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We’ve all been there. All of a sudden, 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 running low. The considered picking apart the pantry—and scrounging up bits from the crisper—feels daunting. The answer? Wholesome freezer meals. Whether or not you’re a new mom, 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). In the present day, I’m breaking down the very best storage suggestions, what does—and doesn’t—freeze properly, and the very best wholesome freezer recipes.
Featured picture by Michelle Nash.
Steal Camille’s Meal Prep Tips for a Streamlined Week
Are freezer meals worth the effort?
Let’s start here: Are healthy freezer meals worth the hype? Yes, they definitely are. As a mom of a toddler, when I need a quick, healthy 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 fitting method, these freezer meals are simply as flavorful because the day they had been made. And having a number of of them available can assist conquer any craving. From soups to lasagna, making a scrumptious, wholesome dinner is so simple as heating one up.
Benefits of Freezer Meals
When you’re deep in the throws of making healthy freezer meals, it may not seem like you’re saving time. But I promise, it’ll make sense once the initial work is done. You’ll be shuffling your kids home from practice, and within 30 minutes of walking in the door, you’ll have a home-cooked meal on the table.
Not only are you saving time (and your sanity!), but you’re saving money, too. We all know that buying in bulk is healthier to your pockets. It can save you tons of of {dollars} by shopping for and cooking in bulk. While you cook dinner in bulk, you have got extra meals to freeze. It’s a win-win. Lastly, it’s a chance to get along with household or buddies. Throw collectively an iced coffee bar, flip in your favourite cooking playlist, after which it’s all arms 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 might 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, be sure you peel them first.
- Dairy. Butter and margarine might be frozen for 3 months. Grated cheese, like parmesan, might be frozen for as much as 4 months and can be utilized straight from the freezer. Milk might 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. Scorching tip: be sure your bread is sliced earlier than freezing it. You possibly can toast bread straight from the freezer.
- Raw 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 fantastically. Freeze in freezer baggage or ice dice trays.
When it comes to recipes particularly, you possibly can freeze the whole lot from lasagna and soups to stews, chilis, pot pies, and breakfast burritos.
What Not to Freeze
While there are plenty of individual ingredients you can freeze, some foods simply aren’t freezer-friendly. For example:
- Veggies with high water content, like lettuce, radishes, and cucumbers.
- Egg and milk-based sauces, like mayonnaise and sour cream (they’ll separate and curdle).
- Speaking of eggs, while a frittata freezes very well, hard-boiled eggs don’t (they’ll get rubbery).
- Soft herbs, like basil and chives, are fine for incorporating into dishes, but not for garnishes.
How to Label Food for the Freezer
Now that you know what does (and doesn’t) freeze well, let’s talk about labeling. Labeling is key, as you don’t want to mistake your spicy tomato sauce for creamy tomato soup. Begin by labeling your ziplock bags or tupperware using painter’s tape and a Sharpie. It’s best to do this before you’ve put any food in your containers. In terms of what to label, follow this model: name, date, serving instructions. For example, “Black Bean Chili, 4/2/2023, reheat in a pot on the range.” Correct labeling will allow you to keep away from confusion, remind you once you made it, and supply fast directions for reheating.
Freezer Meal Starter Pack
Good news—you don’t need much! Glass or BPA-free Tupperware, silicone ice cube trays, gallon storage bags (or environmentally-friendly bags), painter’s tape, and a Sharpie. It’s also possible to use a mix of parchment paper and aluminum foil to wrap sure meals, like burritos.
6 Meals Freezing Suggestions
No matter your freezer measurement, use these rules 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 manner, you’re extra prone to eat what’s on the entrance of your freezer. These are the meals that may expire sooner, sooner.
- Cool meals earlier than you freeze them. They don’t must be utterly chilly, however freezing sizzling meals will enhance the temperature of your freezer.
- Wrap correctly. Be sure that your meals are sealed correctly to forestall freezer burn.
- Take into account parts. Slice or pre-portion sure recipes so that you simply don’t must defrost an eight-person chili when you’re solely feeding 4 folks.
- When unsure, throw it out (or compost!). Opposite to what most individuals assume, freezing doesn’t kill micro organism. Should you’re not sure of how lengthy a recipe has been frozen, no must take probabilities. On that observe, it’s not essentially useful to freeze previous 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 comfortable, one-pot dinner for cold nights. It’s a less complicated, lighter technique to take pleasure in all of the scrumptious flavors of the basic.
Hero Ingredient: Should you haven’t hopped on the eggplant practice, now’s your likelihood.
Vegan Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Why We Love It: Who doesn’t wish to dive right into a bowl of vegan mac and cheese? (Notably one which options everybody’s favourite veg—cauliflower, in fact.) This recipe is so creamy, tacky, heat, and comforting—you received’t even realize it’s vegan. Produced from a velvety vegan cauliflower cheese sauce, this dish freezes fantastically.
Hero Ingredient: Rapidly refresh your mac with a sprinkle of paprika.
Sweet Potato Falafel Burger
Why We Love It: These candy potato falafel burgers are a staple on my summer season menu. They’re tremendous simple to drag out of the freezer after a day within the solar. Merely add your favourite toppings and revel in!
Hero Ingredient: Candy potatoes are a hero to virtually any dish.
Chicken Burger Lettuce Wraps
Why We Love It: Lettuce wraps are gentle and refreshing, however generally I discover that they lack protein. These cute rooster burger patties are a fantastic, protein-rich important to defrost and throw right into a lettuce wrap for a wholesome lunch or dinner.
Hero Ingredient: Any kind of Asian seasonings to your floor rooster 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 wonderful 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 right creaminess with out being overly wealthy or candy.
Chicken and Rice Soup
Why We Love It: Whether or not you’re trying to enhance your immune system or just have leftover rooster and don’t know what to make, that is your reply. As soon as thawed from the freezer, prime with lime, avocado, and contemporary 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 rooster 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 sensible. Should you’re dying for that bowl of heat, cozy, selfmade soup on a wet day, merely pop your Tupperware out of the freezer and revel 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 basic 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.
Big Green Immunity-Boosting Vegetable Soup
Why We Love It: There aren’t some ways to go mistaken with vegetable soup. Whether or not you’re feeling underneath the climate or on the prime of your sport, 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.
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili
Why We Love It: This chili is full of hearty black beans, flavorful veggies, and a great deal of spices (plus, all these toppings), so nobody will miss the meat. It’s the right freezer meal for a brand new mother, too!
Hero Ingredient: High with jalapeños for a bit of warmth.
Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
Why We Love It: This sheet pan fajita recipe has been considered one of my weeknight meals for fairly a while. It’s tremendous easy to defrost this rooster 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: Do-it-yourself pizza is an easy technique to take pleasure in a consolation dish with out the entire restaurant components or unhealthy substances. Freezing pizza dough can be considered one of 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, positively don’t neglect about breakfast! These simple, fast, and wholesome morning glory muffins are simply that—superb. 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 turn into a little bit of a tofu connoisseur previously few months. Incorporating it into the primary meal of the day is an effective way to begin your morning stuffed with protein.
Hero Ingredient: Avocado is an elite ingredient to throw in your breakfast menu.
Chicken 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 might be simply frozen after baking to take pleasure in by itself or as a aspect to any meal you cook dinner all through the week.
Hero Ingredient: Sundried tomatoes are considered one of my favourite flavors to take pleasure in with creamy pasta.
This submit was initially printed on March 3, 2022, and has since been up to date.
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