Stock Your Freezer Before September
Published 10 days ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader!
I’m at the point in August where I know the school-year schedule is about to get a lot busier, so I’ve been thinking about what I can make now that will save me time later.
Freezer meals are one of the easiest ways I do that. I can make dinner on a normal night, double it, and freeze half for one of those evenings when everyone is hungry and I really don’t want to start from scratch.
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A few things that make freezing easier
Freeze in the portions you’ll actually use. I like individual portions for lunches and larger reusable bags for family dinners.
Use an aluminum foil baking pan. If you plan to put a baked recipe directly in the freezer, bake it in an aluminum foil pan. This way, you won’t have to transfer it to another dish or freeze one of your casserole dishes.
Label everything. Add a food label with the recipe name and date before it goes in the freezer. Otherwise, I promise that mystery container will stay there forever 😂
And one little reminder: you don’t have to spend an entire Sunday meal prepping. Even freezing one extra dinner this week is one less dinner to think about later.
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Chicken Rice Casserole
Freezing instructions: Freeze pre-baked or fully baked. Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil and plastic wrap. Alternatively, scoop the casserole into a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, then bake.
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Homemade Lasagna
Freezing instructions: After cooking, cool the lasagna completely, then cover with foil and freezer-safe cling wrap. It keeps in the freezer for up to 3 months. Bake it directly from frozen, adding 10 minutes extra before removing the foil.
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Chicken Meatballs
Freezing instructions: To freeze before cooking, arrange on a wax paper-lined baking sheet, flash freeze for 1 hour, then transfer to a freezer bag or container. To freeze after cooking, cool first before storing for up to 3 months. Cook or reheat from frozen!
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Spaghetti Sauce
Freezing instructions: Cool completely, then pack it into large wide-mouth mason jars, leaving at least an inch of headspace for expansion in the freezer. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw before using in recipes like baked spaghetti or sheet pan lasagna.
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Beef Burritos
Freezing instructions: Freeze taco meat up to 3 months. Wrap assembled burrito in foil and store in a freezer-safe bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge and heat at 350°F until warm.
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Vegetarian Lemon Rice Soup
Freezing instructions: Freeze the soup in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove. Add a splash of fresh lemon juice to revive the flavor.
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Still shopping for school? Here are a few cute school supplies my daughter recently grabbed plus some breakfast and lunch boxes to shop!
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If you're enjoying my cookbook, can you please rate the book wherever you bought it?
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