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Find everything you need to throw a freezer meal party of your own. This guide will walk you through the steps on what to do before the actual party, so you can make the most out of your time in the kitchen.
- Establish a Date: One of the first things to do when planning a freezer party is to think through a date and time that might work for the people you have in mind to invite. Weekends tend to work well as they don’t interfere with work schedules. Another option is a weeknight. Keep in mind that a party will last up to 2-3 hours (or more!) depending on how efficient everyone is at the party.
- Establish a Location: Since a freezer party will have 6 people assembling 6 different recipes, you will need a large space to hold the party. A kitchen with lots of counter tops, a large island, or other options for people to assemble their meals is a necessary. Keep in mind that some of the meals will likely need some preparation at the party so make sure your location has the necessary kitchen items and appliances.
- Invite Participants: Brainstorm up to 6 people who would enjoy a party like this, as well as benefit from a stash of freezer meals. It could be a mom-to-be, a parent of a large family, someone who has a busy season coming up, families gearing up for back to school, or simply your closest friends. For the party we threw, we decided to invite our closest friends and make it not only a freezer meal party but a time to just hang out and catch up. It’s rewarding to spend time together AND accomplish a task.
Practically speaking, a few weeks before the party, contact those you want to participate. Explain the concept of a freezer meal party, share any expectations you’d have for them (provide their own containers or any food preparation you may want them to do) and make sure they have the date and location. Also, think about if you will be providing any drinks or snacks for the group or if you want your friends to each bring along something to share. - Pick Which Recipes Your Group will Make: We have provided two freezer meal party plans to choose from, Freezer Meal Party Plan 1 or Freezer Meal Party Plan 2 each including six recipes and a shopping list. Both plans have a wide variety of meals that are simple, healthy, and family-friendly. We have hand-picked these recipes because they are not only freezer-friendly, but easy to assemble at a freezer meal party.
If you choose to deviate from these prepared plans, look carefully at the recipe instructions you have chosen. Will they require any cooking before or at the party? Can the recipes be easily divided up? Will it freeze well? It is worth mentioning that if you want to add more people to your freezer party, by all means go for it! Simply find another freezer friendly recipe, multiply it by the number of people who will be attending and add the ingredients to your shopping list that we have provided. - Make a Plan for Food and Freezer Containers:
As the party planner, you have two options:
1) Shop for all the food and split the cost between 6 people. Yes, this will require a lot of work on the front end but will likely save everyone a little money. Simply take the ingredient list that we have put together and do all of the shopping. You could save money by buying in bulk, shopping at discount grocery stores and using coupons.
OR
2) Delegate recipes to your participants. With this option, each person will receive one recipe that they are in charge of bringing the ingredients for. This minimizes any shopping errors that one person could make if they were buying all of the ingredients in bulk. (It’s a lot of math to do!) It also takes the pressure off of the host to remember everything. On the flip side, you may not be able to buy in bulk as much, and it requires more work for the participants. It also won’t be split perfectly even financially, unless everyone brings their receipts and one person figures out the differences and who owes whom (not an easy task!). Both options have their pros and cons. You simply have to decide which one will work best for you and your participants. - Set Up Work Stations: Before people arrive, set up a work station where each recipe will be prepared. Make sure to provide a printed copy of the recipe, necessary utensils and the ingredients. The idea is to have one person assemble 6 meals (about 4 servings per meal) of the same recipe.
Another option is to team up with someone at the party and each pair takes two recipes at one station. This makes it a little more fun for the participants as everyone will get to cook with a partner. If you go this route, you only need three work stations. If possible, pair recipes with similar ingredients to make preparation more efficient. - Provide Freezer Meal Labels: Once all of your meals are assembled, make sure to label them with the recipe name! It’s very easy to forget what recipe is in each freezer bag or container. It’s also important to write down the cooking instructions on the freezer meal label. This way you can easily thaw it out and cook it without any investigative work down the road.
- Store Your Food in a Good Freezer: Make sure to stack and store your freezer meals immediately and then pat yourself on the back! Keep in mind that if you’d like to start making freezer cooking a lifestyle, a good stand-up freezer. Having an extra freezer has saved both of us so much time and money, as well as, made feeding our families healthy meals on a regular basis possible over the years.
The great thing about the Frigidaire Gallery freezer is that, unlike many deep freezers, this one has lots of shelves and adjustable drawers. No more digging through piles of frozen food to get to the bottom or back of a freezer. It’s energy-efficient, frost-free and stainless steel. I especially love the digital temperature reading on the front and that it has an alert if the temperature in the freezer gets too high. As an added bonus, it can actually convert into a refrigerator instead of a freezer, as well. In short, we both highly recommend this particular freezer, because we love ours!