Half the Hamburger, Twice the Health

I learned this tip from my mother-in-law who raised nine children. Mealtime at her house was a hectic time, I'm sure, trying to manage all those little ones. So she started cooking large quantities of hamburger at a time and freezing it in smaller portions for later. That way, when she was ready to prepare a meal, half the work was already done.

I don't cook with hamburger too much because I'm just not a big fan of red meat, but when I do, I most often cook a whole pound and take half of it and freeze it for another recipe. I then double whatever vegetables the recipe calls for so as to not make the liquid be off-balance.

It's easy to do. Simply scoop out the amount you wish to freeze and place it in a quart-sized freezer bag. Press the hamburger flat. This makes the meat much easier to break apart and reheat when you're making another meal. I'm all about saving time when cooking and this is a great way to do just that!

Here's a yummy recipe to get you started!

Szechwan Beef
1 lb ground beef
1 tbsp minced onion
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups sliced carrots
1 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup water
3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 can cut baby corn
2 cups instant brown rice

1. In large skillet, brown ground beef and onion. Remove from skillet and set aside. Place half in a Ziploc bag and freeze for later.
2. Add oil to skillet and return to medium heat. Add carrots and peas and stir-fry about 3 minutes.
3. In small cup, combine water and soy sauce with cornstarch and ginger. Add to vegetables in skillet.
4. Return ground beef to skillet along with baby corn. Cook over medium heat until heated through.
5. Prepare rice according to package directions. Serve beef and vegetables over rice.