The Genius Reason Rachael Ray Keeps A Freezer List

The coronavirus pandemic has been a trying time for people across the globe. The last two years have impacted everyone differently — whether it be emotionally, financially, physically, or even spiritually. For megawatt TV personalities like Rachael Ray, quarantine shifted the way business is done. Speaking in a candid conversation with Parade, the celebrity chef opened up about her life in quarantine, specifically how her talk show, "The Rachael Ray Show," had to adapt to a more do-it-yourself landscape. 

"My husband is the entire crew, mixologist and occasionally the musical act. My 15-year-old pit bull is our studio audience. We shoot the content and then it goes to editors and as fast as they can work, they get that material up," Ray revealed in 2020 of her temporary work setup, which was taking place in the kitchen of her Adirondack Mountains at the time. 

And that's just part of Ray's day. She also films, edits, and publishes one to three IGTV cooking segments per week and conducts further videos, interviews, and specials for outside media outlets, including "The View" and "Extra." So, how does Ray, who has since returned to her New York studio, stay on top of it all? Simple: She relies on her trusty freezer list.

Throughout quarantine, Rachael Ray's saving grace was her online grocery shopping and her freezer list. "I can legitimately say I think that John and I work harder here at home, than we have worked in the city in years. It's 24/7!" she told Parade magazine, adding that her freezer list quickly became both her and John's "lifesaver."

"I think the biggest lesson for us has been that every time we make a soup, or sauce, or anything that's got a lot of liquid, we make a double batch and freeze it," she continued. Thus, the infamous freezer list was born and Ray began keeping a physical catalog of their freezer's pre-made meal inventory. It consists of various meals like Tomato Potato Green Bean Soup, Portuguese Kale and Chorizo Soup, Tuscan Meatball Soup, Greek Ziti with Lamb Ragu, Chicken Pot Pie, and puttanesca. When they decide to pull from the freezer, the meal earns a giant "X."

Pre-made meals aren't the only things taking up freezer space in the Ray household. The TV personality also freezes as many raw vegetables as possible, including asparagus, green beans, peas, broccoli, and cauliflower. She also stocks portion-sized meats like chicken, pork, beef, lamb, and plant-based meats, which she places into in Food Saver bags for added protection.