Take Time to Make Time

When the baby has croup, your middle schooler is having a bad week and your spouse is out of town, it’s not the time to make an elaborate dinner. It’s times like these that freezer meals can be a life saver.

There are a few ways to go about making freezer meals. Organized parents might plan an entire “fill the freezer” day, making a super-organized shopping list with all they will need to make multiple meals to pack the freezer.

Others might just occasionally double whatever they’re making for dinner, stashing half in the freezer for a rainy day.

Freezer meals can either be prepped, baked and then frozen, or can be prepped and frozen to be fully cooked when you’re ready to eat. Either way works – it just depends on how much time you want to take on the front end.

Entire cookbooks, websites, Instagram and TikTok accounts are devoted to making freezer meals. There’s no shortage of recipes and organization tips out there. But sometimes we need it simpler. We’ve included a few tips and a few recipes to get you going. Try stocking your freezer with a few recipes to see if it’s a game changer or just a freezer burn.

This recipe from Fix, Freeze, Feast makes a lot – three freezer dinners of four servings each.

Sesame and Soy Steak

• 6 pounds boneless top sirloin steak
• ½ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup lime juice
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons minced ginger
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 3 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• ¾ teaspoon black pepper
• 3 (1-gallon) freezer bags

1. Rinse and divide steaks evenly among the freezer bags.
2. Whisk together soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil and brown sugar in a medium bowl until the sugar dissolves. Divide the marinade evenly over the steaks.
3. Into each bag measure 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
4. Seal and freeze.

When it’s time to cook:

1. Completely thaw one entrée in the refrigerator.
2. Heat gas or charcoal grill to medium heat.
3. Cook steak for 14-16 minutes for medium doneness. Turn occasionally and baste as desired. Do not baste during final 5 minutes of cooking. Discard remaining marinade.

Assemble this dish, stash it in the freezer, then let it cook in the slow cooker. It makes about 6 servings. Double it to freeze two meals.

Southwest Chicken

• 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can Rotel tomatoes
• 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 (8-ounce) jar chunky salsa
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a 1-gallon freezer bag. Freeze until ready to use.
2. Remove bag from freezer and thaw overnight.
3. Place contents in slow cooker, and cook on low 3-4 hours or until a thermometer inserted in chicken reads 165 degrees.
4. Shred chicken with two forks and return to slow cooker; heat through. Serve over rice. If desired, serve with lime wedges and fresh cilantro.

Make your own chicken strips to keep in the freezer. When you need something fast for dinner, pull out what you need for a quick, kid-friendly dinner.

Favorite Chicken Strips

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut chicken breasts into equal sized strips.
2. Using three bowls, place flour, salt and pepper in one, mixing well. Place eggs in another, beating well. Place breadcrumbs in the third.
3. Dip each piece of chicken in flour, then egg, then panko.
4. Place chicken strips on a greased or parchment covered baking sheet. (At this point, you can bake right away or place in the freezer.)
5. Flash freeze chicken by placing the raw chicken on the baking sheet in the freezer for 2 hours or until frozen solid. Transfer to a 1-gallon freezer bag. Store in freezer.
6. To bake, place frozen strips on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes (turning halfway through cooking time).

Freezer Meal Tips

1. If making some freezer meals ahead of time, make at least four so that you have one a week to last a month. Your future self will appreciate it!
2. Get organized. Set out the ingredients and everything you will need to store your meals. Make sure you have gallon-size freezer bags.
3. Label your freezer bags! Have you ever found a bag in your freezer and wondered what in the world is in it or how long it’s been there? Label and date each bag.
4. Having the main dish in the freezer is great, but also consider breakfast, snacks and dessert. Pancakes, granola, breakfast sandwiches and mini pizzas freeze well.

Natalie Mikles is a mom of three. She writes about food, sharing recipes for busy families and picky eaters. She has been recognized for her food columns as well as features on families and issues affecting local children. She loves pizza and movie nights with her family.