I love freezer meals. They are such a staple in my house! They are perfect for nights where you don't have time to whip up a five course meal, or nights where you leave your significant other in charge of the household. I typically will double a recipe, eat half that night and freeze the second half. I have a few favorites, so I thought it would be fun to share them with you all, throughout a few different posts. Some of them are recipes that I have tweaked and made mine, while others are recipes that I have found on the amazing site, Pinterest. The recipes will be for one night, so if you want to freeze some make sure you double the recipe. If you are not into freezer meals and you feel like every night deserves it's own creation, then well just use the recipe as is!
Here is an example of how I label and pack my meal for the freezer. I really like the foil throw away casserole dishes, but I was out this night, so I just used a normal dish!
The first post for #freezerlovefriday is my Pantry Quinoa recipe, it is so easy and so yummy. It is hands down one of my top five favorite meals, and the bonus is that it is loaded with veggies! I call it the Pantry Quinoa, because I often use what I have available. I ALWAYS have cooked quinoa in my fridge, it is a staple in my lunch salad, and our family loves it. My veggie drawer always contains a yellow squash and a zucchini, mainly because I feel like you can add these two veggies into any recipe and they typically go unnoticed. I do not have picky eaters in my family, but I still get such a rush when I throw veggies into a meal and no one knows. It's the little things in life, I tell ya!
Our Pantry Quinoa typically has a southwestern flare, simply because we love taco seasoning and well we live in the southwest! But, the great thing about this recipe is that you can use what you prefer. If you don't love zucchini than throw in whatever veggie your family loves. This particular version we did not do any meat. This dish is so good with or without meat, but if you MUST have meat, I prefer to use shredded chicken or kielbasa. If you choose to add in chicken, make sure to check out my super easy chicken shredding post!
Here is an example of how I label and pack my meal for the freezer. I really like the foil throw away casserole dishes, but I was out this night, so I just used a normal dish!
The first post for #freezerlovefriday is my Pantry Quinoa recipe, it is so easy and so yummy. It is hands down one of my top five favorite meals, and the bonus is that it is loaded with veggies! I call it the Pantry Quinoa, because I often use what I have available. I ALWAYS have cooked quinoa in my fridge, it is a staple in my lunch salad, and our family loves it. My veggie drawer always contains a yellow squash and a zucchini, mainly because I feel like you can add these two veggies into any recipe and they typically go unnoticed. I do not have picky eaters in my family, but I still get such a rush when I throw veggies into a meal and no one knows. It's the little things in life, I tell ya!
Pantry Quinoa
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 can of black beans - drained and rinsed
1 can of chopped tomatoes - we really like the southwestern style, but use what you have!
1 yellow squash - chopped
1 zucchini - chopped
1 cup of corn - frozen or fresh
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
A few tablespoons of taco seasoning
Toppings:
Avocado
Over easy egg
Mexican shredded cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°
Preheat oven to 350°
Cook your quinoa per package instructions.
Use a large saucepan, add EVOO and chopped veggies, cook completely. Add in beans, tomatoes and taco seasoning. Let that sizzle for a few minutes.
Add in the quinoa, mix well, and transfer to a baking dish.
Sprinkle a generous amount of cheese on top,pop in the preheated oven and and cook for about 5-10 minutes.
Let cool and add whatever toppings you love!
Add in the quinoa, mix well, and transfer to a baking dish.
Sprinkle a generous amount of cheese on top,pop in the preheated oven and and cook for about 5-10 minutes.
Let cool and add whatever toppings you love!
Freezing Directions:
Once added to the dish, let cool completely and cover with foil.
Make sure to label the dish and add reheating instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°
Frozen - 1.5 hour
Thawed - 30 minutes or until heated through
Once added to the dish, let cool completely and cover with foil.
Make sure to label the dish and add reheating instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°
Frozen - 1.5 hour
Thawed - 30 minutes or until heated through
As promised here is a candid picture of Luke enjoying his portion! He has always liked things all mashed together, so this is a perfect meal for him.
I hope your family loves Pantry Quinoa, as much as we do! Look for more #freezerlovefriday recipes in the future. I have some good stuff cooking!
Happy freezing,
