Start the new year healthier and organized with our Spinach Baked Ziti freezer meal recipe! With the holidays coming to the end and a new year starting we’re all looking for some healthy make ahead freezer meals to simplify life and get us back on track. I love having my week planned out and being able to pull my dinner out of the freezer in the morning so I can put a warm, healthy meal on the dinner table without spending hours in the kitchen.
Spinach Baked Ziti is a healthy make ahead freezer meal lightened up with ground turkey. I filled this recipe with fresh baby spinach, too, for your daily serving of vegetables. It’s still total comfort food though with lots of delicious tomato sauce and a a mixture of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on the inside and fresh mozzarella melted on top. It’s a freezer meal that everyone in the family is going to love!
There are all types of make ahead meals like this Ham and Cheese English Muffin Breakfast Casserole but freezer meals are my favorite. With a little bit of meal planning and prep you can fill your freezer up with healthy make ahead freezer meals for the whole week! To make this Spinach Baked Ziti you assemble everything into a casserole dish that can be frozen and heated and then cover it in foil and plastic wrap and place in the freezer. When you’re ready to use it you bake it according to the instructions and ta-da! You have dinner.
Tips for Making Spinach Baked Ziti:
- Use disposable aluminum pans. They are inexpensive and can be frozen and heated without breaking. Bonus, less dishes to wash!
- Take your Spinach Baked Ziti out of the freezer the night before and let it thaw in the fridge.
- Use a marker to write the baking instructions on the foil before freezing.
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- 16 oz. Ziti
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1.5 lb. Ground Turkey
- 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
- 2 tsp Salt divided
- 5 oz. Baby Spinach fresh & steamed
- 45 oz Pasta Sauce divided
- 1 c Parmesan grated
- 8 oz. Mozzarella cheese shredded
- 4 oz. Fresh Mozzarella sliced
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Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and ziti. Cook according to package instructions. Once it is cooked drain water and place ziti back in the pot. Set aside.
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Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil and ground turkey. As turkey cooks add 1 teaspoon of salt and Italian seasoning. Once turkey is browned remove from heat and drain grease.
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Add cooked ground turkey, 35 oz. pasta sauce, shredded mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, and steamed baby spinach to the pasta and gently fold together.
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Grease the inside of a disposable aluminum pan and pour the ziti mixture into it. Top with the last 10 oz. of pasta sauce and the sliced mozzarella.
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Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and place in freezer.
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When ready to eat remove from freezer the night before and let the Spinach Baked Ziti thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
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Remove plastic wrap and cover the dish with aluminum foil then bake for 25-35 minutes.
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Remove foil and continue to bake for 20 minutes more or until sauce is bubbling and dish is heated through.
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Let stand for 10 minutes and then enjoy!
There are lots of great healthy make ahead freezer meals out there. These Lasagna Roll Ups are one of my favorites. You can split them up into individual servings and heat one or two up at a time. They are great for lunches! If you’re ready to start planning your freezer meals and need some more ideas check out 7 Freezer Meals For When Mom’s Away and Make Ahead Meals for #WeekdaySupper. There are enough great recipes to plan your whole week!
Healthy Make Ahead Freezer Meals
Frozen Fruits and Veggies
- Cauliflower Mash Potatoes by April Golightly
- Easy Whole30 Barbecue Sauce by Cricket’s Confections
- Make-Ahead Pumpkin Spice Smoothie Bowl by Wholistic Woman
- Roasted Vegetable Bisque by Bites of Wellness
- Spinach Baked Ziti Make Ahead Freezer Meal by Sunday Supper
- Vegetable Soup with Meatballs by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie by Pies and Plots
Preparing Some Protein
- Chicken Sausage and Rice Soup by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Grilled Thai Chicken by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Make-Ahead & Freeze Black Bean Taco Burgers by Hardly A Goddess
- Salsa Chicken Burrito Bowls by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Sang Choy Bao – Chinese Lettuce Wraps by Caroline’s Cooking
This looks delicious! Love the tip for using aluminum pans, too – smart.
Great freezer meal tips! I love all the veggies going on in here too!
This healthier baked ziti looks amazing! I need to add this to our menu!!!
Great use of spinach for extra veggies.
This is the meal I want waiting for me when I get home from vacation- comforting but healthy!