What I love about these freezer ideas is that you only have to do the prep work once, while making enough food for two or more meals. It’s a win-win situation! Vegetable-based meals are a little trickier to freeze than more traditional meals, so these are the three options I defer to the most often– because I know they work. I hope you enjoy the video below:
Here are the details for the three freezer meals I mention in the video:
- Sweet Potato Noodles with Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce
Recipe here To Freeze: Use a spiral slicer to create spaghetti-like noodles out of a peeled sweet potato. I usually aim for one large sweet potato per person, and store each portion of noodles in an individual bag in the freezer for an easy single-serving dinner. To prepare the sauce, simply blend the ingredients together and pour the creamy sauce into an ice cube tray for easy portioning. Once frozen solid, you can pop the cubes out of the tray and store them in an airtight container to maintain their fresh flavor. To Cook: In a large saucepan over medium heat, add in one bag of the frozen noodles and 4 to 5 frozen sauce cubes, along with any additional frozen veggies you like. (You may need to run the bag of frozen noodles under hot tap water to help loosen the contents first.) Cover the pot and allow the frozen items to thaw for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up the frozen noodles. Remove the lid and stir, making sure that all the vegetables are warm throughout. Adjust the seasoning to taste, and serve piping hot. 2. Cauliflower Fried Rice
Recipe here To Freeze: Use a food processor to quickly shred all of the vegetables you’ll need for this recipe, including the cauliflower, onion, carrots, and celery. Stir the mixture to distribute the veggies evenly, then divide them into individual freezer bags. (One full bag = one serving.) Place the sealed bag in the freezer until ready to use. To Cook: Melt a teaspoon of coconut oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat and sauté a clove of minced garlic and a teaspoon of minced ginger for one minute, just until fragrant. Add in the bag of frozen shredded vegetables, and use a wooden spoon or spatula to break them up as they thaw in the pan. (My veggies usually freeze into a solid mass, so it can take about 5 minutes for them to thaw in the pan and completely break apart again.) Add in a generous splash of soy sauce or tamari and stir until the veggies are completely heated through. If you’d like to add scrambled egg to the dish, make a well in the middle of the pan and crack two eggs in the center of the pan. Scramble the eggs until they’re soft and fluffy, then incorporate them into the rest of the veggie mixture. Season to taste with salt and/or soy sauce and serve warm. 3. Easy Coconut Curry over Quinoa
Recipe here To Freeze: Prepare the quinoa according to package directions and store it in individual jars for each serving. Prepare the sauce using this recipe and allow the sauce to cool. Pour the cooled sauce into ice cube trays for easy portioning. Once the cubes are solid, dip the bottom of the tray in a sink full of hot water to help them loosen, then store the cubes in a large airtight bag or container in the freezer until ready to use. To Cook: To remove the frozen quinoa from the glass jars, run them under hot tap water until you feel the sides loosen. Transfer the frozen quinoa to a large saucepan over medium heat and add in 4 to 5 frozen curry sauce cubes, along with any frozen vegetables you like. Cover the saucepan with a lid and allow the frozen items to thaw for 10 minutes, using a wooden spoon or spatula to occasionally break up the frozen quinoa and vegetables. Remove the lid and stir the ingredients until heated throughout, then season with additional salt and pepper, if needed, and serve warm. — I hope these ideas come in handy the next time you’re pressed for time and need a quick meal! Reader Feedback: What are your favorite freezer meals? Feel free to share them in the comments below! SaveSave
