Cook Once, Serve 3 Meals

Do you batch cook? I admit that I don’t do it often enough, but it is SO worth it! I previously posted about cooking and freezing the 4-pack of ground turkey from Costco. Once cooked, I package the turkey in quart sized freezer bags. This makes last minute meals a snap!

I also precook pork and beef roasts. Last week I got the 4-pack of Pork Sirloin Tip Roasts from Costco. I found this to be my favorite meat for shredded pork. Its not as fatty as a pork butt but still cooks tender for shredding. I’ve been using it for years and its perfect every time.

Season 2 of the roasts with a dry rub of whichever seasonings you like. I used Everyday Seasoning from Trader Joe’s. You don’t actually need to add any liquid to the crock pot, but this time I sat the roasts on thick slices of onions and 1/2 cup of water. It does give some nice flavor to the meat. I kept the seasoning {simple} so you can still make a variety of meals.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Once cooked, shred with 2 forks.

These two roasts equaled about 4 lbs. I divided it into 3 portions. I kept two out and froze the third for a future meal. This night’s dinner was carnitas tacos. First, slice an onion and saute in some olive oil. Then add the pork and quick pan fry it with the onions.

Squeeze some lime over the meat and now its time to make your tacos. We warm corn tortillas and add lettuce, tomato, guacamole, cheese and hot sauce. Or make a taco salad instead! Salsa makes an excellent salad dressing alternative and is a fraction of the fat and calories. You can use anything you like!

Our second meal was pulled pork sandwiches. Simply reheat the meat in your favorite BBQ sauce. Once hot, serve on a nice roll. Slaw makes a great side dish. If you want to skip the bread, make a BBQ ranch salad. Add meat to a salad of lettuce, tomato, beans, cheddar and anything else you like. Ranch dressing works well with this salad.

Though I haven’t prepared the third meal, a possibility could be chili, loaded nachos or enchiladas. You could also use it to make pork fried rice. Just use a little sesame oil to season the meat. I found the secret to making your own fried rice is to precook the rice, refrigerate a few hours before. I think it helps the rice to hold together in this dish. Add a large portion of stir fry veggies, and even some scrambled egg to the rice. Use a season packet or just add a little soy or Tamari sauce(aged soy, great flavor). This is a great one dish meal. There are so many options, for both regular and gluten free recipes. This also works with beef roasts and even chicken.

Batch cooking, especially in my crock pot, has been great in this heat! My kitchen isn’t heating up and making dinner has been a snap!

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