Plus the Recipe for my Favorite Freezer Meal

As my kids get older, life gets busier. Busier in a different way. There is way more running around, so the need to plan becomes essential to anything getting finished around here. 

I’m sure you experienced that as well. We just went through this slow period during the pandemic, where we made sourdough and walked through the park. Now we are harried people running from one event to the next. I sometimes wonder what really happened and if we learned anything, but that is a story for another time. 

One way I save my behind during this season is by doing some meal planning.

There are a thousand ways to meal plan, and this is not what this post is about. Find the method that works for you, but if you are feeling overwhelmed even thinking about spring, you’ll thank me later. 

What you will find in this post are some easy breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack ideas, plus my favorite freezer meal.

I don’t plan out every day, but I look at my calendar, and I know that two to three days a week, I am busy, and if I can pull a meal out of the freezer, I will be thanking myself that day. 

Let’s get our juices flowing and make our freezer meal plan. 

Breakfast: 

I have a smoothie every day for breakfast, so this one is easy for me, but my kids and husband still need to eat. 

I will stock up on the following:

• Breakfast sausage links

• Bagels

• Bread (Homemade and Frozen)

• Cereal

• Cinnamon Rolls (Homemade and Frozen)

• Premade Breakfast Burritos (Frozen)

• Hashbrowns

• Pigs in the Blanket

• Bran Muffins (Frozen)

Lunch:

I don’t make a lot of lunches ahead of time, but I do plan my ideas. When it’s spring, I can’t add another brain planning function. I just want to know what I need to buy and what I am eating so I don’t have to think about it. 

I use ideas like:

• Quesadillas

• Crunch Wraps

• Salads

• Pre-cooked chicken for salads and wraps

• Leftovers

  
  

Supper:

 This is the biggest problem for me. My kids can make themselves breakfast and lunch, but supper falls on me. By suppertime, I’m usually tired; we have been gone running around, or I am working out in the garden. I need something fast.

Some of these are from the freezer and some of them are quick ideas. I can grab the meat or the meal in the morning and the meal will take only a few minutes to put together. 

My ideas to eat this spring are:

• Spaghetti Sauce ( premade and frozen)

• Taco Casserole

• Marinated Pork Chops

• Hamburgers

• Grilled Chicken Thighs

• Stromboli

• Pork Tenderloin

• Tacos

• BBQ Pork (Freezer)

• Itilian Lasagna Roll-ups ( Freezer) 

• Burritos (Freezer)

Now for my number one favorite freezer meal. 

I’ll make several of these because my family enjoys them so much, and they're so easy to make. It’s like comfort food at it’s finest. Add your favorite vegetable and a salad, and you're all set. 

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham 

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs of potatoes partially cooked, or shredded hashbrowns

• 3 cups of precooked diced ham (not lunch meat but cooked whole ham)

• 1 cup cheese

• 3 Tbsp butter

• ¼ cup flour

• 1 cup chicken broth or leftover ham gravy works well too

• ¼ cup Mayo

• Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1. In a large bowl. Melt the butter stir in the flour. 

2. Add the mayo and chicken broth or gravy.  Stir together. 

3. Add the potatoes, ham, and cheese. Stir together. 

4. Pour into a greased 9 x 13-inch pan. 

5. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

If freezing: Cover tightly with plastic wrap and a layer of foil. Label and freeze. J

To bake immediately: Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour. 

To bake from frozen: Thaw on the counter during the day. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until hot and bubbly. 

I’m curious how you survive the busy spring season. I don’t want to get take-out every night and I am always looking for plans and ideas. 

Let’s share in the comments below and learn from each other!