Are you into freezer meals? Maybe you’ve seen that pin on Pinterest about how to make 30 meals in 30 minutes for $30 (or something only slightly less crazy sounding)? This is not that post – but I do think freezer meals are wonderful, delicious presents you give your future self. Future Self, you seem stressed….
Make Ahead
Simple Basil Marinara Sauce.
I’m successfully growing basil! (By this I mean I haven’t killed the lone basil plant I bought a few weeks ago. Because my mom waters it for me.) I needed to cut it back a bit, and it was the perfect excuse to make a batch of this simple basil marinara sauce. It’s just a…
Bacon in the Oven.
When I was in college, I ate a lot of things that I thought were amazing that I can’t eat today, because gross. On this list: chicken fettuccine alfredo from a box (every.thing was included, people), a “milkshake” that involved fat-free, sugar-free chocolate pudding mix, skim milk, and a lot of ice cubes, and turkey bacon…
Veggie-Packed Baked Burritos (for the freezer).
I’m just going to say it: I love a chimichanga in a painful, star-crossed-lovers kind of way. I know in my head that stuffing a big tortilla with stuff cheese and deep-frying it isn’t, y’know, exactly sensible, in a caring-about-your-health kind of way, but in a crispy, cheesy, delicious way – in my heart, in other…
Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup (with crunchy baked tortilla strips).
I’ve been wanting to add some more crockpot recipes to my repertoire…and according to the survey, that would help a lot of you, too! (Thank you so much for your feedback! If you haven’t responded yet, it would be a huge help!) To be honest, I tend to feel a little uninspired in my crockpotting….
Homemade Pizza Part 3 – Homemade FROZEN Pizza.
Being able to make pizza dough at home (and pile on glorious amounts of whatever toppings you want) doesn’t necessarily diminish a person’s need for takeout and frozen pizzas. (Or…delivery. Delivery is, like, the unicorn of pizza options.) Because sometimes you don’t have the time…or the energy…or the relevant ingredients. Your people need dinner stat! You’re going out…
Crusty No-Knead Bread (with salty honey butter).
I can’t even count how many times I’ve made this no-knead bread…because it’s that easy. Four ingredients (if we’re even counting water as an ingredient), one bowl, no kneading – and the end result is piping hot, crusty-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside bread that also happens to be beautiful. And then you slather it with honey butter with a…
Crockpot BBQ Beef.
I just love it when dinner cooks itself!! This is the best, best kind of crockpot meal – absolutely minimal prep, and at the end you have a pot of saucy, tender shredded bbq beef that makes a deliciously messy sandwich (or the perfect topping to a baked potato or rice – anything that will soak up…
Glenn’s Chili.
When I was in college, my roommate Rachel’s family moved several states away. Sweet family friends, Glenn and Trish, became her Florida family and by extension, an extra family for me! We would arrive at their house in Rach’s Camry, wearing our thrift store t-shirts and worn out from exams and a few too many tubes of…
Whole Wheat Banana Bran Muffins.
In my mind, there are two categories for muffins: fun, special occasion, at-what-point-do-we-call-it-a-cupcake muffins, and everyday, virtuous muffins. Like I mentioned in this post about cinnamon banana muffins (which are deliciously in the first category), category 2 muffins need to be all or mostly whole grain and low in added sugar (no more than a teaspoon or two…
Creamy Chicken Tetrazzini.
I love a good baked pasta! This chicken tetrazzini is a big, comforting dish of creamy noodles, lots of shredded chicken, and a crispy-salty parmesan cheese topping. And even though it doesn’t have cream-of-anything soup, it still comes together quickly and is customizable to your tastes! It also makes a great freezer meal (see the recipe notes…
Baked Sweet Potatoes.
It feels a little silly to post a “recipe” for baked sweet potatoes. Like – poke some holes and stick ’em in the oven pretty much sums up the whole process. But if you’ve ever had the discouraging experience of baking potatoes for a dang long time only to discover that they’re still hard as rocks when…
Nana’s Spaghetti Sauce.
Spaghetti was one of my favorite meals when I was a kid. I remember being so excited for dinner when there was a big pot of this meaty tomato sauce sputtering and bubbling on the stove. And you know how there are things that your family does that you don’t know are super weird until…
Chicken Noodle Soup (Stocking the Freezer #2).
**Psst! I forgot a couple of things on my Christmas post – see the updated version here!** Confession: I have yet to master the art of roasting a whole chicken. I feel pretty lame about it, since it’s one of my favorite meals! The last time I attempted it my chicken was undercooked, and kind…
Burrito Bowls (The Ultimate Crowd-Pleasing, Make-Ahead, Freezer-Friendly Party Meal – Part 2).
If you read Part 1, then you know that crispy, rich, tasty pork carnitas are a key component to The Ultimate Crowd-Pleasing, Make-Ahead, Freezer-Friendly Party Meal. This post is devoted to the rest of it – the elements that make a meal that can satisfy just about anyone’s tastes and dietary preferences. You are channeling…
Carnitas (The Ultimate Crowd-Pleasing, Make-Ahead, Freezer-Friendly Party Meal – Part 1).
If you bothered to read the whole title – I really didn’t want to stop there, to be honest. I wanted to say this meal can also be paleo! vegetarian! gluten-free! perfect for meat-lovers! kid-approved! and lends itself well to having people over, transporting a meal to someone, and even a themed potluck. In other…
Crunchy Black Bean Tacos.
I should probably be sharing a Thanksgiving-y recipe, but at this point in my life I can only show you what we’ve been eating, and we haven’t eaten Thanksgiving dinner yet. So, black bean tacos it is! Really, though, these lightly spicy, crispy, crunchy black bean tacos are the perfect thing to cook and eat in…
Spicy Chicken Soup.
Some days, this sweet baby I have just doesn’t want to be put down. She’s perfectly content to hang out in my left arm while I attempt to do all the life tasks with my right. And with the exception of chopping vegetables and using a can opener, I made this chicken soup and documented it for…
Jay’s Steel Cut Oats (the perfect make-ahead breakfast).
I’ve been in a breakfast rut for aboouuut 10 years. It involves peanut butter on an English muffin and I’m happy here. I mean, I can be tempted out of it pretty easily with a pancake or something in that genre, but I can live without cereal or grits or oatmeal. But then Jay made…
Cheesy Bean Burritos (Stocking the Freezer #1).
Look! It’s a dinner that doesn’t involve potatoes! I love to cook. And by that I mean I love to make and eat delicious food. But I don’t necessarily love the process of making dinner every night – because, the budget. The unpredictable pickiness of children. The dishes. The juggling of schedules and activities. And…