We’ve all been there. Abruptly, it’s 5:30 within the night and there’s no plan for dinner. You’re hangry, your children are hangry, and the fridge is working low. The considered choosing aside the pantry—and scrounging up bits from the crisper—feels daunting. The answer? Wholesome freezer meals. Whether or not you’re a new mother, work a demanding schedule, or just wish to set your self up for achievement, freezer meals are it. They’re the present that retains on giving (or so I’m satisfied). Right now, I’m breaking down the most effective storage ideas, what does—and doesn’t—freeze properly, and the most effective wholesome freezer recipes.
Featured picture by Michelle Nash.
Steal Camille’s Meal Prep Ideas for a Streamlined Week
Are freezer meals well worth the effort?
Let’s begin right here: Are wholesome freezer meals well worth the hype? Sure, they undoubtedly are. As a mother of a toddler, after I want a fast, wholesome dinner on the desk, freezer meals are my go-to. And I’m not speaking about store-bought frozen dinners (though there’s a time and place for these). These are nutritious meals I make, label, and freeze myself. Saved and reheated the correct approach, these freezer meals are simply as flavorful because the day they had been made. And having a couple of of them available may help conquer any craving. From soups to lasagna, making a scrumptious, wholesome dinner is so simple as heating one up.
Advantages of Freezer Meals
Whenever you’re deep within the throws of creating wholesome freezer meals, it might not look like you’re saving time. However I promise, it’ll make sense as soon as the preliminary work is finished. You’ll be shuffling your children dwelling from observe, and inside half-hour of strolling within the door, you’ll have a home-cooked meal on the desk.
Not solely are you saving time (and your sanity!), however you’re saving cash, too. Everyone knows that shopping for in bulk is best on your pockets. It can save you tons of of {dollars} by shopping for and cooking in bulk. Whenever you prepare dinner in bulk, you’ve got extra meals to freeze. It’s a win-win. Lastly, it’s a chance to get along with household or associates. Throw collectively an iced espresso bar, flip in your favourite cooking playlist, after which it’s all palms on deck.
What meals freeze properly?
All of those on a regular basis substances will freeze properly:
- Meat, poultry, and seafood (3-6 months).
- Virtually all produce will be frozen (3-6 months). For herbs, freeze them in water (or oil) for use in cooked dishes or dressings. For garlic, freeze minced garlic (or peeled cloves) in oil. I like to make use of an ice dice tray for freezing each herbs and garlic. For bananas, make sure to peel them first.
- Dairy. Butter and margarine will be frozen for 3 months. Grated cheese, like parmesan, will be frozen for as much as 4 months and can be utilized straight from the freezer. Milk will be frozen for 1 month.
- Most bread and bagels, besides crusty varieties (i.e. French bread), will freeze properly for as much as 3 months. Sizzling tip: ensure that your bread is sliced earlier than freezing it. You may toast bread straight from the freezer.
- Uncooked pastry dough will freeze for as much as 6 months and takes an hour to thaw.
- Sauces, like pesto and tomato sauce, freeze very properly.
- Inventory. Veggie and animal-based inventory freeze superbly. Freeze in freezer luggage or ice dice trays.
By way of recipes particularly, you possibly can freeze every thing from lasagna and soups to stews, chilis, pot pies, and breakfast burritos.
What To not Freeze
Whereas there are many particular person substances you possibly can freeze, some meals merely aren’t freezer-friendly. For instance:
- Veggies with excessive water content material, like lettuce, radishes, and cucumbers.
- Egg and milk-based sauces, like mayonnaise and bitter cream (they’ll separate and curdle).
- Talking of eggs, whereas a frittata freezes very properly, hard-boiled eggs don’t (they’ll get rubbery).
- Delicate herbs, like basil and chives, are fantastic for incorporating into dishes, however not for garnishes.
Tips on how to Label Meals for the Freezer
Now that you already know what does (and doesn’t) freeze properly, let’s speak about labeling. Labeling is vital, as you don’t wish to mistake your spicy tomato sauce for creamy tomato soup. Start by labeling your ziplock luggage or tupperware utilizing painter’s tape and a Sharpie. It’s finest to do that earlier than you’ve put any meals in your containers. By way of what to label, observe this mannequin: identify, date, serving directions. For instance, “Black Bean Chili, 4/2/2023, reheat in a pot on the range.” Correct labeling will enable you keep away from confusion, remind you if you made it, and supply fast directions for reheating.
Freezer Meal Starter Pack
Excellent news—you don’t want a lot! Glass or BPA-free Tupperware, silicone ice dice trays, gallon storage luggage (or environmentally-friendly luggage), painter’s tape, and a Sharpie. It’s also possible to use a mixture of parchment paper and aluminum foil to wrap sure meals, like burritos.
6 Meals Freezing Ideas
No matter your freezer dimension, use these ideas for profitable freezing:
- Label. Put the recipe’s identify, date, and re-heating directions on the container. As talked about, that is key.
- Final in, final out. Put the latest freezer meal(s) behind your freezer. This fashion, you’re extra prone to eat what’s on the entrance of your freezer. These are the meals that may expire sooner, quicker.
- Cool meals earlier than you freeze them. They don’t need to be fully chilly, however freezing sizzling meals will enhance the temperature of your freezer.
- Wrap correctly. Make certain your meals are sealed correctly to forestall freezer burn.
- Think about parts. Slice or pre-portion sure recipes so that you simply don’t need to defrost an eight-person chili if you happen to’re solely feeding 4 folks.
- When unsure, throw it out (or compost!). Opposite to what most individuals assume, freezing doesn’t kill micro organism. When you’re uncertain of how lengthy a recipe has been frozen, no have to take possibilities. On that observe, it’s not essentially useful to freeze outdated meals. The purpose of freezing is to maintain meals at its prime.
12 Wholesome Freezer Meals That Make Weeknights a Breeze
Skillet Eggplant Lasagna
Why We Love It: Loaded with veggies, this Skillet Eggplant Lasagna is a comfy, one-pot dinner for cold nights. It’s an easier, lighter option to take pleasure in all of the scrumptious flavors of the traditional.
Hero Ingredient: When you haven’t hopped on the eggplant practice, now’s your probability.
Vegan Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Why We Love It: Who doesn’t wish to dive right into a bowl of vegan mac and cheese? (Significantly one which options everybody’s favourite veg—cauliflower, in fact.) This recipe is so creamy, tacky, heat, and comforting—you gained’t even realize it’s vegan. Comprised of a velvety vegan cauliflower cheese sauce, this dish freezes superbly.
Hero Ingredient: Shortly refresh your mac with a sprinkle of paprika.
Candy Potato Falafel Burger
Why We Love It: These candy potato falafel burgers are a staple on my summer time menu. They’re tremendous straightforward to drag out of the freezer after a day within the solar. Merely add your favourite toppings and luxuriate in!
Hero Ingredient: Candy potatoes are a hero to virtually any dish.
Rooster Burger Lettuce Wraps
Why We Love It: Lettuce wraps are gentle and refreshing, however generally I discover that they lack protein. These cute hen burger patties are a fantastic, protein-rich essential to defrost and throw right into a lettuce wrap for a wholesome lunch or dinner.
Hero Ingredient: Any sort of Asian seasonings on your floor hen will improve the flavour of your patties.
Vegetarian Sheet Pan Curry
Why We Love It: This vegetarian sheet pan curry with cauliflower and kale options one superb hack—rice that cooks on the sheet pan together with the veggies! As soon as it’s cooled, toss it into Tupperware for a fast weeknight curry.
Hero Ingredient: Coconut milk provides the proper creaminess with out being overly wealthy or candy.
Rooster and Rice Soup
Why We Love It: Whether or not you’re seeking to enhance your immune system or just have leftover hen and don’t know what to make, that is your reply. As soon as thawed from the freezer, prime with lime, avocado, and recent herbs. You’d by no means realize it was beforehand frozen.
Hero Ingredient: I really like so as to add a squeeze of lemon to any hen broth for a zesty kick.
Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
Why We Love It: Butternut squash is such a flexible ingredient and incorporating it right into a creamy soup simply is smart. When you’re dying for that bowl of heat, cozy, home made soup on a wet day, merely pop your Tupperware out of the freezer and luxuriate in!
Hero Ingredient: Soup and cilantro go hand in hand.
Vegetarian Pasta Bolognese
Why We Love It: Some nights simply name for a easy spaghetti. It’s a household favourite, and freezing this dish makes it even simpler to take pleasure in these traditional substances when time is of the essence.
Hero Ingredient: I may rave about tofu all day, however the tofu on this recipe will do all of the speaking for me.
Massive Inexperienced Immunity-Boosting Vegetable Soup
Why We Love It: There aren’t some ways to go flawed with vegetable soup. Whether or not you’re feeling beneath the climate or on the prime of your recreation, this veggie soup incorporates loads of immune-boosting substances to get you thru the week.
Hero Ingredient: Cashews are my private favourite addition to this yummy soup.
Candy Potato and Black Bean Chili
Why We Love It: This chili is filled with hearty black beans, flavorful veggies, and a great deal of spices (plus, all these toppings), so nobody will miss the meat. It’s the proper freezer meal for a brand new mother, too!
Hero Ingredient: Prime with jalapeños for a bit of warmth.
Sheet Pan Rooster Fajitas
Why We Love It: This sheet pan fajita recipe has been one in all my weeknight meals for fairly a while. It’s tremendous easy to defrost this hen and heat up a scrumptious tortilla for a fast and easy meal.
Hero Ingredient: Squeeze a little bit of lime in your fajitas for a tangy taste in each chunk.
Caramelized Onion Proscuitto Pizza
Why We Love It: Selfmade pizza is an easy option to take pleasure in a consolation dish with out all the restaurant components or unhealthy substances. Freezing pizza dough can also be one in all my favourite methods to throw a meal collectively in lower than half-hour.
Hero Ingredient: Caramelized onions go nice on absolutely anything.
One-Bowl Morning Glory Muffins
Why We Love It: Whereas most freezer meals deal with lunch and dinner, undoubtedly don’t overlook about breakfast! These straightforward, fast, and wholesome morning glory muffins are simply that—wonderful. For busy mornings, seize a few these from the freezer.
Hero Ingredient: Almond slivers make a crunchy and candy topping.
Tofu Scramble Breakfast Burrito
Why We Love It: As I discussed, I’ve grow to be a little bit of a tofu connoisseur up to now few months. Incorporating it into the primary meal of the day is an effective way to start out your morning stuffed with protein.
Hero Ingredient: Avocado is an elite ingredient to throw in your breakfast menu.
Rooster Tuscan Pasta Bake by Rachel Cooks
Why We Love It: Creamy Tuscan pasta is a dish that has taken the web by storm. This dish will be simply frozen after baking to take pleasure in by itself or as a aspect to any meal you prepare dinner all through the week.
Hero Ingredient: Sundried tomatoes are one in all my favourite flavors to take pleasure in with creamy pasta.
This publish was initially printed on March 3, 2022, and has since been up to date.
