Pampered Chef has a new program called “Dinner’s Done”, freezer cooking workshops. I participated in a Dinner’s Done party earlier this month and loved it! The concept is based on prepping meals in advance and freezing them for later on. The idea isn’t new but is definitely more fun when you do it with friends. Invite friends, preorder the Pampered Chef Pantry items (spices, rubs, seasonings), shop your provided grocery list and bring it all to the party.
Approximately 2 hours later you have prepped a minimum of 10 meals for an average family of 4-5. Ziploc freezer bags are provided; be sure to bring a cooler to take your meals home. The recipes and cooking instructions are also provided.
It was sooo much fun! Kelly and I went to Lynae’s (our consultant) house since her kitchen is bigger than ours. I have wanted to do the multi-freezer meal thing for awhile but I know I will never do it by myself. This gave me the perfect chance to try the idea out.
I will be honest, the cost of buying that much meat at one time gave me heart palpitations. I probably had some of the meat in the freezer already but forgot to check. My total at Kroger was approximately $120 for the meat, veggies, and stock and the Pampered Chef Pantry items were $67. For just under $200 I ended up with a minimum of 25 meals for the 2 of us. The recipes are simple. Ideas for side dishes are also provided along with the cooking times for the meals.
Charlie and I have tried the Basil Beef so far. You can make it as a small roast or use stew meat. I went with the stew meat option and treated it like beef tips. It cooked up in 30 minutes on the stove top using my Rockcrok. I added some extra stock and flour to thicken the broth a little and served over rice. Charlie loved it although he did add ketchup to his meat *SHUDDER* and kept the rice separate. We’ve gotten 2 meals from the gallon bag and I froze some for my dad as well.
I can’t wait to try some of the other prepared freezer meals. I am definitely going to attend another Dinner’s Done party over the summer. My annual 10% hostess discount is up in the fall so I plan on hosting another party then, most likely at Lynae’s house since her kitchen is bigger and nicer than mine.
I love Pampered Chef products and have been slowly investing in some of their pieces. I highly encourage you to try a Dinner’s Done party if you have the opportunity. It is fun and you end up with something you will actually use – 10+ main dishes in your freezer.
