Whether you’re working a daily 8-hour shift, planning, or taking care of the kids, food preparation and meal planning can make your schedule hectic. Thinking of what meals to serve makes it harder for you to juggle work, chores, and family. But, most moms manage to do it every day.
Residents enlist the services of a kitchen modeling contractor so that they can have a modern and efficient kitchen. Having that certainly helps make meal preparation easier and faster. For moms who want to simplify routines to make your day less frantic, here are delicious and hassle-free make-ahead meals that will help you feed your family well.
Muffin-Tin Lasagnas
This way of serving lasagna is a fun and convenient way for make-ahead lunches for kids, potlucks, and other occasions. All you need to do is mix egg, ricotta cheese, Italian cheese blend in a bowl, place wanton wrappers on a greased up muffin cup tray, and fill them up with the mixture layer by layer. Let it freeze overnight, then thaw and bake them when needed. It’s a delicious and fun recipe that your kids would surely love. It can last from two to three months.
Baked Ziti
This recipe is the perfect go-to family dinner as it saves you time, money, and effort. You can store it in your freezer and heat it when it’s time to eat. Start by cooking pasta following its instructions on the box, mix ground beef, melted cream cheese, and tomato sauce in a bowl. Place the pasta in a pan, pour the mixture on top, and top with shredded cheese. Let it freeze overnight, then thaw and bake it between 35 to 45 minutes when needed. It can last from one to two months.
Mini Pizzas
This recipe is simple, easy-to-do, and can last for three months when you freeze the final product. All you need are pre-made English muffins, cut them in half, place them in small baking sheets, put the toppings or sauce you like, and freeze them for at least eight hours. Since you used English muffins as the base, its relatively small size allows you to bake it straight from the freezer, no thawing needed.
Chicken Pot Pie
It’s classic comfort food that the whole family would 100% love. You can place it in your freezer for two months and still get the same crispy crust and savory pie. Cook chicken with broth until it’s thoroughly done, and never overcook chicken since it tends to dry out. Create the filling by frying bite-size celery, onions, carrots until crisp, and in a separate pot, place butter, flour, while slowly pouring chicken broth and milk until it’s cooked. Place pre-made pie crusts on a lightly floured pan and pour the cooked ingredients inside and topping it off with pastry toppings.
Tightly wrap the pan with at least two plastic wraps and foil, allowing you to keep its freshness for two months. When you’re ready to cook it, unwrap it and chuck in the oven to bake for 40 minutes.
Chicken Tenders
Although you can buy pre-made frozen chicken tenders, nothing beats making it at home. Dredge the pre-cut chicken tenders on the seasonings and your preferred coating, such as breadcrumbs or flour. Line them up on a plate or pan, freeze them for two hours, place them in a large ziplock bag to remove air, and store them in the freezer. These tenders can last for at least six months. When you’re ready to eat them, you can chuck them inside your oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
Make your routines easier by making these simple make-ahead meals to give you more time to take care of other things throughout the day.
