Methods for Adding Mileage to your Freezer Cooking Plan

There are a few special types of recipes that really add a lot of mileage to your freezer cooking plan - they can be prepared in minutes, but save a lot of time later. Try using just one or two of these ideas next time you freezer-cook, and watch the return on your investment of time multiply!

Seasoning packets 

Mixes like homemade Taco Seasoning can help you create a meal in minutes later.

Once you have the seasoning made, you're ready to make any of these quick dishes:
Black Bean Enchiladas
Chili Cornbread Casserole
Chili-Topped Potatoes
Fill Your Own Tortilla Night
Guacamole, Super Simple 
Refried Beans, Easiest Healthy
Veggie Fajitas
Southwest Black Bean Burgers
Mexican Haystacks
Black Bean & Corn Salad

Pantry Mixes

Homemade Corn Bread Mix, Muffin Mix, Pancake Mix, Cake & Cookie Mix and French Breakfast Mix can be prepared quickly (perhaps while waiting for another dish to simmer) and make for a quick meal or snack later.

For complete variations on each of these ideas, check out the Make Your Own Vegan Mixes tab 

Just Add Water Pancake Mix

Pumpkin Mini Muffins from Muffin Mix

Make 1 Mix - Make 10 Cookies!

French Crepes from French Breakfast Mix, GF, Top 8 Free, Vegan

Burgers 

These can be mixed up & formed in patties, but require no cooking until the day they're eaten (though they can be cooked ahead for microwaving on the day they're eaten, if you prefer)

Burgers & Fries Vegan Style

Vegan Sausage Patties

Southwest Black Bean Burgers   

Sauces

Some sauces can be prepared on cooking day, and then make dish preparation almost instant.

Yachni Sauce
Make Sauce Tonight, Have Easy Meals for a Week

Bread Dough

Having a dough on hand like this one can take 10 minutes of hands-on time, and allow you to have four nights of fresh, homemade bread over the course of a week or two.

Your simple double

If you're going to all the work to make a dish, doubling it means you can eat it twice for the same amount of work. If your family likes a dish a lot, and if you have the freezer space, this is a great way to go.

Cooking Ingredients for later use

Some ingredients take a long time to cook, but can be combined into a dish later quite quickly. For Vegans, cooking Beans, Grains, Lentils & even Pasta or Rice in advance for the freezer can prepare you for a lot of instant meals. This is especially helpful if you cook for one, and can freeze these ingredients in single portions. Many Omnivore cooking plans are centered around roasted meat for this reason. Holly over at "My Plant-Based Family" often does batch cooking this way, and has LOTS of meal plans that are focused around this method - like this one

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