31 Healthy Freezer Meals

On busy nights, these easy freezer meals will help you get a healthy dinner on the table without a lot of fuss. They include cozy soups, pastas, and more!

Freezer meals are what I turn to when I want to get a quick, healthy dinner on the table on a busy weeknight. I’m not talking about store-bought frozen dinners, but the soups, stews, and casseroles that I make ahead and freeze myself. Stored and reheated the right way, these freezer meals are just as flavorful as they were on the day they were made. When I have a stash of them on hand, making a delicious, healthy dinner is as simple as heating one up! Below, you’ll find my favorite freezer meals to make ahead, along with my best…

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Cauliflower Pasta

Packed with bright and briny flavors, this roasted cauliflower pasta recipe is a simple, delicious dinner. Crispy toasted breadcrumbs take it over the top.

Where to start with this cauliflower pasta recipe?! Friends, this one’s a keeper. Caramelized roasted cauliflower mingles with ruffly pasta, capers, parsley, and toasty, lemony breadcrumbs. I love the mix of bright and briny flavors and how the tender cauliflower contrasts with the breadcrumbs’ crunch. The combination feels elevated, but don’t let it fool you. This cauliflower pasta is surprisingly simple to make. Jack and I ate it for dinner early last week…and then again last night. Can you tell that we’re hooked? Cauliflower Pasta Recipe Ingredients To make this cauliflower pasta recipe, you’ll need these simple ingredients: Cauliflower, of…

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Stuffed Shells

These stuffed shells are saucy, cheesy comfort food at its best! They're filled with a creamy, flavorful mix of fresh spinach, lemon zest, and ricotta cheese.

These stuffed shells are saucy, cheesy comfort food at its best. I love the contrast of the chewy pasta with the creamy ricotta filling, and marinara – store-bought or homemade – is the perfect tangy accent for both. After I eat one helping, I always find myself back in the kitchen, unable to resist the allure of seconds. These stuffed shells are just that good! This stuffed shells recipe is easy to make (and make ahead!), and it’s great for serving a group. If you’re hosting a dinner party or get-together this season, it would be a fantastic dish to…

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25 Best Dutch Oven Recipes

These easy Dutch oven recipes show off the versatility of everyone's favorite cast-iron pot. Use yours to make bread, stew, pasta, risotto, and more!

‘Tis the season of cozy soups, comforting stews…and holiday shopping. If you’re thinking about treating yourself or a loved one to a new piece of kitchen equipment, let me recommend a Dutch oven! This type of heavy-duty pot might seem like a specialty item, but if you cook often, I promise, you’ll use it daily. In fact, I always have one perched on my stovetop, ready and waiting for the next time I cook a soup, pasta, sauce, or whatever other Dutch oven recipes I might have up my sleeve on a given day. Speaking of Dutch oven recipes, I’ve…

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BLT Pasta Salad

This BLT pasta salad recipe is a fun twist on the classic sandwich. Packed with fresh veggies and avocado, it's a flavorful side dish or light lunch.

BLT pasta salad! Ok, more like TAT pasta salad, but this recipe has some serious BLT flavors going on, so we’re sticking with that. As you might have guessed, there’s no actual bacon here, just my trusty tempeh bacon plus sun-dried tomatoes for an extra savory kick. This BLT pasta salad recipe would be a great dish to pass at a Labor Day gathering this weekend, but it’s also hearty enough to be a vegetarian main dish. Pack it up for a weekday lunch, or serve it for a light dinner. Whichever way you pick, I think you’re going to love…

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Air Fryer Eggplant

Coated in a panko and Parmesan crust, this air fryer eggplant is crispy on the outside, tender in the middle, and packed with rich, nutty flavor.

If you like eggplant Parmesan, then you’ll be crazy for this air fryer eggplant recipe! I coat eggplant slices in a mixture of panko bread crumbs, almond flour, and Parmesan cheese and then air fry them to golden brown perfection. The slices are crispy on the outside, silky smooth in the middle, and filled with rich, nutty flavor. I’m always a fan of eggplant recipes, but without a doubt, this air fryer eggplant is one of my new favorites. Air Fryer Eggplant Recipe Ingredients You only need a handful of ingredients to make this air fryer eggplant recipe: Eggplant, of…

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Cherry Tomato Pasta

This cherry tomato pasta is my ideal summer dinner. Filled with bursty tomatoes, garlic, and basil, it's fresh, flavorful, and super easy to make!

Making this cherry tomato pasta recipe is like giving yourself a gift. It’s incredibly simple, so you don’t need a lot of time or energy to do it, and the flavor is just so good. Sweet, tangy, fresh…this cherry tomato pasta is what summer cooking is all about. Cherry Tomato Pasta Recipe Ingredients Like any good summer recipe, this cherry tomato pasta starts with peak-season produce. Here, that means lots and lots of cherry tomatoes. Use as many varieties as you can get your hands on. Any color or shape will work – the more, the merrier! You’ll cook down half…

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Pesto Pasta Salad

Tossed with a vibrant basil pesto and filled with veggies, this pesto pasta salad is fresh and delicious. Serve it for dinner, or pack it up for a picnic!

This pesto pasta salad recipe is super summery and fresh! Vibrant basil pesto (preferably homemade) coats curly noodles, shaved zucchini, and crunchy pine nuts. Lemon juice peps it up, and whole basil leaves intensify the herbaceous flavor. Like most pasta salads, this pesto pasta salad is a great dish to make ahead for potlucks and picnics. But we enjoy it so much that I also like to serve it as a weeknight dinner! On a hot summer night, it’s a refreshing alternative to traditional pesto pasta. Plus, made with pesto AND basil leaves, it helps me take advantage of the…

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Orzo Salad

This orzo salad recipe is perfect for summer picnics and cookouts! Feta cheese, olives, and a zingy Greek dressing fill it with bold flavor.

If you need a last-minute side dish for a cookout or picnic this weekend, make this orzo salad recipe! It’s fresh and flavorful, easy to put together, and, like any good picnic salad, perfect for making ahead. Toss it together a few hours to a day before a summer gathering, and it’ll still taste great when you’re ready to eat. But even if you’re not planning a cookout this weekend (or if your menu’s all set to go), stash this orzo salad recipe in your back pocket anyway. Because it keeps so well, it’s a great recipe to pack for…

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Artichoke Pasta

This artichoke pasta recipe is an easy, elegant spring dinner. It's tossed in a rich, flavorful lemon butter sauce and garnished with lots of fresh mint.

I got the idea for this artichoke pasta recipe a few weeks back, when my fridge was overflowing with spring artichokes. Jumbo ones, baby ones, and every size in between. One day, I had steamed a few of the large artichokes for this post, and after I finished taking the photos, I stood at the counter, snacking on the meaty leaves dipped in lemon butter sauce. Of course, I knew that artichokes and butter were a classic combination, but it had been a while since I’d tasted them together. After one bite, I started grinning. The artichokes and lemon butter…

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40 Easy Weeknight Dinners

Refresh your recipe rotation with these easy weeknight dinners! They include pastas, tacos, soups, and more. The whole family will love them!

Each year, when winter starts to melt into spring, I refresh my rotation of easy weeknight dinners. The weather begins to change, and so do my cravings. On some days, I’m still in the mood for the cozy comfort food of winter – hearty pastas, soups, and stews – but on others, I’m hungry for weeknight dinners that are lighter and brighter. This year especially, I’m ready for a change. I don’t know about you, but I feel like I have cooked more in the last 12 months than I ever thought possible. Right now, weeknight dinners that are quick…

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A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.