Day 87: How to Double Recipes
What: Doubling Recipes
Why: Realizing you have a frozen meal, waiting to be eaten, brings much joy after a busy day. The amount of time it takes to double a recipe, is only slightly more than making the original; plus, now you have 2 meals prepared, ready to eat. Have you ever wanted to bring a meal over to someone who is ill, but didn’t have the time to make something? Grab a frozen meal out of the freezer and you have a wonderful gift, ready to bring. Doubling recipes has many benefits. It will save you time, money (if you buy bulk of an item), and free you to do the things you desire to do in a day. Here are a few ideas to keep in mind if you double a recipe.
How:
1. Find recipes that can easily be doubled. Recipes that can be cooked/baked in a 9×13 offer easy storage when freezing. Make sure you also have enough freezer space!
2. Buy the ingredients for the recipes. Remember to buy DOUBLE of what the recipe calls for. Look through the sale ads for deals. Also, keep in mind that it may be cheaper to buy bulk if you are making a lot of one recipe.
3. Make the recipe.
4. Bake the recipe. If you are baking both recipes, allow for additional baking time, but do not overcook.
5. Items to not double:
- Yeast: if doubling a bread recipe, only use 1-1/2 times yeast instead of doubling.
- Spices and herbs: use only 1-1/2 measures. You can always add more, but can’t take away, since spices can be overpowering. Same goes for alcohol.
- Onion and garlic: these vegetables are more potent when you freeze them in a dish, so cut the recipe in half if freezing with onion and garlic. If you intend to eat it right away, use what the recipe calls for.
- Alcohol: Do not double, but use 1-1/2 times. If used as a liquid base, use broth or water as the other 1/2, to “double” the alcohol amount for a recipe.
6. Be on the alert for who is in need of a meal or a helping hand.
Confession of the Day: I find great joy in doubling recipes. Unfortunately, I do not always plan far enough in advance to double a recipe, but when I do, it is well worth it. I was doubling my recipes for a few days and before I knew it, we had about 5 meals in the freezer. If you are going to be making a recipe anyways, why not take the few extra minutes to double it? Living with less means finding the little ways in life, to make life easier. When time is of the essence, pulling a frozen/ready to eat meal out of the freezer/refrigerator, could not be a better feeling.
What recipe do you enjoy doubling? On the green top bar, click recipes and submit a recipe of your own!
