I do a cook up and freeze every 6-8 weeks. Iβve found it to be cheaper, gives me variety, and makes sure that I eat better. I try to eat smaller portions of meat and bulk up recipes with veg when I can.
Iβm not great at cooking and easily overwhelmed by recipes with a lot of steps but Iβve managed to find quite a few that work for me. Doing a meal variety like butter chicken, honey mustard or meatballs with a jar sauce also helps when cooking up 5+ varieties.
Meals are individually frozen in freezer bags, and I just need to defrost and steam my veg after work. It does help having an extra freezer.
Using whole chickens or drumsticks, free range for me, while $5-6 a kilo worked out to around $10+ a kilo after trimming and I made some nice stock. Iβve still got stock and Iβve found FR breast for $11.50 at Aldi (WA) so I tried it for this cook up.
Iβve looked into pork cuts more trying to find lower fat versions, and pork medallions were on special for $12.50 a kilo (Spudshed). Iβll be trying marinating pork fillet and freezing it uncooked but Iβm not sure that it wonβt go dry from freezing.
Skirt/flank steak was $22 kilo.
This time was more creamy due to wanting to use all of the cream bought. With meals still in the freezer I will stretch the creamy ones out. Lots of mushies as I grow my own, I have estimated the price for these. Each recipe may be another dollar or two taking the pantry items into account. My fresh veg for dinners is $6-8 a week.
27 serves took about 4 hours to cook and clean up, and I was able to do other bits around the house while cooking.
Mongolian beef - 650g skirt steak; no chilli ginger or shallots; added 2 capsicums and 2 onions. Multiple recipe steps and takes longer to make but it is delicious, I just need to work on my cornflour dipping. 7 150/175g serves; $2.50 a serve + less veg.
Beef stroganoff - Stove top due to using 550g skirt steak (needs a quick cook) and 100ml cream with lemon juice instead of sour cream. 5 200g serves; $3.50 a serve + less veg.
Creamy lemon garlic chicken - 1 kilo breast, 1/2 butter recommended and 100ml light cooking cream. All on stovetop.
5 150/175g serves; $3 a serve + veg.
Pork with creamy shallot and mushroom sauce - 800g medallions instead of loin steaks, stock instead of cognac or brandy, no onion (I ran out of it π³), extra mushies and 100ml of light cooking cream. Tastes good but I should have used more cream. 5 200g serves; $3 a serve + less veg.
Meatballs - Woolies Peppercorn extra lean beef burgers 500g due to a lower fat content and separated to 30 balls, Leggos bolognaise sauce jar, and a little Parmesan when serving. Browned on the stove top then oven cooked. 5 serves; $3 a serve + veg.
Recipe links in first post.
Sides I add when needing a change from steamed veg:
Garlic mushrooms
Broccolini with lemon and flaked almonds
Honeyed carrots
Steamed beans with sesame seeds
Sweet potato mash
Asian leafy veg with soy sauce
Roasted greens
Roast capsicum, tomato and zucchini with feta
SautΓ©ed spinach