CLASS THREE: CROCKPOT, FREEZER, AND MAKE-AHEAD MEALS

"I don't have time to cook."

Have you ever said that? Thought it? I think at one time or another many of us have. Planning and executing a meal every night, whether just for yourself or for multiple people, can be difficult and even exhausting. However, I think if we are being really honest with ourselves we can generally find a place in our schedule to cook. 

This may mean cooking all your week's meals on one day. I know people who plan and cook a week's worth of meals on a Saturday or Sunday or weekday evening so they can still enjoy a homemade meal but do not have to worry about throwing something together after work. These major cooking-cram-sessions take less time than you might think--usually 1 to 2 hours or less depending on what you make. Type "cooking for a week" into a search engine and you will be amazed at the amount of material available to you. 

The best part of making meals ahead of time, in my opinion, is not the time saved in the kitchen during the week. It is the time gained at the table. Even if you live alone, dinner time at the table (and even cooking time in the kitchen!) is valuable and worthwhile. It is a perfect excuse to turn off distractions and tune in to your own thoughts and meditations and give the Holy Ghost an opportunity to communicate. President Gordon B. Hinckley once said, 

"Our lives become extremely busy. We run from one thing to another.

 We wear ourselves out in thoughtless pursuit of goals which are highly ephemeral. 

We are entitled to spend some time with ourselves in introspection, in development." 

(Link to President Hinckley's full article here.)

For those cooking for more than one, dinner time at the table presents an opportunity to talk and spend time all together in one place. While I concede that meal time can be hectic with children and is not always a peaceful happy time, I also can say that some of the most meaningful and sacred experiences I have had as a mother have come from conversations at the dinner table--conversations that never would have happened in a restaurant. In what I believe was a landmark talk, Elder Dallin H. Oaks said in 2007,

"The number of those who report that their 'whole family usually eats dinner together' has declined 33 percent. This is most concerning because the time a family spends together 'eating meals at home [is] the strongest predictor of children's academic achievement and psychological adjustment.' Family mealtimes have also been shown to be a strong bulwark against children's smoking, drinking, or using drugs. There is inspired wisdom in this advice to parents: what your children really want for dinner is you."

("Good, Better, Best" Link to talk here.)

You can cook. You can find time. Make it a priority and do not get discouraged by setbacks or the inevitable dinnertime disasters. You never know when the special moments may occur, but one thing is sure: they will never happen if you don't provide the opportunity.

Freezable (see this post for tips on how long to freeze foods)

HONEY LIME CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

MY FAVORITE LASAGNA

SLOW COOKER SHREDDED BEEF FOR TACOS This is our favorite shredded beef taco recipe.

EVERYDAY SHREDDED BEEF FILLING Cook in crockpot then freeze in individual servings for use on tacos, burritos, tostadas, quesadillas, or enchiladas.

EVERYDAY SHREDDED CHICKEN FILLING Use same way as described above in Shredded Beef Filling.

CROCKPOT GROUND BEEF TACO FILLING

CROCKPOT SLOPPY JOES

CROCKPOT WEEKNIGHT BEEF CHILI My family's favorite chili recipe.

CROCKPOT EASY TACO CHILI Chili can be eaten as-is or used on top of chili dogs, frito pie, nachos, or chili burgers, etc.

CROCKPOT TEXAS CHILI Can be used same way as described for taco chili. 

CROCKPOT CLASSIC TURKEY CHILI Can be used same way as described for taco chili.

BROCCOLI CHEESE CHICKEN AND RICE CASSEROLE

HAWAIIAN HAYSTACKS

BEEF STEW

SOUR CREAM NOODLE BAKE

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

CHICKEN AND WILD RICE SOUP

CHICKEN SPAGHETTI

CHIMICHANGAS

FARMHOUSE CHICKEN CHOWDER

AREPAS Freeze the arepas (Venezuelan corn cakes) and make the filling the day of or even a day before.

HOMEMADE CHICKEN STOCK This can be used as a soup base; easy and delicious.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS One of my favorite freezer meals.

BASIC BEEF AND BEAN CHILI Can be used same way as described for taco chili--see above.

STUFFED PASTA SHELLS OR MANICOTTI

GROUND BEEF TACOS Make a big batch and freeze for use as needed.

MAKE-AHEAD BREADED CHICKEN CUTLETS

Also good for freezing: cooked, shredded chicken; pre-formed burger patties; burritos (here's a good bean recipe)

Crockpot (read below for tips on slow cooking)

CROCKPOT WEEKNIGHT BEEF CHILI My family's favorite chili recipe.

CROCKPOT CLASSIC TURKEY CHILI Eat as-is or use on top of chili dogs, frito pie, chili burgers, or nachos.

CROCKPOT EASY TACO CHILI Eat as-is or use on top of chili dogs, frito pie, chili burgers, or nachos.

CROCKPOT TEXAS CHILI Eat as-is or use on top of chili dogs, frito pie, chili burgers, or nachos.

SLOW COOKER SHREDDED BEEF FOR TACOS

CROCKPOT BARBECUED DRUMSTICKS Very easy; crowd-pleaser.

EVERYDAY SHREDDED BEEF FILLING For use on tacos, burritos, tostadas, quesadillas, or enchiladas.

EVERYDAY SHREDDED CHICKEN FILLING For use on tacos, burritos, tostadas, quesadillas, or enchiladas.

CROCKPOT GROUND BEEF TACO FILLING

CROCKPOT SHREDDED BARBECUED CHICKEN Eat on white bread or hamburger buns.

CROCKPOT LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP

CROCKPOT CHICKEN CURRY IN A HURRY

CROCKPOT WHITE CHICKEN CHILI My boys like this recipe, which makes me love it that much more.

CROCKPOT NO-FUSS BROWN RICE

CROCKPOT BACHELOR BEEF STEW

CROCKPOT SLOPPY JOES

CROCKPOT TORTILLA SOUP

CROCKPOT MASHED POTATOES

CREAMY WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

SLOW COOKER MEATLOAF

In reality, not all crockpot meals are created equally. Some recipes really fall flat in terms of flavor and end up being big disappointments. For those who are or want to be serious about slow-cooking meals in a crockpot, I would suggest finding a trusted recipe resource either in the form of a blog or a cookbook. My trusted source of choice is a cookbook called America's Test Kitchen Slow Cooker Revolution. Fair warning: many of their recipes require around 15 minutes of prep and cook time prior to the actual slow-cooking. Trust me, those 15 minutes are well worth it. They use that time to develop flavor from the spices, meat, and aromatics you put into the dish.