Strategy 1: Frozen Assets
Stocking your freezer helps make home cooking more convenient. When you buy bulk packs
of ground beef, add minced onions and seasonings, and cook it all at once. Divide the big
batch into portion sizes and stash in the freezer to have cooked ground beef at-the-ready to
add to your favourite soup, pasta sauce, chili or casserole. It’s a super speedy way to enrich
your meals with protein, iron, B vitamins and zinc. Dinner just got better, faster and easier!
Big Batch Mexicali Beef
Skip the Mexican seasonings and corn if you want a Big Batch version that’s more versatile.
INGREDIENTS
4 lb (2 kg)
4 tbsp
2 tsp
1/2 tsp
2
2
2 cups
Lean Ground Beef
chili powder
EACH ground cumin, salt, paprika and ground coriander
cayenne pepper
red bell peppers, finely chopped
small onions, finely chopped
frozen corn
METHOD
Cook ground beef and seasonings in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat for
9 to 10 minutes, breaking into small chunks with the back of a wooden spoon,
until browned and completely cooked. Drain well, and return to pot. Add bell
peppers and onions; simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until vegetables are softened.
Add corn and heat through. Spread mixture in a single layer on several foil-lined
baking trays; freeze just until meat is firm, about 1 hour. Loosen beef mixture into chunks; scoop meal-sized
portions into freezer bags or sealable containers. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Per 1 cup: 254 calories, fat 11 g (4 g of which is saturated), sodium 428 mg, carbohydrate 8 g, fibre 2 g,
sugars 2 g, protein 32 g. %DV: zinc 81%, iron 25%, vitamin B 12 163%
mExiCaLi Soup: In a large Dutch oven, combine 2 cups frozen Big Batch mexicali Beef, 3 cups frozen
mixed vegetables, 1 can (28 oz/796 mL) diced tomatoes, 1 container (900 mL) chicken broth and 1 can
(213 mL) tomato sauce; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add ½ cup EACH broken
whole wheat spaghetti and canned kidney beans (drained and rinsed); simmer for 10 minutes or until
pasta is tender. Makes 8 cups.
Per 1 cup: 162 calories, fat 3 g (1 g of which is saturated), sodium 792 mg, carbohydrate 21 g, fibre 5 g,
sugars 2 g, protein 13 g. %DV: zinc 29%, iron 19%, vitamin B 12 42%
Smart Cook tip:
Mince onion in the
food processor OR buy
frozen diced onion.