Saturday: Restocking the Freezer (Again!)
Breakfast
I started by making a fresh batch of bacon for the weekend.
My husband requested one of his favorite breakfasts that we jokingly call a “veggie over easy.”
I sautéed peppers, onions, and some cooked breakfast sausage, then topped everything with three over-easy eggs. It’s one of his favorite breakfasts because it has plenty of protein and vegetables without feeling heavy.
One of my kiddos had gone to Mass and breakfast with my parents yesterday morning, and as always, they overordered Chick-fil-A breakfast so there were leftovers to share. I reheated those alongside the bacon for everyone else, added some fruit, and breakfast was done.
Costco Restock
Then my 13-year-old son and I headed to Costco.
It was definitely one of those bigger trips.
This week’s protein haul included:
- One 6-pound package of ground beef
- Chicken thighs
- Chuck roast
Along with all the normal produce, gluten-free flour, toilet paper, and the rest of our household staples.
By the time we checked out…well…let’s just say Costco did what Costco does. It was about a $400 trip.
Lunch
When we got home, everyone was hungry.
The four kids who are home (my oldest is still in Europe) wanted the leftover Costco pizza, so I reheated the slices in the air fryer until they were crisp again and served them with side salads plus fresh fruit and vegetables.
My husband and I officially finished off the roasted chicken by making big salads, and he also polished off the last of the homemade beef stew my parents had sent home.
Processing the Ground Beef
As soon as we got back from Mass this evening, I knew exactly what I wanted to tackle first.
Ground beef.
I really don’t like letting raw ground beef sit in my refrigerator for more than a day or two. Chicken usually has a little more flexibility because Costco often gives it a much later sell-by date, but ground beef is something I prefer to process quickly.
The chuck roast can wait until tomorrow since that’s an all-day project.
So tonight I browned the entire six-pound package of ground beef all at once in my big stockpot.
Normally I divide ground beef into different recipes, but right now I already have homemade beef summer sausage in my freezer, and I have plenty of plain cooked ground beef stocked up….plus 2 packages of my dinner insurance frozen meatloaf.
So instead, I seasoned all six pounds with taco seasoning.
That gave us:
- One large batch for dinner tonight.
- One container in the refrigerator for lunches and leftovers over the next few days.
- One full family-sized portion vacuum sealed with my FoodSaver and tucked into the freezer.
I honestly don’t think I’ve ever regretted having taco meat in my freezer.
It is one of the most useful forms of Dinner Insurance because it works for lunch, dinner, quick nachos, taco salads, burrito bowls, thermos meals, road trips…it always gets used.
Dinner
I served:
- Taco meat
- Rice
- Refried beans
- Roasted peppers and onions
- Avocado salsa
- Regular salsa
- Chips
Everyone built their own plate exactly the way they wanted it.
It ended up being another one of those adaptable dinners where everyone is technically eating the same meal, just assembled differently depending on their preferences.
Looking Ahead
Tomorrow’s big kitchen project is definitely the chuck roast and baking a gluten, dairy, and egg free peach upside down cake for my mom’s birthday party!