Freezer Meal Swaps Rock

If you have a busy family and you've never done a freezer meal swap, you should try it this fall! Here's how:

1. Find a few friends and pick someone to organize the event. Select a date, giving yourself a few weeks to get ready for the first time. Determine how you will share costs. My group splits the costs evenly among participants — we shop, submit our expenses to the organizer and they collect or distribute funds at the swap.  

2. Set the menu — each participant should select a freezer-friendly main dish recipe to feed a family of four. You can find lots of great recipes online — check out Allrecipes, or your favorite recipe sites. [I recently started a blog with freezer-friendly recipes my swap group uses — you can find more detailed instructions and tips for organizing a swap there, too.] For your first swap, pick recipes that are fairly simple and kid-friendly (ask about allergies, too).

3. Each person will prepare one recipe for everyone in the group. For example, if there are 5 people, each person can prepare 10 of the same meals. Each person will take home 2 of the 5 different meals, and you'll have 10 freezer meals to stock the freezer!

4. Package your meals in disposable aluminum pans and/or freezer storage bags for easy storage and disposal. Include directions for preparing the meal (write on the package with a sharpie, staple a sheet to the bag, use Avery's weather-proof labels, etc.). Have everyone bring coolers and make the exchange. 

Give it a try! You'll be glad you did when you can reach into the freezer, throw something into the crock pot, and have a hot meal ready to go when everyone gets home in the evening.