So, I am not exactly sure how I came upon it (New York Times article?), but a concept known as Once a Month Cooking or OAMC was something that caught my attention… The idea of spending a day creating and freezing fully prepped meals that just got popped into the oven or a crock pot and would feed us for a month was intriguing…
Looking into the process further, we found a website with a turn-key solution (including recipe plans, menus, grocery shopping lists, and even pre-printed labels!) and we figured that we had little to lose…
So, we decided to pull Natalie’s mom into the chaos and somewhat on a whim, starting shopping for all of the ingredients the night before the big day of food preparation… We headed up to Danville around 8:30 the next morning and believe it or not… 12 hours later, we had completed 90 meals between the two households. They were all put together, packaged in individual ziploc bags or foil containers and ready for the freezer. Though it is safe to say that these meals could benefit from a side salad or a side dish in some circumstances, many of the meals are complete right out of the oven or the crock, with easy to follow instructions for cooking…
Just a sample of our month’s options:
- Parmesan-Paprika Pork Chops
- White Chicken Chili
- Ultimate Beef Stroganoff
- Mexican Cornbread Casserole
- Baked Ziti with Chunky Tomatoes & Basil
We have already tried a few and the reviews are solid… Great tasting, amazingly easy to cook and serve (though 12 hours of kitchen work to make them requires a little Aleve when the day is done…) and we are set with our dinner and most of our lunch requirements for the entire month!
Bon Appetit!
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