Quick + Easy Meal Ideas

January 20, 2021

Having had our third child in November 2020, and with my husband due back at work meaning I'd be preparing dinner while wranging our three boys, I wanted to put together a quick reference list of meal that could either be frozen (or partially frozen), or thrown together in around 30 mins. I pulled together a shortish list and then went to Facebook and enlisted the help of friends and family. The outcome is a fairly long list of ideas that I hope will be as helpful for others as they will be for me. Most of these are just that - ideas, and you'll have to do your own research to find a recipe you like, however I have included a brief method with some and website links for a few others.

Over the course of a week I will often make a double batch of couple of the freezer friendly meals, one portion we will eat freshly made and the other I will freeze for a quick meal the following week.

Let me know if you have any other ideas I should add to the list.

MEALS THAT CAN BE FROZEN

1. Meatball bake
2. Turkish Eggs mixture (just the mixture, not the eggs!) 
3. Pie fillings (pop into a ramekin with a pastry lid for pot pies)
4. Soups
5. Savoury Mince bulked out with lentils and veges - use for Spaghetti Bolognese, Lasagne, Mince on Toast etc
6. Mexican Mince - use for Nachos, Tacos, Enchiladas, on Baked Potatoes/Kumara etc
7. Butter Chicken
8. Pumpkin & Cauliflower Curry
9. Corn Fritters
10. Burgers (freeze the meat patties)
11. Vege loaded Mac n' Cheese
12. Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
13. Homemade Pizzas
14. Roast Vegetable Salad (note: zucchini doesn't freeze well!)
15. Honey Mustard Chicken Drumsticks
16. Honey Mustard Chicken - Brown chicken, onion, garlic, then add whole grain mustard, honey and chicken stock. Finish with cream / sour cream - or both!
17. Beef Coconut Curry - place a secondary cut of beef in the slow cooker with a tin of coconut milk and 1/2 cup beef stock. Cook on low for 8 hours. Remove the meat and shred. Add two - three cups of frozen veges into the slow cooker and heat on high until warmed through. Add the meat back in and serve over rice.

* Any slow cooker meals - freeze mixture in a zip lock bag then defrost it overnight and pop in the slow cooker in the morning.

MEALS THAT ARE BEST SERVED FRESH 

1. Satay Sauce with Chicken & Coconut Rice
2. Asian Inspired Salads - Thai Beef / Bang Bang Chicken
3. Mexican Meatballs with Rice
4. Bacon & Egg Tortillas or Bacon & Egg pie 
5. Buddha Bowls with smoked salmon, prawns, tofu / paneer / halloumi, chicken etc
6. Wraps
7. Pasta bake loaded with hidden veges
8. BBQ or pan fried meat / fish with salad / veges
9. Hash browns (homemade or store bought) with smoked salmon, peas and soft boiled eggs
10. Lamb with hummus and Greek salad
11. Pitas with meatballs or fallafel
12. Falafel salad with eggplant, cherry tomatoes and halloumi
13. Bagels with smoked salmon or bacon & eggs
14. Steak & Cherry Tomato Pasta
15. Fresh Pasta with Broad Beans & Ricotta
16. Lamb Shank Couscous Salad - mix Moroccan seasoning and oil together to make a paste and spread over the lamb shanks. Place shanks, and 1 cup chicken stock into slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove meat and shred. Add 1 cup Israeli couscous to slow cooker and heat on high until tender. Mix lamb and couscous together along with fresh or roasted veges of your choice, feta, and herbs.
17. Self Crusting Quiche - mix together 3 eggs, 1 cup grated cheese, 1 Tbsp oil, 1/2 cup self raising flour, 1.5 cups milk and pour into a ceramic dish over whatever cooked meat / vegetables you choose. Bake at 150C for 30-40 mins.
18. Zucchini Quiche - grate zucchini and carrot and chop onion, along with any other vegetables you have. Chuck in a bowl with 6-8 eggs, 1/4 cup olive oil, grated cheese or cubed feta, salt & pepper, 1/4 cup flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder. Place in a greased ceramic dish and bake until cooked.
19. Lettuce cups (San Choy Bau)
20. Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls - everyone makes their own at the table.

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