Cooking Day

So Eric and I have been testing out a cooking method called Once a Month Cooking. The concept is that once a month (or for us, once every 2-3 months), I spend a day cooking, fill up the freezer with pre-made meals that require little in the way of future preparation (i.e. they need to be baked for 30 minutes, then served). The goal is both to save money by pre-planning meals, and have dinner be convenient, instead of something I have to think about every day--I can just reach in, pull out a dish, and it will be on the table in 30-60 minutes with no effort by me or Eric.

Last time we did this was the first week of April. We will finish the meals at the end of this week, so I thought it was high time to make more food!

This round's menu includes:

Grilled Eggplant/Squash/Chicken Lasagna (I made this recipe up!)-4 dinners

Barbeque Chicken Calzones-8 dinners

Honey-Lime Chicken Thighs-4 dinners plus lunch leftovers

Broccoli-Chicken Pesto Penne Casserole-4 dinners

Macaroni Turkey Chili-probably 6 meals' worth, there was a lot!

Bagel Pizzas-6 meals

Chicken B'Stila (see previous post on this one)-2 dinners (including one with friends)

For sides, I'm making Twice-Baked Potatoes (x38!). On nights we don't have these, we'll have steamed veggies, which are a staple at our house.

And I'm also making:

2 batches of chocolate chip cookie dough, frozen as individual cookie dough balls. One with mini chips, the other with normal-sized chips.

At least two loaves of Pa Bread to have on hand.

So far, I've made the chili, a loaf of Pa Bread (another is in the machine now), and have prepared all the chicken. I need to cook the chicken, cook the noodles, and then just assemble everything and find a way to fit everything in the freezer :)

Oh, and I have to get all the cooking done today, since tomorrow's project is going to be making Ka'ab Al Ghazal, or Gazelle Horns, along with Ambassl' del Gar'aa Hamra, or Baked Pumpkin with Caramelized Onions, Cinnamon, and Almonds. We're having Lan, Matt, Deep & Shana over for dinner tomorrow night. Should be fun!