FRUGILLIONAIRE

Think how wonderful it would be to come home from work, and have a meal all ready to heat-and-eat.

You can make it happen—with batch cooking!

The idea: put on your chef’s hat for one night, prepare all the meals you’ll need for an entire week (or month!), and freeze them.

Batch cooking saves time, as preparation and cleanup are consolidated into one session—sparing you these tasks on busy evenings.

Better yet, batch cooking saves money! Ingredients can be purchased in bulk, often at a lower unit price (the cost per ounce, pound, liter, or other unit of measure) than smaller amounts.

This strategy also inspires more efficient use of food (such as stretching a whole chicken over several meals). You’ll be much less likely to waste leftover ingredients when you can use them immediately in other dishes.

And finally—perhaps most significantly—batch cooking saves you from splurging on takeout. Depending on your habits, this can add up to a small fortune!

Ready to give it a try? Check out the following resources for recipes, ideas, and instructions:

RecipeZaar – OAMC/Freezer/Make Ahead Recipes

BigOven – Batch Cooking Recipes

Ellen’s Kitchen – Once a Month Cooking

Fix, Freeze, Feast: Prepare in Bulk and Enjoy by the Serving – More than 125 Recipes

Once-A-Month Cooking, Revised and Expanded: A Proven System for Spending Less Time in the Kitchen and Enjoying Delicious, Homemade Meals Every Day

The Freezer Cooking Manual from 30 Day Gourmet: A Month of Meals Made Easy

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