10 Freezer-Friendly Meals for Any Busy Season
- Brianne Thomas
- Feb 17
- 5 min read
Updated: Oct 22
Meal prepping is an excellent way to ensure that you have healthy meals ready to go at a moment's notice. It saves time, reduces stress, and can help maintain a healthy, balanced diet. I’m sharing with you 10 of our favorite meals and snacks!
Whether you’re preparing for the arrival of a new baby or for a busy season of life, meal prep will be your new best friend! Now that the holiday season is over, we’re getting back to our normal routines of work, homeschooling, and extracurricular activities.
The next couple of months will be pretty busy for us. We are diving into cookie season and new adventures with our Girl Scout troop, trying to complete gardening and yard projects at home, and assisting in the daily care of a loved one. Having a few prepped meals on hand will be extremely helpful!
What is Meal Prepping?
Meal prepping is the practice of preparing meals in advance, typically for the week or month ahead. This method allows individuals to save time, reduce stress during busy days, and maintain healthier eating habits by having nutritious options readily available. By cooking in bulk and portioning out meals, one can ensure a balanced diet while minimizing food waste and the temptation to opt for less healthy convenience foods. Overall, meal prepping is a practical approach to streamline cooking and promote better nutrition.
Meal prepping doesn’t have to be done all in one day. Sometimes I'll do that if I have the time, energy, and all of the supplies on hand. But most of the time, I just make a double batch of a recipe that I’m already making. There’s really not that big of a difference in time and effort in making a larger batch for us to have a ready-to-eat meal later.
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What Are Some Benefits of Meal Prepping
● Time-saving: Having meals or ingredients prepared in advance reduces daily cooking time, allowing you more time to focus on other important tasks.
● Budget-friendly: Planning and preparing meals in advance helps you avoid the temptation of expensive takeout or dining out.
● Healthier eating: Controlling ingredients ensures that meals are nutritious and align with dietary goals.
● Less stress: Knowing that dinner is already planned or partially ready takes the guesswork out of meal times
How To Start Meal Prepping
Meal prepping can be a game-changer for your weekly routine, making healthy eating more convenient and less stressful. To get started, begin by planning your meals for the week, focusing on balanced options that include proteins, vegetables, and whole grains. Once you have your menu, create a shopping list to ensure you have all the necessary ingredients on hand. Set aside a few hours on a designated day, like Sunday, to cook and portion out your meals into containers. This way, you’ll have ready-to-eat options throughout the week, helping you stay on track with your nutrition goals while saving time and effort.
What Is Ingredient Prepping
Don’t have time to meal prep? How about trying ingredient prepping instead? Ingredient prepping refers to the process of preparing and organizing ingredients before cooking. This practice involves tasks such as washing, chopping, measuring, and storing ingredients in advance, making the cooking process more efficient and enjoyable. By having everything ready to go, home cooks can focus on the actual cooking, leading to a smoother and more organized kitchen experience.
What Ingredients Can Be Prepped In Advance?
And MORE!
Tips For Preparing Freezer Meals
Pre-Prep. Get your ingredients ready ahead of time. Things like diced vegetables or freshly shredded cheese make quick work when meal prepping multiple meals.
Favorites. Meal prep what your family enjoys eating. If your family doesn’t love spicy foods, then skip those recipes and double up on something else.
Help. Ask for help if you need to. I often ask my family to help me with the pre-prep chores while I get everything else ready. Your family will enjoy these meals, so they should help with preparing them!
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What Are Some Good Freezer-Friendly Meals
My take on the traditional lasagna recipe: this dish is packed with five flavorful cheeses, delicious Italian sausage, and affordable pantry staples.
This hearty chili is the ultimate comfort food on a cold evening. This chili is so easy to revamp into a completely different meal, like chili mac, chili dogs, or loaded chili tater tots!
Homemade pizza dough and homemade pizza sauce are the delicious base for these family-favorite pizza pinwheels! Layers of pepperoni, mozzarella, and parmesan are wrapped into a delicious pinwheel shape to create an easy and delicious appetizer, snack, or quick dinner that’s fun to eat!
These Baked Chicken Taquitos are tortillas filled with seasoned chicken, a creamy mix of sharp cheddar cheese and sour cream, and zesty Salsa Verde and baked until crispy.
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Experience the comforting and hearty flavors of the South with this authentic Louisiana red beans and rice recipe. Infused with Cajun seasoning and delicious andouille sausage, this dish will transport you straight to the vibrant streets of New Orleans!
These Homemade BBQ Meatballs are nice and crispy on the outside, and melt-in-your-mouth tender on the inside, coated with a delicious, savory homemade BBQ sauce!
Everyone will be asking for seconds of this traditional family favorite! Perfectly seasoned ground beef topped with a zesty tomato glaze.
Spicy. Southern. Classic. Affordable. Two New Orleans favorites, dirty rice and jambalaya, are combined into a delicious one-pot dinner. If a budget-friendly powerhouse of a meal is what you are looking for, this is it!
These Spicy Stuffed Bell Peppers are packed full of a delicious mixture of spicy Italian sausage, marinara sauce, rice, and savory spices, topped with sharp cheddar cheese.
These quick bites are sure to be a hit at your next potluck, party, or game-day gathering. Filled with sweet honey ham, creamy Swiss cheese, and a sauce that sings, they will have you coming back for more!
Hungry for Quick Meals? Check out these family favorites!
Meal prepping doesn't have to be overwhelming or expensive. With a bit of planning, you can enjoy the benefits of having ready-to-eat meals without stretching your budget.
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