3 Freezer Meals to Make Ahead for Your Busy Week
By Elizabeth Sniegocki for Edible Sarasota
Photos by Kathryn Brass-Piper
Take the pressure off dinnertime by stocking your freezer with made-ahead meals. With a little advanced planning and some prep time in the kitchen, you’ll have homemade convenience at the ready for when you need it most.
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These freezer-friendly one-dish wonders can be simply thawed and baked—or popped right into the oven—to make busy nights easier. Plus, they’re packed with the comfort and warmth we crave this time of year. Pair them with a loaf of crusty bread and a fresh, seasonal salad, and dinner is done!
Butternut Squash, Caramelized Onion & Spinach Lasagna
1 small head garlic, unpeeled
3 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
1 large butternut squash, halved and seeds removed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
16 ounces baby spinach
5 cups whole milk, divided
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼. teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground red pepper
2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese, divided
9 no-boil lasagna noodles
For squash filling: Heat oven to 400°. Slice ¼-inch off the top of the head of garlic, exposing cloves. Spoon ½ tablespoon of coconut oil over exposed surface and wrap the head in foil. Rub inside of each butternut squash half with ½ tablespoon coconut oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Place squash in large baking dish. Roast squash and garlic until soft, about 50 minutes. Remove both from oven, unwrap garlic, and let cool.
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Scoop flesh of squash into a medium bowl. Add roasted garlic, squeezing bottom of the head to push cloves out of their paper skin and mash them together with a fork. Stir in sage and season with salt and pepper.
For spinach-onion filling: Heat 1½ tablespoons coconut oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook for 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until onions are soft and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl, and set aside. Add 2 tablespoons of water and spinach to now empty skillet. Cook over high heat until spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. Drain spinach in a colander, squeezing out excess liquid. Combine spinach and onions.
For béchamel-cheese sauce: Heat 4½ cups milk in medium saucepan over medium heat until steaming hot and bubbles form along the edges. In small bowl, combine remaining ½ cup milk and flour. Whisk flour mixture into hot milk until blended. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in red pepper, nutmeg, 1½ cups cheese, and season with salt.
To assemble: Line 9-by-13-inch baking dish with heavy-duty, non-stick aluminum foil, allowing several inches of foil to extend over each side. Spread ½ cup of béchamel-cheese sauce on bottom of pan. Cover with layer of 3 pasta sheets. Top with half of squash mixture, then half of spinach mixture, and then 1 cup of béchamel-cheese sauce. Repeat layers: pasta, squash, spinach, béchamel. Top with remaining pasta sheets. Spread remaining béchamel-cheese sauce over pasta and top with remaining ½ cup cheese.
To freeze/bake: Freeze unbaked lasagna until firm. Lift from baking dish by holding edges of foil. Fold foil ends over lasagna. Wrap lasagna in additional foil, sealing it tightly. Freeze for up to 1 month.
Remove lasagna from foil and place on lightly-greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cover and thaw overnight in refrigerator.
Heat oven to 425°. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes. (If baking the lasagna frozen, plan to double the baking time.) Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
White Bean & Tomatillo Turkey Chili
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 small jalapeno, seeded and finely sliced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles, drained
2 pounds ground turkey breast
1 (28-ounce) can tomatillos, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons ground cumin
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 cups cooked white beans, about 2 (16-ounce) cans, drained and rinsed
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
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Heat oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and salt and cook until softened, 8–10 minutes. Add garlic and chiles and cook, stirring continuously, for 30 seconds. Add turkey and cook, stirring often, until cooked through, 5–8 minutes. Add tomatillos, oregano, and cumin and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add chicken broth and beans. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice.
To freeze/serve: Allow chili to cool completely and transfer to 1-gallon freezer bag or a 2-quart freezer container. Freeze for up to 6 months. To serve, thaw chili overnight in refrigerator and reheat on stove over medium heat. Try serving with cornbread and garnish with sour cream and Monterey Jack cheese, if desired.
Curried Chicken Pot Pie
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
½ head cauliflower, cut into florets
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons curry powder
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional
½ cup all-purpose flour
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup green peas
3 cups shredded, cooked chicken
2 tablespoons dried parsley
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 ready-made pie crust sheet, frozen
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Melt butter over medium-high heat in large pot. Add onion and cauliflower and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, curry powder, and red pepper (if using) and cook 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add flour and stir to coat vegetables. Slowly add broth, whisking constantly until sauce is smooth. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until thickened, 6–8 minutes. Stir in peas and chicken. Add parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.
To freeze: Let filling cool completely and transfer to 1-gallon freezer bag or 2-quart freezer container. Freeze for up to 4 months.
To assemble/bake: The day before serving, remove filling and pie crust from freezer and thaw overnight in refrigerator.
Heat oven to 375°. Pour filling into a 2-quart baking dish. Unroll pie crust and roll it out to ⅛-inch-thick, if necessary. Place dough over baking dish, pressing any overhanging dough onto the sides of the dish. Cut several small vents in the surface of the dough. Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, uncovered, until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling up, about 45–50 minutes. Let sit 15 minutes before serving.
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