Make Your Own “Dream Dinner”

Have you heard of Dream Dinners?  You can check out this video if you’re unfamiliar. The basic idea is that you go to a Dream Dinner store, where they have prepared ingredients for you to assemble meals into freezer bags to make up complete dinners for your family for the month.  I heard about it through a gal I watched on You Tube.  While I’m sure it’s really convenient, it can’t be cheap!  She also said there were some meals they had they didn’t like and wouldn’t have again.

Testimonials on the Dream Dinner’s site said their families were now able to eat together and have become closer as a result.  Family mealtimes are important, and they do strengthen families, but if you’re on a budget, there are creative ways to make family meals happen in a much less expensive way.  Here’s one suggestion…

Recently while putting away leftovers from a meal I’d made, I had the idea to bag it together just like I’d seen on the Dream Dinners.  I had made Pork Tacos, Refried Beans and Spanish Rice -all from scratch and I had enough for another supper meal for my husband and me, but rather than eating it two nights in a row, I pulled out the freezer bags.  I put the Rice in one, the Beans in another and the Pork in another, then I put all the small bags together in a large freezer bag and labeled it, “Pork Taco Dinner.”  How great it will be on a busy day to pull this out in the morning and let it thaw, then simply warm it up that evening!  It’s better than having leftovers two nights in a row, and it’s better than paying someone twice what it would cost me to fix it!  I’ve always been a huge fan of freezing food, but having the whole meal together in one bag is a great plan!

I plan on doing this more often!  You could simply double whatever you’re making and eat one for supper tonight and put the other into freezer bags for another day.  There’s no need to have to do a month’s worth, or even a whole week’s worth at one time!  Wouldn’t it be nice just to know you have a whole meal in a bag all ready to eat for ONE day?  Start there, then perhaps you can build on that.

That’s my challenge to you – see what you can pull together to make and freeze ahead.  Have the elements for that meal in one large bag. It will eliminate calling out for pizza, or running up to a local restaurant because you’re too tired to cook.  Become your own Dream Dinner maker; it’s really doable, it’s cheaper, and you’ll be making things you know your family loves!

My mind is whirling with several ideas.
Swiss Steak
Taco Casserole
Turkey Meatball Sandwiches with Honey Chipotle Sauce

What would you make and freeze?

Dream on!