In a previous podcast episode called Simplified Menu Planning, I encouraged listeners to not overthink meal planning. (You may listen to that episode here.)

In this audio, I described how my original freezer cooking, in which I plugged all of my entrees into categories (based on meat types), led me to look at meal planning in a more simplified way. I made my master list of most of the entrees that I fix under each category, and then I can see what meats are on sale, scan my master entrée list, and choose meals to make.

I know there is a lot more to meal planning and preparing than simply choosing a category and “fixing” it. However, one of the things that people say over and over concerning the whole idea of meal planning includes “I can’t think of anything to make when it is time” or “I feel like I always make the same things over and over again.”

This idea of having all or most of your entrees listed under the meat that it is made of gives you a ready list at your finger tips. I found myself saying, “Oh, yeah, I forgot that everybody loves that taco soup. I’ve got taco meat in the freezer. Think I’ll pull it out and make that.”

One of the key concepts that Organizing Wizard teaches in her courses (and one that I have been trying to teach long before I heard of her great products in my workshops for moms) is that we often spend too much time thinking about what we want to do. We can spend a great deal of time on decisions and things that should really be decided quickly and decisively. This will free up our brains for the headier decisions—and make those things we do over and over again (prepare dinner, for example) happen more quickly.

When we learn to think quickly about those activities and tasks that are repeating in our lives, we make them smaller. That is, they do not remain so large and daunting. I have found this to be true over and over again as I have put systems in place, made quick decisions, etc., on things like Daily Tasks, menu planning, and more.

So, once again, I am going to give you those lists and encourage you to spend an hour or so making your own. You can even write them on large sticky notes (one sticky per meat) and place them on the inside of your kitchen cupboards and add to it as you think of more dishes that you make (or used to make).

Note:

Here are some other podcast episodes about kitchen efficiency that you might enjoy:

Podcast: Tips For Efficiency in The Kitchen

Podcast: Simplified Meal Planning

Podcast: Tips for Efficiency

Podcast: How to Implement Cycle Cooking for Freezer Entrees and Starters

Podcast: Ten Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Start Freezer Cooking

THINK IN TERMS OF MEATS/CYCLE COOKING AND MAKE MASTER LIST

1. What meats (and in what form of the meats) do you regularly use in your meals?

2. How can these be “grouped” (either for thinking purposes or for preparing bulk entrees for the freezer)?

3. Make a master list of things that you EVER make from various meats, print it, and tape it to the inside of a kitchen cabinet or on the fridge in a sheet protector. You want this handy!

Shredded Chicken

• Chicken enchiladas
• Chicken tetrazinni
• Chicken broccoli casserole
• Hot chicken salad
• BBQ shredded chicken
• Chicken taco meat
• Chicken alfredo (or starter for freezer)
• Cream of chicken soup (or starter for freezer)
• Chicken rice soup (or starter for freezer)
• Chicken gnocchi soup (or starter for freezer)
• Chicken noodle soup (or starter for freezer)
• White bean chicken chili (or starter for freezer)
• Chicken tortilla soup (or starter for freezer)

Crumbled Ground Beef or Turkey

• Enchiladas
• Cheeseburger pie
• Shepherd’s pie
• Lasagna
• Spaghetti pie
• Beef noodle stroganoff (or starter for freezer)
• Beef-broccoli Alfredo (or starter for freezer)
• Taco meat
• Goulash (or starter for freezer)
• Chili (or starter for freezer)
• Hamburger Stew (or starter for freezer)
• Vegetable soup (or starter for freezer)
• Homemade hamburger helper (or starter for freezer)
• Taco soup (or starter for freezer)
• Pasta e fagioli soup (or starter for freezer)
• Cheeseburger potato soup (or starter for freezer)
• Mexican pizzas (or starter for freezer)
• Layered Mexican dip (or starter for freezer)
• Beef nacho supreme (or starter for freezer)
• Beef taco soup (or starter for freezer)
• Maid rite sandwiches
• Ravioli
• Hamburger gravy
• Mexican pizza

Shredded Roast Beef (or Pork)

• Enchiladas
• Beef stew (or starter for freezer)
• Vegetable soup (or starter for freezer)
• Beefy potato rivel soup (or starter for freezer)
• BBQ beef
• Pot roast w/ veggies
• Beef carnitas/shredded meat taco (or starter for freezer)
• Shredded beef nachos (or starter for freezer)

Chicken Breasts or Thighs (Not Shredded)

• Chick filet knock off
• Parmesan chicken breasts/thighs/tenders
• Cheddar coated breasts
• Monterey chicken breasts
• Chicken cordon bleu
• Smothered chicken (or starter for freezer)
• Yogurt/parmesan chicken
• Garlic chicken bites (for Alfredo, chicken spaghetti, stir fries, subs, chicken alfredo pizza etc.)
• Monterey chicken bites (for fajitas, appetizers, chicken quesadillas, stir fries, subs, etc.)

Shaped Ground Meat/Steak

• Meat loaves
• Ham loaves
• Meatballs
• Salisbury steak
• Florida steak
• Smothered steak (or starter for freezer)
• Steak salad (or starter for freezer)
• Philly cheesesteak casserole (or starter for freezer)
• Steak breakfast burrito (or starter for freezer)
• Steak fajita
• Steak stir fry
• Dried beef gravy

Ham/Sausage/Bacon/Cheese/Pepperoni

• Hamarama (sandwiches)
• Cheesy potatoes with ham
• Broccoli cheese soup
• Cheesy potato sausage soup
• Soup beans with ham
• Ham steak
• BBQ ham steak
• Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches
• Grilled cheese sandwiches
• Cheddar soup
• Pizza (or starter for freezer)
• Pizza subs (or starter for freezer)
• Pizza casserole
• Pizza soup (or starter for freezer)
• Chicken pork creamy soup (or starter for freezer)
• Goulash (or starter for freezer)
• Sausage breakfast sandwiches (or starter for freezer)
• Sausage gravy and biscuits
• Pizza dip
• Sausage cups ((or starter for freezer)
• Pizza cups (or starter for freezer)
• Sausage biscuit balls
• Egg roll skillet (or starter for freezer)
• Kielbasa stir fry (or starter for freezer)
• Egg skillet (or starter for freezer)
• Omelets (or starter for freezer)
• Egg casserole (or starter for freezer)
• Pancakes and sausage
• Sausage sandwiches
• Loaded baked potatoes
• Breakfast pizzas

Seafood

• Tuna casserole
• Tuna balls
• Salmon patties
• Salmon loaves
• Baked salmon
• Baked cod
• Skillet white fish
• Shrimp scampi
• Shrimp Alfredo
• Clam chowder

The post Don’t Overthink Meal Planning appeared first on Character Ink.

Listen to the podcast here!

Get asked efficiency questions a lot:

1. Doing the mundane, routine, or regular more quickly and more efficiently gives you more time for the exciting, ground-breaking, earth-shattering!

2. Teaches our children efficient work habits.

3. Makes you feel like a million bucks! 🙂

Kitchen Efficiency Links

1. Podcast: How to Implement Cycle Cooking for Freezer Entrees and Starters

2. Podcast: Ten Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Start Freezer Cooking

3. Podcast: Five Tips to Be More Efficient in the Kitchen

4. Blog Post: Beef Roast and Pork Roasts in the Crock Pot

5. Blog Post: Shredded Chicken

6. Blog Post: Crumbled Ground Meats

7. Blog Post: Determining the Type of Freezer Cook You Want to Be

8. Blog Post: Dishes, Laundry, and Trash

Level of Efficiency in the Kitchen Dependent Upon Several Factors

1. How homemade vs. how store-bought

2. Time allotted for make-aheads and prepping

3. Freezer space

4. Experience

How Do You Look in Your Freezer or Cabinets or Fridge and Come Up With a Meal Without Over-Thinking

1. Can’t think of anything to make

2. Don’t feel creative

3. Everything takes too long/no prepped or defrosted ingredients

Solutions

1. Think in terms of meats (see my cycle cooking)—and have a master list

2. Have staples on hand

3. Learn to cook meats fast or efficiently (chicken here, crumbled meats here; pork and beef roasts here)

4. Freezer cook! If just starting out, do one of two things (see podcast here):

a. Start with “meal starters” if limited freezer space and/or not much experience (and also low cost if just starting out)

b. Find six, eight, or ten entrees that your family loves that you can learn to freezer cook easily and quickly and work on these. (See many more ideas below in the “Think in Terms of Meats Master List.”)

i. Shredded chicken—chicken enchiladas, chicken lasagna, shredded bbq

ii. Crumbled meat—taco meat, enchilada casserole, lasagna, spaghetti chicken sandwich filling, chicken taco meat, chicken tetrazzini, arroz con pollo, cream of chicken soup starter, chicken broccoli soup starter, chicken gnocchi soup starter, chicken noodle soup starter, chicken rice soup starter, hot chicken salad casserole, broccoli chicken rice casserole sauce with meat, sloppy joes, spaghetti pie, cheeseburger pie, pizza filling bag, chili, hamburger stew, beef broccoli alfredo starter

5. Have ingredients for ten entrees at all times (Five Tips for Kitchen Efficiency)

THINK IN TERMS OF MEATS/CYCLE COOKING AND MAKE MASTER LIST

1. What meats (and in what form of the meats) do you regularly use in your meals?

2. How can these be “grouped” (either for thinking purposes or for preparing bulk entrees for the freezer)?

3. Make a master list of things that you EVER make from various meats, print it, and tape it to the inside of a kitchen cabinet or on the fridge in a sheet protector. You want this handy!

Shredded Chicken

• Chicken enchiladas
• Chicken tetrazinni
• Chicken broccoli casserole
• Hot chicken salad
• BBQ shredded chicken
• Chicken taco meat
• Chicken alfredo (or starter for freezer)
• Cream of chicken soup (or starter for freezer)
• Chicken rice soup (or starter for freezer)
• Chicken gnocchi soup (or starter for freezer)
• Chicken noodle soup (or starter for freezer)
• White bean chicken chili (or starter for freezer)
• Chicken tortilla soup (or starter for freezer)

Crumbled Ground Beef or Turkey

• Enchiladas
• Cheeseburger pie
• Shepherd’s pie
• Lasagna
• Spaghetti pie
• Beef noodle stroganoff (or starter for freezer)
• Beef-broccoli Alfredo (or starter for freezer)
• Taco meat
• Goulash (or starter for freezer)
• Chili (or starter for freezer)
• Hamburger Stew (or starter for freezer)
• Vegetable soup (or starter for freezer)
• Homemade hamburger helper (or starter for freezer)
• Taco soup (or starter for freezer)
• Pasta e fagioli soup (or starter for freezer)
• Cheeseburger potato soup (or starter for freezer)
• Mexican pizzas (or starter for freezer)
• Layered Mexican dip (or starter for freezer)
• Beef nacho supreme (or starter for freezer)
• Beef taco soup (or starter for freezer)
• Maid rite sandwiches
• Ravioli
• Hamburger gravy
• Mexican pizza

Shredded Roast Beef (or Pork)

• Enchiladas
• Beef stew (or starter for freezer)
• Vegetable soup (or starter for freezer)
• Beefy potato rivel soup (or starter for freezer)
• BBQ beef
• Pot roast w/ veggies
• Beef carnitas/shredded meat taco (or starter for freezer)
• Shredded beef nachos (or starter for freezer)

Chicken Breasts or Thighs (Not Shredded)

• Chick filet knock off
• Parmesan chicken breasts/thighs/tenders
• Cheddar coated breasts
• Monterey chicken breasts
• Chicken cordon bleu
• Smothered chicken (or starter for freezer)
• Yogurt/parmesan chicken
• Garlic chicken bites (for Alfredo, chicken spaghetti, stir fries, subs, chicken alfredo pizza etc.)
• Monterey chicken bites (for fajitas, appetizers, chicken quesadillas, stir fries, subs, etc.)

Shaped Ground Meat/Steak

• Meat loaves
• Ham loaves
• Meatballs
• Salisbury steak
• Florida steak
• Smothered steak (or starter for freezer)
• Steak salad (or starter for freezer)
• Philly cheesesteak casserole (or starter for freezer)
• Steak breakfast burrito (or starter for freezer)
• Steak fajita
• Steak stir fry
• Dried beef gravy

Ham/Sausage/Bacon/Cheese/Pepperoni

• Hamarama (sandwiches)
• Cheesy potatoes with ham
• Broccoli cheese soup
• Cheesy potato sausage soup
• Soup beans with ham
• Ham steak
• BBQ ham steak
• Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches
• Grilled cheese sandwiches
• Cheddar soup
• Pizza (or starter for freezer)
• Pizza subs (or starter for freezer)
• Pizza casserole
• Pizza soup (or starter for freezer)
• Chicken pork creamy soup (or starter for freezer)
• Goulash (or starter for freezer)
• Sausage breakfast sandwiches (or starter for freezer)
• Sausage gravy and biscuits
• Pizza dip
• Sausage cups ((or starter for freezer)
• Pizza cups (or starter for freezer)
• Sausage biscuit balls
• Egg roll skillet (or starter for freezer)
• Kielbasa stir fry (or starter for freezer)
• Egg skillet (or starter for freezer)
• Omelets (or starter for freezer)
• Egg casserole (or starter for freezer)
• Pancakes and sausage
• Sausage sandwiches
• Loaded baked potatoes
• Breakfast pizzas

Seafood

• Tuna casserole
• Tuna balls
• Salmon patties
• Salmon loaves
• Baked salmon
• Baked cod
• Skillet white fish
• Shrimp scampi
• Shrimp Alfredo
• Clam chowder

HAVE STAPLES ON HAND

1. Be sure that everybody knows they are off limits for other dishes.

2. Get as much convenience as you are comfortable with (see list below).

3. Learn fast/efficient method for cooking things you do all the time (see BACON here), such as rice cooker, baking rice, cooking baked potatoes in bulk, etc.).

4. Consider meal starters in freezer (precooked meats, soup starters, etc.) as “staples.”

Perishables “Staples”

Half and half

Shredded cheeses

Matchstick carrots

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Carrots

Peppers

Shredded cabbage

Frozen green beans

Frozen corn

Frozen peas

Frozen broccoli

Frozen mixed vegetables

Frozen stir fry medleys

Fruits (especially berries and apples)

Sour cream

Cream cheese

Butter

Refrigerated minced garlic

Salsa

Low carb bread

Low carb buns

Low carb tortillas

Hash brown potato cubes

Non Perishable Staples

Panko crumbs

Potatoes

Onions

Instant brown rice

Oats

Low carb flours

Bulk sugar free sweeteners

Canned mushrooms

Canned marinara

Canned Alfredo

Bases—beef, chicken, pork

Canned kidney beans

Canned refried beans

Canned green beans

Canned mixed vegetables

Canned carrots

Canned large vegetables (Veg All)

Olive oil

Bacon grease (keep after cooking

bacon)

Cooking wines, vinegar, soy sauce,

Worcestershire, hot sauce, etc.

Minced onions

Spices and seasonings

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My grad-student daughter from Illinois, my fifteen year old son, and I spent half a day this week cooking with my daughter who is expecting her first baby (our first grandchild) in four weeks. I have done freezer cooking for twenty-two years, so the girls just naturally do these types of cooking and food preps as well.

In three hours, five of us did fifty meals! That is twice as many as I normally would do in that time with that many people working simply because I was splitting the meals between Cami and me–so we averaged four servings per meal (instead of the normal eight servings that my meals now make). She took the smaller ones (see picture above) while I took the bigger ones. So in essence, we did twenty-five entrees that fed three and twenty-five entrees that fed six to eight.

The details of how to freezer cook are definitely for another time (and I am looking into doing a podcast about it for those who have been asking a lot), but I did want to document the fact that I cooked rice in the oven for the first time, and it turned out wonderful!

One of the entrees we were making is called “meatball stroganoff over rice.” We had long-grain brown rice, but my daughter forgot to bring her rice cooker, and mine is well, buried or lost or something. (I’ve been decluttering and getting rid of things and putting things I don’t use as often in tubs, and, well, I lost the rice cooker.)

Normally, when I do freezer cooking (usually once a week I do four to ten entrees for the freezer during one of my twice-weekly (or thrice-weekly) Kitchen Sessions), I start things immediately that take a while. One of those early tasks would be to put a lot of rice in the rice cooker for this stroganoff dish. I couldn’t put it in the microwave because that would tie up the micro too long, and I didn’t want to cook it on the stove because it would also be tied up–plus, I hate watching rice on the stove top while I am freezer cooking. It is a pain and just another thing to think about when I am crazy busy in the kitchen.

I remember a friend telling me that another mutual friend cooks her rice in the oven, so I Googled it and discovered that it looked as simple as the rice cooker or micro method (both of which I love and yield perfect rice imho).

I will put the link below from about.com for detailed instructions, but I skimmed the recipe and did what I always do: did four times as much as the recipe said while not really doing what the instructions say–and hoped for the best!

In a nutshell, I put four cups of rice and eight cups of hot water in a jelly roll pan (huge “cookie sheet” type of pan with great sides–mine take up my entire oven, like the size of two 9×13’s or so). I did this twice. Turned the oven on 375, covered the two pans tightly with foil, and forgot about the them for forty-five minutes or so. Then I pulled them out, removed the foil, and had perfect rice. It didn’t take up my micro or stove top; I didn’t have to stir or watch or add more water, etc. It was that simple.

Note that the instructions say that you need to boil the water first, add butter, etc., but I literally did what I wrote above. Easy peasy.  If I were doing it again, I would use broth. I always cook my rice in broth, but for some reason I forgot this time.

Anyway, we pulled the rice pans out of the oven and dipped the rice into the bottom of our foil pans, placed our meatballs all over the rice, then coated the meatballs with our stroganoff gravy. And they looked delicious!

Here is the official instructions from about.com:

https://culinaryarts.about.com/od/ricegrains/a/Rice-In-The-Oven.htm

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