Menu Monday: More with Freezer Cooking + Shopping Lists!

I've been on a real Freezer Cooking kick lately. Once I started, I couldn't go back to wondering what in the heck I was going to make for dinner after teaching all day and wanting to do anything BUT cook. I also was over spending money we really didn't have on fast food or easy foods just to get by. Freezer cooking has worked out so well for us, and the best thing is that I'm NOT following someone else's version by the book. I'm doing what works well for me and building up my freezer a few meals at a time.

I promised weeks before that I would include shopping lists for the meals I made for the freezer, so here are the lists for Menu Monday One and Menu Monday Two.

Onto Menu Monday Three (click that for the shopping list).

This week I bought a 10lb chub of Ground Beef. Thanks to the other meals, we hadn't had it a lot, so I took this chance to make up a lot of the meals that we liked but didn't have. Only rather than just make some for the week, I doubled each recipe and made enough to have it twice (with hopefully some leftovers for the Husband's lunches).

This week I stocked the freezer with 2 Meatloaves, 2 batches of Meatballs, 1 batch of Sloppy Joes (we ate the 2nd batch the night I did the cooking ;) ), and 3 batches of Taco Meat to go onto other meals (2 are going to a Mexican Lasagna I will make for the next round of Freezer Cooking).


Meatloaf
In a bowl add:
a little over 2lbs of ground beef
2 cups of shredded carrots
1 diced onion
2 eggs (beaten)
1 cup of water
2 cups of stuffing mix.
{These are estimated amounts, so you can add what you want and make it your own.}

Form into 2 loaves and put in freezer bags. To cook, preheat the oven to 350 and cook until done all the way through. This can vary depending on oven temp and whether it was defrosted before baking. Top with Barbecue sauce for the last 20 minutes or so.

Meatballs
Prepare the same way as the Meatloaf above, only shape into 1-2 inch balls. Place flat in a freezer bag until completely frozen (to keep them from sticking).

Sloppy Joes
Brown a little over 2lbs of ground beef with 1 diced onion and 2 cups of shredded carrots. Drain. Add a can of Sloppy Joe mix. Serve on buns (this made enough for my family to eat their fill and freeze enough for another meal).

Taco Meat
Brown a little over 2lbs of ground beef with 1 diced onion and 2 cups of shredded carrots (sensing a theme here?). Drain. Add enough taco seasoning (either premade or homemade) for 2 meals, adding water if needed.
{I will end up adding black beans and red beans to this, or possibly lentils}