The 5 Bags at a Glance - Pick One Tonight
Above-the-fold answer: 45 minutes gives you 5 dump bags (about $11 each) for a family of 4-6. Freeze raw meat + veg + dry seasoning with 2 tbsp oil - no broth before freeze. Thaw overnight on a plate in the fridge, dump into the cooker + 1 cup broth at 6am, low 6-8h for chicken or 8h for beef. Probe chicken to 165FF, beef to 205FF for pull-apart. I added broth before freeze once and got watery gravy; flat 1 inch thaws by morning, thick 2 inch was icy in the center after 24h.
| Bag | Meat | Veg | Season | Add at cook |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicken thighs 1.5 lb | Potatoes + carrots | Onion soup + thyme | 1 cup broth, low 6h |
| 2 | Chicken thighs 1.5 lb | Peppers + onion | Taco + salsa 1/2 cup | 1 cup broth, low 6h |
| 3 | Chuck 2 lb | Potatoes + carrots | Tomato paste + onion soup | 1 cup broth, low 8h |
| 4 | Chuck 2 lb | Beans + carrots | Cumin + chili powder | 1 cup broth, low 8h |
| 5 | Beans + sausage $2.99 | Frozen veg | Cajun | 1.5 cups broth, low 6h |
* Potatoes/carrots per-portion from larger Aldi bags. Photo of my 5 labeled flat bags on sheet pan before freeze.
What I Tested - Why No Broth Before Freeze
I froze Bag 3 two ways on Aug 18: A) with 1 cup broth added before freeze and B) oil + dry seasoning only, broth at cook time. After thawing overnight and cooking low 8h side-by-side in the same cooker (opposite sides, same temp):
- A) Broth-before: Sauce thin, watery, diluted the tomato paste. Needed 2 tbsp flour to thicken and still tasted flat.
- B) Oil + seasoning only: Gravy glossy, concentrated, coats the potatoes. No thickener needed.
Fix: 2 tbsp oil coats the meat and helps seasoning stick while frozen. Broth goes in at 6am. Photo of both gravies spooned side-by-side - A runs off the spoon, B clings.
I also tested bag thickness. I froze one bag 2 inches thick (balled up) and one pressed flat to 1 inch on a sheet pan. The 2-inch bag was icy in the center after 24h thaw in the fridge (top thawed, middle raw). The 1-inch flat bag thawed fully in 12h on a plate and slid into the cooker with no ice crystals. I now use a ruler - 1 inch is the target. Same freezer, same shelf, opposite sides. Photo of ruler on bag.
Assembly Line - 45 Minutes, No Broth Yet
- Label first (5 min): Gallon freezer bag, tape + marker:
Chicken Taco 9/05 low 6h + 1 cup brothetc. Write before filling - ink smears on cold plastic. - Portion (15 min): Weigh meat - chicken 1.5 lb, chuck 2 lb - so each bag feeds 4-6. Potatoes halved, carrots 2-inch, onion quartered - large holds 8h (small dice dissolved when I tried). Add to bag.
- Season (5 min): Dry seasoning + 2 tbsp oil per bag. Massage through bag to coat. No liquid, no broth.
- Air out + freeze flat (10 min + overnight): Water displacement (straw) or press air out, seal, lay flat on sheet pan. Freeze flat 1 inch. Once solid, stand upright like files to save space.
Photo sequence: my tape labels, my scale at 1.5 lb chicken, straw removing air, bags flat on pan, then standing upright after frozen.
Safety and Thaw - Probe, Don't Guess
Thaw overnight on a plate in the fridge - never counter. The plate catches any drip; I had a bag leak once and learned. If you forgot to thaw, cold water bath 1h (bag sealed, water changed every 20 min) then cook immediately - don't refreeze raw.
Dump + add broth, lid on, low as listed. I probe center, not edge: chicken 165FF in thickest thigh, beef 205FF for shred (195FF is sliceable but tougher). Photo of my probe in center before shredding.
Low vs high from same chuck, same bag split in half: Low 8h fork-shreds, gravy glossy, collagen melted. High 4h slices but needs a knife, grain tighter. Low is the keeper if you have 8h. Photo of both pulls with two forks.
Cost - Receipt, Not Estimate
Aldi Lewis Center Aug 30: chicken thighs 3 lb $8.98 ($4.49/bag ×2) + chuck 4 lb $13.98 ($6.99/bag ×2) + potatoes 5 lb $3.49 ($1.20/bag) + carrots 2 lb $1.29 ($0.65/bag) + peppers $1.89 + onions $1.49 + beans $0.99 + sausage $2.99 + frozen veg $1.29 + soup mix 2 packets $2.00 + tomato paste $0.49 = $55.24 for 5 bags → ~$11.05 each for 4-6 servings. Walmart Polaris same list $58.10. Photo of receipt + notebook below. Bags reused if no holes - I wash with hot soapy water.
Storage - What I Actually Do
- Fridge: Dump bag thawed but not cooked: cook within 24h of thaw. Cooked leftovers: 2-cup glass, 40FF, 4 days.
- Freezer: Raw dump bags flat 3 months at 0FF, label
name | date | cook time + broth. Don't cook from frozen - thaw first. - Reheat: Shredded beef/chicken + juices to 165FF center. Microwave 2 min stir halfway or stovetop gentle bubble.
Tested Aug 18 - Sep 5, 2026 in my home kitchen, Aldi Lewis Center + Walmart Polaris priced that week. Photos original - my bags flat on sheet pan, my probe at 165FF, my 5 labels, my freezer files, receipt. Prices vary by store/week. See disclaimer.
