Josh Elledge - Chief Executive Angel
Maximize Holiday Meal Prep Effort
During the holiday season, we find ourselves in the kitchen more than ever. While you're already cooking, why not make a little extra you can freeze to use later? Having ready ingredients is a welcome time-saver when whipping up dinner during these busy weeks.
Some common holiday items that, when prepared correctly, freeze and reheat very well…
Mashed potatoes: The trick to great frozen mashed potatoes is all in the preparation. First, be sure the water is well salted for boiling the potatoes. After draining the cooking water, place the potatoes back into the hot pot, over the heat again, to pull as much excess water out of them as possible. Before freezing, mash the potatoes with only a little more salt, butter, and pepper. Then add things like milk, sour cream, cream cheese, or any other seasonings, when reheating.
Mashed sweet potatoes and apples: Just like regular potatoes, make sure you pull the extra water out of sweet potatoes. Add the brown sugar, the cinnamon, and the diced, peeled apples. The trick is to make sure all the apples are covered with a top and bottom potato layer when freezing.
Turkey stock (or broth): When you work with your thawed turkey, use the neck to make stock. Chop it into pieces with a meat cleaver, then place it in a stock pot with a little butter, and brown well. Slice half of a carrot and half a stalk of celery, and add it to the pot with one bay leaf, a small quartered onion, a couple garlic cloves, and some peppercorns. Add 1.5 quarts water, bring to a boil, then lower the heat. Allow to simmer for at least 4 hours. Skim the stock occasionally to remove any excess fat. Strain well and cool before freezing.
Rolls or biscuits: Freezing, then either baking later, or baking again, really depends on the type of bread. Research online to help you decide the best method for optimum results.
Diced and sautéed vegetables: Many recipes call for a variety of diced, sautéed vegetables. To make them the most versatile for later use, avoid any strong seasonings and stick to just salt and pepper. Or, simply dice extra veggies and freeze them without cooking.
With all the cooking you'll be doing this Thanksgiving week ““ a couple nights of filling, but fast (without fast food) recipes should come in handy!
Easy Egg Casserole
Courtesy of Food.com
This basic egg casserole is easy to personalize: add bell peppers, mushrooms, spinach. Best of all, with the use of precooked sausage and simple ingredients, it can be whipped together and in the oven in under 10 minutes!
Jimmy Dean Sausage Crumbles 9.6-16 oz pkg
Meijer (WMI)
Retail: $3.99
Sale:$3.00
Use this coupon:$1 on 2 believeinheroes.org
SavingsAngel price: $2.50
You SAVED$1.49
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Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse, Deli Swirl or Rye Bread 16-24 oz. Select varieties.
Meijer (WMI)
Retail: $3.99
Sale:$2.50
Use this coupon:.50 on 1 (SS 9/14)OR.50 on 1 (SS 9/14)OR.50 on 1 (SS 11/9)
SavingsAngel price: $2.00
You SAVED$1.99
That's a savings of50%
Kraft Shredded Cheese 5-8 oz. Select varieties.
Meijer (WMI)
Retail: $3.49
Sale:$2.00
Use this coupon:
SavingsAngel price: $2.00
You SAVED$1.49
That's a savings of43%
Locally Grown Yellow Onions 3 lb bag
Meijer (WMI)
Retail: $2.39
Sale:$1.50
Use this coupon:
SavingsAngel price: $1.50
You SAVED$0.89
That's a savings of37%
Pillsbury Crescent Dogs
Courtesy of Pillsbury.com
These are perhaps the poster-food of super simple, but oh-so-yummy! The added beauty of crescent dogs is they are ready in minutes ““ no prep needed.
Pillsbury Crescent Rolls 8 oz tube
Meijer (WMI)
Retail: $2.07
Sale:$1.67
Use this coupon:.40 on 2 everydaysaver.comOR.40 on 2 bettycrocker.comOR$3 wyb Butterball Whole Turkey And 3 Participating Products coupons.com (Not Valued)OR.50 on 3 mperks.com (Limit 1)AND$3 wyb Butterball Whole Turkey And 3 Participating Products savingstar.com (Limit 1 Not Valued)AND.40 on 2 savingstar.com (Limit 1 Not Valued)
SavingsAngel price: $1.47
You SAVED$0.60
That's a savings of29%
Eckrich Meat Franks 12-14 oz pkg. Excludes beef.
Meijer (WMI)
Retail: $2.09
Sale:$1.25
Use this coupon:$1 on 4 (Instantly at Register)
SavingsAngel price: $1.00
You SAVED$1.09
That's a savings of52%
Kraft American Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Singles 14.7-16 oz. Select varieties.
Meijer (WMI)
Retail: $5.09
Sale:$2.50
Use this coupon:
SavingsAngel price: $2.50
You SAVED$2.59
That's a savings of51%
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Want more great recipes and grocery savings that you can use this week?
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