Apr 19, 20233 min read

Easy Recipes for the Freezer

Updated: Jun 28, 2023

My friend had a baby recently and a meal train link landed in my inbox. Of course, I signed up. But when these things come around, I usually panic or am just ill-prepared, and pick up Fresas or a tray of pasta and salad from Central Market. Both are fine options, but for the new mothers in my life as well as for my own busy family of two, I’d like be eating more home-cooked food that doesn’t feel like a huge lift. Frankly, I find this food often tastes better. Plus, it’s easier on the budget. Hello my old friend, the meal prep mythos.

I’ve got a relationship with meal prepping. As some of you may know, Becky and I used to run a seasonal cooking class that sorta centered on the concept of easy, low stakes meal prep. And while I whole heartily embrace leftovers and am sometimes thinking a few meals ahead, this isn’t a particularly preppy-moment in my cooking career. It’s lots of 7 pm staring into the fridge wondering what I could possibly feed myself. But I’m determined to get a bit more organized because I love good food, I find comfort after a long day in satisfying, composed meals, and I’m growing weary of breakfast tacos for dinner.

Part of my meal prep vow renewal was inspired by a recent bout of spaghetti. In early March, I had around 14 adults over for spaghetti and meatball dinner thinking surely every adult would eat ½ pound of balls. Needless to say, I made spaghetti for 30. While folks were finishing eating and beginning to help clean the kitchen, I got out some Tupperware and froze 3 very hearty containers of meatballs and pasta sauce. I can’t tell you the joy it was to eat this delicious, slowly simmered balls ‘n sauce in the subsequent weeks. One large serving was pulled out for dinner when my mom visited from Louisiana, precious time that wasn’t spent laboring over the chopping block. The other two servings got thrown in the fridge for a slow defrost the night before a busy day. Dinner, after only a quick boil of pasta, was warm and full of slowly developed flavors. I want more of that ease! Happiness is food in the freezer! This week’s roundup focuses on recipes that either work well as leftovers for 2-3 days, or recipes that freeze really well, or both. Stumped by your Komatsuna? It’s kin to spinach and can be subbed anywhere below where spinach is involved. What are your favorite meal-prepped or freezer meals? Happy cooking! Ada