Hosting a Freezer Swap {What to Do, What Not to Do}

*This post gives the ins and outs of hosting and participating in a freezer swap. 

What is a freezer swap you say?  Well, read on!

This past weekend a group of girlfriends and I spent the better part of the morning hosting a freezer swap.  It is the second one we've done and when this one was finished we realized we've learned a few things along the way.

I've had SO many people ask about these darn things.  People are intrigued!  Some don't have the faintest clue of what I'm talking about and others think they know but have no idea of how to go about it.

So...being the nice lady that I am I'm here to explain it all to YOU.  And I'm sharing exactly what recipes we put together in case you'd like to try them yourself.

Here are the basics:

1. Rally together a small group of friends.  Five is a good number, anything more than that can make for a very crowded kitchen.
2. Each person need to pick 2 freezer friendly meals to make the day of the swap.
3. Once your meals are chosen you need to purchase enough groceries to make both of those dishes (x) the number of people attending.  Example: I made chili and a rice casserole and we had 5 people in attendance.  Therefore I made 5 batches of chili and 5 rice casseroles.  That way each person goes home with one of your meals, plus you can take one home too.
4. Prep as much as you can the night before.  I cooked up all my hamburger meat for the chili and baked the chicken breast/cooked the rice for the casseroles.  That way when I arrived in the morning all I had to do was assemble everything.
5. Bring disposable foil containers, Tupperware or big Ziploc baggies for storage.  Foil containers work well for casseroles, baked pastas, etc.  I used Tupperware for the chili and large Ziploc baggies work well for meats/marinades or any baked dish {can be frozen flat in the freezer so they take up less space}.
6. Make sure to label what you made with the date, recipe name and cooking directions.  Most dishes will stay fresh in the freezer for 3-6 months.
7. Bring a cooler, laundry basket or box to help carry everything home.

When all is said and done you'll go home with a NICE stash for your freezer.  We planned this one a few weeks before the holidays, which will make it extra nice with the busy weeks ahead.  I'm super excited to dive into some of these!

Here is the full list of what we made.  Feel free to try them out for yourself!

• Million Dollar Casserole
• Cheesy Ham and Potatoes
• Chili
• Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Rice Casserole
• Cinnamon French Toast Casserole
• Turkey Pot Pie
• Egg and Sausage Casserole
• Tator Tot Casserole
• Beef Enchiladas

Which one are you excited to try?  Have you ever been to a Freezer Swap?  Do you think you'd like to organize your own?
 
Tell me your thoughts in the comments!