One way I’ve managed to space out my grocery runs during lockdown is to dedicate some time after each shop to prepping, cooking, assembling or chopping fresh produce to either make it easier to use or make a full meal to pop in the freezer for later. That way I can still vary our meal plan each week nicely and there’s no need to eat some ingredients over and over to avoid waste.
We invested in a chest freezer just before Mr H was born. What a game changer! And a lockdown lifesaver. I know many worry that it ends up being a pit where food disappears to perish and spoil, long forgotten. To avoid this I keep a running list of what in the freezer at the bottom of my meal plan (I keep it on Google Keep – more on how I plan in this 3 free apps for meal planning post). It is then easy to meal plan with the inventory of what I have at my finger tips.
My lockdown freezer, what have I been making and freezing?
- black beans (stove top or instant pot versions)
- freezer pasta sauce
- lentils (recipe from The Kitchen)
- lasagne florentine (Pinch of Yum recipe – also a favourite to take over to families welcoming a new little one, meat-free, can easily be made gluten-free if needed and a real crowd pleaser)
- green curry paste
- garlic bread (elevates a simple bowl of soup, to something really special for dinner in my opinion. Drizzle & dip’s is my go-to recipe)
- creamed spinach
- teaspoons of crushed fresh garlic and ginger
- passata
- bacon roll-ups – roll individual slices of bacon up like snails and freeze on a baking sheet or chopping board. Transfer to a zip seal bag once solid and keep in the freezer until needed.
- basil pesto
- beef, lentil & carrot meatballs for spaghetti and meatballs, meatball subs, a quick meatball and salad lunch…
- pizza bases (we love Sally’s Baking Addiction flatbread pizza’s)
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