Life gets busy sometimes, and after a long day, the last thing you want to do is get in your kitchen and cook dinner. Ordering in is the easier option, but then those delivery bills pile up and can make you cringe when you see how much you’ve spent…but there is an easy solution to your meal planning woes — freezer-ready meals.
Here are three of our favorite recipes that you can cook ahead of time, pop in the freezer, and simply reheat on those days when you’re just not feeling it. If you love these recipes as much as we do, go to the Flipp app to find the best deals on ingredients.
Chicken Florentine Meatballs
Have these spinach-packed meatballs ready to go in your freezer, and simply boil some pasta or serve with rice for a quick and nutritious meal that won’t disappoint.
Meatball Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp dried minced onion
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp pepper
- 1 pound ground chicken
Sauce Ingredients:
- ½ pound sliced fresh mushrooms
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
Directions:
- In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the ground chicken. Crumble chicken over the mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-1/2-inch balls.
- Place meatballs on a rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 400°F for 20-25 minutes or until no longer pink.
- For sauce, in a large nonstick skillet, saute mushrooms in oil until tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add meatballs and heat through.
- Freezing Instructions: Place individual portions of cooled meatballs in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Microwave, covered, on high in a microwave-safe dish until heated through, gently stirring and adding a little water if necessary.
Ricotta-Stuffed Pasta Shells
Instead of frozen lasagna, shake things up with these stuffed pasta shells that will make any weeknight dinner feel like a fine dining experience.
Ingredients:
- Kosher salt
- 8 ounces jumbo pasta shells
- 30 ounces whole-milk ricotta cheese
- ½ cup Pecorino Romano cheese
- 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
- 12 leaves fresh basil, cut into strips
- 1 egg
- Black pepper
- 8 ounces Parmesan
- 2 jars marinara sauce
- 8 ounces grated mozzarella cheese
Directions:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta shells and cook for half the cooking time on the package. Make sure not to overcook. Drain and rinse in cool water. Set aside.
- In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, Romano, parsley, basil, egg, some salt and pepper and half of the Parmesan. Stir until combined.
- To assemble, coat the bottom of a baking dish with some sauce. Fill each half-cooked shell with the cheese mixture and place face-down on the sauce. Repeat with the shells until the cheese mixture is gone. Top the shells with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle on the mozzarella and extra Parmesan.
- Freezing Instructions: Cool unbaked casserole; cover and freeze. To use, partially thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Bake at 350° F until hot and bubbly (about 30 minutes) and a thermometer inserted in the center reads 165°F.
Zucchini Pizza Casserole
Here’s a healthier and more flavorful alternative to pizza that has a freshly made zucchini crust. Make a few of these on meal prep day, freeze, and reheat when you’re in a time crunch.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 can (15 ounces) Italian tomato sauce
- 1 medium green or sweet red pepper, chopped
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Place zucchini in a colander; sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 10 minutes, then squeeze out the moisture.
- Combine zucchini with eggs, Parmesan and half the mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. Press into a greased 13×9-in. or 3-qt. baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, breaking meat into crumbles; drain. Add tomato sauce; spoon over zucchini mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses; add green pepper. Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes longer.
- Freezing Instructions: Cool baked casserole; cover and freeze. To use, partially thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°F. Unwrap casserole; reheat on a lower oven rack until heated through and a thermometer inserted in the center reads 165°F.
We hope that these freezer-friendly recipes help make your life a little bit easier. Do you have a freezer-friendly recipe of your own? Share it in the comments below!
