Easy Meals That Freeze Well

I love to cook but don't always have time to prepare meals several times each week. When I have time available on the weekends, I like to prepare several meals worth of food, to use for lunches at work and busy week-night meals. I also like to prepare freeze ahead meals, so that a home cooked dinner is always only a microwave defrost cycle away.

Taco Meat

One of the easiest freeze ahead main dish meal items is taco meat. Simply brown ground beef and season with your favorite taco seasoning mix. I usually make my own seasoning blend using the recipe found here, but you can use any brand or recipe you prefer.

I usually prepare several pounds of taco meat when I cook this dish. I keep enough in the refrigerator for a few meals of tacos, taco salad, burrito, quesadillas, or other easy Mexican meals.

The rest, I portion into freezer safe Rubbermaid containers. Once cooled, I label with the date of preparation and place in the freezer. On any given night, I can thaw a container of meat and create a great dinner in no time with just a few tortillas and cheese, or other staple ingredients.

Homemade Vegetable Soup

During the fall and winter months, I cook big pots of homemade vegetable soup on a regular basis. My husband grew up eating veggie soup from the freezer as an after school snac. This homemade vegetable soup recipe is easy to make, and freezes beautifully.

You can freeze this soup, as well as most tomato or broth-based soups in Rubbermaid containers or with a Food Saver Vacuum Sealer. Keep in mind that pastas and rice do not freeze well, so if you like to add these items to your soup, do that after defrosting.

Turkey

I sometimes cook a large turkey when I'm not expecting company, just so there will be leftovers to enjoy now and freeze for later. We'll have a hot turkey dinner the day I cook the turkey, and then enjoy sandwiches for a few days. Once we're tired of eating turkey that week, I freeze what is left for later meals. It can be thawed for use in sandwiches, casseroles, or soups. This is a really convenient way to enjoy turkey meals even when you're too busy to cook.

Benefits of Make and Freeze Meals

By planning ahead so that you have freezer-friendly leftovers whenever you cook large meals, you'll save time and money in the long run. You'll also enjoy a much healthier diet. When you have the makings of easy, healthful meals in your freezer, it's much less tempting to order pizza or run by the local fast food joint on your way home from work.