like eggs and bacon-favorite low carb am meal, but way too messy for the morning) and I am never hungry in the morning, but I can get a protein shake down in the morning. I started a habit of having a premier protein chocolate shake in the morning with a hit of milk and knowing I had met more than half of my protein needs before noon. The protein hit in the morning keeps me going all day, and when I am regular about drinking them, I feel so much better. It is very low in calories, and low in carbs. When the pandemic hit.....I ordered cases! Really...LOL. Just put it in the fridge, and take it out each morning-throw away container.....dish #1.......no mess, no fuss.

I like to cook, I don't like to clean up.......and I hate to do dishes-and I live alone. When I sit down to a meal, I like to toss the whole thing in the trash and be done with eating......but I do eat better if I have things on hand that I like and are homemade. I crockpot and freeze in tin containers with foil all around and overtop, or freeze in glass containers that are portion size (like a cup-11/2 cup). You can buy large tart tins (about 3/4 cup) at amazon, or tins to freeze in shaped like small tins for little bread loaves (about a cup and a half)-but don't get those divided ones that look appealing at first, but take up so much freezer space...... So, my biggest crockpot (7quart) will make 12-18 meals, depending upon what size you are freezing in. I eat out of the same container and only have a spoon to wash. My energy reserves in the evening run low, and I have no desire to do dishes, clean up after cooking, so I just usually don't cook dinner.....I get out a frozen dinner......and I know it's healthy....cause I made it.

2. Chili in a Crockpot, Kidney beans, onions, tomatoes-I used crushed and fine diced, or canned tomatoes with basal, oregano, garlic, tomato paste, and usually I add a little sugar to cut the tomato acid if needed. Season No meat, then it's really just mostly bean (high in protein, low in carb). You can use ground bison, ground beef, ground turkey/chicken, ground elk, spicy italian ground pork, or sage pork (yum). I often combine a couple of meats.....I freeze chilli and after heating up in a 350 degree oven, sprinkle 1 oz of cheddar cheese over the top....

3. Meaty Vegetable Beef or Meaty Vegetable Chicken Soup in a Crockpot, pick your veggies, include spinach, tomatoes, onion, garlic, italian seasoning, limit potato and corn, green beans, kidney beans, carrots, and pick your meat either chicken/turkey and chicken/turkey broth or beef bullion and beef/bison or elk. Add crushed tomatoes if you want (I don't in chicken/turkey-but do in beef/bison) and sometimes I add V-8 (has a lot of salt) or tomato juice. This is low cal and healthy and with lots of meat and some kidney beans....high in protein.

4. Veggie Meat Loaf-Okay, this is no ordinary meatloaf.......5 veggies in it.....spinach, carrots, onions, and celery (use celery to help with the salt). Cook them in a pan, then purree. You can add any other veggies you like, mushrooms, etc. Add your meat....like I might add 1 lb ground chicken or turkey, 1 lb beef, ground pork......mixing meats allows you more flavor. Add 1 egg, and then Italian bread crumbs....put in glass dishes 6 x 8 or 8 x 10. It should stick together but take the shape of the container easily. Bake until done 350.00. If so inclined, add ketchup......on top for a thrill. I've heard some people put bacon across their meatloaf to add extra flavor....that's on my list to try. Purreeing the meat and vegetables together makes for a much moister veggie meatloaf. If you must have mashed potatoes, Yukon Gold mash, freeze, and reheat the best.

Hot tips for freezing:
You can freeze anything in muffin tins.....1/2 cup or 1 cup (or even smaller if you have the tiny ones)......but you freeze soup, mashed potatoes, soups, stews, goulash, or even make mini meatloaves in them. After you freeze, take them out, let sit on counter for 5 min to barely thaw, flip upside down on counter or pull out with a fork. Immediately put all of your frozen servings into a freezer bag, suck out all air with a straw, zip and put away. Pull out how ever many servings you want, put in a bowl or the oven and heat up or microwave. Mashed potatoes need a tad of milk or sour cream to rehydrate. This has also been a life saver and I'd take a day to cook and clean up, and wouldn't cook for 6-8 weeks. Making double meals......one for today, one for the freezer also helps and doesn't dirty more dishes. This is how I survive.

 

[TruthSeeker]

I managed to cook something! Almost broke down part way through cause I realised I'd forgotten to put a timer on. Forgetting to put a timer on isn't something that would normally bother me at all but I did nearly lose it and give up.

Am a bit worried about my mental health.

Anyways, I carried on - and it wasn't made as well as ot could but it tasted amazing and there's another meal or two left for tomorrow.

Courgette, yoghurt and runner bean salad recipe | Angela Hartnett I didn't have any mint but no matter and I didn't use yogurt. I might another time just not got any vegan yogurt in at the mo.

Now to get myself to cook some brats for breakfasts.

Good strategy....the timer...I use 2 on my phone......5 minutes apart.......I can remember when I was quite symptomatic and had just moved into a new place, I though I had done something grand....cooked a meal for myself......and I forgot to turn on the timer and I had no clue how long it had been since I put it in the oven. Terrified me to death that I got that far and thought I almost ruined dinner. I totally get it! I was bawling, screaming at myself....and in those days......calling myself superlatives. Not now.....I got more meals I make and freeze for dinners in the freezer.

 

[whiteraven]

I like to make vegetable soup. I do it in the slow cooker, but you don't have to. I also like it very thick, so I usually just throw bags or half-bags of frozen vegetables in and just use a couple of cans of diced tomatoes and some spices. Makes several meals.

 

[TruthSeeker]

I've stocked up on freeze dried mixed vegetables...........it makes a great base with a great flavor, too....really easy.

 

[Friday]

Re-Opened

 

[Friday]

Since last writing, I’ve been making a lot of chicken biryanis & biryani style things.

Super easy…
- Layer of raw chicken thighs (either in spiced yogurt, or a jar of favorite curry poured over).
- Layer of sliced onions, fresh coriander, & mint.
- Layer of parboiled rice

Seal it up super tight so the rice steams the rest of the way cooked from the steam off the chicken and veg. I just put a layer of tinfoil between the pot and the lid.

Bake @ 200C for apx 45min or whenever a meat thermometer reads the chicken at 75C

I use a big Dutch oven, or one of those thick throw away foil casserole tray things.

***

I’ve started using the same method layering saucy or spiced meat, veg, & rice (or other starches; grains, potatoes, etc) for making big pots/trays of food to eat later, or freeze portions and nuke later.

***

NonRice Examples
- German Sausage + Beer, peppers & onions, scalloped potatoes
- Moroccan spiced lamb, mixed veg, couscous
- Kalbi chicken or Sweet & Sour Pork, bell peppers cabbage pineapple, Chinese fried riced cauliflower

 

[Teasel]

Thanks :)
Those sound good
Looking again into meal planning. Times that I meal plan I'm less likely to binge or choose unhealthy foods (unless my plan is too restrictive, then it backfires) and it saves money and food waste.

No longer have to be dairy free or low fat but still need to do fairly low carb.

Some notes on meal planning

~ Make a recipe master list - I'm broadly grouping recipes so healthier meals get chosen more often. Might be good to note meals that are really easy for when I've no spoons
~ Shop twice a week (Tues & Fri?)
~ Check calendar when meal planning for any events
~ Take inventory of what you have before you plan!
~ Choose a new recipe? Add to recipe master list if you like it
~ Choose one or two bulk meals
~ Ingredient sharing. Use excess ingredients from one recipe in other recipes
~ Write your meals for the next few days / week
~ Write your shopping list
~ Maybe prep some of the foods for the week.

Anyone else like meal planning?

 

[Rose White]

Anyone else like meal planning?

I’ve been meal planning for several months now and it helps so much with me not just eating crisps for dinner and with not just buying bags of crisps and granola bars at the store.

I try to eat plant based so I follow those kinds of accounts on social media and save the recipes that look good to me.

I would like to figure out how to do meal preparation on weekends because right now I’m on work holiday and have the time to focus on cooking if I want to, but will lose that once I go back next month. And I can no longer afford to eat out so I must cook.

 

[Friday]

I would like to figure out how to do meal preparation on weekends

Freezing is key. Because most foods spoil after 3 days.

This is why I usually have 1 day a month I make “annoying foods” to add to my freezer stock. Like tamales. Or gyoza.