2. Have a pre-dinner making meeting to decide what meals you would like to make. Each person should bring their family favorite recipes. As you can see, we made a few chicken things, but tried to incorporate different meats as well.
3. One person should gather the recipes and make a list of the different ingredients and how much of everything is needed.
4. Shopping lists are made–We sent a group to Costco (we had two shopping carts full of food), and a group to Wal-Mart to gather supplies.
5. Each person was given an assignment for prep-work. Prep-work consists of browning, or cooking all meat, chopping all veggies, and cooking all pasta. Having the prep-work done helps out so much. It saves so much time in compiling the meals.
6. Everyone meets together and the labor begins. We can get 6 meals done in 3 hours.
7. We then take the receipts from the two stores and split everything evenly between the 5 of us. We all get equal amounts and it has worked great so far.
Some extra details…
Another thing we have tried, and loved, is making meal kits. It is such a pain to make sure you have everything on hand for meals like Hawaiian Haystacks. So we make everything and have a freezer kit with the sauce, cheese, peas and anything else that would spoil. Then we make a pantry kit with chow main noodles, pineapple, and olives. It is so nice to just pull those packets out and have the meal ready to go.
Also, one thing we do to make our chicken breast stretch is to fillet the chicken in half lengthwise so that it is thinner. This way we get double the chicken and our portions are a better size.
Lasagna Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs. mild sausage cooked, crumbled, and drained (I use Jimmy Dean brand, because I don’t love the spicy kind.)
- 11 oz. cream cheese
- 1 bunch green onions
- 1 green pepper diced
- 26 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
- 12-16 lasagna noodles 1 package
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
-
Combine meat and cream cheese in skillet. Cook over low heat until cheese melts.
-
Stir in onion and green pepper, remove from heat.
-
Spread ½ the sauce in a 9x13 pan.
-
Cook noodles according to package directions. Remove from heat and leave in water.
-
Lay one noodle flat and spoon 2 T. of meat mixture at one end.
-
Carefully roll up and place in baking dish. Repeat with the rest of the noodles.
-
Pour reserved sauce over top of rolls, top with cheese.
-
Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.
Lasagna Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs. mild sausage cooked, crumbled, and drained (I use Jimmy Dean brand, because I don’t love the spicy kind.)
- 11 oz. cream cheese
- 1 bunch green onions
- 1 green pepper diced
- 26 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
- 12-16 lasagna noodles 1 package
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
-
Combine meat and cream cheese in skillet. Cook over low heat until cheese melts.
-
Stir in onion and green pepper, remove from heat.
-
Spread ½ the sauce in a 9x13 pan.
-
Cook noodles according to package directions. Remove from heat and leave in water.
-
Lay one noodle flat and spoon 2 T. of meat mixture at one end.
-
Carefully roll up and place in baking dish. Repeat with the rest of the noodles.
-
Pour reserved sauce over top of rolls, top with cheese.
-
Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.
I love, love, love this idea! Anything to simplify life sounds good to me!
Thanks Becky! Awesome post!
I am SOOO doing this! Anyone want to do it with me?
Happy Thanksgiving! Thanks Becky!!
Great idea! Any excuse to hang with friends and get a little more organized. Perfect. Can’t wait to try those recipes.
Great job Becky! We should get together and do this!
I really like this idea – thanks!
My girlfriend and I do this on a regular basis. Love it!