As moms, we always look for quick ways to provide nutritious meals to our families. Spending hours in the kitchen may not be feasible with kids, work, and chores that constantly need your attention. Thus, you are often on the lookout for a simple and nutritious meal that you can whip up in minutes. Coming from fellow moms, freezer meals are the best option if you tend to be too busy to make meals from scratch. You can make them in advance, store them, and use them when needed.
1. Burritos
Ground beef simmered in hearty spiced tomato sauce with beans, rice, and cheese, which is then wrapped with a soft tortilla, is the perfect lunch/dinner freezer meal for the days when you are uber-busy. If you don’t want to make them from scratch, you can save time by using pre-made taco seasoning, canned beans, and pre-shredded cheese.
Double-wrap the burritos in plastic and foil. They can be frozen for up to 3 months (if you can keep your munchkins from grabbing a bite). It is a filling yet nutritious grab-and-eat meal for your kids that will be useful when you can’t leave your work desk and need them to prepare their own food.
2. Chicken Pot Pie
There is nothing more comforting than a warm chicken pot pie. You can use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken to skip preparing the chicken from scratch. Once you make the filling and the crust, assemble them, cover the pie with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and place it in the freezer. Before cooking, brush the crust with egg wash, place it directly in the oven, and bake until the crust is lightly browned and deliciously bubbly.
3. Chicken Fajita Stir-Fry
Make this Mexican-inspired stir-fry and freeze it for your busy nights. Toss the chicken in chilli-spiced oil along with stir-fried peppers and onions. Then, cover and freeze it for the days you need a freezer meal. Let the dish thaw in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before cooking it on the skillet. You can have this as a side dish or as a main course with tortillas, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream on the side.
4. Freezer Bag Chicken Curry
You can have this delicious Indian-inspired delicacy in a snap without compromising the flavors. Just seal chicken, peas, and sautéed cauliflower in a bag with coconut-curry sauce and freeze it until ready to use. After thawing it in the refrigerator for 24 hours, cook the freezer meal on a skillet until the chicken is cooked and serve it with rice, naan, or any flat bread of your choice.
5. Spicy Mac and cheese
Corn, tomatoes, green chiles, and some spices are all you need to make this tangy make-ahead mac and cheese freezer meal. This flavourful meal is perfect for your lazy weeknights. Just fill the pan with layers of corn and macaroni mixture, let it cool completely, seal it with aluminum foil, and freeze. To cook the frozen meal, simply bake it in the oven for a few minutes, then uncover and bake it further until it is light brown. And voila, your freezer meal is ready.
You can alter the recipes as per your choice. Customize the flavors to fit your family’s preference, and you will have dishes that all will love. These freezer meals are life savers for busy days when spending more than a few minutes in the kitchen is impossible. So, grab the ingredients, make them on the weekend, freeze them, and enjoy them during the weekdays. Do let us know in the comment section below how you liked them!
