Freezer Meals: Week 4

Happy Wednesday, Savers! You know what that means: top freezer meals.

I found these recipes on Pinterest this week and can’t wait to try them and share them with you!

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Empanadas

These are right up my alley – sweet potatoes and black beans! Yes, please – these guarantee to keep you full and satisfied! The actual prepwork here does look a bit intensive, but when I encounter situations like this, I just make a ton of them – double, triple the recipe – so that next time I’m in the mood to eat them, I can just get them out of the freezer and reheat.

This requires making a dough as well as the filling and combining to make empanadas! Bake until lightly browned and they are ready to eat right out of the oven. That being said, they are also great room temp for snacks, and are easily stored in the freezer. When you’re ready to reheat, simply take out of the freezer, thaw a bit, and toss in the oven until heated.

Huge thanks to myrecipes.com for this awesome recipe idea – I can’t wait to try them!

4 Cheese Tomato Pasta Bake

This recipe totally had me the second I saw the picture. Just look at this! Oozy, cheesy, browned, tasty looking pasta dish. I’m sold.

52 Ways to Cook claims that this recipe takes only about 30 minutes of work, start to finish. As if I needed any more convincing, right?! You can work ahead and freeze so easily. They give three awesome tips that applies to ALL freezer meals that everyone should be reminded of.

1. Make sure that the actual baking dish is freezer to oven safe – Pyrex is best! You can also use foil disposable pans. Don’t worry if these aren’t your prettiest dishes, you can always transfer once it’s cooked.
2. It’s always best to thaw the casserole in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours before baking. If you put a casserole in the oven without doing this, it’ll be fine, but the edges will be baked more crisp than the center by the time it’s finished – it also takes about 30 minutes longer. As a rule of thumb, your casserole is done once the liquid is bubbling and the top is crispy crunchy.
3. Never freeze a meal for more than 2 months – always date the dish the day you place it in the freezer! Any longer and you’re looking at the consequence of freezer burn – yuck!

Anyways, here’s what’s up – simply prepare pasta al dente while you sautee onion and garlic in a pan – add in white wine and heavy cream. Spread the cooked pasta and tomatoes into a dish while the sauce thickens – once it is, add in the cheese! My favorite part. Spread the sauce over the dish and top with some parm. If you’re looking to freeze or make a couple of casseroles, cover with aluminum foil, making sure that there is as little air between the top of the casserole and the foil as possible. Allow to cool and pop in the freezer. Once you are ready to cook, pop the casserole in the oven and bake for 30. YUM!

Smokey Turkey Almond Mole

This is such a unique dish, and I know that I’ll love it because I love anything that’s super saucy and spicy. Makes for a great topping to a rice dish or even for bread dipping – my fave.

Prep looks pretty easy! Processing almonds, sauteing ingredients in a skillet, and some simmering. This recipe calls for pre-cooked turkey breast which makes this even easier. Once your sauce is ready, you simply stir in the turkey. The chipotle chile and adobo sauce add an awesome smokey pop to this saucy dish. I’d recommend serving over brown rice with some pita bread or a salad on the side – sounds delicious! I also saw an awesome user tip in the comments that served this as a fajita dish! How creative! Make this your own, and remember that it freezes very, very well if you have leftovers or simply want to prep a meal for a busy day – just thaw and reheat! Enjoy 🙂

Big thank you to myrecipes.com for this killer recipe – I cannot, cannot wait to try!

So there you have it, everyone! Check these out and please comment with any feedback!