What’s better than getting all your meals ready for the week? It’s doing it in the shortest amount of time. That means you need freezer meals for meal prep that are simple, easy to make and of course, delicious. I have some of my own favorite meals, but also hear clients at Gym Slayer in Elk Grove, CA, talk about their favorites. These easy to make meals are perfect. Some require you get them out of the freezer 24 hours ahead.
If you have a slow cooker, or instant pot, you’ll cut time.
If you love cilantro lime chicken, here’s a meal you can prepare in minutes. Just assemble it and freeze it, then take it out of the freezer 24 hours before you’ll use it. In a large gallon freezer bag, mix juice from two limes, a pound an a half of chicken breasts, a 12 ounce bag of frozen corn, fresh cilantro, 2 minced cloves of garlic, a half diced red onion, a tsp of cumin and a drained and rinsed can of black beans. You can salt and pepper to taste now or when cooked. Cook on high in a slow cooker for 3 to 4 hours on high or six to eight on low. Remove the chicken breasts and shred and mix back with the other ingredients. Serve on top of salad with cheese. If you’re making in an instant pot, cook on manual for 25 minutes.
Another no cook meal for the instant pot or slow cooker is salsa verde chicken.
You can assemble this one in a bag to cook later. Include a pound and a half of chicken breasts, a can of chicken broth, a 16 ounce jar of green salsa, a diced onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, a tsp cumin, a 4ounce can of green chilies and when cooking, add salt and pepper to taste. Let it thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours when you’re ready to use. Spray your slow cooker with non-stick spray and cook for three hours on high or five to six on low. Remove chicken, shred and return to slow cooker. Top rice, make burritos or top a salad.
Soups, soups and more soups are perfect for freezing.
Soup is one of my go to favorite, especially since it’s so economical. You can use leftover meat and vegetables from other meals to create it. Use broth for the base of chicken vegetable soup or get more exotic with a hearty bowl of sweet potato and black bean chili. Make up a double batch and have plenty on hand for another night. This recipe has four-two cup servings and has just 323 calories per serving. Just heat 5 teaspoons of olive oil in a dutch oven, add a diced and peeled medium sweet potato and a diced onion until soft then add two cups of water, bring to a simmer and heat until potatoes are soft. Stir as you add seasoning, such as chili powder, garlic, cumin, salt and ground chipotle chili. Add 2 cans of rinsed black beans, a large can of diced tomato and four teaspoons of lime juice. Simmer for five minutes. It keeps frozen for three months.
- You can double your meal and freeze the leftovers for another night. Food that doesn’t freeze well includes milk based soup, fried food, food with mayo, yogurt or whipping cream and raw potatoes.
- You can cut time by freezing individual ingredients for a variety of recipes. Brown several pounds of ground turkey or beef at once and pack in one pound freezer bags.
- Always mark the name of the dish and the date on the package. You might think you’ll remember what it is, and when you made it, but normally, most people forget.
- The best way to ensure you have a balanced diet that is the best for your needs is to follow our meal plans.
For more information, contact us today at Gym Slayer