7 Freezer-Friendly Dinners to Make Right Now
In the kitchen, the stove and oven are scene stealers. The flame! The danger! The ability to transform batter into cake! It’s hard to argue with the magical properties of heat.
But let’s give freezer the spotlight: Recipes that go bad in a matter of days in the fridge get a second life for up to three months in the freezer. When it’s stocked with comfort foods like lasagna and homemade veggie burgers, a freezer makes life that much easier. Special occasions especially benefit from freezer-prepped food. Hosting Passover is materially simpler when your Jew-Mami Braised Brisket is on ice, for instance. The freezer is the weeknight cook’s savior, the get-ahead entertainer’s secret weapon, and the smart strategist’s meal prep arsenal.
1. The Ultimate Lasagna
Lasagna is the ultimate freezer-friendly food, and it just so happens that our recipe for lasagna is the ultimate; a favorite of both kids and adults. Our recommendation? Stash an entire batch intact at the bottom of your freezer rather than dish it out into single-serve portions. It’ll be ready for your casual get-together with neighbors, to bring to your bestie after she’s had a new baby or simply to salvage the weekend from Sunday scaries.
Get the recipe for The Ultimate Lasagna.
2. Osso Buco With Sunflower Seed Gremolata
We challenge you to reserve some osso buco for the freezer after cooking up a batch in your new oval Dutch oven. After spending hours braising veal shanks until they’re fall-off-the-bone tender, spoon them over creamy polenta or mashed potatoes. If you can resist eating it all in one go, freeze the half the osso buco and stash a tube of shelf-stable cooked polenta in your pantry for a future meal.
Get the recipe for Osso Buco with Sunflower Seed Gremolata.
3. Lentil, Mushroom And Butternut Squash Bolognese
Yes, a meat-based Bolognese is a freezer all-star (and if you prefer that, go for our Vodka Bolognese Rigatoni), but don’t sleep on the delicious vegetarian alternative to this classic Italian sauce. Through the magic of a long simmer, humble pantry staples become something revelatory: a hearty plant-focused sauce perfect for tossing with noodles, layering into lasagna or spooning into roasted zucchini boats.
Get the recipe for Lentil, Mushroom and Butternut Squash Bolognese.
4. Enchiladas Divorciadas
Rustle up a batch of this double-sauce special enchilada dish and freeze it for a lazy or too-busy-to-cook day. This “divorciadas” version of the Mexican staple slathers the chicken-and-cheese enchiladas in two sauces: tomatillo green sauce and a dried chile red sauce. Looking to simplify? Choose one sauce and double it up. Or, opt for a store bought sauce and simply follow the method.
Get the recipe for Enchiladas Divorciadas.
5. Dr Pepper Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Don’t worry, we’re not asking you to assemble this beaut of a recipe top-to-tail and then stick it all in the freezer. But you will do your future self a favor if you cook the pulled pork, shred it and freeze at least some for a future meal. Though we love the homemade onion rings that crown each sandwich, you can skip those for a quicker weeknight dinner and instead pair the defrosted pulled pork with the quick coleslaw and pickles. The final touch is a well-toasted Kaiser or potato roll.
Get the recipe for Dr Pepper Pulled Pork Sandwiches.
6. Weeknight Chili
It’s not a stocked freezer without a batch of chili waiting to be topped to your heart’s delight. Freeze an entire batch for future family dinners and ask kids to set out bowls of their favorite toppings. Goldfish? Yes, please. Avocado? Obviously. String cheese? We’ll leave that one up to you.
Get the recipe for Weeknight Chili.
7. Rosemary Beef Stew
It’s a classic for a reason: A great beef stew is easy, delicious and improves with age. Make a double batch of stew in your 10-quart Hybrid Stock Pot and freeze half in single-serve portions for seriously sophisticated deskside lunches.
Get the recipe for Rosemary Beef Stew
Putting your favorite recipes on ice? Now, that’s hot.
