Make-ahead meals made healthy: exceptionally delicious and nutritious freezer-friendly recipes you can prepare in advance and enjoy at a moment's notice

436 Pages·2011·23.82 MB·English

by  Michele Borboa

MAKE-AHEAD
MEALS MADE
HEALTHY
EXCEPTIONALLY DELICIOUS AND NUTRITIOUS
FREEZER-FRIENDLY RECIPES
YOU CAN PREPARE IN ADVANCE AND ENJOY AT A
MOMENT’S NOTICE
MICHELE BORBOA,
M.S.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1
GETTING STARTED
CHAPTER 2
CASSEROLES
CHAPTER 3
MEATS
CHAPTER 4
POULTRY AND SEAFOOD
CHAPTER 5
SOUPS, STEWS, AND CHILIS
CHAPTER 6
SIDE DISHES AND VEGETARIAN OPTIONS
CHAPTER 7
BREADS, ROLLS, PIZZAS, AND MORE
CHAPTER 8
APPETIZERS
CHAPTER 9
SAUCES, CONDIMENTS, AND OTHER STAPLES
CHAPTER 10
BREAKFASTS
CHAPTER 11
DESSERTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
INDEX
CHAPTER 1
GETTING STARTED
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR FANTASTIC
FREEZER-FRIENDLY MEALS
IN TODAY’S BUSY WORLD, families sitting down at the table for home-
cooked meals is a rarity. Frequently, meals are eaten at restaurants—or too often
from the drive-thru—or from meals pulled from the supermarket freezer section
and reheated in the microwave. The result of too many meals out and
overconsumption of processed, packaged foods is families who are overweight;
a growing number of children suffering from chronic weight-related diseases,
such as type 2 diabetes; and a disconnect of families from the enjoyment of sit-
down meals made (even mostly) from scratch.
Eating out, dining by delivery, drive-thrus, and grocery store frozen main
courses not only put your health and waistline at risk, but they are expensive and
in many cases, take just as much time, if not more, than cooking a meal at home.
Gathering your family around the kitchen dinner table or even better, having the
family help with the meal before it gets to the dinner table, is a tasty opportunity
to spend quality time together. Best yet, by making meals at home, you are
teaching your kids a valuable lesson in health-promoting, money-saving life
skills. Your kids will grow up with the perspective that home-cooked meals are
the norm—even for the busiest of families.
So how do you accomplish healthfully feeding your family every day without
spending most of your day slaving in the kitchen? By learning the art of make-
ahead meals! Fixing and freezing meals is an easy, cost-effective, and long-term
solution to keeping your family well-fed at home as well as on-the-go.
As you page through this book, you’ll find recipes ranging from eye-opening
breakfasts and comfort food casseroles to succulent meats and lip-smacking
sweets—all of which can be frozen and reheated effortlessly, yielding meals that
are not just as tasty as meals made on the spot, but even better, given the time
they’ve been given (in the freezer) for their flavors to mingle and develop.
In addition to recipes for all tastes and occasions, you’ll find guidelines for
successfully fixing and freezing meals, both for individual servings and for
feeding a crowd, as well as detailed reheating and serving suggestions for every
single recipe.
Make-ahead meals do require some time up front, but the result is a future of
delicious, stress-free meals that can be put on the table in a manner of minutes.
Ready to get cooking?
FIX-AND-FREEZE 101
Fixing and freezing your own selection of ready-to-heat eats is a simple and easy
process to master, no matter what your level of “freezing expertise.” Here is all
you need to know to get started—in just nine easy steps!
Step #1: Stay Well-Stocked
Keeping your kitchen stocked with essential ingredients will help ensure you can
put together a healthy meal—whether it is make-ahead or not—without having
to run to the store. Staple ingredients are nutritious, packed with flavor, and
endlessly versatile.
TEN STAPLES FOR THE HEALTHY MAKE-AHEAD
KITCHEN
1. Canned Beans
A stellar source of protein, fiber, and other health-promoting nutrients, canned
beans are one of the most versatile ingredients in the kitchen. They have a long
shelf life and as an ingredient in make-ahead recipes, do well in the freezer.

TASTY AND CREATIVE USES FOR CANNED
BEANS
Puréed for dips, such as hummus • Used as a thickener for sauces • Tossed
into salads for a meat-free protein alternative • Simmered in soups, stews, and
chili • Added to burrito and enchilada fillings • Used as a base for vegetarian
burgers
2. Frozen Fruits and Vegetables
A daily trip to the supermarket for fresh produce isn’t feasible for most busy
families. Keeping a variety of frozen fruits and vegetables on hand not only
gives you a convenient way to include nutrient-rich produce in your weekly
meals, it also keeps a ready supply of healthy ingredients to add to your fix-and-
freeze feasts. Some of my favorite frozen fruits and vegetables to keep on hand
include: Blueberries, marionberries, mango, sliced bananas (you can easily
package these yourself), peas, corn, edamame, lima beans, and mixed
vegetables.
3. Dry Pasta, Rice, and Other Grains and Flours
The palate-pleasing plethora of whole-grain pastas, rice, and other grains such as
quinoa, millet, and barley give you a near endless array of wholesome make-
ahead possibilities. These staples can be cooked ahead and frozen as is or
included in recipes before freezing (see Family-Favorite Freezer Rice, page 110).
Opt for high-fiber pastas, whole-wheat couscous, brown or wild rice, and the
many whole grains you can find in the bulk section of your local natural food
stores or in the grain aisle at the supermarket. In addition, keep a bag each of
whole-wheat pastry flour and all-purpose flour for baking, breading, and
thickening.
4. Olive or Canola Oil
No kitchen pantry should be without at least one heart-healthy cooking oil. Both
olive and canola oils are rich in good-for-you monounsaturated fats and can be
used for a variety of culinary applications. Because of its delicate nature, extra-
virgin olive oil should only be used for salad dressings or to drizzle on cooked
foods, while pure olive oil can withstand higher heat cooking, such as sautéing.
Canola oil has a very mild flavor, which is ideal for many baked goods, and can
also be used in higher-heat cooking.
5. Eggs
Eggs are a tasty go-to for breakfast and brunch, necessary for baking, and, when
hard cooked, can quickly become the base for egg-salad sandwiches or added to
macaroni salad, potato salad, and tuna salad. Hard-cooked eggs can also be
tossed with green salads or vegetables. Eggs come in handy when making fix-
and-freeze quiche, bread pudding, quick breads, cakes, cookies, and even ice
cream.
Though eggs are perishable, they do have a good shelf life if stored properly in
the refrigerator. Do not store eggs in the refrigerator door since it is opened often
and subject to temperature fluctuations.
6. Cheese
Dry, grating cheeses such as Parmesan and Romano are loaded with flavor (so a
little goes a long way), hugely versatile, and have a long shelf life. They will last
in the fridge six months unopened and three to four months opened.
Key in lasagna and other pasta dishes, these Italian cheeses are also essential
ingredients for pesto and even savory breads. For the best flavor, buy a wedge
and grate the amount you need for your recipe on the spot. The same goes for
blocks of semi-firm cheese, such as Cheddar and Swiss, which are also easy to
keep on hand and can be quickly shredded into recipes.
Other, softer cheeses such as feta and blue cheese make good staples too. They
don’t have the shelf life of dry cheeses, but their distinctive characteristics will
give your make-ahead meals a delectable punch of flavor.
7. Onions, Garlic, and Other Flavorful Ingredients
Onions and garlic are frequently used in savory recipes, laying the flavor
foundation for meat dishes, stir-fries, sauces, and more. Keep in mind that the
shelf life of onions and garlic will widely vary depending on when they were
harvested or purchased. If stored properly, however, most store-bought onions
will stay fresh for three weeks or longer, while whole heads of garlic will last
one month or longer (the shelf life of garlic decreases once the cloves are
separated). Be sure to choose onions and heads of garlic that are firm,
unblemished, and show no signs of mold and keep them stored in a cool, dark
place so they are within easy reach when you start to cook.
Dried herbs and spices are one of the most convenient ways to add fabulous
flavor to all of your meals. There is no need to buy every available herb and