30 Meals to Double and Freeze

Come home after a long day to a freezer meal ready to reheat and serve!

There’s something so wonderful and welcoming about coming home after a busy day, knowing you have a well-stocked freezer and can just pull out a casserole to reheat for dinner.

You’ve already done the hard work of making the meal. Now you just get to enjoy the benefits of your prior planning.

Below are 30 recipes that we highly recommend doubling and freezing—one batch for tonight’s meal, one batch for another night. There are several casserole, soup, and stew recipes, here but we've thrown a few surprises in, too.

• Freezing and reheating casseroles: Casseroles can all be frozen as one large casserole or individual portions, wrapped tightly in foil. Reheat casseroles covered loosely with foil in a 350°F oven; individual portions are best unwrapped and reheated in the microwave.

Read More: How to Freeze Lasagna and Other Casseroles

• Freezing and reheating soups and stews: Soups and stews can also be frozen in batches or individual servings. Reheat over low heat on the stovetop, or in 1- to 5-minute increments in the microwave, stirring between each increment.

What are your favorite meals to double and freeze?

Classic Meatloaf

With a mix of ground beef, pork, sausage, carrots, onions, celery, and garlic, there’s plenty of flavor in this traditional dish. Get out a bigger bowl for the mixing and a second loaf pan to bake the extra, and you’ve got two dinners ready in the time it takes you to set the table and prepare a tossed green salad.

Get Recipe: My Dad's Favorite Meatloaf

Baked Ziti

Sometimes it’s nice to have the taste of lasagna without the mess of lasagna. It’s also nice an extra tray of pasta in the freezer for times when you don’t want any mess at all. This baked ziti is for those times.

Get Recipe: Baked Ziti

One-Pot Chicken and Rice Soup

The beauty of this soup is that everything comes together right in the pot and finishes at the same time. The chicken poaches in the broth, becoming juicy and tender and making the broth extra flavorful. Double it up and freeze the rest.

Get Recipe: One-Pot Chicken and Rice Soup

Mexican Lasagna

When you need a change of pace from traditional lasagna, try this Mexican version. Made with layers of corn tortillas and a beef-and-bean filling, you can also think of it as a “stacked enchilada” or a Mexican casserole. Bonus: This lasagna is gluten free!

Get Recipe: Mexican Lasagna

Chicken Cacciatore (Hunter Style Chicken)

This hearty winter stew of chicken and veggies can easily be frozen and reheated. Serve it over rice, pasta, or egg noodles.

Get Recipe: Chicken Cacciatore (Hunter Style Chicken)

Sustenance Stew with Sweet Potatoes and Swiss Chard

An amazing vegan stew, this dish is chockablock with so many powerfully nutritious and delicious ingredients. Double and freeze everything except the toppings. It’s gluten free, too.

Get Recipe: Sustenance Stew with Sweet Potatoes and Swiss Chard

Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole

I know, I know, this dish says “breakfast.” But there’s nothing wrong with breakfast for dinner, and in fact, it hits lots of the major food groups for a satisfying meal any time of day.

Get Recipe: Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole

Spicy Pumpkin Soup

Soups are so easy to double—just cook all the ingredients together in a larger pot. Wait to add the cream to the portion you plan to freeze. When ready to eat, defrost the soup in the microwave or reheat it on the stove over low heat. Add the cream right before serving, as the recipe specifies.

Get Recipe: Curry Pumpkin Soup

Easy Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd’s pie has multiple components—layers of ground meat, veggies, and mashed potatoes—none of which are very difficult to execute, but which do take some time. Doubling the prep work now means an easy meal later. This casserole freezes beautifully and is a satisfying winter dish.

Get Recipe: Easy Shepherd's Pie

Classic Minestrone Soup

This pasta-less minestrone is ideal for freezing. Made with cannellini beans, chicken stock, cabbage, potato, zucchini, carrots, plum tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese, it makes sense to double the recipe and freeze half since you're taking the time to do all the prep anyway.

Get Recipe: Classic Minestrone Soup

Easy Breakfast Casserole

This is one of those casseroles you assemble the night before, let it sit in the fridge overnight, and then bake in the morning. Why not assemble two of them, bake them both, dive into one of them for breakfast, and freeze the other for another time?

Get Recipe: Easy Breakfast Casserole

Chicken and Rice Casserole

You will be so proud of your past self when you take this frozen savory casserole—full of chicken, rice, and mushrooms—out to defrost the night before and then heat it up for dinner the following night.

Get Recipe: Chicken and Rice Casserole

Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Do you serve this easy casserole at breakfast, lunch, or dinner? Yes! It's one of those versatile dishes that can stand alone at breakfast and lunch, or be a side dish next to roasted chicken or pork chops. Make one for breakfast and freeze one for a future dinner.

Get Recipe: Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Turkey Black Bean Quinoa Bake

Combine leftover turkey with powerhouse quinoa, black beans, veggies, and seasonings, top with cheese, and you have a delicious, nutritious casserole that's easy to double and freezes well.

Get Recipe: Turkey Black Bean Quinoa Bake

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie With Carrots and Mushrooms

This veggie-heavy version of shepherd's pie freezes well for up to 2 months. While potatoes don't always freeze well, the fat in the mashed potato topping takes away that concern.

Get Recipe: Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Tamale Pie

If you make two of this pie, the trick to successfully freezing and reheating it is to allow it to cool completely before wrapping and freezing. More importantly, allow it to thaw slowly in the refrigerator, not on the counter. A quick thaw will make the cornbread soggy.

Get Recipe: Tamale Pie

Ham and Asparagus Strata

This casserole is a tasty way to use up leftover ham, and if you have a lot of leftover ham, you can make two and freeze one. Filled with bread, egg, Gruyere cheese, milk, cream, ham, and asparagus, this is a hearty breakfast or breakfast-for-dinner casserole.

Get Recipe: Ham and Asparagus Strata

Eggplant Parmesan

Salting and drawing moisture out of the eggplant isn't difficult, but it does take some time. However, it takes just about as much time to do it for two eggplant Parmesans as it does for one. That's all the incentive you need to make two and freeze one of these cheesy, tomato sauced Italian classics.

Get Recipe: Eggplant Parmesan

Stuffed Pepper Casserole

This casserole is like a deconstructed stuffed pepper. Both ground turkey and turkey sausage create the base for this dish that's full of bell peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, and kale—along with healthy, whole-grain farro. Super nutritious and easy to freeze.

Get Recipe: Stuffed Pepper Casserole

Chili Con Carne

What's better than a hot bowl of chili con carne on a cold night? A hot bowl you didn't have to start from scratch first! Make a double batch of this chili with big chunks of beef, and when it's time to eat batch 2, your work is all done.

Get Recipe: Chili Con Carne

Zucchini Fritters

When zucchini is plentiful in summer, make a double batch up these fritters and freeze half. You'll be happy to have them in the fall when the fresh zucchini supply is long gone.

Get Recipe: Zucchini Fritters

Quick and Easy Bolognese Sauce

This sauce with veggies, ground beef, and white wine will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. It's great on pasta or used in lasagna. Freeze it in several containers so you can defrost just as much you need for a meal.

Get Recipe: Quick and Easy Bolognese Sauce

Swedish Meatballs

These Swedish meatballs in sauce are lick-the-plate good, and the recipe is super easy to double. Freeze a second batch—sauce and all—in a freezer-safe, zip-top bag with as much air removed as possible, They'll keep for up to 3 months.

Get Recipe: The Best Homemade Swedish Meatballs

Italian Meatballs

Ground beef and pork, herbs, cheese, and more go into these generously sized meatballs cooked in a homemade tomato sauce. Freeze cooked or uncooked, for up to 3 months, defrosted overnight, and ready the next time you're craving spaghetti and meatballs. Easy garlic bread on the side is a must.

Get Recipe: Italian Meatballs

Easy Tuscan Bean Soup

The key to freezing this soup after you've doubled the recipe is to make sure that the greens are totally submerged in the liquid before it goes into the freezer. Other than that, this hearty soup couldn't be easier to double, freeze, defrost, and have for dinner up to 3 months after you first made it.

Get Recipe: Easy Tuscan Bean Soup

Apple-Cinnamon French Toast Muffins

These are a bit like individual pieces of an overnight French toast casserole. Soak bread overnight and then add diced apples the next morning. Fill the muffin cups and add butter and sugar on top. Freeze cooled muffins for up to 1 month so make a double batch and defrost as desired (which will probably be one each day until they disappear!)

Get Recipe: Apple-Cinnamon French Toast Muffins

Quiche Lorraine

Quiche Lorraine is perfect for a special occasion brunch, but if you make 2 of these bacon, egg, and cheese filled savory pies, you can freeze one. Then you can defrost it any time you want, and make something like a regular old Tuesday night a special occasion.

Get Recipe: Quiche Lorraine

Hearty Roasted Vegetable and Chicken Stew

Turmeric, cumin, and harissa create extra warmth in this chicken stew with chunks of carrot, potato, and mushroom. You'll be glad to have a second batch of this thick, creamy stew to defrost on a cold night.

Get Recipe: Hearty Roasted Vegetable and Chicken Stew

Braised BBQ Beef Sandwich

Obviously, you won't be freezing whole sandwiches, but the BBQ beef for these sandwiches is easy to double so you can freeze half for sandwiches at another time. Make it extra easy on yourself and use bottled barbecue sauce.

Get Recipe: Braised BBQ Beef Sandwich

Pepperoni Calzone

Start with no-knead pizza dough or even store-bought dough, and make a double batch of these cheese, pepperoni, and sauce filled hand pies. After baking, cool, freeze the calzones unwrapped on a sheet pan until just frozen through, then wrap individually. They'll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Get Recipe: Pepperoni Calzones

Read the original article on Simply Recipes.