Each month I take a trip to my local food warehouse store (Sam’s Club) and purchase the meat that I will need for my cooking this month. I typically purchase around 12 lbs of beef and 12 lbs of boneless, skinless, chicken breasts.
I’m not a big fan of cooking, so I like to make my meals as quick and easy as possible. One of the ways I cut down time when cooking is to pre-cook all of my ground beef.
First, I stick it all in a big pot (usually about 6 lbs at a time). I use my Pampered Chef Mix and Chop (I don’t know how I ever lived without this!) and just star mixing away as it cooks.
I’ll put a lid on it so it cooks a bit faster opening the lid every once in a while to mix and chop some more.
When all the pink is gone and the meat is browned and chopped I let it cool.
I then divide it up into 1 lb (approximately) freezer quart size bags, take the air our, flatten them, and stick them in the freezer. When I am ready to use one for a casserole, sauce, lasagna, taco meat, etc. I just pull one out, defrost in the microwave and warm. With my Crock Pot Lasagna Recipe I don’t even warm it.
Crockpot Lasagna
Source: everydayfoodstorage.net
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Total Time: 3Hr. 0Min.
Ingredients
- 8 Lasagna Noodles , uncooked
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 28 ounce jar Spaghetti Sauce
- 1/3 cup water
- 4 ounce canned mushrooms
- 24 ounce Cottage Cheese
- 2 cups mozerella cheese , Shreeded
Directions
- 1. Break noodles. Place half in bottom of greased slow cooker.
- 2. Brown ground beef. Drain. Stir in Italian seasoning. Spread half over noodles in slow cooker.
- 3. Layer half of sauce and water, half of mushrooms, half of ricotta or cottage cheese and half of mozzarella cheese over beef. Repeat layers.
- 4. Cover. Cook on low for 5 hours. (You can also double these ingredients and make 3 layers.)
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With my chicken, pork, steaks, etc. I just divide them up in to meal size portions (for my family that is usually 3 breasts). I just pull one out and prepare as directed in the menu.
What are some time saving tips you have?