Wednesday: Co-op Lunch Prep, Crispy Freezer Ground Beef & Burger Bowls

Got up this morning and went straight to my usual sheet pan breakfast routine.

Bacon, Costco bagels, and some cereal.

Nothing particularly exciting, but that’s exactly what I needed because we had a very busy Wednesday ahead.

And Wednesdays are always a little extra busy around here because we’re getting ready for homeschool co-op on Thursday.

So we got breakfast on the table, started schoolwork, and I spent a good portion of the day getting everything ready for tomorrow.

My Two-Sheet-Pan Breakfast System

I’ve talked about this before, but I really do love reheating breakfast in the oven.

I use two sheet pans lined with parchment paper.

One pan is for the bread.

Today that meant Costco bagels.

The other pan is for the breakfast meat.

Today that meant leftover bacon.

I set the oven to 350°F, put the bagels in first, and then add the bacon a little later because it reheats much faster.

And everything comes out warm at approximately the same time.

No standing over the stove.

No toaster.

No trying to microwave seven different breakfasts.

Just two pans in the oven while everybody gets ready for the day.

Some of the kids also had cereal, and then we got to work on school.

Lunch Was a Refrigerator Cleanout

By lunchtime, I decided we were going to use up some leftovers.

First, I pulled out more of the taco meat I cooked on Sunday.

Remember that six-pound package of ground beef?

I cooked the whole thing, seasoned it with taco seasoning, and we’ve been eating it throughout the week.

I also froze a portion on Tuesday, so we have some tucked away for another day.

Today, we used more of what was left in the refrigerator.

And then I noticed something else.

French fries.

Apparently, we had accumulated quite a collection of French fries this week.

We had leftover Wendy’s fries from Monday night.

And leftover Chick-fil-A fries from Tuesday night.

Yes.

My children had fast food twice this week.

Monday we used our monthly Uber Eats credit at Wendy’s, and Tuesday my mom brought Chick-fil-A home after violin lessons.

And somehow we ended up with leftover fries from both places.

So I reheated them.

Because I am not throwing away perfectly good French fries.

They crisp up nicely when you reheat them in the oven, and the kids were happy to have them with their lunch.

We finished off the fries, ate more of the taco meat, and cleared out several containers from the refrigerator.

Which felt especially good because I knew I’d be packing the refrigerator with co-op food later.

Packing All the PlanetBoxes

After lunch, I got to work on tomorrow’s lunches.

And I took exactly zero pictures.

Not one.

I was too busy running around the kitchen, packing food, cleaning things up, and trying to keep everybody moving through their schoolwork.

But rest assured.

The PlanetBoxes are packed.

Every Wednesday, I pull out our collection of PlanetBox Rover lunchboxes and get them ready for Thursday.

I love having this done the day before.

Thursday mornings are already busy enough without trying to assemble five lunches while everybody is getting dressed and looking for shoes.

So I pack everything Wednesday, get it into the refrigerator, and then all I have to do Thursday morning is load the cooler.

And of course, the PlanetBoxes aren’t the only food I pack.

Because we are gone all day.

And my children are apparently capable of eating an astonishing amount of food between lunch and the drive home.

The Weekly Costco Pizza Trick

I also did my usual Wednesday pizza routine.

This is one of those things I do every single week because it’s so convenient.

I take a frozen pizza from Costco.

Bake it.

Let it cool.

Slice it into 12 pieces.

Then I put each slice into its own little baggie.

Twelve slices.

Twelve baggies.

And into the refrigerator they go until it’s time to pack the cooler.

I know I’ve mentioned before that using individual baggies might sound a little wasteful.

But here’s why I do it.

When we’re at co-op, or especially when we’re driving home, I can grab one little bag of pizza and hand it to a hungry kid.

No plates.

No cutting.

No opening a giant container.

Just a slice of pizza, ready to eat.

It’s such a simple thing, but it makes a huge difference.

And the kids always eat it.

I don’t have to wonder whether they’ll want it.

They will.

Especially after a long day of classes and running around.

I keep the pizza chilled in our cooler with ice packs until they’re ready to eat it.

And it’s one of the easiest substantial snacks I can pack.

Piano Lessons, Sewing Lessons and a Late Afternoon

This afternoon, my teenager taught a piano lesson.

And I took my 11-year-old to a sewing lesson.

So we were all moving in different directions.

And by the time I got home, it was about 5:15 p.m.

And everybody was hungry.

Of course.

But here’s the thing.

I wasn’t worried about dinner.

Because I already had a plan.

And almost everything I needed was either in my refrigerator or freezer.

Tonight we were having burger bowls.

One of our family’s unicorn meals.

Everybody likes them.

Everybody can customize them.

And they’re incredibly easy to put together when you’ve already cooked the ground beef.

Burger Bowls From Frozen Cooked Ground Beef

I pulled out a package of cooked ground beef directly from the freezer.

And this is something I get questions about all the time.

People will tell me they don’t like freezing cooked ground beef because it doesn’t have those crispy, browned edges you get when you cook a small batch of fresh ground beef in a skillet.

And you know what?

They’re right.

When I cook six pounds of ground beef all at once in my largest skillet, I’m not getting the same deep browning I would get if I cooked one pound in a hot pan with plenty of room.

I completely understand that.

But here’s what I think people miss.

You can get those crispy edges when you reheat the beef.

And that’s exactly what I did tonight.

My Trick for Crispy Reheated Ground Beef

I actually filmed this process for a reel because I get so many questions about it.

Hopefully the footage turns out, and I’ll get a chance to edit it later this week.

But the concept is really simple.

When I initially cook a big batch of ground beef, I don’t drain off every bit of fat.

I leave some of that fat with the cooked meat.

Then I portion the meat and freeze it.

So when I pull out a frozen package, you’ll actually see some of that solidified fat mixed in with the beef.

And that’s a good thing.

Because that fat is going to help the beef brown when I reheat it.

Here’s How I Do It

I take the frozen, cooked ground beef and put it into a skillet.

Then I start warming it gently.

As the meat begins to thaw, I break it apart.

If needed, I add a little water to help loosen everything up and get the frozen pieces separated.

Once the meat is thawed and the extra moisture has cooked off, I let the skillet get hot enough to start browning the beef.

And here’s where the magic happens.

The fat that I saved from the original cooking starts helping those little pieces of ground beef get crispy.

You can also add a little extra fat if you need it.

Bacon grease works beautifully.

Butter works too.

Or a little cooking oil.

Then just let the beef sit against the hot skillet for a bit instead of constantly stirring it.

That’s how you develop those delicious browned edges.

And suddenly, you have crispy ground beef.

Even though it was already cooked and frozen.

Think of It Like a Reverse Sear

I think of this a little bit like reverse searing.

You know how people will cook a steak using a low-temperature method, or sous vide, and then finish it in a screaming-hot skillet to develop that beautiful crust?

It’s the same general idea.

You’re doing the cooking first.

And the browning later.

Now, obviously, ground beef isn’t a steak.

But the principle is similar.

You don’t have to get all your browning during the initial cooking process.

You can develop that flavor and texture when you reheat it.

And I really don’t think most people would know the difference.

Especially when you’re serving it in something like a burger bowl.

The beef is hot.

It’s seasoned.

It’s got those crispy browned bits.

And it tastes delicious.

All without having to start with raw ground beef at 5:15 on a Wednesday afternoon.

Why I Prefer Freezing Cooked Ground Beef

Here’s another thing I think is important.

I haven’t been to the grocery store in a couple of days.

And if I had bought fresh ground beef over the weekend and just left it sitting in the refrigerator until Wednesday, that wouldn’t have been a great plan.

Raw ground beef generally only keeps for one to two days in the refrigerator.

So instead, I like to cook it when it’s fresh.

Then I cool it promptly, portion it, and freeze it.

Now I can pull it out whenever I need it.

It doesn’t matter whether I went to the grocery store yesterday or five days ago.

I have cooked ground beef ready to go.

And that is such a huge convenience.

Especially on a day like today, when I’ve been homeschooling, packing co-op lunches, driving kids to lessons, and getting home just before dinnertime.

I don’t need to run to the store.

I don’t need to thaw raw meat.

And I don’t need to spend half an hour cooking dinner.

I just pull out my Dinner Insurance.

Putting Together the Burger Bowls

Once the ground beef was hot and crispy, I seasoned it simply with salt and pepper.

Then I started getting the toppings ready.

I chopped lettuce.

Sliced tomatoes.

Cut up onions.

And I also had those leftover roasted potatoes from my parents’ house on Sunday night.

So the very first thing I did when I got home was put those potatoes into the oven to re-roast.

I love reheating roasted potatoes this way because they get those crispy edges back.

And they make such a good base for a burger bowl.

So now I had:

• Crispy ground beef
• Roasted potatoes
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Onions
• Bacon
• Whatever sauces or toppings everybody wanted

And everybody could make their own bowl.

Some wanted more potatoes.

Some wanted more beef.

Some wanted all the vegetables.

And everybody was happy.

This is why I call burger bowls a unicorn meal.

It’s one of those dinners that works for our entire family.

And with seven people at the table, that’s saying something.

And of Course, More Bacon

While I was getting dinner ready, I also made another batch of bacon.

Because I knew we’d need some for breakfast Thursday morning.

And because bacon on a burger bowl sounded pretty fantastic.

So I cooked enough to serve with dinner and have leftovers for tomorrow.

Dinner Was Done, and Tomorrow Is Already Easier

We sat down to dinner, and everybody made their own burger bowls.

And they were delicious.

The ground beef had those crispy browned edges.

The potatoes were hot and roasted.

We had fresh vegetables and bacon.

And everybody could customize their plate.

It was a really satisfying dinner.

Especially considering how little actual cooking I had to do when I got home.

And the best part?

I still have leftover cooked ground beef for tomorrow.

Plus bacon ready for breakfast.

And all the PlanetBoxes, pizza slices, fruit, vegetables, and snacks are already packed for co-op.

So now we’re heading into Thursday with a refrigerator full of food and almost everything ready to go.