Seriously Good Freezer Meals

I don’t have much free time as a resident, and what extra time I do have outside of residency and residency-related things, I like to spend pursuing my 2329384 hobbies, which doesn’t leave much time for other things, like cooking elaborate and complicated meals.

So obviously, I was all about a book that’d help me to maximize the amount of stuff I can make in as little time as possible. I approach my cooking the same way I approach my blog. In the small pockets of spare time I have, I do a ton of batch cooking/meal prepping + writing/scheduling blog posts for the future. Seeing as how I’ve managed to survive and also keep this blog going through medical school and residency thus far, I like to think it’s been working!

But let’s get to the book review, shall we!?

Seriously Good Freezer Meals: 150 Easy Recipes to Save Your Time, Money and Sanity

By Karrie Truman

Genre: Food, Cooking
Pages: 368

I am all for a book that can help with saving time, money and sanity! :P I love that the author dedicated this book to her freezer:

Thanks for always being so chill, even on my craziest days. Without you I could never have finished this book. Some may call you cold and half empty, but to me, you’ll always be my deep frigid friend.”

Gotta love it.

This book is essentially sectioned off into two main sections. “Getting Started” and covers freezer cooking basics, thawing/cooking freezer meals, how to make a bunch of freezer meals in a day, as well as a chapter for the “advanced freezer cook.” (I’ll get there someday.) It includes tips on how to use the book, how long things will last, how to avoid freezer burn, and also a meal prep guide of sorts (beginner vs intermediate vs advanced) on how to make a whole bunch of meals in a day.

Next up are the recipes themselves! There are symbols on each of them to signify whether the recipe is…vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, thrifty, quick, and/or good for sharing, which I really liked.

Breakfast

Blueberry Orange Smoothie Kits, Buttery Cinnamon French Toast Bake, Freezer Pancakes, California Breakfast Casserole, Cinnamon Mini Donut Muffins…

Appetizers & Snacks

Spicy Buffalo Chicken Hot Dip, Pepperoni Blossoms, Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers, Creamy Cilantro Chicken Taquitos, Empanada Hand Pies, Sweet and Sour Meatballs…

Soups, Stews & Chilis

Coconut Cashew Basil Curry Soup, Zesty Tortilla Soup, Sausage and Gnocchi Soup, White Bean Chicken Chili, Hazelnut Chicken Wild Rice Soup, Creamy Cheesy Broccoli Soup…

Poultry

Buttermilk Dill Chicken Sandwiches, Chicken Parmigiana, Hazelnut Pear Chicken, Maple Dijon Chicken, Killer Chicken Enchiladas, Chicken Tikka Masala, Peanut Perfection Pad Thai, Teriyaki Chicken…

Pork

I don’t eat pork, but I may try these recipes with some other type of protein! Island Pork, Boneless BBQ Pork Ribs, Stromboli, Perfect Pizza Any Way You Top It, Perfect Pork Carnitas Tacos…

Beef

Rosemary Pot Roast, Balsamic Short Ribs, Thai Beef Stir-Fry, Venezuelan Steak, Baked Ziti, Mole Tamale Pie, French Dip Sandwiches…

Seafood

Savory Salmon in Foil, Baked Shrimp Scampi, Flower’s Seafood Gumbo, Lemon Dill Tilapia Tacos, Easy Tuna Casserole…

Meatless Mains

Amazing Macaroni and Cheese, Lentil Supreme Shepherd’s Pie, Smashed Bean and Red Pepper Quesadillas, Buffalo Ranch Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli, Cheesy Eggplant Parmigiana

Side Dishes

Brown ‘n’ Serve Rolls, Garlic Herb Smashed Potatoes, Dirty Rice, Wild Rice Pilaf, Cilantro Lime Corn…

Desserts

Mascarpone Key Lime Mini Pies, Island Coconut Angel Cake, Salted Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake, Churros, Molten Hot Fudge Lava Cakes…

Bases & Sauces

Gnocchi, Pie Crust, Pizza Dough, Red/White Sauce (with vegetarian versions), Easy Pesto, Thirty-Minute Pizza Sauce, Peanut Sauce, Avocado Crema, Homemade Chicken/Beef/Vegetable Stock, Time-Saving Garlic and Onion Puree…

The pictures in here are all gorgeous and I basically wanted to eat everything in the world after reading it (even though I’d already eaten dinner ._.) Each recipe includes a short intro, the serving size, ingredient list, instructions, as well as a super handy “bulk batch guide” (thank you!!). They also include different serving options (e.g. “make it now” vs. “make it a freezer meal” vs. “thaw and serve”)!

• Do you do any meal prepping?
• What’s your favorite freezer meal recipe?

Check out my other book reviews!