There’s no higher hack for gradual cooker meal prep than dump luggage! We’ve packed this ‘how you can’ information with our high ideas and a few significantly tasty recipe inspiration that can assist you get began.
Our upcoming cookbook, Pinch of Nom: Gradual Cooker, is the very best place to search out our latest freezer-friendly, dump bag recipe concepts. Faucet right here or the picture under to pre-order your copy prepared for September twenty fifth.
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What’s a dump bag?
A ‘dump bag’ is a freezer bag full of raw substances, chopped and able to throw into the gradual cooker for a selected dinner. They’re principally the final word time-saver on the subject of gradual cooker meal prep!
Why are dump luggage useful for gradual cooker meal prep?
For those who’re utilizing your gradual cooker repeatedly, it’s a good suggestion to make use of dump luggage. With many of the substances out of your favorite dish already chopped and able to go, you’ll save your self a lot time and stress – particularly on busier days!
They’ll maintain properly within the freezer for as much as 3 months, so you may construct up a stable stash of nutritious, slimming-friendly meals to select from.
Portion out your substances after which retailer them away till you’re able to get dinner on.
How do I do know which substances can go in a dump bag?
The extra you make dump luggage, the extra you’ll get an thought of what’s appropriate to retailer. Some high-water substances, like peppers, dairy or contemporary herbs, are finest added in the course of the cooking time.
After we take away the dump bag for our Gradual Cooker Chunky Tomato Cajun-Model Soup from the freezer, we let it defrost completely earlier than including it to the gradual cooker.
Then we’ll add the courgette and sizzling inventory, following the recipe methodology from step 3 onwards.
Whilst you can add inventory to luggage to freeze as soon as cooled down, we desire so as to add inventory after we’re able to get cooking.
For instance, if we’re making Gradual Cooker Sausage Casserole, we’ll add the entire substances talked about in steps 1-2 of the recipe to the dump bag.
When it’s time to prepare dinner, the meat inventory pot and water will then be stirred into the pot.
Tip 1: Use heavy-duty freezer luggage
It’s actually, actually essential to make use of heavy-duty freezer luggage while you’re making ready gradual cooker dump luggage. Not solely will they forestall freezer burn, they’ll additionally maintain your substances sealed tightly and keep away from any leakage.
We’d advocate investing in a trusty stash of reusable freezer luggage that you may depend on time and time once more.
Including substances to a bag may be fiddly, that’s why having a bag holder is a game-changer. This set from Amazon is admittedly dependable for lower than a tenner.
Tip 2: Purchase in bulk to get probably the most out of your dump luggage
For those who’re going to be filling your freezer with gradual cooker dump bag meals, you’ll want to purchase loads of substances.
The excellent news is, it’s usually cost-effective to purchase costlier meals objects (like meat or contemporary produce) in bulk.
With the whole lot you’re planning to eat chopped and able to throw into the pot for a pre-picked recipe, the meals you’ve purchased will last more.
You’ll want a very good set of kitchen knives to slice and cube safely.
If you find yourself shopping for a less expensive lower of pork for our Gradual Cooker Spicy Pork Stew, simply be sure you lower off any seen fats whilst you’re dicing.
By investing in a bigger joint of meat, you’ll have sufficient to prep dump luggage for an alternate pork recipe, so you may combine up your midweek menu.
Tip 3: Retailer dump luggage flat within the freezer
To maximise area in your freezer drawers and compartments, ensure you retailer your dump luggage flat.
Stack with the oldest dump luggage resting on high, so that you’ll attain for the meals that want consuming first; it’s a straightforward, environment friendly option to cut back meals waste.
Once you’re sealing substances right into a dump bag, press gently to ensure any air has left the bag previous to freezing. This helps to stop freezer burn that would trigger meals to lose moisture.
The meat ought to keep good and juicy for pre-prepped dishes like our Gradual Cooker Lamb and Lentil Stew.
Tip 4: Chop it, bag it, label it!
Considered one of our high ideas for stopping meals waste whereas storing dump luggage is to ensure the whole lot is clearly labelled.
You’ll want sturdy, freezer-proof labels (like these ones from Amazon) to ensure the knowledge you’ve written is evident even after a month or two.
It’s not simply essential to write down the identify of the recipe you’ve frozen, you have to know when it was positioned within the freezer too – be certain that the date is sweet and large on the label!
All dump luggage have to be used inside 3 months of freezing.
Think about how gutted you’d be if the substances for our scrumptious Gradual Cooker Rooster Cacciatore went to waste…
Tip 5: At all times defrost completely earlier than cooking
As at all times while you’re cooking with meals from the freezer, you’ll need to be certain that your whole substances are completely defrosted.
Every thing’s fairly intently packed collectively inside a dump bag, so it could take slightly longer than common to be gradual cooker prepared.
Get your self ready for our Gradual Cooker Beef Madras by eradicating what you’re planning to prepare dinner from the freezer roughly 24-36 hours earlier than you’re turning your gradual cooker on.
As this dump bag incorporates meat, double (and triple!) test it’s defrosted earlier than throwing into the gradual cooker to simmer…
Prepared, set…time to dump bag meal prep!
Tell us how your gradual cooker meal prep goes in our Fb group. We’ve acquired virtually 1 million pretty neighborhood members ready to encourage you in your slimming-friendly journey, or reply any questions you may need about dump luggage!
You may additionally search for inspo in our Gallery. You’ll want to enroll to a free web site account to add and share your individual pictures (we’ve acquired a step-by-step information on how to do this simply right here).
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