These days we’re all trying to be super humans by eating better, planning better and just doing better in general. But even when you’re trying to maintain a healthy work-life balance, making time for meal planning can be tough (despite all the meal prep inspiration out there). If only we had the super power to freeze time! What we can freeze is a plethora of ingredients and dishes to help us out when we’re in a pinch. So the next time you’re whipping up a bolognese pasta dish or a fresh batch of hummus, make extra and store it in the freezer. Your future self will thank you for saving the day. Here are 15 freezer-friendly recipes to get you started.
1. FreezerBreakfast Sandwiches: We know breakfast is the most important meal of the day. We also know it’s difficult to make something substantial while matching socks and packing lunches. These make-ahead freezer breakfast sandwiches are the perfect solution. (via Damn Delicious)
2. Super Easy Homemade Granola With Macadamia and Coconut Oil: Packed with sweetness and crunch, this tasty homemade granola with macadamias and coconut oil takes a measly 10 minutes to cook. This freezer-approved healthy treat is a total time saver. (via Whole Food Bellies)
3. Spicy Sweet Potato Hummus: This right here is AH-mazing news. Hummus is one of those things that is just way better homemade. If you haven’t tried it yet, the fact that you can freeze extra batches for later should be a great incentive. (via The Novice Chef Blog)
4. Avocados: The best news you’ll hear all week? YOU CAN FREEZE AVOCADOS. And yes, this also means you can freeze guac. So next time you make a monster batch of guacamole because your eyes are bigger than your stomach, it’s cool. Just freeze the leftovers. (via Foodtastic Mom)
5. Spinach Walnut Pesto: Pesto is a fantastic addition to pasta dishes, healthy pizzas and sandwiches, and it’s super handy to have kicking around for a quick and easy weeknight dish. This freezer-friendly recipe swaps the usual pine nuts for walnuts for some extra nuttiness. (via Mariah’s Pleasing Plates)
6. A Simple Béchamel Sauce (White Sauce): Béchamel is one of the mother sauces of French cuisine and it’s absolutely glorious. It intensifies the creaminess in rich dishes like homemade mac ‘n’ cheese, lasagna and scalloped potatoes. Who wouldn’t want to have this sitting in the freezer for a rainy day? (via The Cooks Pyjamas)
7. Fresh Herbs: Anyone who loves to cook probably has big intentions for their farmers’ market bounty, but the sad reality is that we often purchase a bunch of fresh herbs only to use a tablespoon’s worth. Next time, freeze your herbs in olive oil. They’ll be ready to hit the saucepan when you need them. (via DIY Ready)
8. Slow Cooker Spicy Brown Rice: Don’t you just love when you misjudge and make too much rice? No? Well you will love it from now on because you can freeze those extras. This dish only takes 25 minutes of prep and is cooked in a slow cooker, another time-saving superstar. (via Kalyn’s Kitchen)
9. Simple Freezer Tomato Basil Sauce: Having a simple tomato basil sauce at your disposal is amazing. Want pasta? Cool. Pizza? Do it. A dipping sauce for mozzarella sticks? You’re covered, and please invite us over. (via Wright Family Table)
10. Slow Cooker Bolognese: If you know you’re going to be feeding your family a fair amount of pasta and you want something hearty on hand, this freezer-friendly slow cooker bolognese is the way to go. Save the rest in the freezer for next week’s Sunday supper or that modern casserole you’ve been dying to make. (via August Joy Studios)
11. Turkey Meatball and Pasta Soup: Being able to store soup stock in the freezer isn’t anything new, but what about a loaded ready-to-eat soup complete with wholesome veggies and turkey meatballs? This one freezes wonderfully and it’s suitable for any season. (via I Food Real)
12. Butternut Squash Apple Soup: Now that you know you can freeze a loaded broth soup, you might be wondering about the smooth and creamy butternut squash soups everyone covets when summer fades into fall. The answer is yes: freeze away. (via Well Plated)
13. Root Vegetable Coconut Curry: There’s no such thing as too much curry, so it’s a good thing this recipe makes eight servings for stocking up your freezer. Pair it with white rice for perfectly portioned and easy-to-heat weeknight dinners. (via Natural Comfort Kitchen)
14. Spicy Chickpea Veggie Burgers: We’ve all frozen burgers before, but any sort of patty that falls into the “veggie burger” category can be a little fussy. Luckily this spicy chickpea veggie option is freezer-approved and ready to be served when vegetarian friends come over unexpectedly. (via Peas & Crayons)
15. Honey BBQ Slow Cooker Chicken Taquitos: Filled with a creamy mixture of chicken, cheese and homemade BBQ sauce, these simple taquitos will keep for up to three months. The best part is that you can freeze them once assembled. All you have to do when you’re ready to enjoy is bake them. Ahhh, dinner made simple. (via Kristine’s Kitchen)
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Dana Sandonato
Born in Canada and now living in the beautiful state of North Carolina, Dana is a coffee-reliant food writer with a healthy appetite, a taste for culinary adventure, a thirst for good beers, and an endless hunger for food photography. When not writing for Brit + Co, she can be found pouring herself into her blog-turned-webzine, Killing Thyme, or taste-testing at local breweries with her husband. Dana's ideal down time includes pizza, marathoning on Netflix, or watching her fave flicks from the 80s and 90s - no matter how great or awful they are!
