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Gradual Make-Ahead Method: Taco Meat

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I’ve finally come up with the perfect taco seasoning recipe to use with my Gradual Make Ahead Method™!   This method allows you to make your weekday meals as usual, preparing part of the meal (usually the meat) in large enough quantity for an additional 3-5 dinners!

I have found this to be a great time saving alternative to once-a-month cooking, which usually requires long days in the kitchen to do all your cooking at once.  This way, I am able to stay ahead on some of my cooking without giving up an entire weekend.

With a stash of taco meat in the freezer, I am able to make an easy meal of tacos, nachos, taco salad, taco pizza, burritos or enchiladas with little effort.  It even goes nicely from the freezer to the crockpot!

Ingredients:

  • 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
  • 1  1/2 teaspoons ground Cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Corn Starch
  • 1 teaspoon Beef Bullion Granules
  • 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon Dried Oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Directions:

  • Mix together and store in airtight container until ready to use (up to one year).
  • To cook, add 1 lb ground beef and 1/3 cup water per 2 tablespoons taco seasoning.   Simmer uncovered on low for 5-10 minutes.

Gradual Make Ahead Method:

  • To freeze taco meat, allow to cool completely.  Then add meal size portions to freezer bag or container.  Label and date.
  • When ready to serve, remove from freezer and cook in covered skillet on low until heated through.
  • Alternately, you can add 2 tablespoons water to frozen contents and cook on low in a slow cooker for 4-6 hours or until heated through.

Scroll through HERE (past this post) for more Gradual Make-Ahead ideas!

The Gradual Make-Ahead Method: Grilled Chicken

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Confession time.

I have not been keeping up on my once-a-month cooking lately.  To be honest, it can be difficult to find one entire weekend each month to dedicate to it.  Some months I just don’t have the time.  And even when I could make time, the thought of spending two twelve-hour days on my feet in the kitchen makes me want to give up and run to the nearest Hot & Ready pizza joint.

So I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately.  I really don’t want to lose the benefits of once-a-month cooking.  Not only do I save time throughout the month, but it puts the pleasure back in family dinners for me.  I can enjoy the lingering conversation with my family without the nagging voice in the back of my head telling me I should be scrubbing the pots.

Stupid nagging voice.

Plus on those occasions when I just don’t feel like doing dinner, I’m not tempted to order in because I have so many easy choices on hand.  Which saves me money!

Long story short, I’ve come up with my own Gradual Make-Ahead Method™.  I cook dinner each night as usual…except I make enough meat for 3-5 meals instead of one.  I divide the meat into meal-size portions and freeze the extra.

Last night, I took advantage of a huge sale on chicken breast and bought 10 pounds!  We cooked all 10 lbs worth on the grill, sliced it all up and used one 2-lb portion for dinner.  Then we  divided the remaining 8 lbs into 4 freezer bags to be used for future meals!

If you’d like to give this a try, I recommend using only basic seasonings (or none at all) when grilling.  This way, you can pull the chicken out of the freezer and use it in a variety of recipes.

I am happy to report that it resulted in only a small amount of extra work to and clean-up, and the reward is that we have four extra meals worth! Here’s what we had the first night for dinner.  I’ll be sharing more ways you can use grilled chicken from the freezer in the coming weeks!

CHICKEN FAJITAS RECIPE

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 lbs grilled chicken breast, frozen
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt
  • 1/4 tsp mesquite seasoning
  • 3 T water
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 1/2 – 1 green pepper, sliced
  • tortilla shells
  • fajita toppings of your choice

Directions:

  • Add frozen chicken breast, onion, green pepper and water to skillet.  Mix in seasonings.  Cover and simmer until chicken is heated through.  Remove cover and simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes.
  • Assemble fajitas and enjoy!

Easy Make-Ahead Sloppy Joes

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This recipe was born to be a make-ahead meal!  It is easy to prepare, freezes well, and tastes great going from freezer to crockpot to plate!  Whenever I prepare it for dinner, I simply make enough for an additional three or four dinners, and then freeze the extra in meal size portions.  The following recipe is one 8-serving meal.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 lbs Ground Beef
  • 1 1/2 cups Ketchup
  • 1/4 cup Worchestershire Sauce
  • 1/4 cup Mustard
  • 1/4 cup Vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1 small onion, minced

DIRECTIONS:

  • In a skillet, cook ground beef and onion until beef is evenly brown.
  • Drain beef.
  • Add remaining ingredients to the skillet and stir well.
  • Cook covered on low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Serve on hamburger bun and enjoy!

Scroll through HERE (past this post) to view more Gradual Make Ahead Method™ recipes.

Pepper Steak

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If you’ve been reading this blog for long, then you know I love to find easy ways to simplify dinner. One of my big shortcuts is to have meat cut up and ready to go in meal size portions in the freezer. For this recipe, I cut chuck steak into bite size pieces and store in a freezer bag. Be sure to lay the bag flat to freeze so it is easier to thaw when the time comes.

If you like pepper steak, I’d be willing to bet that this will be a favorite dish of yours!  The long cook time makes it tender and flavorful.

5.0 from 1 reviews
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Pepper Steak
Recipe type: main
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8
 
Ingredients
  • 4 lbs. Chuck Steak, cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 pkg. Onion Soup Mix
  • 1 14.5 oz. can Diced Tomatoes
  • ½ c. Green Pepper, diced
  • 1 Beef Bullion Cube
  • 1 c. Water
  • 3 Tbs. Flour
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Line a 13 x 9" pan with aluminum foil and add chuck steak.
  3. Sprinkle steak with onion soup mix.
  4. Drain diced tomatoes, reserving juices.
  5. Add drained tomatoes and diced green peppers to chuck steak.
  6. In a small saucepan, cook tomato juices with ½ cup water and beef bullion cube. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat.
  7. In a small bowl, mix ½ c. cold water with 3 Tbs. flour.
  8. Slowly add flour mixture to saucepan. Stir until thickened.
  9. Pour sauce over chuck steak.
  10. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
  11. Bake at 350 for 90 minutes.

Other Posts You May Like:

Chicken Bacon Quesadillas

By Post contains sponsored/affiliate links and I get commissions for purchases made from links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Having Grilled Chicken Strips on hand in the freezer is one of my secrets for saving time in the kitchen. Whenever I can get a good price on chicken breast I stock up, then grill 8-10 lbs at a time, slice into strips and bag in meal size portions.

I came up with this idea after falling off the once-a-month-cooking bandwagon…mostly because the idea of spending a full Saturday each month in the kitchen was something I always dreaded.  I decided I could accomplish the same thing by spending a few minutes making a little bit extra whenever I prepare dinner. It has worked like a charm for us! These Chicken Bacon Quesadillas are one of our favorite ways to use up our grilled chicken strips. Head over HERE for another delicious idea.

If you’re interested, you can stop over HERE to read more about my Gradual Make-Ahead Method™.

5.0 from 1 reviews
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Chicken Bacon Quesadillas
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 1 Tbs. Butter
  • 8 Flour Tortillas
  • 1 lb. Grilled Chicken Breast Strips
  • 10 Strips of Bacon, crumbled
  • 1 Avocado, diced
  • ¼ c. Fresh Salsa
  • 8 oz. Cheddar or Pepperjack Cheese
Instructions
  1. In a skillet, melt 1 Tbs. butter over medium heat.
  2. Add tortilla to skillet and top with grilled chicken strips, crumbled bacon, avocado and a small amount of fresh salsa.
  3. Top with cheese and a second tortilla.
  4. Cover and cook until cheese is melted and bottom of tortilla is slightly brown.
  5. Flip carefully and cook the other side until tortilla is slightly brown.
  6. Repeat above steps with all tortillas.
  7. Cut each into quarters and serve with sour cream and salsa (optional).

Adapted from Kevin and Amanda

Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry – Make Ahead Recipe

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Here’s an easy recipe using my very own Gradual Make-Ahead Method. I generally buy enough sirloin to triple this recipe, then set two batches aside for future use. That’s where the make-ahead comes in.  It’s such a time saver to have the meat already sliced and ready to go in the freezer.  Just be sure to move it to the refrigerator to thaw overnight before cooking.  As you can tell from the photo, the kids love this one.

They also love sneaking their mugs into any photos I happen to be taking.

Print
Beef Broccoli Stir-Fry
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4-6
 
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs. boneless sirloin, cut in 3 inch strips
  • ¼ c. water
  • 3 Tbs. soy sauce
  • 2 tsp. corn starch
  • 2 tsp. brown sugar
  • ½ tsp. garlic powder
  • ½ tsp. ground ginger
  • 6 c. frozen broccoli florets
  • 2 small onions, sliced
  • cooked rice
Instructions
  1. In a bowl, stir together water, soy sauce, corn starch, brown sugar, garlic powder and ground ginger. Add beef and toss until thoroughly coated. Allow to marinade for at least one hour.
  2. In a large wok or skillet, stir fry beef to desired doneness, adding broccoli and onions during final 4-5 minutes of cooking. Spoon over cooked rice and enjoy!

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Hope you enjoy!

Lunchbox Love: Cranberry Hootycreeks

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This cookie is a favorite at our house, and the dough freezes very well!   Another great one to add to your Gradual Make Ahead recipe list.

Cranberry Hootycreeks

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup softened butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

  • In a bowl, combine egg, butter and vanilla.
  • In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, oats, brown sugar and white sugar.
  • Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix.
  • Fold in pecans, cranberries and white chocolate chips.

Spoon onto cookie sheet and press flat.  Flash freeze for 30-90 minutes.

Store dough in gallon size freezer bags for up to 3 months.

Bake at 375 for 12-14 minutes.  Enjoy!

More Lunch Box Love HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE!

California Chicken Alfredo

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As you may have read yesterday, I’ve been experimenting with a new kind of make-ahead cooking.

I fell off the once-a-month-cooking bandwagon a couple months ago, and haven’t been able to bring myself to return full force.  Since I didn’t want to lose the time-saving benefits of it, I came up with my own version.  Long story short – I now have a ton of grilled chicken in my freezer so I am working my way through the recipe box to find the best ways to use it up.

This one is always a hit at my house and just about the only way I can sneak veggies in without the moans and groans from the peanut gallery.

CALIFORNIA CHICKEN ALFREDO

Ingredients:

  • 1  lb Grilled Chicken Breast, frozen
  • 8-12 oz bag California Blend Vegetables (carrots, broccoli and cauliflower)
  • 2 cups  Bowtie Pasta
  • 1 Garlic Clove, minced
  • 2 tablespoons Butter
  • 1 cup  Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 1 cup Parmesan Cheese
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

  • Cook pasta according to package directions.
  • In a skillet, add butter, garlic, frozen chicken and vegetables.  Cover and cook on low until chicken is heated through.
  • Drain pasta and add to skillet, along with heavy cream, parmesan and salt.  Cook and stir until thoroughly blended.

This is even great as leftovers. Good luck with that.

Recipe was adapted from Taste of Home version.