Fantastic Freezer Meals in a Hurry
Hectic and hurried are two words that may describe your family life–I know they accurately describe mine. We fly between school events, football and soccer games and practices, set construction and heaven help either one of us if we have to work late or on the weekend! We are busy! That makes meal planning tough.
Frozen cantaloupe is great in smoothies!
I try to plan ahead for the week by prepping produce and as many dishes as possible. Going through the drive thru is a last resort–and still may happen in a pinch. One thing that keeps me on top of last minute meals is what I plan ahead and freeze. I may roast an entire bag of chicken breasts on the weekend, debone them, and freeze them in small pouches to take out and place in my lunch. I will cook a HUGE pork shoulder for pulled pork, use half of it for a meal immediately, and half to freeze and eat later. Two for the time of one! I use the Pioneer Woman’s pulled pork recipe–it makes its own sauce–and is so tasty!
Some meals go together so quickly if you have the prep work already done. Zucchini dishes fall into this category. I grate any zucchini that I am not using during the summer and place 2 1/2 cups in a freezer bag. When I need it, I thaw it in the fridge overnight, then snip a corner of the bag off when I use it to drain excess liquid. Most of my recipes call for two cups of zucchini, and by the time I drain the bag, it as two cups left! Very quick!
Frozen summer squash can be placed in any dish–sweet or savory.
The same applies to fruit in season. In early summer, I can purchase blueberries for $0.99/lb., which is a lot cheaper than $3.99/lb now. I freeze as many as possible, along with other berries and even cantaloupe before it goes bad. This winter, my kids can get into the freezer, pour a few handfuls of frozen fruit and some yogurt in the blender–and voila! They have a quick, nutritious breakfast! Cheaply! I also love to make fruit galettes for quick dessert once in awhile. A pie crust with a bag of my frozen fruit placed on top with a dash of sanding sugar–and I have a light dessert in a pinch.
I freeze a lot! The secret to making it work is knowing what is in your freezer, and utilizing it before it gets lost in the back. Always label what you are freezing also–it really helps!
For more great frozen recipes and ideas from nutrition experts, check out more Recipe Redux blogs.
