The 5 Rules of Icy Food for Brilliantly simple Meal Prep

Prepping meals you can freeze for later saves you cash time, and calories—if it's done correct. Follow these fair rules from the Fast to the Table Freezer Cookbook by Becky Rosenthal, and your freezer meals will forever come mutually fast, healthy, and yummy.

1.Arm Yourself with All the Icy materials

Earlier than you can even think about getting started with any type of chopping or cooking, first make sure you have the correct freezing tools.After all, what good is a delicious crockpot freezer meal if you have not anything to freeze it in? Store up on parchment paper, plastic wrap, aluminum foil, freezer-secure packaging, and a marker for labeling items. Make sure you have a small number of baking sheets and big bowls clean and on hand.

2. Choose the Correct Freezing Technique

Just as important as having the correct supplies is knowing how to correctly use them to package, wrap, tie, or close the meals you worked so tough to prepare. Again, what good does a well meal do you if it's covered in freezer burn? Yuck! The largest mistake? Thinking all resealable plastic bags are freezer-friendly. Check the label! Another tip: Wrap casseroles and freezing pizzas in plastic wrap before icy in disposable foil containers.

3. Never Leave Out the Labeling Step

Your food is prepped, suitable for eating, and sealed tight. You're done, right? Not so quick. Never leave out the labeling step. Dating the wrap up and marking down how several servings there are inside—and servings of what—will keep you from opening the incorrect package or waiting too long to enjoy the fruits (or lasagna) of your labor.

4. Forever Melt Food In the Refrigerator

This is the safest way to melt frozen food—whether it's raw or has previously been cooked. Defrosting on the counter at room temperature lets bacteria grow fast. In a pinch, you can place freezing items that are in a plastic bag in a bowl of cold water. (Make sure that bag really isn't going to leak, though!) Or, as a last resort, use your microwave's defrost setting, being sure to first eliminate foil as well as plastic that isn't microwave-safe.

5. Refreezing Thawed Food Could Be Unsafe

It's one thing to take out only some enchiladas from a frozen dish and forget to return the relax to the freezer for a few minutes (as extended as there are still ice crystals, you're good). It's quite one more thing to, say, let a roasted chicken totally melt, change your mind, and then refreeze it. Bacteria can start to develop on the food in as little as an hour.