Freezing protein is a great way to reduce food costs

As the heat of summer sets in, we start focusing on our freezers. We open the door and linger a few seconds longer than necessary. Not great for energy consumption, true, but it has led to contemplation about the best way to use this essential kitchen asset.

Your freezer is a true friend for reducing food costs. Space is limited, so make it count. Clear out those freezer-burned buns and the ice-cream cartons with only one spoonful remaining. Replace these with normally expensive foods that you bought at a rock-bottom sale price.

Basically, freeze protein.

Meat, seafood and cheese send the cash register into overdrive, and supermarkets frequently offer "super-sales" or "buy one, get one" deals on frozen shrimp, shredded cheese and family-sized packages of ground beef and chicken. To benefit from these bargains, you need to stock up and store the bounty.

A couple of hints:

• Set the freezer temperature to 0 F for optimum storage.

• Freeze your cheese. Unopened packages of already-shredded cheeses, crumbled feta and crumbled blue cheese freeze best. Bang the frozen bag on the countertop, and you can easily scoop out portions. Frozen cheese holds for months, but we've noticed mold developing in the refrigerator surprisingly fast. Shredded cheese thaws quickly, and there's no discernible difference when cooking.

• Repackage meat into manageable portions and wrap securely. Preferably use plastic first and then foil to seal out air to prevent freezer burn. Alternately, we often wrap in foil first and then slip the packages into zipper-top freezer bags.

• Date and label all packages. Think you'll remember? You probably won't.

• Organize shelves by types of food for easier retrieval.

• Keep a list of what's frozen for efficient menu planning.

• Defrost safely — leave overnight in the refrigerator, or unwrap and use the microwave's thaw function.

— Today's recipe for Shrimp and Grits features bagged frozen shrimp, which we bought at a two-for-one sale. It's a Southern low-country recipe that's equally good for dinner, lunch or brunch.

Menu suggestion: Shrimp and Grits

Fruit salad

Frozen biscuits