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Vent: my freezer door didn't shut all the way and I lost a $40 grocery run
Last Saturday I got home from Kroger and must not have pushed the freezer door shut all the way. Sunday morning I found everything soft, the ground beef, a bag of frozen peas, and two packs of chicken thighs I got on sale for $1.99 a pound. I almost tossed it all but then remembered my mom's rule about cooking meat the day it thaws, so I browned the beef with onions and made a big pot of chili, then baked the chicken thighs with rice and froze half of it. Ended up with 6 meals for the week instead of losing the money. Has anyone else had a freezer fail on them, and do you have a go to recipe for using up thawed meat fast?
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kai_park23d ago
I read a thing once from the USDA that says a full freezer stays cold about 48 hours if you don't open it, and a half full one only holds about 24. Mine is usually packed so that gave me some peace of mind. Your mom's rule is a good one too, meat that still has ice crystals or has been kept cold can be cooked or refrozen, but once it's soft you cook it that day. For fast meals with thawed chicken, I do a sheet pan with whatever veggies are around, olive oil, salt, pepper, 425 for about 25 minutes. Ground beef turns into taco meat or a quick pasta sauce and both freeze fine. Good save on your end, that chili probably tasted better than the original plan anyway.
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