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How to Throw A Freezer Meal Party
There are so many things in life that are just way more fun when you do them with friends, and preparing meals for your freezer is no exception! If you're going to do all the work and extra steps of freezer meal prep, you might as well do it while you can chat and laugh with your gal pals. I recently joined some of my favorite mom friends for a freezer meal party and it was the best time – plus everyone left with FIVE dinners to freeze & feed their families later.
Now, we don't want to toot our own horns, but over the years the PPP team has all but perfected the art of freezer meals and preparing them in bulk.
With that in mind, I'm sharing all our tips, tricks, and strategies for hosting your own freezer meal party!
Want to try out Freezer cooking but don't have the whole menu plan yet? Grab a few FREE sample recipes HERE!
How to plan a freezer meal party
First, make sure everyone coming has their Freezer Menu Plan handy so each guest has their main recipe card and freezer bag insert cards in front of them for cooking day.
We went through the recipes together ahead of time to choose a week that sounded good to everyone. (The new photo recipe cards really came in handy for this!) Each week has so much variety and yummy dishes – your group can't go wrong!
Since every week (of every PPP menu plan ever!) has a coordinating grocery list, shopping for freezer prep is much easier than combing through the recipes and making a list on your own.
Tip #1 – Have everyone buy their own groceries (minus pantry staples – see tip 2) and bring them along. This way, everyone can choose their own brands, account for dietary restrictions, and include the freezer meals in their grocery budget for the month.
I recommend using a cooler bag to transport your groceries and finished meals home so everything stays nice and chilled.
Tip #2 – Take turns hosting and have the hostess be in charge of pantry staples. This way no one is lugging jugs of olive oil and spices in addition to their regular ingredients. To make up for this, have party guests bring appetizers and give the hostess the day off from providing snacks!
You can have another guest in charge of bringing Freezer Ziploc bags and disposable pans. The recipe card and grocery list will tell you how to store each meal so you know how much supplies to bring. You'll use two Ziploc bags per meal to avoid freezer burn, spills, and have a space to keep the Recipe Insert Card visible and clean for day-of cooking instructions.
Consider having each person bring an extra set of measuring cups and spoons as they're able – these can be a hot commodity with so many cooks in the kitchen.
I also recommend having one Freezer Bag Stand per cook. These are SO handy for holding open the bag as you dump or pour ingredients. It's much easier for each person to have their own stand so you're not having to take turns or wait (but you can do this if needed!).
How to make freezer meals as a group
Once you've transported all your groceries and set up your essentials – it's time to get cookin'!
We've found it's more enjoyable to have each person prepare all their own meals. You know what your family likes and can handle your own food prep your way (I trim my meat more than others, for example, and one friend omits seasonings her kids won't eat, etc.).
Tip #3 –Â Make space for every guest to have a “station”. As supplies allow, it's helpful for each person to have these items at their station:
- Cutting board
- Knives/Spoons
- Measuring spoons/cups
- A towel or paper towels
- Recipe cards
To account for space, set aside the ingredients you're not using at the moment in another area so you can focus on each meal as you prep.
(My friend, Amanda, has the biggest and prettiest kitchen island. I was a tiny bit (or a lot bit?) jealous of her space while we were cooking! When I host next month, I'm planning to have everyone “stage” their ingredients on the kitchen table.)Â
We worked through all the same meals at the same time just for consistency. This came in handy when we made the Hearty Beef Stew and 3 out of 4 ladies missed the “cut into bite-sized pieces” note for the beef. 😆 Thankfully, gal pal #4 noticed this and came to the rescue!
Tip #4Â –Â Have fun! Bring some snacks, put on some music, and just enjoy the fun mix of productivity + friendship. It feels so great to relate to other mamas who will also benefit so much from having meals at the ready when their schedule or sanity requires it.
This is a great activity for a Moms Group, Bible study, Women's Group, and more! Make sure to use these tips and let me know if you host or attend a freezer meal party with your girlfriends, too!
Want to do more freezer meal prep on your own? Once a month we host Freezer Friday over here at PPP! We work through the Freezer Meal Plan and do one week of recipes each session. You'll always know which Friday to plan for using the FREE printable menu calendar – just look for the Freezer Friday icon!
(P.S. The monthly menu calendar is SUCH a game changer for easily planning out your entire month of meals! It totally takes the guesswork out of menu planning.)
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