After doing this several times and several different ways, this is the plan we have settled on…for now. PLEASE READ THIS, even if you have participated before, as we have tweaked some of our processes.
The basic idea is this--pick one recipe, make several of that one recipe, and then trade them for all different ones. (Just so we're all on the same page, we'll call each traded portion a "meal", whether it is a casserole, soup, sandwiches, or whatever.)
1. Choose one Main Dish recipe that freezes well.
- The recipe should contain (normally) at least one pound of meat (chicken, beef, turkey, or pork) and whatever else. No seafood dishes at this time. We have one in our group that is allergic to seafood.
- Try to stay away from items like onions, green peppers, mushrooms (except for Cream of Mushroom Soup), and olives. If they can be provided on the side to add later, that would be great. Or make a couple questionable ingredient-free meals (like onion-free) if you think that ingredient makes a big difference in the taste and you hate to leave it out of all of the meals.
- For recipes that call for ground beef, please use at least 85% lean or leaner. (I know, the other is cheaper, but not when you consider the cost of heart disease...)
- PLEASE post the name of what you plan to bring on the blog—in the comments section of the date of our next Trading Day. Or email it to Jenny and she will post it. We would also LOVE it if you would post your entire recipe under the Recipes entry as well.
- If you or a family member has any food allergies, PLEASE post that in the comments on the blog, too.
2. Size--each meal, when completely prepared, should end up being…
- For Casseroles: at least 8-10 cups. (A 9x13 pan with 8 cups in it is approximately 2/3 full.)
- For Soups: at least 10 cups for thicker soups (like chili), and at least 12 cups for more broth-y soups (like chicken noodle.)
- For Sandwiches or other items: Shoot for at least 8 adult-sized servings.
*If you choose a recipe that makes less than the specified amounts, and there is no way to increase it, consider throwing in a loaf of bread or large can of fruit or veggie for a side. Or choose a different recipe. We're trying to keep it as equal as possible.
3. Preparation
- Shortly before Trading Day, completely prepare (as much as is possible) up to 10 meals. (Remember, you are preparing up to 10 of the SAME recipe, not all different ones.)
- Purchase (and prepare if possible) all secondary items that are needed for the final preparation, such as topping items like cheese or cracker crumbs, or BBQ sauce (store or home-made). Perishable items that cannot be frozen, such as eggs or milk, are not required.
4. Packaging
- If you provide your meal in 9x13 foil pans, PLEASE do not use the flimsy plastic covers that sometimes come with them. These plastic covers do not stack well in the freezer, end up getting crushed, fall off, or just make a mess. Instead, cover the top securely with foil (two sheets if it is thin)
- If you provide your meal in Ziploc bags, please use Gallon sized FREEZER bags—and don’t overfill, although 8-10 cups will typically fit fine in one. For soups it MIGHT be better to put each meal in 2 bags than to have some break in the freezing process! Use your own judgment. Ziploc bags do stack nicely in the freezer, and you can thaw in the microwave, and dump into your own pan/dish to prepare. Even the base for Tater-Tot Casserole (you know…meat, creamy soup, veggies) can be placed in a Ziploc bag, and provided with a bag of Tater Tots to place on top just before cooking.
- Include any instructions needed to prepare the meal, with EACH portion. This can be simple, such as “Thaw and heat 350 degrees 30 minutes or until heated thru.” You do not need to include the actual recipe (but we'd love it if you posted it on the blog if you get a chance!) Some in our group attach the whole recipe, some make brief prep instruction labels, some make fancy little cards, some write it on the foil with a permanent marker. As long as we know how to cook it, you do whatever you'd like.
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5. Trading Day
- Bring your meals, frozen or refrigerated, packaged ready to trade and go into someone else’s freezer. Trading typically only takes about 15 minutes...once everyone arrives... How long you stay to chat is entirely up to you.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask Jenny or Gwen. Our e-addresses, if you can decipher them, are:
jenny dot binder at gmail dot com
gknowles222 at yahoo dot com
