It’s hard to believe that the beginning of the school year is already here. I’ve been enjoying the laid back feel that summer carries with it. Picnic dinners with friends, casual BBQ’s and late nights, but all that has now changed. The school year brings with it a routine that summer lacks. If motherhood has taught me one thing, it’s that preparation is the key to success.
In the spirit of preparedness, I’ve put together three recipes you can make and freeze now so that you’re ready for back-to-school dinners. These recipes are tried, true and delicious because they were my grandmother’s. She was an excellent cook, and these meals are the food of my childhood. All are healthy meals that I hope your family will love too!
Tuscan Ribollita Soup
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- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, minced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1 package baby kale
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 2 15 oz. cans cannellini beans, drained
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
Ingredients
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- Heat olive oil in a large soup pot.
- Saute parsley, garlic, onion, carrot, and celery for 5 minutes. Lower heat, cover and allow ingredients to sweat for another 5 minutes.
- Add baby kale and vegetable stock to the pot. Bring to a boil and lower heat to simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add cannellini beans and simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Mix in cheese before serving.
*HOW TO FREEZE*
- To freeze this meal, follow steps 1-4 and allow it cool completely before putting it in a freezer safe container.
- Defrost and reheat.
- Add Parmesan cheese to finish.
Swedish Cauliflower Meatballs with a Creamy Mushroom Gravy
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- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 head cauliflower, ground into small pieces
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup dry bread crumbs
- 1 small onion, minced
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1/2 cup 1/2 C vegetable oil
- 1 lb. sliced mushrooms
- 5 cups water
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 cup milk
- 6 tbsp Corn Starch
Ingredients
Meatballs
Mushroom Gravy
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- In a large bowl, mix ground beef, cauliflower, egg, milk, bread crumbs, onion, salt, nutmeg, and mustard. Roll into 40-1 inch balls.
- In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add meatballs; brown 10 minutes, turning as needed. Cauliflower makes the meatballs soft, so handle them gently.
- Drain meatballs on a paper towel. All them to cool completely before freezing.
- In a medium saucepan, stir together mushrooms, water, and salt.
- Heat to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, covered, 10 minutes.
- Stir together milk and corn starch until smooth. Add to mushroom mixture. Stirring constantly, bring to boil over medium heat. Boil 1 minute.
- Allow the gravy to cool completely before freezing.
*HOW TO FREEZE*
- Separately store meatballs and mushroom gravy in freezer safe containers. Allow both to thaw.
- Simmer the meatballs in the mushroom gravy for 25 minutes before serving.
Lasagna Roll Ups
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- 1 package lasagna noodles
- 2 lb. ground beef
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp. basil
- 2 tsp. oregano
- 6 tbsp. Corn Starch V8 juice and cornstarch can be substituted for a jar of spaghetti sauce.
- 8 cups V8 juice V8 juice and cornstarch can be substituted for a jar of spaghetti sauce.
- 4 cups ricotta
- 1 16 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 2 10 oz. packages frozen spinach, defrosted and drained
- 1/2 Parmesan cheese
Ingredients
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- Cook lasagna noodles according to the package. Drain and allow to cool.
- In a large skillet, brown ground turkey, garlic, basil, and oregano.
- Stir corn starch into V8 juice until smooth (or add substituted jar of spaghetti sauce). Then add to meat mixture. Boil for 1 minute. Set aside to cool.
- Spread half the sauce to cover the bottom of a 9 x 12 pan.
- In a large bowl, mix ricotta, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, spinach, and Parmesan cheese.
- Spread 1/3 C of cheese mixture on each lasagna noodle. Then roll up and cut in half. Place cut side down in the bottom of the pan.
- Spread remainder of sauce over the top of the roll ups. Cover with the remainder of the mozzarella cheese and seal for the freezer.
*HOW TO FREEZE*
- Make sure to prepare the lasagna roll ups in a freezer safe pan.
- Defrost and bake in 350-degree oven for 30 minutes.
*PRO TIP*
- If you have any leftover filling or sauce save them to add to your eggs in the morning. It tastes delicious scrambled!
After freezing the meals, I would recommend defrosting overnight in the fridge
or 2-3 hours if left out on the counter.
Preparing three meals in one day seems like a big job, but the reward of having dinner ready to go is worth the effort. Double or triple the recipes to make even more in advance. My favorite thing to do is invite a friend over so that both of you can share the work and the reward of these fantastic meals. The school year is here so let’s get ourselves prepped and ready with some healthy and easy weeknight dinners!
For more information about how to get started making freezer meals, check out this post: HERE
See out more back-to-school content by clicking: HERE
Wishing Everyone a Happy and Blessed New School Year!
Latest posts by Sarah Tseng, Smart. Simple. Savvy. & A Modern Mom's Guide Contributing Columnist (see all)
- Back-To-School Freezer Meals Prep and Recipes - September 30, 2017
- Lasagna Roll Ups - September 30, 2017
- Swedish Cauliflower Meatballs with a Creamy Mushroom Gravy - September 30, 2017
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