Using Freezer Meals to Get You Through the Holiday Rush
By Patricia Davis, MS
Dec 7, 2018
Updated Oct 25, 2023
5 min read
Are you wondering how to make it through the holiday season without constantly eating out? It’s not uncommon for the holidays to bring a sleighful of extra events and special programs — not to mention long shopping trips, marathon movie nights, and a never-ending project list.
With so much going on during the holidays, it can be hard to find time to plan and cook at home. Unfortunately, eating out or bringing home takeout can add to your waistline and decrease your budget — two problems that are especially slippery during the holidays. Solve these problems by planning ahead with freezer meals. Here are some tips and ideas.
Freezer meals don’t have to be complicated. In fact, the whole point of cooking freezer meals is to save you time and effort later. This easy meatball recipe is one example of a versatile freezer recipe. Make the meatballs as shown below and freeze. When you need a quick meal, pull out as many meatballs as you’ll eat and add to pasta, coat in barbeque sauce, or pile high on a marinara subway sandwich.
Ingredients
Mix all the ingredients together. Shape into about 20 meatballs that are 1½ inches big. Place in an ungreased 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Bake uncovered at 400°F for 20-25 minutes or until light brown. Let the meatballs cool before placing in a freezer-friendly container. Freeze for up to six weeks.
When you’d like to use your meatballs from the freezer, simply warm the meatballs in the microwave until they reach a comfortable temperature, or thaw in the fridge, then pan-fry slightly until warm.
Freezer meals can save you money and time this holiday season. Whether you take the time to prepare dozens of meals or just a few, you’ll be grateful to have something quick and delicious to pull out of your freezer when you’re short on time.