It’s a simple concept with lots of appeal! Guests pre-order a selection of our pantry items; the pre-orders are submitted as a catalog show so that the host receives host rewards. Guests receive their pantry items at the workshop; they bring groceries they purchased from a list that you’ve provided.
At the workshop, attendees assemble a variety of entrées (featuring the pantry products they’ve purchased) to take home and freeze. They use Pampered Chef tools as they assemble their own meals, so they’ve experienced their ease and versatility. And when it’s time to thaw and cook a meal, minimal effort is needed to finish up the recipe!

Guests love that they go home with a week’s worth of entrées. They’ve enjoyed prepping their meals in a fun, social atmosphere…and there’s no messy kitchen at home to clean up! The workshop host loves it, too, because she receives host rewards for the pre-ordered items, as well as for orders placed at the workshop.

Freezer meal workshops are attracting new and repeat customers because they meet a practical need for busy people. And because customers pre-order pantry products, you and the host have guaranteed sales and virtually no cancellations. And at each workshop, you can sell more products, book future freezer meal workshops or cooking shows and scout for new team members.

We wanted each pantry flavor to be apparent in the final meal, so the products were carefully chosen to enhance the flavor. Equally important, using too many pantry items in a recipe can make the sodium count add up quickly. Our goal was a balanced meal in which each pantry flavor could shine!

Each recipe serves 6-8. Grocery costs vary across the country, but on average, groceries will cost a little over $100 (including the freezer bags). The cost per serving is only about $2.50.

We wanted to provide a full week’s worth of meals. We also want to provide a good customer experience at the workshop by managing the time it takes to prep the ingredients and assemble the meals. With the recipes serving 6-8, customers with smaller families can choose to divide their meals into two portions for more ready-to-go meals!

Since the guest special purchase requirement varies throughout the year, we decided to keep things simple with three great menu plans that can be used in any month. Here’s a tip: If the pantry pre-order doesn’t reach the guest special purchase minimum, suggest they add a product that they’ll use often at home, or offer some gift-giving ideas.

Food safety is a priority for us! When guests bring meat and poultry in a freezer bag, with it already trimmed of fat or cut into pieces for a recipe’s needs, they will not have to handle raw meat or poultry at the workshop and they’ll save time when assembling their meals.

Double-bagging is the way to eliminate spills and leakage during the recipe prep, as well as when freezing and thawing the meal.

For recipes using ground beef, ground turkey, or sausage, the meat is cooked along with other ingredients such as onion or garlic. Cooking ground meat before freezing creates the individual “crumbles” of meat that contribute to the texture of the finished meal. (While you can freeze the raw ground meat, the finished meal will have a softer, moister consistency.)

The goal is to have a delicious finished meal, so we freeze food items that will have good flavor and texture after thawing. In addition, for recipes that include large amounts of liquid, the liquid is added on the day the meal will be served. This approach means the meals will freeze and thaw more quickly, and take up less space in the freezer. (More information about freezing and thawing can be found in the Freezer Meal Planner with each menu plan.)

We looked for ways to make the finished meal look and taste “fresh” even though it comes from the freezer. Putting the protein in a separate bag from things like veggies is easy to do, and it really makes a difference in the final meal.

The Test Kitchen looked carefully at cooking times, as well as the cooking method that yields the best result for the recipe. While the microwave works well for many meals, it isn’t recommended for cook times longer than 30 minutes, because you don’t want customers to over-tax their microwave oven.

Yes, the recipes can be cooked in other appropriate vessels. And here’s a sales tip: If a customer asks whether they can cook a meal in pieces they already have, you might say, “Of course you can, until you’re able to get a Rockcrok® (or Deep Covered Baker or whatever) of your own.”
And be sure to add this reminder: “Whatever vessel you use, you’ll want to use a food thermometer to be sure the food has reached the correct temperature.” (Point out our Pocket Thermometer!)

The Test Kitchen prepared, froze, thawed and cooked every meal, just like your customers will. We want you to feel confident that every recipe you share has been thoroughly tested for consistently delicious results!

As an independent contractor, you can choose the recipes you will use. When you use the recipes provided by the Test Kitchen, we will have a better ability to have a reliable pantry inventory for your customers.

You can start with the products you have! The new consultant kit comes with important basics, such as the Flexible Cutting Mats, Manual Food Processor, Utility Knife, Microplane® Adjustable Coarse Grater, Garlic Press, and measuring tools. Guests will be happy to share, and you can wash tools during the workshop.

Here are some other tools that the recipes feature:

• Veggie Wedger
• Scoop Loop™
• Smooth-Edge Can Opener
• Mix ‘N Chop
• Skillet (12 in.)
• Rockcrok® Everyday Pan or Dutch Oven

It’s helpful to have multiple Flexible Cutting Mats. Over time, you can add more knives, extra measuring tools, and other products referenced in the recipes. Remember, when you host your own Freezer Meal Workshop, you can use the host rewards to add to your kit. In addition, you can purchase selected products at 40% off on a supply order; look for the current supply order form on Consultant’s Corner; plus, you can use PC Dollars to pay for items on a supply order!