12 Healthy Meals You Can Make Ahead & Freeze for Later




 

1. Chicken Sausage Lasagna

Low-calorie sausage lasagna

Lasagna is the perfect freezer meal: You can cook a whole pan and defrost it when you need a quick, nutritious meal. This recipe incorporates chicken sausage, basil, and garlic for a meal that’s bursting with flavor.

There are two types of lasagna in this world. The Italian type is made with a rich meat sauce and covered with béchamel instead of cheese, and the American type is heavy on tomatoes, ricotta, and mozzarella—a delicious, if not altogether healthy, interpretation. This version of the chicken lasagna recipe represents the best of both worlds, blending the cheesy, tomatoey comfort of the American version with the meatiness and relative healthfulness of the Italian take. Perfect for large dinner parties and for freezing. The only thing better than lasagna? Leftover lasagna.

NUTRITION: 360 calories, 11 g fat (5 g saturated), 450 mg sodium

SERVES 8

YOU’LL NEED

1 Tbsp olive oil
3 links raw chicken sausage, casings removed
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups low-fat ricotta (Barilla makes a good no-boil lasagna that is widely available.)
1/2 cup 2% milk
16 sheets no-boil lasagna noodles
16–20 fresh basil leaves
1 cup chopped fresh mozzarella

HOW TO MAKE IT

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Add the sausage and cook for about 3 minutes, until no longer pink.
  3. Add the onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent.
  4. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 15 minutes.
  5. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  7. Combine the ricotta and milk in a mixing bowl.
  8. In a 9″ x 9″ baking pan, lay down a layer of 4 noodles.
  9. Cover with a quarter of the ricotta mixture and a quarter of the sausage mixture, then a few basil leaves and a quarter of the mozzarella.
  10. Repeat three times to create a four-layer lasagna.
  11. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the pasta cooked through.
  12. Remove the foil and increase the temperature to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
  13. Continue baking for about 10 minutes, until the top of the lasagna is nicely browned.




 

2. Copycat Cracker Barrel Meatloaf

Slices of meatloaf on a plate with sides.

Just because you’re cooking for one doesn’t mean you can’t cook an entire batch of meatloaf. Just save the rest for a homestyle meal later on, when you don’t feel like cooking!

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

2 pieces of bread
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 10 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 green bell pepper, diced small
1 small onion, diced small
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup ketchup

HOW TO MAKE IT

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Soak 2 pieces of bread (or a hamburger bun) with the milk for 2-3 minutes in a large bowl.
  3. Add in the ground beef, diced tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, egg, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix together with clean hands.
  4. Form into a loaf in a deep casserole dish.
  5. Bake in the oven for 1 hour, or until the meatloaf temperature reads 160 degrees.
  6. Once finished, spread the ketchup on top with a spatula.
  7. Serve with biscuits, green beans, or Copycat Cracker Barrel Mac & Cheese!