freezer meals for two weeks

3 dozen banana muffins for an easy morning breakfast/snack

​So I officially entered into the intriguing world of freezer meals!  With the help of my mom (aka - Boss of the dishes) I was able to freeze 12 meals in less than 4 hours.  Enough for two weeks (Friday night is always pizza night which I did not pre-make).
​Now I realize I have quite the advantage with my mom at hand ready to pitch in wherever she is needed.  It's a messy job to prep, package and preserve multiple meals for a larger sized family.  Although I planned to tackle this adventure regardless of her offer to help, I believe I'd still be doing dishes today had I done this alone!  So, thank you Mom!  
 
Tip number 1.  Find something to keep your youngsters occupied
​My boys became quickly enthralled with some YouTube videos of heavy equipment operating to upbeat music.  With their attention away from the kitchen, we began our adventure. ​

---

Our dinner line up for the next two weeks will be a rotation of the same 6 meals.  

​Meat loaf + scalloped potatoes + green beans
​Chicken + rice + cheese burritos
                       or
​Beef + bean + cheese burritos
Baked ziti + salad
MacNcheese + peas
​                                                                                                        Shepherds pie
​                                                                                                        Chicken + broccoli + rice +cheddar bake

---

By the end of the day we had all 12 meals packaged and ready to be distributed between the freezer in our kitchen and the one in the garage.  Along with banana muffins  and over a dozen homemade ham and cheese hot pockets!

​And that's not all!
​It wouldn't be right to leave without sharing the cost because the expense is part of what makes this so rewarding and worthwhile!  After adding together my Aldi and Wal-Mart receipts the total cost to make 12 dinners for 7 people came to $102.15!
​Aldi at $44.96 and Wal-Mart running around $57.19
​That's $8.50 per meal.  Roughly $1.21 per person per meal.  

Insert money saving meal dance!  


​

​​




​




​  

​Lastly, I'd be lying if I forgot to mention halfway through all the mess and the chopping, the dishes and floor mopping I wondered if all of this was worth my feet aching and my stovetop needing a serious scouring?

​Monday evening at dinner prep time I slipped into the kitchen to pre-heat my oven and guess who followed me in?  Clearly he didn't get the memo (!) and then it all came back to me, THIS is why I embarked on the freezer frenzy my friends!

Dinner prep just got a whole lot happier!