Hey y’all!
Back to school season is a crazy time of year for all teachers. It’s a fact. The to-do list is truly endless and never changing and on top of everything on your plate to get ready for a new school year, the normal day-to-day responsibilities are still there.
HELLO STRESS. Am I right?
When I first got married I tried thinking of a way to relieve some of that back to school stress. I didn’t want to rely on picking up Chick-fil-A a couple times a week or making a PB&J for dinner (although that just hits the spot sometimes, ya know?), so I started diving into the world of prepping meals that I could store in the freezer and break out once I was back at work and just wanted to plop down on the couch after those long days.
Do you want to meal prep, but just stuck and don’t know where to start? Intimidated by the whole thing? TRUST. I got some tips & tricks and recipes for y’all. This topic is always one of the most asked questions I get on my Instagram page and I have been so excited to have one place to store all of the answers.
Top 3 Tips
1. Start planning early
When the calendar changes to July, I begin thinking about back to school meal prep. I start by scrolling Pinterest for recipes I like and create a separate board just for the things I am interested in making. Typically dairy heavy recipes don’t freeze well, but I’ve found that if a recipe calls for a small amount of sour cream/milk, it does fine! I aim to have 3-4 recipes per week that I want prepped. I also like to freeze a couple of side dishes, mainly because any form of potato is one of my top food groups and I like to have them readily available. You can definitely have more recipes per week if you want! I just know that there will be leftover nights and other nights that we are eating out with friends or family.
After this, your new motto becomes “one for tonight, one for the freezer.” I always look at my list of meals and figure out what things I can add to our menu over the next few weeks that I can either double and freeze half, or just make a regular sized recipe and still freeze half, because I only cook for 3 people. Not all recipes that are pinned will fall into this category and work.
Some things I have cooked over the last few weeks that I had for dinner and then froze were:
- Million Dollar Spaghetti
- Beef Enchiladas (oh my YUM! I doubled this one and came out with 2 1/2 dozen)
- Baked Ziti (not the recipe I used, but super similar!)
- King Ranch Chicken
- Chicken Spaghetti
- Grilled Chicken (omit the lemon juice because acid doesn’t freeze well)
- Twice Baked Potatoes
By freezing meals periodically, your meal prep day later on is going to feel 100000% better!
2. Read the ENTIRE recipe
This one is pretty simple, but something I learned the hard way. Some recipes call for garnishes or an ingredient that has to be added in later on in the recipe. So just be sure to read the entire recipe before you grocery shop so that you don’t end up with 4 avocados and fresh tortillas that you don’t actually need for another month.
3. Plan a separate day to grocery shop
10/10 highly recommend separating meal prep shopping from normal grocery outings. I understand this might not be feasible for everyone (hello teacher moms, I see you!), but if you are able to, it just makes everything so much easier! Plus, its kind of cool to get your receipt and realize how much money you’re going to save during BTS season because you just bought the bulk of your meals.
I always keep my grocery list in my phone broken down by category and the walking path I take in the grocery store: produce, meat/cheese, dairy, shelves, home, frozen. I start by going through the recipes I still want to make and add items to my list. Instead of just writing “chicken thighs” I put the exact number of thighs I need. That way, when I’m adding ingredients from another recipe, I can just add to that number and then when I’m at the store I know exactly how much I need. Because nothing is worse than just writing that I need chicken thighs and coming home to realize I should’ve bought another pack.
Bonus! I suggest setting aside a day to finish prepping any meals left on your list.
You have to dedicate some time to it, so find a good music playlist (mine has been the Hamilton soundtrack lately, obviously), put on your fuzzy leopard print slippers (comfort while standing is key), and make it happen!
Some products I have purchased that make prepping food WAY easier are:
- these disposable metal containers
- bag holders
- Plastic containers for soup
- Silicone muffin pan (this one is explained further down)
Before I link the recipes I have used/ am using this year, please know that:
- Not every recipe is super healthy. I do my best to find healthier recipes or swap out ingredients for whole wheat/veggie/other healthier options when I’m grocery shopping. That’s also the beauty of only prepping 3-4 meals a week because it is easy enough to put some salmon in the air fryer with blackened seasoning and serve it with a salad on a school night that we just want something more fresh tasting.
- There are SO MANY recipes out there. Freezer or regular. Not every recipe I’m linking has freezing directions, but I’ve just learned to wing it and see what can be frozen. Don’t be afraid to try to freeze something! If you find a recipe on your own or below that doesn’t tell you how to freeze it, I’ve learned that typically you want to put it in the freezer when the directions say to put it in the oven. Always thaw in the fridge (counter top thawing is not safe) 24 hours in advance OR cover with foil, cook from frozen, and double your cooking time, but periodically check it for doneness.
- I do not prep soups during the BTS meal prep because I live in Texas where it won’t drop into the 70s until November at the earliest. However, soups are one of the BEST things to freeze and I do it a LOT during the cooler months. The plastic containers linked above hold about 2 servings each, but I personally love freezing individual portions in the silicone muffin pan. Once they are frozen, I pop them out and put them in a gallon bag. To reheat, I just put 2 or 3 servings in a bowl for the microwave or into my lunch crock pot.
Okay, here is what you have been waiting for!
RECIPE DUMP:
2020 Meal Prep List
- Million Dollar Spaghetti
- Beef Enchiladas (oh my YUM! I doubled this one and came out with 2 1/2 dozen)
- Baked Ziti (not the recipe I used, but super similar!)
- King Ranch Chicken
- Chicken Spaghetti
- Grilled Chicken (omit the lemon juice because acid doesn’t freeze well)
- Twice Baked Potatoes
- Skinny Burrito Bowls
- Skinny Lasagna Rolls
- Chicken Parmesan
- Creamy Italian Chicken
- Chicken fajitas (you can even freeze a bag of tortillas with them so you are ready to go!)
- Chicken Pot Pie (makes 2 pies)
- Chive & Onion Mashed Potatoes
Some of the recipes I’ve used before and loved
- Lasagna
- Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
- Black bean & corn salsa chicken (great as tacos or in bowls)
- Any of these chicken marinades are YUM
- Lemon Garlic Chicken
- Roast: this recipe is in the crock pot, and this recipe uses a pressure cooker
- Stuffed Bell Peppers: Taco stuffed bell peppers are always a safe choice, but you need to try these Italian ones. Just trust me.
- Chicken Bacon Ranch taquitos
- Shrimp Fried Rice
- Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Sweet Chili Pineapple Chicken
- 3 Ingredient Slow Cooker Ranch Pork Chops
- Slow Cooker General Tso’s Chicken
- Slow Cooker Italian Chicken and Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Angel Pork Chops
- Egg Muffins
- Pancake bites (any mix/recipe, just freeze into a mini muffin pan and then store in a large ziploc bag)
- Breakfast Burritos
- Breakfast sandwiches
- Soups
There ya have it! If you haven’t meal prepped for back to school before, just try it. I promise future-you will really think present-you when the time comes.
See ya soon!
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