Easy Recipes To Freeze For Later Use
Frozen foods are a staple for simple, quick, and long-lasting meals. Unfortunately, pre-packaged frozen meals are commonly packed with sodium and preservatives. So, we came up with a better solution for you that is healthier and just as convenient… Make your own frozen meals with the best freezer friendly recipes!
The best way to eat frozen meals is to simply prepare them yourself! You can do this by doubling recipes and freezing portions for later, which means you save time the next time dinner comes around with a pre-prepared, delicious meal. Conveniently for you, some foods are even better prepared in advance and frozen, such as smoothies packets, soups, sauces, and more. Here are our favorite freezer friendly recipes.
Frozen Smoothie Packets
Frozen smoothie packets are the perfect excuse to begin your day with a quick, healthy, and tasty meal. This genius idea to prep fruit, throw it in a bag, freeze it, and just blend it the next morning is too convenient to pass up! Plus an added bonus- frozen fruit provides a creamier texture!
Build your own smoothie pack by combining:
11-cup fruit, ½-1 diced banana, and 1 cup greens (optional) in a plastic bag and store in freezer.
2When you’re ready, remove smoothie pack from freezer, place in blender, and add 1-cup liquid (water, juice, milk) to blend!
3For extra smoothie creativity, add dates or peanut butter!
More DIY Frozen Smoothie Recipes from Ziploc
Lasagna
This is one of my favorite freezer-friendly recipes! It’s a top contender because it’s easy to prep in large portions, provides a filling meal, and taste even better when re-heated with intensified flavors!
1To prep this freezer friendly recipe, make a big batch of lasagna (any recipe will do!),
2Cut into individual servings (3×3), then wrap in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and place in a large plastic bag in freezer.
3When ready to eat, remove from freezer and defrost in microwave or bake with aluminum in oven.
Soups
Soup, chili, and gumbo are easy to prepare in bulk and even easy to store in the freezer for later use! These can be stored in larger containers or individual serving sizes to be reheated for re-use. To reheat frozen soup, place on counter for 1-hr prior to use or microwave to defrost quicker, then place on stovetop with lid or continue to heat in microwave, stirring occasionally until warm.
Photo courtesy of John Mignault
Here’s a great recipe for chili to try. For best results, add a side salad or cornbread.
Veggie Chili
Ingredients:
>1 can black beans
>1 can diced tomato
>½ can corn
>½ can white beans
>4 oz can chop green chili peppers
>½ onion
>3 clove garlic
>Cumin and chili powder to taste
>Chicken broth
**Can make “un-vegetarian” by adding 1 pound of ground beef, turkey, or chicken
***Double this recipe for extra freezer portions
Recipe
1Sauté the onion, garlic till clear- add pepper, spices.
2Rinse all the canned veggies in water to decrease the salt. Then place all the ingredients in a slow cooker for at least one hour.
3Let soup cook, then pour into large container or individual serving containers to freeze.
Pizza
Fresh frozen pizza is a winner- key word “fresh”! Make a homemade pizza with fresh pizza dough, then save leftovers for the freezer.
1To make “frozen pizza,” cook pizza according to directions, cut pizza into slices
2Let cool, then wrap individual slices in aluminum foil, and place in large labeled plastic bag to freeze.
3To reheat, place pizza on cookie sheet in oven at 375F degrees for 10-20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and edges are browned.
Sauces
Sauce, such as tomato sauce, marinara or Bolognese, are great to keep on hand and the freezer makes this very convenient.
1Make your favourite sauce, and then pour into large containers for reuse.
2Prep a large amount of the desired sauce, then pull it out when you want to make chicken Parmesan or spaghetti, with one less step!
Photo courtesy of Cpuchip
Freezer foods don’t have to be unhealthy or shoved to the back of the freezer till their expiration. Use these freezer friendly recipes to bring a new simple, healthy, and convenient meaning to frozen meals! If you have any favorite frozen recipes, share them in the comments below or take a picture of your frozen meal!
