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.

Sheet Pan Chicken and Gnocchi - This is a new favorite, and I love the roasted gnocchi in this dish.  It's super easy to throw together.  The only chopping required is the lemon if use minced garlic from a jar.

Red Pepper Pasta - This is seriously one of the easiest things I have ever made.  All the ingredients for the sauce go from cans to the blender and is easily done in the time it takes to cook the pasta.  I highly recommend serving the pasta with burrata cheese if your grocery store has it.  It adds an extra layer of deliciousness,

Serve with sauteed asparagus for a fast and easy side.  I also served it with a Blood Orange Fennel Salad, which was delicious but it was not so fast and easy.  The sauce can also be frozen.  It's not necessary since the sauce is so easy, but the recipe a lot.  I froze half so we could have it again later instead of eating it for an entire week.

Asparagus in Ambush - I've already posted about this super easy meal, but recently my 6 year old made this for us for dinner.  When I was getting ready for our road trip I was pressed for time.  I had already bought the ingredients for this dinner, so I cooked and drained the asparagus.  Then I showed my daughter  how to assemble the ambushes.  She did the rest of them herself, freeing me up to continue packing.  It was an enormous help and shows what an easy dish this is to make.

Avocado Tacos - This is another that's easy enough that my 6 year old makes.  Plus it requires no cooking.






Tomato Sausage Risotto - This was a staple before my freezer cooking days, and I was happy to have it again.  It's a simple, one pot meal where the only cutting required is chopping a single onion.

Corn and Black Bean Nachos - Easy baked nachos are great for movie night!

Barley Risotto - Another easy risotto.

Chicken breasts marinaded in this marinade then cooked in a cast iron pan then served with a simple salad (I like baby bok choy) may be some of the most delicious chicken I've ever had.  I use brown sugar instead of the palm sugar and some ground coriander seeds instead of the roots.  I have not made the sauce to serve it with, but I may have to someday since the chicken is so delicious.

Mascarpone Walnut Pasta - This was also a staple of my pre-freezer-meals days.  It's very easy and it was nice to have it on the table again.