smaller portions

Our family size at home has dwindled. We are down to only three of us that really live here. Sure, we have others that are often here for dinner, but not every evening. Then there is the problem of Monday thru Thursday. Especially Monday and Tuesday. Monday I am exhausted when I come home. Weekends in my world aren't usually relaxing experiences. They are getting caught up on everything else around the house and running like a hooligan ... then trying to hear an alarm at 4:00ish a.m. isn't conducive to a I would love to make dinner! attitude after work. While there are days when I come home and dinner is ready for me ... that just isn't always a reality. Tuesdays ... I am never home early. Period.

 

Not only is the time of home coming challenging, so is making food for 3 people. A 9x13 pan of enchiladas or lasagne doesn't get eaten here. Sometimes the leftovers make their way into the freezer, sometimes it might be eaten several days in a row ... sometimes, it ends up nearly being a science project and thrown away.

 

So, in an attempt to come up with a different solution, I went to the dollar store. I found a set of 3 pans that measure about 6x8.5" at the top, narrower at the bottom, and come with little cardboard lids. Let's hope the lid comes off before the food hits the oven in the heating up stage!

 

Rather than filling a 9x13 pan, I filled 3 smaller pans. I actually prepared 3 more lasagne noodles than I normally would and ended up with a few more enchiladas than I would normally fit in a pan.

 

All food prepped and ready for the oven ....

 

Baked together and out together.

Lids in place and dated with the wrong date.

Then plunked in the freezer. Except for 2 pans of enchiladas that got eaten that same evening. The rest went into the freezer. Now ... if this works the way I plan on it working ... we have meals for more than one Monday and Tuesday. I should be able to pop it in the refrigerator in the morning and have someone pop it in the oven before I get home.

There is enough for 3 of us with leftovers of lasagne for lunch the next day, but not enough where we will be sick of it before it is gone.

I've meant to try some of those freeze a meal in a bag then pop it in the crockpot recipes off Pinterest but haven't gotten around to that yet. Will start with this. Swedish meatballs would be good too. Cook some pasta and have a good quick meal when you get home.

If you have any ideas for meals ... I'll gladly take suggestions!