Do you ever have trouble deciding what to eat? The cupboards are full of food, but you want something home cooked and you didn't set out anything for dinner. Or maybe you set something out for dinner but now it doesn't sound good. Perhaps you're single and tired of living on dreams and spaghetti-O's (thank-you Martina McBride for the reminder). Or maybe you're busy mom taking care of the household, kids and working a 40 hour a week job and need something quick for everyone.
How about some easy freeze ahed meals. Take a day off or make it a family event. There are so many different meals out there that take just a short amount of time to prepare and cook. Even better...you can make theses meals and freeze them.
Plan your meals for an entire week or just have something to grab when it's just you. Work second shift at work and need to eat but too tired to cook a meal? Freeze ahead meals is the solution.
Being on my own and living by myself I've taken to making freeze ahead meals. All you need is plenty of storage containers: tupperware, plastic freezer bags and/or styrofoam are great options for individual meals. If you're planning for a family you can get the tin foil pans at your local dollar store. Take one day when I'm not working and cook up two or three different meals and I have enough food to last me a month.
Here are a some of my favorite meals to cook and freeze. Many more can be found on pinterest and other social media sites or by simply doing a google search.
1. Chili
This is a great meal to make in a slow cooker. You can leave it sit all day to simmer and when finished I like to divide it up. There's a meal for at least two weeks. Even better you can season it to taste. I like a little kick so I like to add tomatoes with chiles to mine and just enough garlic powder to offer some burn without setting your mouth on fire.
2. Broccoli Chicken Alfredo
Another great crockpot mea that’s easy to divide. Need some variety so that you’re not stuck with chili for two weeks? Try some Alfredo. You can try making this the next week after cleaning the crockpot.
3. Twice Baked Potato
It’s a meal, right? After all the toppings are added to it I know I’d be stuffed.
4. Sweet and Sour Chicken
In the mood for Chinese but can’t afford the take-out? Make it yourself and freeze it. This is one of my favorite meals and I usually get about 2 meals.
And finally, my favorite…
5. Honey Glazed Pork Chops
For those nights I just want something sweet yet substantial.
There are so many more meals out there as well. If you really like Italian you can freeze spaghetti, lasagna, or even ravioli. The best part is you can freeze just about anything. There a few things I would personally be concerned about dairy, aside from ice cream, certain veggies such as lettuce and raw potatoes and egg based sauces such as mayonnaise. Other than that, enjoy you freeze ahead meals and don’t limit yourself to just what I have mentioned here.