I like to cook…but not all the time. While I enjoy getting creative in the kitchen and pride myself on being able to make “a little go a long way,” sometimes I don’t have the time, don’t take the time, or don’t feel like taking the time to think through preparing yet another meal.
Imagine my excitement when I learned about Dump Meals. With a bit of planning, prep, and a crockpot, you can have a meal on the table without spending a lot of time in the kitchen.
Here’s the idea:
Dump Meals consist of your own fresh ingredients.
Choose an intriguing recipe. Here are three that offer good variety. Ingredients for each recipe fit in a 1-gallon freezer bag and provide 6-8 servings per bag.
Beef Stew
Chicken Cacciatore
Sausage Spinach Tomato Soup
Shop for ingredients in advance. For added efficiency, double or triple the recipe. That way you will have multiple Dump Meals in the freezer.
Set aside a couple of hours to prep and assemble each Dump Meal by placing all ingredients into a freezer bag.
Place labeled bags in the freezer for future use.
When you are ready to prepare a meal, take a bag out of the freezer and thaw it in the refrigerator. Then DUMP the ingredients into a crockpot, and let the crockpot work its magic. If you prefer to cook stovetop, follow the same procedure and cook over medium heat until done. Cooking time will vary, but the result is the same…a meal ready in a small amount of time with little same-day prep.
By preparing Dump Meals ahead of time, the challenge of deciding what to have for dinner is removed. And you know you have fresh, quality ingredients because you bought and packaged them yourself.
It’s mealtime made easy.
Here’s to your health and vitality!
