Easy Non-Freezer Meals

After a couple months and four service visits my new freezer is finally working.  It was fixed shortly before I left for a three week road trip with my kids.  I didn't have the time or energy to fill the freezer before the trip.  Now I'm back and recovering. I'm getting ready to do some freezer cooking, probably next week.  In the meantime I thought I would post some of the easy meals I've been making while I have not had a freezer.  Something I noticed is that a number of them are things I already make for the freezer.

These easy meals that freeze well are a good option for those who don't want to dedicate a whole day or week to making freezer meals.  Instead you can make these meals for dinner make enough to freeze at the same time.  Check out the new "eat one, freeze one" category in the index to find meals that would be a good candidate for this.  I've been making a lot of the meals in that category lately.  Here's more meals I've been making that are easy and don't freeze well.

Mascarpone Walnut Pasta

I used to make this dish a lot before I started freezer cooking.  It's delicious and easy.  It was nice to have it again while we were waiting for our freezer.  I briefly considered working on a casserole version of this dish, but it's so fast and easy it doesn't seem worth it.  I didn't think to take a picture.  The last time I made it, so you'll have to use your imagination. :)

Mascarpone Walnut Pasta

From: Great Pasta Sauces

Serves 6

1 lb pasta (I live campanelle, but you can use something else)

4 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
8 oz mascarpone
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
salt and pepper

1. Put the pasta on to boil according to the package instructions.
2. In a large frying pan melt the butter.  Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
3. Add the walnuts and gently stir for 3 to 4 minutes until they are toasted.  Be careful not to burn!
4. Stir in the mascarpone then the parmesan.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Add the cooked pasta and toss to combine.

This is very tasty served with a bacon and spinach salad.

Lemon Chicken and Gnocchi Sheet Pan Dinner

I haven't had a freezer for the past few months, so I've been exploring other quick and easy, but still tasty, meals.  Sheet pan dinners have been really popular online lately.  I admit that I have been skeptical of them. Generally sheet pan meals have potatoes, vegetables and meat all cooked together on one tray, and some of the ones I see seem like the meat would be way overcooked before the potatoes are tender.  However, I do love this sheet pan chicken tikka, and it convinced me to take a look at more sheet pan dinners for quick non-freezer meals.

Previously for the chicken tikka I have put the chicken in the marinade and frozen it to simplify the process and make it a freezer meal.  Lately I have been just making the marinade and putting the chicken in it a day in advance since I didn't have a large freezer to do bulk freezer cooking.  In this way it works as an easy meal when you don't have freezer meals, or as a freezer meal where marinading  and portioning a bunch of meat in advance does simplify things.  Really any meat in a marinade in the freezer is an easy and common way to do food prep in advance.  Look at your favorite marinaded meat dishes see what you could prep and freeze to simplify your life.