With a new baby just around the corner, I’ve had food preparation on the brain lately. Since I do most of the cooking in our home, I don’t want to be stranded without a few healthy, prepared options when I’ve got my hands full later this month!
In case you’re in the same boat, or just want some convenience meals on hand, here’s my solution to easy freezer meals.
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1. Frozen Sauces.
One of the easiest meals for me to throw together is one based around a delicious sauce, paired with vegetables and quinoa (or a grain-like substitute). Since sauces are quick and easy to prepare, I’ve been making double-batches all week and freezing the extras for future meals. We also have a hefty stash of pre-chopped frozen vegetables on hand, so the meal can come together quickly, with no chopping necessary.
My favorite sauces to freeze include:
Easy Coconut Curry (pictured above)
Roasted Red Pepper “Cream” Sauce
*Tip: My favorite way to freeze sauces is by pouring them into an ice cube tray, for easily managed portions that thaw easily.
Simply store the frozen sauce cubes in an air-tight container, and thaw 4-5 cubes per serving when you want to prepare your next meal!
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2. Frozen Soups & Casseroles
Soups and casseroles take a bit more prep-work on the front end, but are easy to thaw and heat when dinner time rolls around.
I plan to freeze the following:
Classic Chicken & Vegetable Soup
Cheesy Spaghetti Squash Casserole (pictured above)
Eggplant & Goat Cheese Lasagna
Creamy Pumpkin & Sage Pasta (baked in a casserole dish)
*Note: Because all of these casseroles are grain-free, and loaded with hydrating vegetables, they most likely will not thaw exactly as they would when they are freshly prepared. I expect them to be slightly more watery, but I hope they will still taste delicious!
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3. Frozen Salad Dressings
Thanks to pre-washed greens and pre-shredded vegetables, like carrots and beets, I find salads one of the easiest things to throw together– especially if the dressing is already prepared. Since I’m spoiled by my delicious, homemade dressings, I’ve frozen a few of my favorites ahead of time, and plan to thaw them in the fridge for my weekly salad rotation!
Classic Greek Dressing (my current favorite!)
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4. Miscellaneous Freezer Meals
Frozen Cauliflower Pizza Crusts
Cauliflower Fried Rice (using frozen cauliflower rice and pre-chopped veggies)
Sweet Potato Noodles with Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce (or any of the other sauces listed above!)
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5. Sweet Treats
Since I don’t plan on my sweet tooth going away anytime soon, here are the healthy dessert options we’ll have on hand!
Creamy Almond Butter Freezer Fudge
Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies (Vegan)
Healthier Peanut Butter Eggs (We’ve had these in our freezer since Easter, and they’re still good!)
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Reader Feedback: What are YOUR favorite freezer meals? Feel free to share links and recipes below!
Thank you for all of these great ideas! I bookmarked this in my menus folder! My favorite meals to freeze are homemade chicken & sweet potato soup, casseroles (esp. my 3 bean) & chili :0).
Hi Megan,
Freezing meals was one of the best things I did while pregnant! I made barley soup with lots of veggies, Persian stews that are served with fresh rice (easy with a rice cooker), salmon paties/ croquettes, boiled chicken breast strips, and cooked ground beef. The meat made pastas and casseroles super easy.
I made the raw cheesecakes for my toddler so I could pop in some veggies into her mouth while I was low energy, and that was really helpful!
For myself, luckily enough friends brough food that I didn’t have to worry too much about cooking. I don’t even know what I did about my sweet tooth. I just know I had (and am still having) lots of carrot juice (which is GREAT for producing milk!!).
Good luck with everything. 🙂
I also made pancakes, cookie dough, and the flour mixes for my complicated healthy breads, and stored all these freezer.
This is like the jack pot for making dinner fast! I work late a lot and am often searching for things that are quick and easy for dinner. I can’t wait to try out some of these recipes! Thank you so much for sharing!!
Hi… Great idea! Quick question…. How long can you store
Frozn Sauces , Soups and casseroles ,Frozen Salad Dressings, Miscellaneous Freezer Meals, & Sweet Treats.
Thanks a bunch! 🙂
How long could you freeze those foods in the freezer for?
I just love all your recipes!! Thank you for this list, I see there are some I need to try. Love so many of them and they are always good. I wish all the luck in the world with the new baby. You will have such a wonderful life with the new one!!
Everyone needs some good freezer meals so that you have something when days are crazy! Also I was wondering if you have some good freezer breakfast items. WIth a husband you works all the time and just needs something quick to grab and go I have been trying to think of things I could freeze and he could hurry and thaw out! Thanks so much!
So many great ideas!! I especially love all of the sauce ideas and freezing them in an ice cube tray.
Thanks for these awesome ideas! Ill have to get started on these soon, I feel so unprepared but having these in the freezer for the first few weeks after our new baby gets here will be so helpful I’m sure!
I love this post! I had a baby in February and I sure could have used some of these tips then, but these will be great for busy schedule now. I definitely used a lot of precut and frozen veggies for dinner. Whenever family or friends would come visit I would get them to make some guacamole and cut up some veggies so I could have snacks while I breastfed. You’re going to master the art of eating with one hand. I also had a lot of easy to eat fruit on hand like apples and bananas. Also smoothies were quick and great!
I’ve never thought of freezing salad dressings—genius!! I love the ice cube tray idea, too. I wish I could freeze a whole list like yours above, just to have on hand when I’m feeling lazy!! 🙂
Girl, you are so smart! I’m going to do this so I have more sauces and dressings on hand.
This is perfect timing! I am due in a few weeks and had planned on making some freezer meals to be somewhat prepared. I appreciate people wanting to bring me food, but it’s tough when you try to eat a certain way (Paleo). I can’t wait to try several of these and be ready for baby!
Congrats to you, mama, and hope you are able to get some rest 😉
Please let us know what was good out of the freezer! I will be making batches of food in a couple months, too. Congrats on the little one – glad you were mostly-prepared early!! All the more reason for my husband and me to get prepped ahead of schedule.
Just a quick comment on freezing dressings and pesto, maybe you could correct me if I’m wrong. I heard it is extremely dangerous to prepare any oil-based condiments from home ahead of time. Apparently, oil is a basic medium that increases the propagation of the bacteria responsible for botulism. This is why any pesto, dressing or bread dipping sauce you make from home without preservatives should be consumed in the following days. And freezing is not enough to kill the bacteria. I often make pesto, and since I have come across this information, I puree my herbs, nuts, garlic and what not, like I used to, and freeze them in ice trays but only mix the thawed puree with oil when I am ready to eat it. What do you think?
Thank you so much for these helpful tips and recipes. I’m pretty busy with two full time jobs 1)my 9-5 outside of my home and 2)my husband and kids. The last thing I want to do is bulk up my pantry and freezer with unhealthy items for the sake of having something quick and easy on hand. I firmly believe everything we eat should nourish our bodies but when you have time restraints, that drive-thru you pass on the way home starts looking like a good option. Please keep these life and time saving tips coming!! I appreciate it more than you know!
I just love your website!!! There is not one recipe on here i’ve tried that I havent LOVED & made again. I come here every single week to look for ideas/recipes for our weekly menu. I’m so glad I found this section on frozen meals, as I am starting grad school very soon and will need some already-prepared healthy meals!!! You make my life easier!
Thank you for sharing these freezer meals! I go back to work late next week post-baby, and I’ve been going crazy trying to find recipes that are freezer friendly, delicious, AND nutritious! Thanks for taking the guess work out of it for me! 🙂