Five recipes that freeze well and you’ll love to have on hand!
I do a lot of polls on Instagram to find out what recipes you want to see, and freezer meals are always close to the top. Freezer prep, 60-minute meals, and 30-minute meals are usually the top three types of meals requested, so I decided to start by sharing my top 5 meals and desserts that freeze well.
Everyone is busy these days, and it’s a lifesaver to have these dishes in the freezer. On the days you don’t have time, or you don’t want to order out, or you don’t want to get dressed to go out, it’s nice to have a delicious home-cooked meal that you can just pop in the oven.
Meal prep day or double batch?
I typically plan a three to four-hour window, one day out of the month, to make as many things as I can to stock my freezer really well because I know it’s going to save me a ton of time. However, you don’t have to set aside a day. If you’re making things that freeze well anyway, make a double batch! It takes very little extra time when you’re already making a dish, and you get to put the extra batch in the freezer for an easy homemade dinner.
What freezes well?
Get into the habit of scheduling a freezer meal prep day or the habit of cooking double batches. So many things freeze well, like soups, casseroles, breads, pastries, and a whole lot more! You’ll find freezer directions for a lot of my dishes written in the blog posts, but I’m going to give you my top five favorite things to freeze here altogether. Perfect for a meal prep day!
Try a freezer meal prep day
On a freezer meal prep day, I pay attention to things that need to be set, cool, or have extended times in the oven. It gives me a chance to start with those, and then make other recipes while they’re doing their thing. That way, I can use every minute, and my video shows you how to work through the entire freezer meal prep day with all of these recipes. I start with the bone broth because it takes hours to cook.
Prepping for Freezer prep!
That sounds funny, but it’s important. You don’t want to tie up your regular dishes by using them to store things in the freezer. So, get some disposable aluminum foil baking pans in various sizes for all of your freezer meals. Also, pick up foil to cover the pans and a sharpie to label them. I write what the dish is and the date right on the top of the foil. I know there are healthier options out there for trays, but ceramic and glass don’t do well with drastic temperature changes. The only other option I would recommend is stainless steel. I don’t have that many stainless pans or a place to store them. So, use whichever works best for you.
Bone Broth
I love having bone broth on hand, especially this rich nutritious beef bone broth. It has an Asian flare because my kids love ramen and pho. Having it in the freezer allows them to thaw or melt it in a pot, and just add whatever noodles, meats, and/or veggies they’d like. To be honest, you don’t even have to add anything to it if you’d just like to use it to get your collagen in. It’s delicious, just as it is, and it will stay fresh in your freezer for up to three months. Here’s the recipe!
The Pastitsio
I like to make two trays of pastitsio at a time. I can have dinner for the night and pastitsio for the freezer. Plus, even though pastitsio is only three layers consisting of noodles, meat sauce and bechamel, the meat sauce and bechamel take time to make. Plus, you have to cook the whole thing after you layer it in the pan. So, it’s not something you would plan for a busy weeknight… unless you have one in the freezer! Here’s the recipe!
The Spanakopita
Spanakopita freezes so well, and it’s one of those dishes you can take straight from the freezer to the oven. You can thaw it out overnight to cook a little faster, but it only takes 30 minutes to cook from frozen. So, whether you plan ahead or need something straight from the freezer, you can have spanakopita. Because of this, I make two trays at a time and enjoy the comfort of knowing I have them. It will stay fresh in the freezer for up to three months. Here’s the recipe!
Galaktoboureko Rolls
You may also want to have a special dessert in the freezer for last-minute gatherings or party invites. Galaktoboureko is a Greek custard pie, and I posted the rolls on my Youtube channel a long time ago. However, they stay fresh in the freezer for up to two months, so I couldn’t give you my top five freezer meals without galaktoboureko rolls. It’s crispy butter phyllo rolls with semolina custard inside. They’re delicious and guest worthy. Here’s the recipe!
Nutella Rolls
My nutella baklava rolls are made in the exact same way as the galaktoboureko rolls, but even easier. Instead of making the custard, all you need is phyllo, butter, and Nutella. I always have these in the freezer because any time I have leftover phyllo from making a dish, I can throw these together in no time. You can bake these straight out of the freezer, and they’re so delicious to serve with coffee. Here’s the recipe!
I hope you discovered how easy freezer meals can be. Now, if you have friends that want to come over last minute, you won’t be in a panic. You can pop something from the freezer into the oven and use the twenty minutes you have before they arrive to pick up the house and start a pot of coffee. You’ll be ready in no time with a delicious home-cooked meal! Kali Orexi!
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