101 Easy Meal Prep Ideas To Save You Time!

Mealtime is about to get ridiculously simple with this HUGE list of Easy Meal Prep Ideas! You won’t believe how much time and money you’ll save each week!

Then… finish your meal planning with some help from these 500+ Easy Frugal Girls Recipes!

Easy Meal Prep Ideas

Whether you’re looking to save time in the kitchen or save money on your grocery bill, these Easy Meal Prep Ideas will change your life!

Seriously… you won’t believe how good you’ll be eating and how much extra time you’ll have once you start prepping your meals ahead of time.

Meal Prep truly is a game changer!

From freezer friendly meals to prep ahead baking tips, you’ll have your refrigerator stocked with healthy meals for the week. Plus your freezer will be stocked with hearty dishes for the weeks to come!

No more wondering what you’ll make for dinner, or scrambling to pack lunches late at night.

When you plan ahead, meal time becomes a breeze!

So what are you waiting for?

Take charge of your time and your grocery bill with these Easy Meal Prep Ideas for the Week…

Related: Walmart Grocery Deals (20 Secret Tips)

Benefits of Meal Prepping

There are SO many benefits when it comes to meal prepping!

• Save Money
• Save Time
• Portion Control is a cinch!
• Reduce Stress (no more wondering what your next meal will be)

Why You’ll LOVE Meal Prepping…

• Quick breakfast on a busy morning
• Nutritious lunch rather than mindless snacking
• Easy dinner on a busy night
• Dessert is ready to go whenever the cravings hit! 🙂

How Do You Store Meal Prep Food?

There will be different storage methods depending on what types of foods you’ve prepped ahead.

• Refrigerator: If you’ll be enjoying your meal preps within a few days, you’ll want to store in the refrigerator.
• Freezer: If you have a meal prepped for weeks or months later, you’ll want to load up your freezer.
• Countertop: For baked goods that will be enjoyed within a few days, store in an airtight container on the countertop.

Related: Genius Kitchen Tips and Tricks

What Containers Do You Use for Meal Prep?

When it comes to meal prep containers and supplies, here are some of my favorite items to have on hand…

• Glass Meal Prep Containers with Lids
• Plastic Wrap
• Freezer Storage Bags
• Aluminum Foil

Beth writes: “I also hit up the Dollar Tree and get disposable casserole dishes (aluminum) so when I make one meal, I can either make more or cut it in half and freeze half (lasagna, chicken enchiladas, etc.).”

How Do I Start Prepping Meals?

Prepping meals ahead of time is so much easier than you think!

I like to set aside one day a week to batch cook and prep ahead for upcoming meals.

It saves so much time in the long run, because you won’t be dirtying up the kitchen every day.

By doubling or tripling your recipes, you can save even more time because you’ll have food prepped ahead for the current week, and you can freeze the rest for upcoming weeks!

Casey writes: “Anytime you can make extra meals, stick them in the freezer! Make double portions and then you’ve cooked once to eat twice.”

Breakfast Meal Prep Ideas

When it comes to the mornings… having a hearty, healthy breakfast is so much easier when you’ve planned ahead!

When you’ve got your fridge filled with pre-made eggs or overnight oats, and your freezer stocked with healthy pancakes and delicious quick breads, you’ll be enjoying a fabulous breakfast every morning!

These are the kind of breakfasts that will have you jumping out of bed in the morning!

Here’s what you need to prep ahead to have them ready to go…

Oatmeal Packets

This Homemade Oatmeal Packets Recipe is so quick and easy to make, and can really help cut the cost of your breakfast, too!

You’ll need: 4 Cups Quick Oats + 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar

How to Make Oatmeal Packets:

1. Measure out 1/2 cup of oatmeal for each ziploc bag or other reusable container, then add in brown sugar (or other mix ins)
2. When ready to serve, empty contents of packet into microwave safe bowl, add milk until you achieve your desired consistency, and microwave for 45 – 60 seconds, or until hot and ready.
3. Drizzle with a little maple syrup, and you’ve got a delicious start to your day!
4. Alternative mix-ins for other flavors include: Ground Cinnamon + Raisins, Mini Chocolate Chips + Cocoa Powder, Dried Cranberries + White Chocolate Chips, Freeze Dried Strawberries + Powdered Milk, etc.

Stock Your Fridge with Hard Boiled Eggs!

Hard boiled eggs are the perfect grab and go addition to your breakfast, and can be made and enjoyed for several days!

You can even save time later by peeling them ahead of time! Use these easy recipes to make perfect hard boiled eggs…

Easy Peel Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs

Christie writes: “This is such a great way to cook a batch of eggs all at once! Especially great for meal prep!”

How to Freeze Eggs for Later Use

You’ll never toss out another egg once you know how to freeze eggs! Frozen eggs are great for baking, cooking, and camping, too!

How to Freeze Crispy Bacon

Having perfectly crispy bacon made up and ready to go for breakfast is such a game changer! You can even microwave to reheat it straight from the freezer with this simple little trick!

Homemade Pancake Mix

This homemade pancake mix is a simple thing you can prep ahead and store in your pantry.

Or… take it a step further and make up some pancakes to freeze for later with this delicious recipe!

Elaine writes: “Make up a few batches of waffles or pancakes, put wax paper between each and freeze. You can take out only what you need & microwave them.”

Jill writes: “I just made blueberry waffles for the week ~ placing each one in a freezer sandwich bag.”

Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes

These healthy pancakes taste just like pumpkin bread, and can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator or freezer, and heated back up in the toaster!

Banana Oat Flour Pancakes

Just like the pumpkin pancakes, these banana pancakes can also be prepped ahead! Store in your fridge or freezer, and place in the toaster to reheat for a quick, hot breakfast!

How easy is that?!?

Freezer Friendly Cranberry Walnut Bread

This bread is a must-have during the holidays, but can really be enjoyed any time of year. It freezes beautifully, too!

Banana Bread Muffins Recipe

In the mood for some portion controlled banana bread? Enjoy these cute little Banana Bread Muffins with this easy-freezer friendly recipe!

Freezer Friendly Banana Bread Recipe

Breakfast is going to be the best meal of the day when you stock your freezer with loaves of this Freezer Friendly Banana Bread Recipe!

Natasha writes: “I always make mini loaves of banana / zucchini / etc. bread so I can easily pull one from the freezer and eat it before it dries out.”

Freezer Friendly Pumpkin Bread Recipe

You’ll never regret having your freezer stocked with this Freezer Friendly Pumpkin Bread! It is soft, moist, and ridiculously delicious!

9 Easy Breakfast Casserole Recipes To Enjoy For Days!

No need to do all that hard work so early in the morning, right?  

You can plan ahead and still pull off an amazing brunch with these delicious casseroles.

Or make a breakfast casserole on the weekend, to enjoy for several days during the week!

Overnight Oatmeal Recipe

A healthy breakfast is so simple when you plan ahead the night before with some overnight oats!

Place them in the fridge, and grab and go the next morning!

Freezer Friendly Breakfast Burritos

Elaine writes: “Breakfast burritos also freeze well. Here’s what I do…

Breakfast Burrito Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Bacon
• 12 Large Eggs
• 10 Medium Tortillas (8 inch)
• 1 1/4 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Breakfast Burrito Instructions:

1. Fry up Bacon, then cool it by putting it in the freezer for a bit. (I think it crumbles easier.) Crumble bacon after it has cooled down.
2. Scramble eggs, then set aside
3. Lay tortilla shells on the counter
4. Divide scrambled eggs up between the shells
5. Top the scrambled eggs with crumbled bacon and cheddar cheese.
6. Fold the ends in and roll up.
7. Wrap each in plastic wrap or parchment paper, and put them all in a ziploc.
8. You can take out only what you want.
9. To Reheat: Thaw in refrigerator overnight.
10. In the morning, remove from plastic wrap or parchment paper, and wrap in a paper towel.
11. Microwave until hot, being careful to not overcook. (about 2 – 2/12 minutes should work, flipping it over at the 1 minute mark.)
12. Or, if microwaving from frozen state, microwave wrapped in a paper towel for about 3 – 4 minutes, or until cooked through and hot…. making sure to flip over at the halfway point.

Meal Prep Lunch Ideas

When it comes to meal prepping your lunch, make ahead soups are one of the easiest lunches you can prep!

Then pair your cozy bowl of soup with some make-ahead Homemade Bread, and you’ve got a mouthwatering lunch you’ll be dreaming of all morning long!

Beth writes: “I make soups and freeze them in portions for later”

Sally writes: “I have great luck with freezing beef and vegetable soup. I make a very large pot of it and put it in plastic bowls with lids after it cools.

Be sure to leave a little room in the top of the bowl to give room for expansion, then stack the bowls in the freezer. It thaws quite well, and the taste is the same as the day it was made!”

Freezer Friendly Crockpot Taco Soup Recipe

Karen writes: “Taco Soup is EASY, and freezes well if it lasts that long.” 🙂

Freezer Friendly Crockpot Chili Recipe

Theresa writes: “Anytime I make chili, I make enough to have plenty to put in the freezer.”

Freezer Friendly Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

This homemade chicken noodle soup freezes wonderfully, and is one of my favorite soups to keep stocked in the freezer!

Trust me… once you try it, you’ll never go back to canned chicken noodle soup again!

Freezer Friendly Crockpot Pepper Jack Tomato Soup Recipe

This Crockpot Pepper Jack Tomato Soup Recipe is about to make both your mouth and your freezer very, very happy!

Freezer Friendly Sourdough Bread Recipe

This dreamy homemade sourdough bread freezes beautifully, too!

If you’d like to freeze your loaf for later, you can either leave your loaf whole or slice it up now so you can just grab a few slices here and there as you need them.

Freezer Friendly Crusty Bread Recipe

Or if you’re not ready to take on sourdough, this homemade crusty artisan bread is SO simple to make!

Slice and freeze for later, so you can grab some for your meals all week long!

Freezer Friendly Honey Wheat Sandwich Bread

Craving a sandwich? How about stocking the freezer with some sliced homemade sandwich bread?

Easy Salmon Salad Recipe

This salmon salad can also be made ahead and enjoyed later… perfect for lunch time! So healthy and SO delicious!

Easy Broccoli Salad Recipe

Want something tasty you can pack along to work for a few days? This easy broccoli salad tops the charts!

Meal Prep Sides

Easy Baked Beans Recipe

Enjoy these amazing bbq baked beans today… or freeze them for later!

They’re a simple and delicious side you can enjoy reheated all week long!

Slow Cooker Creamed Corn Recipe

To make this ahead of time or to store leftovers, this creamed corn can be frozen in freezer friendly bags.  

When ready to serve, just place the frozen corn in the refrigerator to allow it to thaw. Then microwave it covered with a paper towel, in a microwave-safe bowl.

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

These mashed potatoes are such a hearty and delicious dinner side that can easily be made ahead of time and reheated!

Go check out the simple step-by-step instructions for reheating Fluffy Mashed Potatoes!

Pam writes: “If we have mashed potatoes for supper, I make extra to use for potato fritters for breakfast the next morning.”

Tracey writes: “Extra mashed taters = Potato pancakes!  Yum.”

Easy Hashbrown Casserole Recipe

Marianne writes: “I make a recipe similar to this that is called funeral potatoes. I put it in TWO 8X8 pans. I do not add the topping, and freeze them.

Then later, I pull them out of the freezer when I am ready. At that point I add the topping and bake.”

Cornbread Mix Recipe

Save time by stocking your pantry with this simple and delicious Cornbread Mix!

Crockpot Caramelized Onions Recipe

Thanks to this big batch, you’ll have plenty of caramelized onions to use in the coming weeks.  

They’re so easy to freeze in individual quart-sized freezer bags for later!

1. Pour 3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil in 5 – 7 quart Crockpot.
2. Peel and Slice Onions, and place in Crockpot.
3. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt, then toss with tongs to coat onion slices with oil.
4. Cover crockpot, and cook on LOW for 7 – 8 hours, or until desired texture is achieved.
5. Store in mason jars in the refrigerator up to 3 days, or in quart freezer bags in the freezer up to 3 months.

Check out more side dish meal prep tips from your frugal friends here…

Casey writes: “Buy a bag of onions, and spend a half hour or so chopping and/or dicing them in the food processor.  Go ahead and put them in 1/4 Cup portions into Ziplocs and stick them in the freezer! Then you have the dirty work done one time, instead of shedding tears multiple times.”

Gay writes: “To add to what Casey posted… you can do the same with bell peppers, leeks, celery and even carrots.  I use quart size bags and just measure out what I need. Not only is this a gigantic timesaver, it keeps me from wasting veggies, because they sat in the crisper too long not being used. So it also saves money!”

Christina writes: “Twice baked potatoes freeze well. I freeze them on a cookie sheet & then put them in a freezer bag. This keeps them from sticking together. They are great for an easy lunch or as a side for dinner.”

Healthy Mason Jar Meal Prep Ideas

Honey Balsamic Salad Dressing Recipe

Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce (Freezer Friendly)

Use it as a Spaghetti Sauce, Breadstick Dip, or even Pizza Sauce! 

YUM!  Go grab the Crockpot!  

This makes such a yummy make ahead freezer-friendly sauce!

Kristen writes: “Make extra of whatever you are currently making and just freeze it, especially spaghetti sauce!”

Tracey writes: “Anytime you cook spaghetti sauce, make two or three or four and freeze the rest.”

How to Freeze Homemade Basil Pesto

Pesto is the perfect way to enjoy a chicken dinner.  And this Pesto really is so simple to make.  

The best part, I’ve got such a fun little trick for How to Freeze Pesto so you can have it anytime you want!

Easy Meal Prep Dinner Ideas

Casseroles and enchiladas are a fantastic make ahead dinner, and leftovers can be prepped for lunches or dinner the following days!

Here are a few of my favorite casseroles to make ahead and enjoy for days…

Easy Beef Enchiladas Recipe

Easy Chicken Enchiladas Recipe

Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole Recipe

Easy Cheesy Pasta Casserole Recipe

Another easy idea is to cook up extra meat and enjoy it for days, like this savory ham and pulled pork…

Crockpot Maple Brown Sugar Ham Recipe

BBQ Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork

BBQ Coca Cola Pulled Pork

Sabrina writes: “My kids love lasagna so I always make enough to freeze a second meal of it. If you add meat and veggies to it when you prepare it then it is a one dish meal for your family. For lasagna just put browned ground beef (or turkey) or cut up meatballs or cut sausage with your cheese on a layer and spinach leafs on another layer.”

Ellie writes: “Lasagna is a freezer friendly meal and goes along way. I cut mine into servings and wrap them seperately, then I can have it for lunch and the hubby can take it to work with him. It also saves from reheating the entire pan and wasting what you don’t finish.”

Carole writes: “When I make a rotisserie chicken for dinner I pit the leftover meat and bones in the crockpot with onions, celery, a bay leaf…and whatever else I might have.  I fill it up with water and cook overnight. Next morning I have a delicious pot of chicken stock to use or freeze.”

Jane writes: “I’m always making broth with my chicken or turkey bones.  I then freeze it in 2 Cup bags. I use it in potatoes, fast soup, or when I need extra water – like for grits – just to add some flavor.”

Freezer Friendly Meal Prep Dinner Ideas

Plan ahead and take the stress out of dinner when you make one of these Freezer Friendly Meals.  Talk about the ideal way to  make your meal planning a cinch!

I received the following question from frugal friend Dawn…

“Does anybody have any ideas for cheap or healthy meals I can freeze?  I’m about to have our second baby and I’ve been trying to stock up some meals in the freezer, to make things a little easier once our girl arrives.  Thank you!!”

There really are SO many simple meals and sides you can prep ahead of time. Here are a few of my favorites…

Crockpot Browning Meat Trick

Casey writes: “Pre-cooking and portioning chicken into bags is a huge time saver.”

Crockpot Chicken Taco Meat Recipe

Crockpot Beef Taco Meat Recipe

Tip to Avoid Freezer Burn

Cynthia writes: “I found a trick and it’s working!! Just put meat in a freezer ziploc & place bottom portion of open bag into a bowl of water (larger than your freezer item that is in the bag). Then slowly press air out of ziploc to the top & zip! The water acts as a vacuum!”

Freezer-Friendly Savory Crock Pot Italian Chicken Recipe

Add some Savory Italian to your freezer meals!  Get ready to stock your freezer with some serious deliciousness!

Crockpot Green Chile Chicken Recipe

It really doesn’t get much easier than this.  It’s time to get a head start on your weekly dinners with this easy Freezer Meal!

Freezer Friendly Crockpot Ranch Chicken Recipe (4 Ingredients)

You’re gonna love the balanced and juicy flavor this easy chicken dinner delivers!  

You’re also going to love that you can pull this right out of your freezer whenever you need it!

Freezer Friendly Meatball Recipe

If you’re looking for a simple (and super-tasty) meatball recipe, I’ve got just the thing!  You’ll LOVE this easy recipe!

After you bake your meatballs, you can store any extras in the freezer in a freezer storage bag.

Freezer Friendly Crockpot Pepper Jack Tomato Pasta Sauce Recipe

Once you’ve made this yummy sauce, your freezer is going to contain a little bit of pasta heaven for any night you need it!

Freezer Friendly Instant Pot Sloppy Joes Mix

This will be one of the easiest dinners you’ll ever make, and you’ll never regret having extra ready to go in the freezer!

Freezer Friendly Ranch Burger Patties Recipe

Would you like to keep your evenings fun and carefree? Then you’ll love this tip for Freezing Hamburger Patties to enjoy anytime you need them!

Freezer Friendly Homemade Hamburger Buns

I keep these burger buns stocked in my freezer, and am so glad I do.

The taste is off the charts, and will instantly elevate any burger or sandwich! Once I started making my own burger buns, I was ruined for life.

Store bought buns can’t compare! 🙂

Pre Marinating Chicken Before Freezing

Another simple meal prep trick is to simply add marinades to your freezer bags before portioning out chicken breasts from a large bag.

Then, the night before, you can grab a bag of pre-marinated chicken, toss it in the fridge, and it will be ready to cook up the next day!

Valerie writes: “My favorite tip is to buy boneless skinless chicken breasts and freeze them in either meal size portions or individually with marinade… (homemade or store bought marinade).  Let them marinade in the freezer bags for at least four hours and then freeze.  They get flavor when they are freezing and again when they are thawing . . . oh, so good!”

Erin writes: “I love cooking chicken breasts in the slow cooker and shredding – I typically freeze some plain, some with buffalo sauce (yummy buffalo pizzas), and some with salsa (enchiladas or Mexican casserole)… such a time saver.  With 3 boys, 3 and under, I need all of the timesavers I can get!”

Freezer Friendly Casseroles

Freezer Friendly Chicken Pasta Casserole

AnaLysa writes: “When I had each of my kids, my mom came and made tons of freezer dinners for me and my family. One of the simplest ones is a chicken or tuna casserole.

• 1 box cooked Rotini Pasta
• 1 large Can of Chicken (or 2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed or shredded)
• 10.5 ounces Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 2 cups Frozen Mixed Veggies (I like peas and carrots)
• 1/2 cup Milk
• Mix all ingredients together and place in a 9×13 pan.
• FREEZE
• When ready to cook, first thaw in fridge for 5-6 hours.
• Sprinkle grated cheese and crushed potato chips over the top and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until warmed through.”

Freezer Friendly Shepherd’s Pie

Sami writes: “One of our favorite meals to fix and freeze is Shepherd’s Pie.

• Get a deep 9×13 casserole dish and put browned ground beef (or grilled chicken) in the bottom
• Next, put in a bag of frozen mixed veggies
• Then top it off with Mashed Potatoes
• Put it in the oven on 375 until the veggies are done (about 35 minutes).
• It was so easy to make when we had our little girl, and freezes well, too!”

Freezer Friendly Baked Bolognese

Michele writes: “Baked Bolognese freezes well! Make a double batch – one for now and one for later. Here is my recipe…”

Baked Bolognese Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground Ground Beef (or ground turkey)
• 1/4 lb Italian Sausage (or turkey sausage)
• 1/2 lb Spaghetti (or whole grain spaghetti)
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1/2 Onion, diced
• 2 Celery Stalks, diced
• 2 Medium Carrots, diced
• 24 oz. Spaghetti Sauce
• 2 cups (1, 15 oz container) Ricotta Cheese (sometimes I use cottage cheese)
• 2/3 cup Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 cup Fresh Basil, chopped
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Italian Seasoning

Baked Bolognese Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cook spaghetti according to instructions on package
3. Brown ground turkey and sausage.
4. Remove from pan and wipe pan clean.
5. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to pan.
6. Saute carrots, celery, onion, and garlic for 4-5 min. or until softened.
7. Add tomato sauce and meat to veggies.
8. In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, basil, and salt and pepper to taste.
9. Spread a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom of a 8 x 8 pan.
10. Next, layer the spaghetti over the sauce.
11. Dollop the cheese mixture over the pasta and carefully spread the cheese.
12. Cover with the meat sauce.
13. Place the mozzarella cheese over the sauce and top with some Italian seasoning.
14. Bake about 30 min or until brown and bubbling.
15. You can cover with foil if it begins to brown too quickly.
16. Let stand at least 10 minutes before serving so it can set.
17. You can easily freeze for later, and reheat when you need an easy dinner!

Diane writes: “When you make a dish, double-line the pan with foil, put it in the freezer until just turning hard, then take it out of the pan and freeze only the foil-pack. When you’re ready, stick the freezer pack back in the pan to bake!”

Beth writes: “I also make mini meatloaves and freeze them prior to baking. You can also bake them and then freeze them, if that works better for you.”

Make Ahead Desserts to Freeze

How to Freeze Cake Mix Cookie Dough

Kellie writes: “The great thing is if you want just 2 or 3 cookies that’s all you have to make.”

How to Freeze Cookie Dough Logs
(Slice & Bake)

Dessert Mixes in a Jar to Stock Your Pantry

You can even plan ahead and prep your desserts by stocking your pantry with simple dessert mixes!

Here are a few of my favorites…

Brownie Mix Recipe

Cindy writes: “I made these and will not buy box brownie mix again! Thanks for sharing!”

Hot Chocolate Mix Recipe

Chocolate Cookie Mix Recipe

Make Ahead Appetizers to Freeze

Following is a list of some delicious Freezer Friendly Appetizers shared by frugal friend Natalie, a wife and mom of two, who blogs over at A Turtle’s Life for Me!

We’re college football fans over here, which means ALL day Saturday from noon on is taken up by football. 

We spend the mornings at our kids’ sports events and by the time we get home, I don’t have much time to figure out what I’m making for the games, run to the store, make it and still hang out with friends for 8 hours.

So, I’ve figured out a way to dance around it and prep my food ahead of time!  These aren’t actual meals, but are items I can quickly pull out of the freezer and bake from frozen. 

After all, football get-togethers are more about 26 appetizers than they are an actual meal, right??

Bacon Cream Cheese Roll Ups Recipe

I also made some Bacon Roll-Ups. There are a lot of variations of this recipe out there but here’s how I make mine…

Bacon Roll Ups Ingredients:

• 20 Slices White Bread
• 12 ounces Cream Cheese, Softened
• 3/4 cup Diced Roasted Red Peppers
• 1/2 cup Chopped Scallions
• 1/8 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1/8 tsp. Black Pepper

Bacon Roll Ups Instructions:

1. Take 20 slices of white bread and trim the crusts off. (optional: you can freeze the crusts and use them later for bread crumbs.)
2. Slice each piece of bread in half.
3. Mix together Cream Cheese, Red Peppers, Scallions, Garlic Powder and Black Pepper.
4. Spread mixture on each slice of bread, then roll up jelly roll style.
5. Wrap a piece of bacon around each roll, and tuck in the end to secure.
6. Flash freeze for 1 – 2 hours, then transfer to a freezer bag to store.
7. On the day you make them, bake at 375 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes, or until the bacon is done and crispy.

Mini Sausage Cups Recipe (Sausage Stars)

Easy Mini Sausage Cups Ingredients:

• 1 pound Ground Italian Sausage
• 24 Wonton Wrappers
• 1 1/2 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1 cup Diced Red Bell Peppers
• 1/2 cup Ranch Dressing

Mini Sausage Cups Instructions:

1. Cook up ground sausage in skillet until browned over medium heat. Drain, then return to heat.
2. Add diced red bell peppers to browned sausage, and cook for about 4 more minutes. Once done, remove sausage/pepper mixture from heat and set aside.
3. Spray a mini cupcake pan and insert the wonton wrappers, being careful to leave the centers open.
4. Bake at 350 degrees, unfilled, for about 6 minutes.
5. Then combine cooked sausage/pepper mixture with 1 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, ranch dressing and anything else you think sounds good. Stir well. (There isn’t really right or wrong here, just add in the flavors you like!)
6. Spoon mixture into your cooked shells.
7. Use remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese to sprinkle on top of each sausage cup.
8. Bake for another 7 – 9 minutes at 350 degrees.
9. Cool and then gently place in a freezer bag.
10. When ready to reheat, bake at 325 degrees for 7 minutes, or until hot and ready.

The beauty of this, for a procrastinator like me, is that I can actually enjoy Saturdays now. 

I get to go to all my kids’ games, still throw together some food (quickly now) and spend the rest of the day hanging out with friends instead of in the kitchen!

Just like I do with my normal freezer cooking, I made multiple batches of everything I showed you here. I should be set for a couple months here, depending on how hungry my boys are!

This makes it much easier for me to just relax and enjoy!

More Frugal Meal Prep Ideas

Ready to take your freezer meal prep to the next level?

Check out these tips from frugal friend Ana Brady, a mom of two, and a member of a designers group that completed a project on freezer labels.

I spend 30% less on food now, than I used to when I didn’t cook and rely heavily on frozen food.

Plus, my kids really like participating in this activity – blanching veggies is like a game for them. We are a little richer and healthier eating family now.

1. Spending less eating out, only on special occasions. Instead, preparing meals from scratch is the way to go.

2. In order to cook, you need to go shopping. When you do that, look for supermarkets that offer special deals, use coupons as often as you can (as a visitor of this blog, you should know all about coupons by now!), and very important – buy vegetables and meat in bulk!

3. Make a list of what you need before you go to the store. Buy according to your budget, and not the other way around (that is, don’t plan the budget according to what you buy).

4. DON’T buy stuff just because it’s on the shelf and looks inviting.

5. Avoid ready frozen meals; they are full of fat, sugar and sodium. Also, when you calculate their price against the price of ingredients you need to make the same meal, you’ll see that it pays off to spend a little time cooking.

6. You don’t need to eat meat every day, do you? Meat is kind of expensive and you can get your daily dose of proteins from beans, eggs, cheese, tofu. Meat twice or three times a week is completely OK, so buy accordingly.

7. Once you get home, prepare those big quantities of veggies and meat for freezing. Veggies should be blanched before freezing, to stop the decaying process in the freezer. Blanching is simple: boil the veggies for a few minutes, and then immerse them in cold water to cool down.

8. Now, packaging is very important. The whole point of freezing food is to never throw any food away. You’ll make sure of this if you use strong freezer bags/containers, and if you put the quantity of one serving size in each packaging. That way you’ll always defrost just the right amount of food, and you won’t need to throw leftovers away (since refreezing is not recommended).

9. Labeling is a big part of preserving food. Once you get the hang of using frozen food, pretty soon you’ll have a packed freezer. You want to know what you have in there, and you want to know how much time you have to use it. Label each food packaging with a strong adhesive freezer label that contains info about what is inside and what is its “best before” date.

10. Now, about the cooking. It’s true that it’s time consuming, but it pays off if you do it wisely. For example, if you cook on weekends and make 2 or 3 types of meals in large quantities, so that you can split it into several one-serving-size meals that you’ll freeze and use in the days to come (when you’re working), that won’t seem so difficult. Plus, you’ll always have a healthy meal when you come home from work.

11. Speaking of work, buying lunch is an unnecessarily expensive or unhealthy option. Carrying a lunch bag packed with a meal prepped dish or a healthy sandwich and a fruit is much better.

12. As for defrosting: never do it at room temperature. The safest way to thaw food is in the fridge the night before. If you forgot to do it, putting the food packaging in cold water or quick thawing in the microwave are also options.

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So what are your favorite Meal Prep Ideas?

Or do you have any other tips for keeping things simple in the kitchen?

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