Easy Make-Ahead Freezer Meals

In this post, I share how to make three of my go-to make ahead meals to freeze and eat later on – perfect to have backup healthy meals if you need them or if you’re prepping for postpartum like me!

I am so excited to share with you guys three make-ahead meals that you can prepare now and stick in your freezer for nights when you want a healthy home-made meal but don’t have the time or energy to prepare one!

These meals were prepared in anticipation of our third baby joining us but as I was making them, and I decided I definitely need to do this more often for those nights when I just don’t feel like cooking. Life is about to get a whole lot crazier with three kiddos in the house, so this is totally something I want to be more on top of in the future. Cooking healthy meals for my family is such a huge priority of mine and this is one easy way to help make sure it happens, even when life gets in the way!

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Ingredients

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 cups chicken broth

Juice of 2 limes

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 1/2 cup frozen corn

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tbsp cumin

1 tsp onion powder

salt + pepper to taste

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a gallon sized freezer bag & freeze
2. Remove from freezer and fully thaw before cooking
3. Dump all ingredients into crock pot
4. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours
5. Serve over rice

Ravioli Lasagna

Ingredients

1 lb fresh ravioli

1 lb ground beef (grass fed preferred)

2 tbsp avocado oil

24 oz marinara sauce

8 oz frozen spinach

8 oz ricotta cheese

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups shredded mozzarella

1 tsp garlic powder

salt + pepper to taste

Directions

1. Brown the ground beef in a skillet with avocado oil. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper
2. Add frozen spinach, ricotta and garlic to a bowl and mix until well combined
3. Place a thin layer of sauce in a 9X13 pan
4. Lay down layer of raviolis, top with 1/2 spinach mixture, 1/2 ground beef, 1 cup mozzarella
5. Repeat each layer
6. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down to remove any air, then cover with foil and freeze
7. To bake from frozen-remove plastic wrap, then cover again with foil. Preheat oven to 375° and bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake for another 20-30 min until golden & bubbly.

Turkey Chili

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey

2 tbsp avocado oil

2 green peppers, diced

1 small onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

18 oz diced tomatoes

7 oz tomato paste

1/2 cup water

2 cups chickpeas or great northern beans

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp oregano

1 tbsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp chili powder

salt + pepper to taste

Directions

1. Dice green peppers & onions, mince garlic
2. Add to a stock pot or dutch oven with avocado oil, sauté for 3-4 mins or until fragrant
3. Add in ground turkey & cook through
4. Add remaining ingredients
5. Simmer for 20-30 minutes
6. Remove from heat and allow to cool until warm, not hot
7. Add to gallon sized freezer bag and freeze
8. Remove from freezer & fully thaw when ready to eat
9. Dump contents of bag into stock pot or dutch oven & reheat

I hope you loved these three make ahead meal ideas and bring one or all of them into your own kitchens. Whether you are also expecting a baby or just want to have a few meals on-hand for those busy nights these are all easy to prepare and delicious when reheated!

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