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When my kids were growing up, I was always on the lookout for Meals that Freeze and Reheat Well. Even now, as an empty nester, I find myself turning back to this collection of easy recipes whenever I need to meal prep for the week ahead! Whether you're looking for your next favorite soup, a fresh new lasagna, or pulled pork to use in everything from tacos to rice bowls, these meals are sure to satisfy you. Let's make dinner time more effortless than ever!
Meals that Freeze Well
I will let you in on one of my favorite home chef secrets: any meal you can find in the grocery store's frozen aisle is a meal you can make at home and freeze yourself! Take a walk down the frozen meal section, and a whole new world of meals that freeze well will open up to you.
I love having a whole bunch of frozen meals prepared ahead. It makes everything so easy! So, we sat down and went through all of our favorites to make this list together to share with you.
These recipes are perfect for feeding your family throughout the week. By freezing leftovers in individual portions, you can prep a whole bunch of weeknight dinners and break up the monotony of eating the same meal daily. It's a win-win!
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Good Meals To Freeze and Reheat
If you know the store-bought classics, you might have a good idea of the kinds of meals that freeze well! Some examples are stews, pasta in sauce, lasagna, mac n' cheese, burritos, and burger casseroles. If a food has lots of sauce or liquid or can be reheated in the oven, it's perfect for batch-cook meal prep!
To make things even easier, I've sorted my lists of meals into categories depending on the type of meal, and included all sorts of info on if they're frozen meals prepared ahead or big meals that freeze well after being cooked. Plus, tips and tricks on how to avoid freezer burn and save on freezer space!
Try my Soups for Freezing next!
Isabel's Frozen Meal Prep Tip
Double the recipe and package the other half to freeze! (Just make sure to let it cool first.) This way, you can cook at once and stock up the freezer simultaneously. Once you cook a few doubled recipes, you'll have a freezer stocked with tons of great, easy options for freezer meals!
Casseroles that Freeze Well
Casseroles might be my favorite easy freezer recipe! They're so easy to assemble and bake, and you can just use a bigger dish to make double batches for extra leftovers. Plus, you can easily pack away portion-sized slices, and they reheat well from frozen, so no thawing is required.
Pasta Freezer Meals
Frozen lasagna and pasta dishes are classics of the freezer aisle, but they taste so much better when made at home! Whip up one of my easy pasta recipes, freeze the leftovers, and enjoy delicious pasta dinners any day of the week by popping a portion from the freezer and reheating it in the oven.
Soups that Freeze Well
Soups are the perfect freezer meal. Because they're primarily liquid, they're at low risk of getting freezer burn and are easy to package into freezer-safe containers. Run a little hot water around the outside of the container to loosen the frozen soup, and pop it right into a pan to reheat from frozen!
Meat to Make and Freeze
One of the handiest things to have in the freezer is meal-base meat like carnitas, barbacoa, or pulled pork! These recipes already cook in big batches due to the cut of meat required, and can be turned into all sorts of meals from tacos to burritos to flatbread pizzas. They're the perfect answer for a weeknight dinner when you don't know what to make!
Frozen Meal Prep Tips
- Omit the heavy cream! There's a reason a lot of frozen pastas use artificial thickeners for cream sauces. Cream tends to split while being reheated, and can lead to clumpy, unappetizing textures. If you're freezing stew that you want to make creamy, add the cream once it's been reheated.
- Make double batches and freeze the extras to reduce the total cooking time for the maximum amount of meals possible!
- Many meals taste even better after freezing, as it lets the flavors meld together. Chili, curry, and stews benefit the most from freezing and reheating.
- Larger meals like casseroles can either be frozen before baking in the casserole dish, or baked, then put into portion sized containers. Choose based on your freezer space needs!
How to Store Meals to Freeze
- Cook: Most of the time, it's ideal to fully cook the meal first, though some recipes (such as hamburgers) can be frozen raw.
- Cool: It's critically important that you fully cool the meal before packaging it for the freezer! If you place hot or warm food in the freezer, you run the risk of heating up the entire freezer and spoiling any food within.
- Package: Pack the meal into individual portion-sized freezer safe plastic containers. I highly recommend smaller containers over larger ones, as it will make thawing the correct amount much easier. If you're storing dishes that don't include sauce (such as meats), use plastic bags with the air pressed out or add a layer of oil to prevent freezer burn.
- Freeze: Stack the containers in the freezer, and store until ready to eat!
How to Reheat Frozen Meals Well
- Thaw: Some recipes can be cooked from frozen, while others do best thawed first. To thaw a frozen meal easily, place it in the fridge the night before you wish to serve it. You can also quick-thaw meals by placing the airtight container in a sink full of cold water.
- Fastest Reheating: To reheat very quickly, place the meal in the microwave. You'll need to stir several times to ensure that it heats through, and the texture may not be preserved if the dish had any crisp or crunch to it!
- Most Even Reheating: The most reliable and even way to reheat meals while retaining a good texture is to reheat them in the oven! Place the meals in an oven-safe dish and reheat at 350°F until warm and toasty. The heating time will depend on the meal, so check every 10 minutes.
- Fastest + Crispiest Reheating: If you're reheating a dish you want to get nice and crispy, the air fryer is the answer! This works great for meals like frozen taquitos, burritos, and sandwiches. You can even wrap the frozen dish in aluminum foil to prevent the outside from burning while the inside heats!
See my School Lunch Ideas for Picky Eaters, too!
Make Ahead Freezer Meal Recipes FAQ
I like always having frozen cooked rice on hand, as well as an assortment of easy cooked veggies like butternut squash and mashed potatoes. Cooked marinated meats such as carnitas, barbacoa, or pulled pork are great staple proteins to turn into all manner of dishes.
It's infamously difficult to freeze heavy dairies like heavy cream and cream cheese, as they tend to clump up while reheating unless continuously stirred and whisked. Potatoes are also tricky to freeze unless mashed or shredded, so avoid freezing recipes with large chunks or cubes of potato.
Freezing meals isn’t just about convenience. It’s about preserving the love and effort that goes into every dish. Whether preparing for a busy week ahead or saving a special meal for later, these dishes are a reminder that Sunday Supper can be enjoyed any day of the week. Let’s continue to gather, share, and celebrate delicious moments together, one meal at a time!
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