Freezer Meal Favorites

Freezer meals are gifts we give ourselves for those days we need to get up and go without a second thought. For those days we wake up late and have 15 minutes to get the kids to school or even just get ourselves ready for work/school. Yea we've all been there. It's always good to have a planner or calendar available for times like these. Times when you know you're going to have a busy week or even just a busy day that could drain you to the point, you may not want to even look in your kitchens direction. If you have a day available that month before the initial busy week/weeks, you can use that day for strictly freezer meals. Have the kids help. Make sure to plan ahead. How many of your family members eat this meal? What items do you need? Do you have all the items needed? How much time do you need to cook and assemble everything? Can you make an extra freezer meal that would include dinner tonight? Is there enough space in the freezer for all the freezer meals? All these questions can be beneficial to ask yourself so nothing is forgotten. Below are some freezer meals I assemble myself when I have space. I don't currently own a deep freezer (yet!) so I am very limited. But when I have the time and space these are few I stick with:

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Yields: 2x 10 " Pizzas

Pizza Dough

3 1/2 Cup Flour

2 TSP Salt

1 TSP Sugar

2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 1/3 Cups of Warm Water, 110 degrees ( as warm as a baby bottle)

1 Envelope of Yeast (2 1/2 TSP)

Pizza Sauce

4oz can Tomato Sauce

Dried Oregano, to taste

Dried Basil, to taste

Granulated Garlic, to taste

Granulated Onion, to taste

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Pinch of Sugar

1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella

Instructions

1. Add the sugar and yeast to the warm water, set aside for about 3 min or until proofed.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, mix together flour, salt, and olive oil. Stir the yeast in the water to make sure it's all dissolved and add to the flour mixture.

3. With speed on medium, mix until everything is combined. Reduce the speed to low and mix for 10 min.

4. Oil two bowls with olive oil and set aside. Divide the dough into two pieces and roll into a ball. Place each ball of dough into the oiled bowls; seam side down and brush the tops of the dough with a little oil to stop them from drying out. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of each bowl and place in a warm place. Inside a microwave or oven (turned off) works best.

5. Put together the sauce. Once the dough has doubled in size, place on pizza baking pan or pizza stone. Add sauce to center of the pizza and with a spoon, using a circular motion, spread the sauce on the pizza, avoid spreading all the way to edge. Spread shredded cheese over pizza along with toppings of choice.

6. Wrap in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil for the best coverage.

 To bake: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place pizza in the oven for 20-25 min, turning 180 degrees halfway through cooking.

Yields: 2x Loaf Pans

Greek Meatloaf Ingredients

2lb Ground Turkey

1 Chopped Onion

3 Chopped Cloves of Garlic

Italian Seasoning, to taste

1 Cup of Baby Spinach

1/4 Cup BBQ Sauce

1/2 Cup Feta Cheese

Onion Soup/Dip Packet 

Salt & Pepper, to taste

3/4 Cup Breadcrumbs

Instructions

1. Line loaf pans with parchment paper or aluminum foil. 

2. Mix Ingredients in a large bowl, add to loaf pans. Cover with aluminum foil.

To Bake:  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add strips of bacon (optional). Cook for 45min to an hour. Brush more BBQ sauce and cook for extra 8 min.

These are great for breakfast. I cook breakfast and assemble lunch for my husband daily. These breakfast burritos give me a little break for a week or so. My kids like them too so it all depends on how much I'm able to put together. It's pretty basic. Cook everything and put it together in the tortillas. Roll up the tortillas and cook in preheated oven for 15 min, 350 degrees. Once cooled, wrap in aluminum foil and bag them into ziplock bags.

To Heat: Heat in microwave, wrapped in paper towel for 1-2 min; In the oven, 15 minutes at 375 degrees.

My oldest loves Mexican cuisine. Tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and taquitos. Any excuse to use up all sour cream. (lol). It's difficult to make at all.

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix chicken, cream cheese, shredded cheese, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper.

2. Heat up a skillet over medium heat with oil.

3. Assemble the Taquitos with ingredients. After rolling, place seam side down in 2 TBSP of oil. Once the color is golden, place on sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes. Let cool, place on parchment in a ziplock bag.

To Heat: Heat in microwave, wrapped in paper towel for 1-2 min; In the oven, 15 minutes at 375 degrees.

If you have a day or even a few hours to spare, please give these recipes a try. They will not only ease your meal times but they will save you money. You won't have that impulse to buy food outside because you're ready to conquer the kitchen and possibly the world! (giggle). The possibilities are endless. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below or email me personally. Also, follow me on my other social media accounts. 

Twitter:@planningmeal

Pinterest: @goodfamilyeating