Let’s face it: life can be exhausting, especially when you have a lot to do and very little time to do it. So preparing lunch and dinner every single day of the week can feel like a daunting task. But splurging for takeout can be expensive (and unhealthy to boot). If you can find a way to plan ahead, making meals becomes exponentially easier. Below are several meal options that are delicious and can be frozen ahead of time. Over the next few weeks, consider making grocery lists according to some of these recipes, and then devoting a couple of hours on Sunday to prepping and freezing them. When you get home at night completely exhausted from the day, you’ll thank yourself!
1. Freezable Breakfast Bites
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If you’re the type of person who has zero time in the morning, then this is a great option for you. It’s fine to grab a cereal bar every now and then, but that’s not the best idea for every morning of the week. With these breakfast bites, a muffin tin goes a long way. Plus, you have options: omelet and potato, egg sandwich, and breakfast burrito!
2. Make-Ahead Baked Oatmeal Recipes
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If you’re like me and eggs aren’t exactly your first choice for breakfast, here’s another option. While you won’t necessarily freeze these delicious breakfasts, you can make them ahead of time and grab them on your way out. What’s great is that they incorporate lots of fresh fruit and oats– definitely a healthy way to go.
3. Freezable Chicken Marinades
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From cilantro to chipotle, you’ll have something for every craving. If you can buy chicken in bulk (Costco trip!), you’ll be able to bang out all of these recipes in no time. Then it’ll just be a matter of choosing which dish is right for any given night. The best part is that you won’t have to rush to marinate chicken at the last minute. When you thaw, your chicken will be flavorful and ready to cook.
4. Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
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You can’t go wrong with a casserole. This one, in particular, is yummy, and a great meal to make for the entire family. Once thawed, you just need to empty the contents of the freezer bag into a casserole dish and bake. That means you’ll have time to change out of your work clothes and even enjoy a glass of wine while dinner is in the oven.
5. Chicken-Wrapped Asparagus
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What’s great about this dinner option is that it seems far more complicated than it actually is. So if you plan to have guests over on a weeknight, this might be a really good idea for you. Just find the right side dish and you’ll be ready to entertain in no time!
6. Freezable Rolls
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These are perfect if you’re looking for a little extra something to go with your dinner. There’s nothing more impressive than home-baked rolls to accompany your stuffed chicken breasts! (No one even needs to know that you prepared them ahead of time.)
7. Freezer Meatballs
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There is a lot of chicken on this list, so I thought it was important to include a delicious beef option. And who doesn’t love meatballs?! You’ll feel better doing this instead of buying prepackaged meatballs. This way you can control all the ingredients, especially the sodium.
8. Freezable Bone Broth Recipes
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If you want to whip up a hearty, flavorful soup, then these recipes are a must. The hardest part of making a delicious soup is the stock that’s needed for it. But if you prepare ahead of time and stock your freezer full of bone broths, you’ll be ready to make just about any soup on a cold day.
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