Freeze It and Forget It: Easy Weeknight Recipes

Freezer-friendly recipes can be lifesavers on busy nights when you don't have time to cook. Try these make-ahead recipes.

Nutrition & Movement


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Freezer meals can be lifesavers and the ideal solution for busy families. Grab a casserole from the freezer and pop it in the oven after basketball practice. Throw some chili you froze last month into the slower cooker during breakfast, and by the evening, you'll have a hearty dinner.

What's not to love?

You'll save money by not dialing for takeout. You'll save stress not worrying what you'll serve after dance class. You'll save time not starting from scratch every night. And you'll know that you can serve your family healthy meals, minus the struggle, even on the most hectic of days.

Want to get started? Consider doubling regular dinners and then freezing the other half. Or cook and freeze multiple meals all in one day. You can even swap freezer meals with friends or neighbors to add some variety to mealtimes. To make sure the dishes don't thaw when you open the freezer, store them in the back of the freezer.

Get started with some freezer meals like the ones below, and soon you'll have a freezer full of meals at your disposal.

Skinny Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Freeze a batch of these muffins in a large zippered bag. Remove a muffin from the freezer and zap it for about 20 seconds.

Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets
The blogger suggests freezing the nuggets after they've been baked. That way you can reheat them in the oven or microwave when you or the kids want a quick lunch.

Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Pork
Make this meal with precut pork or boneless pork chops or cut a pork loin yourself. Whatever you use, you'll get a tasty, Asian-inspired dish.

Tomato, Broccoli and Mozzarella Pasta Casserole
One of the best parts of this pasta casserole is that it's flexible. Use sage in place of the basil. Add sausage if you want. Leave out the chickpeas if you don't have them. The choice is yours.

Roasted Vegetable Whole Wheat Pizza
Put down the takeout menu. Your kids and family will love this deliciously healthy make-your-own pizza.

Stuffed Shells
Stuffed shells are delicious and easy to make. Here, you can use store-bought or homemade sauce, with or without meat.

Mushroom Lasagna
The blogger says the beauty of this recipe is its simplicity. The sauce only contains one cheese, parmesan. And the mushrooms are merely sautéed and seasoned.

Veggie Packed Pizza Rolls
These cheesy and savory rolls are packed with nine different vegetables. It's an ideal way to expose your kids to various vegetable flavors.

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