Well, here is a solution to both of those problems – a meal starter made from beans.  This allows you to cook a very large batch of beans at once and freeze them into portions large enough for one meal.  And instead of serving beans by themselves or as a side dish, they are used in the main dish simply as a way to make the meal stretch further.  Use a serving of these beans along with a pound of hamburger in just about any meal.

First you’ll want to soak your beans overnight, so the night before you plan on cooking them, put 3 cups of red beans, 3 cups of black beans and 3 cups of pinto beans into a large stock pot.  Fill the pot up so that the beans are covered and add about 1/4 cup of whey.

In the morning, pour off the liquid and refill the pot so that the water is about 4 to 6 inches above the beans.  Add a chopped onion and bring to a boil.  Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 hours.

Let the beans cool and divide the mixture into about  10 freezer bags.  Label the bags and freeze.

First things first, if you’re using brown rice, you’ll want to soak it.  The night before you plan to make it, put 3 cups of brown rice, 6 cups of water and 3 tablespoons of whey into a pot and cover it.

The next morning, add 3 teaspoons of salt and bring the pot to a boil and then turn the flame down to simmer.  Cover and cook for about 50 minutes.  Check to see if it’s done by pushing some rice aside and see if there is any water left in the bottom of the pot.  If there is still water, recover and cook a little while longer until the water is gone.

When done, fluff the rice with a fork and let cool.  Divide the rice among five freezer bags, label them and put them into the freezer.

Defrost by running under cold water and then you can either put it into the microwave or heat it in a pan.

The Super Simple Cheater’s Method

If you find that you cook rice a lot, I HIGHLY recommend investing in a rice cooker.  I have a Black & Decker Rice Cooker Plus which not only cooks white and brown rice, but it also has a steaming basket.  That means I can throw veggies or thin fish fillets up top while the rice is cooking and it’s all done at the same time.  Invaluable!

All you’ll need are two whole chickens and a large crockpot.

Remove the innards from the body of the chicken, then wash it and pat it dry. Place it breast side up in your crockpot. Do the same with your other chicken and place it next to the first chicken. Sprinkle with salt (or seasoning salt) and pepper.  Cook on low for 12 hours or high for 8 hours.

When it’s done cooking, you’ll want to remove all the chicken from the bones. You can then put two cup portions into freezer bags, label them and put them into the freezer. This chicken works great for tacos, enchiladas, casseroles, and soup.

You can either throw out your bones or use them to make a chicken stock.

So I found a little way to save some time in the kitchen without having to set aside 4 hours. I’ve started making meal starters which basically means that I prepare a large portion of the meat, bean or rice part of my meal ahead of time and then freeze it. Then when it comes time to make dinner, it cuts my work in half. Not only that, but it also helps me to cook last minute meals instead of eating out.

The first meal starter you should make is hamburger because it’s cheap and can be very versatile. It takes me about 30-45 minutes to prepare 6 lbs of hamburger and for our family, that lasts anywhere from 2 – 4 weeks. I’m telling you, it’s a HUGE timesaver.

What you’ll need:
6 lbs. hamburger
1 onion, chopped
3t minced garlic
3t salt
15 oz can diced tomatoes
8 oz can tomato sauce

Use a large stock pot and start browning the meat, adding the onions while it’s cooking. When the meat is done, you’ll need to drain the grease off of it. Add garlic, salt, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce and mix well.

Let it cool a little and then spoon it into 6 quart sized freezer bags, dividing it evenly between the bags. How much meat you end up with will depend on the fat content of the hamburger you choose. Label the bags with “hamburger mix” and the date and stick them in the freezer.

This meal starter will work well in dinners like spaghetti, lasagna and chili.