Transcription
Today we're talking bulk storage meals. Wow. Wow. Wow. So, here's my confession. As much as I love cooking, some days I'm just too exhausted, too tired, and I just really don't feel like making dinner from scratch. But I also don't love relying on takeout all the time, especially in this economy. Which is why I've been doing these big batch meal preps where I basically just spend an entire day cooking up a bunch of different meals that I can then pop into the freezer.
My other confession is that I actually never really loved the idea of traditional meal prep. I don't really like the idea of eating the same thing over and over again. But that's why the kind of bulk meal prep we'll be doing today kind of solves that problem. So, here's seven of my favorite bulk prep meals. All the good stuff that actually tastes homemade. I'm going to go through how I prep them, how I cook them, how I store them, and then at the very end, I'm going to share a little bit about how I enjoy them.
Also, this time, I'm actually going to be using these super cubes because a lot of you were recommending them to me, and I kind of love it. I ended up buying like three more sets because of how well it froze. Not sponsored, but I really enjoyed my experience, so I'm going to link them down below if you're interested. Otherwise, let's get into it.
So, here we are. Starting with one of my absolute favorites, my go-to, the Japanese curry. This is the kind of meal that just feels like a warm hug. I love eating it even just served with some soft scramble over rice. It's delicious. It's comforting, nourishing, all that good stuff. And the best thing is it's so easy to make. I feel like even if you're a beginner in the kitchen, you can do this one.
So, for veggies, there's carrots and onions in here. I know that traditionally a lot of us also put potatoes, but I feel like it doesn't freeze up as well. It gets a little too starchy, so I usually opt out. And then I also have apples and these Japanese curry rub blocks that you can find at almost any Asian grocery store. Depending on where you are, you might even just find them in your local grocery store. They come in different spice levels, so pick whichever one you fancy. I picked an extra hot one today, but you obviously don't have to go that crazy.
So, the first thing I usually do is to brown the diced onions and carrots. You want to essentially cook these down until they start to soften a little bit. That's when I start browning the ground meat here. One, because it cooks way faster than cube meat. And two, because it just freezes really well. I feel like texturally it doesn't change too much. So, now everything's in here. This is when I add in water. And then I also like adding some apple. I know it sounds weird at first, but I swear by it. I love adding some fruit to like stews and soups. I feel like it adds just this like really nice undertone of sweetness. You're not going to taste actual fruit. You're just going to taste the nice sweetness in there. And I just let everything simmer until it's tender. Really, this can be done as fast as like 30 minutes, but I like giving it an hour or two if I have the time.
Once that's ready, I just like to chop up my curry root blocks. This is just to make sure when I'm stirring it in, it kind of just like dissolves evenly. You don't get like little clumps here and there. And now you can see how it kind of melts and thickens up into this like beautiful glossy curry sauce. Here's where the containers come in. I'm using the one cup trays for this. Sort of ladle the curry into each cube, letting it cool down completely. Very important before I pop the whole tray into the freezer. Once they're frozen solid, I can just pop them out and transfer them to a freezer bag for longer storage.
So, next up we have Bolognese is the ish is because it's a meat-based tomato sauce. There are elements of a bolognese in there, but honestly, I keep it pretty flexible. So, for this one, I kind of alternate between using store-bought pasta sauce or canned tomatoes. It's really just whatever I have in my pantry. For today, I'm going with some storebought pasta sauce because I'm running out of pantry space. To make things easier, too, as part of the veggie prepping process, sometimes I'll just, you know, whip out my mini food processor and have it do the job. It just chops everything up quicker that way. And because we're going to be cooking this for a while, the shape and size of the onions and the carrots aren't going to matter that much in the end. Look at that. Carrots, onions, perfectly prepped.
So now, same deal as the curry. I'm just browning the ground meat. Just like a very gentle seasoning with some salt and pepper. Then here is where the bologneseish part kind of comes in where I am adding some milk to really tenderize the meat. You know, add some creamy fat into the sauce. And once the milk has all evaporated, I am adding some wine. Really optional, but I just kind of like how it makes the sauce a little more complex and slightly less acidic. Then in goes the diced onion and carrot. And then once everything's softened up, I'm just pouring in my jars of marinara. Again, just like before, I like letting this simmer very lazily for a couple of hours. The low heat is very important here. You kind of just want it to bubble very, very gently for a couple of hours. And this is again really the beauty of making this in a big batch. We're making a lot of effort here, but you only need to do this once and then you get to just reap the benefits whenever. You can kind of see the the layer of fat separating out. This is perfect.
So, same process of storing, freezing it in the one cup containers. These do take a little longer to freeze. Definitely needs an overnight freeze cuz there's a lot of fat in there, but they should firm up just fine the next day. So you get these big chunky blocks for whenever I want some pasta.
So this next one might seem a little basic, but freezing rice is actually one of the best ways to store freshly cooked rice. The key is to freeze it right after cooking. This way it retains a lot of that moisture still and it doesn't dry out the way, you know, like leftover rice in the fridge does. Before we get into that though, let me just share a couple tips because if you're going to freeze it, you do want to start with good rice. So, I like using short grain rice for this. After I give them a light wash, I like to just soak them for about 1 or 2 hours. This is so then the grains have time to kind of absorb that moisture and like cook more evenly later. Then after soaking it, you can cook it however you normally would. The important part comes right after it's done cooking. You want to open the lid and fluff up the rice immediately with a rice paddle. This again really sort of helps release any excess moisture that's in there. So really something that helps with the texture. And I just like to leave the lid off to let all the steam escape before kind of keeping it warm again. So then while the rice is still warm, this is when I scoop it out into individual portions. I'm using both the 1 cup and 1/2 cup trays here. It really just depends on how much rice I want with each meal. If you don't have the trays, small ziplock bags also work great. Just freeze them as usual. These take really quick to freeze. Actually, they pop out very easily. And I just like to bag them from here. But I promise when you reheat this frozen rice, it's going to taste like it came right fresh out of the rice cooker.
Now, before we continue, a quick break. Look, I love doing these bulk meal preps. I think they're so great for staying consistent with eating well. But there are also weeks where prepping like this feels impossible with schedule. So, actually, when I know I'll be really busy, one of my other options is Factor. Thank you to Factor for sponsoring this video. They deliver these fresh chef craft meals straight to your door. What I really appreciate about Factor is that it's not just about the convenience. I feel like they really care about your wellness goals while also prioritizing flavor. You know, there's like protein, there's carbs, there's healthy fats in here. Every meal also has like two vegetables at least, which is something I prioritize a lot. I think there's like 100 plus rotating options every week. This time I got things like, you know, salmon and gou jang, this fancy filet minyong one, and this chicken salad, which I'm actually quite excited for. I might actually prep this one right now. Hold on. Finishing touches here. Here it is. My salad bowl. Been filming all day, so I am quite hungry. Chickpeas are great here. Delicious. So, yes, if you've been wanting to eat better or, you know, be a little more intentional with your food choices without the planning or the cleanup, this honestly might be a solid option for you. So, you can head to factor75.com or click the link in the description box below. Use my code engalamFB50 to get 50% off your first Factor box plus free breakfast for one year. That's EngelamFB50 at factor75.com for 50% off your first box and free breakfast for an entire year. I'm going to very quickly finish this up and then let's dive right back in.
Next up, we have veggies. I know frozen vegetables get a bad rep sometimes, but hear me out. When you blanch and freeze them yourself, I feel like they do a pretty good job of, you know, retaining their color, their nutrients, but more importantly, I think it's a great way to sort of save any leftovers from a giant box of mixed greens that's going to expire soon. They will so quickly now. So, I'm freezing two types of vegetables today. I have one that is this spinach and greens mix, and then I also have some bok choy.
So, for the spinach, I usually just do a very quick blanch. Just, you know, a pot of boiling water ready to go. And then I'll just toss all the spinach and the greens in for maybe like 30 seconds or so. Really, just until it wilts and then immediately transferring that into an ice bath to stop the cooking. This really helps it keep that, you know, nice bright green color and also make sure that it doesn't overcook. So then for the bok choy, same concept. I'm just cooking it a little longer, maybe a minute or so, because they are a bit hardier, a bit firmer. You still want it to have some crunch though, so it shouldn't be completely soft. I'm running it under cold water and then trying to squeeze out as much water as possible. And I mean really squeezing in here because you don't want excess moisture when you freeze it if possible. I also like to just dice them up real quick before popping them into the trays because my intention for bok choy is usually to mix it with rice. Then the same old with portioning. I'm actually also putting some in these like two tablespoon trays for smaller servings where I sometimes just pop one or two cubes for a quick side of vegetables. So both of these vegetables should freeze up pretty well and pop out very easily. And going back to moisture, the better you dry these, the less moisture you'll have here, which is ideal.
So, this next one's a little bit different. I like to call it the umami mushroom bomb. It's really more of a topping or mixing that you can add to other things. Just super handy to have around when you want like a quick meal and you only have limited ingredients at home. So, the first thing I do is to chop up my enoki mushrooms just really to get them down into these smaller bite-sized pieces. You could do this with other mushrooms, but I feel like enoki mushrooms have the ideal texture for this dish, and it also just absorbs the flavors the best. So, then the mushrooms go straight into a pan with what is now the sauce that I'm adding in. About like 3 tablespoons each of soy sauce, mirin, and sake. And then I also added in half a tablespoon of sugar, a teaspoon of chicken bouillon and a teaspoon of oyster sauce. So a lot of umami components going in here. Just cooking this down until the mushrooms soften and release their liquid. Once again, just letting all those flavors melt together. I know it sounds like a lot of condiments, but we are going for a mini explosion of flavors, so trust me, it will work. And so, same logic because a little of this will go a long way. I like to store them in these little tablespoon sizes. Just a cube or two over rice over your veggies or even mixed into eggs, honestly. And you've got this easy, amazing umami boost.
Here's a another favorite of mine. Protein pack too if you fancy. But bulgogi is one of those meals that I feel like it always feels like a treat, but it's actually super simple to meal prep, especially if you use store-bought marinade. You can absolutely make your own marinade from scratch, but today we're all about making things easier for ourselves. So, here are actually three of the ones that I would recommend. These are three of the ones that I have in my pantry that I reach for a lot. Really great for if you're looking for a shortcut. Now, you could just marinate the beef and the onions directly. But I like giving the onions a light fry, just a little bit more flavor. And I also like adding in some shiitake mushrooms. I think it's just great for adding a little more texture, a little more flavor, and it also just, you know, gives it a little volume boost. I will say it is very important to use thinly sliced beef here. So, the marinade goes straight in. Go in, give it a good mix, you know, make sure it's all well combined. Then the meat's going into the pan with the fried onions and the mushroom. And I just let it do its thing really until the beef is cooked through. And the onions and mushrooms are also nice and saucy. The sauce now should also have reduced down and it kind of just like clings to all the ingredients. It should smell amazing. So I like my meat to rice ratio 1:1, sometimes 2:1. So I like to freeze this in slightly bigger portions. As someone who likes eating this dish quite a lot, this really has been a huge timesaver, and it really does taste just as good microwaved.
On to the last meal, which is my secret soup. Really just a Hong Kong style borscht soup. This is something that I crave when I'm sick and tired and I just want something warm and comforting. It's like my chicken soup. And while it might be called a borscht soup, Hong Kong people actually cook this more with tomatoes than beets. So that's where the red in this soup comes from. It's rich, it's savory, and slightly tangy. Truly delicious. So going back to how nourishing this soup is, the base of the broth is beef bone broth. So that's what I'm prepping here where I'm just blanching the beef bones and cleaning them up, getting all the gunk out before I start prepping the vegetables. So, cabbage, carrots, tomatoes make up the core of what's in here. There's also a little bit of ginger and dried chilies for a bit of extra warmth. For a little more depth of flavor, I like to just give the carrots, ginger, and tomatoes a gentle fry first before I'm adding in some tomato paste and some ketchup. It's one of those things that might seem weird, but the sweetness and, you know, the tang of ketchup actually works really well in here and also adds to the brightness of the color of the soup. Then in go the bones and also some water. I use broth here for extra oomph, but water works perfectly fine. And then the chopped cabbage and the dried chilies. So here I'm really just making sure everything's covered with water. The next thing to do really is just to bring that up to a boil before once again letting it simmer on low heat for a good couple of hours. I'll do around like 2 to 3 hours until everything is soft and tender and the flavors have all sort of come together and you just end up with something that's like super flavorful. You could season it now before freezing or wait until later. But what I really love about meal prepping this soup is that it lets me have a taste of homemade slow-cooked soup whenever I need it. These do take a bit longer to freeze. It is higher in volume. These are like two cup trays, but once it's frozen, it should slide out just as easily. Obviously, everything we've done so far saves us a lot of time in the future. But this is one of those things where I feel like future me has been especially thankful for, especially on days when I'm just like, you know, feeling off.
Okay, so now that we have essentially meal prepped seven different kinds of components and I have all of these sitting in my freezer, now we get to the fun part, which is the mixing and matching of these different elements we have. So, let me just show you some of my favorite ways to enjoy them.
So, here's combo number one, a classic combination, curry and rice. Microwave these both with a damp paper towel draped on top. The curry might need an extra minute or two, but that's really it. Fresh bowl of curry and fluffy rice in 5 minutes. It's the perfect comfort meal.
Now, on to combo number two. This one's the instant pasta combo. So, for this one, you can actually freeze pasta if you like. I'm personally not the biggest fan, so I just usually boil the pasta while I'm microwaving the sauce. Hot pasta then goes right into the bolognese, mix it all together, maybe add a little parmesan on top, and you've got this really satisfying bowl of pasta for dinner.
Combo number three. This one's our protein bowl. I've already said this before, but the bulgogi reheats so well. It looks and tastes just like it was freshly cooked. There's lots of flavor in this one, so I love enjoying it with some greens on the side, rice as the base. It's better than any salad bowl you can get.
Combo number four, just comfort. This is the comfort soup. Once again, it reheats very well. Nothing should be too mushy. Sometimes I'll actually add some frozen rice in there to make like a porridge congee of sorts. Even throw in some pasta. But again, this is great for cold, sad days where you just want a little boost of energy.
Combo number five. This is what I call the lazy lunch combination. Honestly, sometimes I'll even just do the veggies and rice with some salt. And sometimes if I'm feeling fancy, I might add a fried egg on top. But this is fantastic. Enjoyed mixed all together.
And there you have it. Seven different bulk freezer meals that you can mix and match however you want. Obviously, the combinations I suggested are just the ways I like to enjoy them, but you can play around. Have fun with it. It really helps take the stress away from like, you know, weekday meals. It's just nice knowing that I have something good waiting for me in the freezer always. I'm going to be posting a bunch of these recipes on my Patreon. So, if you're not a member yet, go check it out. And if you end up trying any of these meals, let me know if you have a favorite in the comments below. If you want to see more of these kinds of videos, if it's helpful. Otherwise, remember to like and subscribe if you like this video, and I will see you in the next one. Bye.