20 Vegan Freezer Meal Prep Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How many freezer meals should you make? ›

If your maternity leave is short or you plan to eat out regularly, then 10-20 make-ahead freezer meals should do the trick. But if you have more time before the baby comes or if you plan on eating at home most of the time, then 30-50 freezer meals might be more suitable for your family.

Make a meal plan of about four days of safe storage in the fridge and about four months of safe storage in the freezer. Watch for changes (smell, color, texture, and mold) to your meal prep food as a sign that it's gone bad. If you're unsure if food has spoiled: when in doubt, throw it out.

On most days of the week, you'll want to rely on fresh meals — or tasty leftovers. “At the end of the day, I would limit frozen meals to no more than twice a week,” notes Taylor. But when you need the convenience of a frozen entrée, these tips can guide your choices.

While frozen meals are a convenient way to eat a balanced meal, it's easy to be led astray–they're also known for being packed with sodium, calories, and saturated fat, making moderation important.

Choose from dozens of delicious freezer meals including casseroles, baked pasta dishes, gumbo, pot roast, slow-cooker soups and stews, and more. You guests will never guess that you just popped that Turkey-Noodle-Poppy Seed Casserole out of the freezer.

Rigid containers and flexible bags or wrapping are two general types of packaging materials that are safe for freezing. Rigid containers made of plastic or glass are suitable for all packs and are especially good for liquid packs. Straight sides on rigid containers make the frozen food much easier to remove.

But with that being said, sour cream doesn't freeze well on it's own. Root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and beets freeze and reheat well whether they are fresh or cooked. Even roasted cauliflower works!

Can I freeze potatoes? ›

You absolutely can freeze potatoes, and you should if you have an excess of spuds. But there's one important thing to remember: You should really only freeze cooked or partially cooked potatoes, as raw potatoes contain a lot of water. This water freezes and, when thawed, makes the potatoes mushy and grainy.

How long can you store chicken in your freezer? According to the USDA, frozen chicken will be "safe indefinitely" as long as you keep it continuously frozen (i.e., you're not unfreezing it and then re-freezing it because you didn't have a chance to cook or eat it).

Poisonous microbes like bacteria are put into sleep mode by freezing. In simpler terms, it's almost impossible for most frozen foods to ever become spoiled in a working freezer. So, from a food safety perspective, your two-year-old meat is good to go. Thaw it, cook it, and enjoy it!

Yes, you can. Freezing mashed potatoes is a great way to plan for the holidays or avoid wasting any leftovers.

Raw defrosted food may be frozen once more, only if it has been cooked after defrosting and before re-freezing. Never leave food to defrost in a warm place (defrosting in the fridge at 5C is the safest way to do it), cover loosely, and ensure it is thoroughly defrosted before cooking - cook food soon after defrosting.

According to senior food editor Rick Martinez and Robert Ramsey, chef instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education, you can refreeze and re-thaw food—but just because you can doesn't mean you should. At ICE, Ramsey and his colleagues have a blanket rule: "If something's been frozen once, that's it."

When is it safe to refreeze food? You can safely refreeze frozen food that has thawed—raw or cooked, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through thawing. To safely refreeze, the thawed product must have been kept cold at 40 degrees or below for no more than 3-4 days.