Freezer Friendly Recipes & Freezing Tips

There is nothing quite like homemade ravioli. When it’s well-made, even a filling as simple as cheese can make the most satisfying meal. The great news is that you — yes, you! — can make excellent ravioli at home. This recipe makes a lot of ravioli. The intention is that you’ll use some right away and freeze some to have on hand. If you’re going to put the time in to make them, it’s nice to make a big batch.

I make them every week.

They’re even better than the cocktail.

Salmon croquettes are a low-lift, weeknight-friendly recipe that rely on pantry staples. In this recipe, I start with canned salmon and punch up the flavor with capers, lemon juice, garlic powder, and onion powder. Serve the croquettes with a green salad on the side or pile them on top of the greens. A vinegary coleslaw would be great, too.Mix things up and tuck the croquettes in a pita and top with an herby yogurt sauce and some chopped fresh veggies, like lettuce, tomato, and cucumbers.

Tomato pizza sauce for homemade pizzas is one of the all-time easiest DIY projects. It’s made with just a few ingredients — canned tomatoes, garlic, balsamic vinegar, and a drizzle of olive oil — and a quick blitz in the blender or food processor. You can even freeze this pizza sauce in single portions to make things all the easier for yourself on pizza night! Here is your step-by-step recipe, with everything you need to know to make homemade pizza sauce tonight.

Bursting with blueberries.

It’s my MVP.

How many times do you look at a sauce or spread and know from its appearance that it’s packed, from top to bottom, with intense flavor? Not too often, right? Even the best, most expertly prepared hummus doesn’t look as good as it tastes. But chimichurri — a rich, herby sauce made from what feels like a whole garden’s worth of fresh herbs, along with red wine vinegar, garlic, and shallots — has no time for illusions.

Mom always knows best.

A sponge cake (also called a foam cake) is a light and tender cake that gets its texture from whipped eggs. Cakes like angel food, genoise, chiffon, and Victoria sponge all lie under the umbrella of “sponge.” Here, I’ll let you in on all the details — and share the recipe for my very favorite one. I’ve made it even easier to make. There are many variations of sponge cake, but this recipe is closest in ingredients and technique to a chiffon sponge.

Oh, and it's so easy to make.

It's shockingly hands-off.

While this recipe reminds me of a chowder — with its rich, ultra-creamy broth and chunky textures — the warm, smoky cumin and trio of fresh, punchy toppings leave it firmly planted in chili territory. It’s quick enough to slot into your midweek meal plan (don’t forget to serve it with your favorite chili side dishes!), and it yields excellent leftovers.

The first time I had African peanut stew, I was 14 years old and staying with my aunt and uncle. They were currently living stateside, although for the last six years they’d made their home in the country formerly known as Zaire (it’s now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). It was the start of what would be known for years after as “African dinner” at Auntie Dee and Uncle Terry’s house.

Trust us on this one.

It’s extra-rich and creamy.

Liquid gold.

All about the crunchy topping.

Brown sugar makes them irresistibly soft and tender.

It’s better than anything I’ve ordered in a restaurant.

When I get a craving for meatballs, I have a very specific meatball in mind: They’re completely tender all the way through without even a hint of toughness. They’re big enough to require a fork, but modest enough to justify several on the plate. Maybe some onions and fresh herbs mixed in. Nothing fancy. Totally old-school.Yes, this is a recipe for those very meatballs. More than a recipe — I’m walking you through each step, from mixing the meat (use your hands!

So rich, so savory.

Quinoa has come a long way — all the way from the back shelves of health food stores to national supermarket aisles. Its high protein content, sweet and nutty flavor, and delicate texture have made quinoa a popular whole grain substitute for starchier pasta and rice (although once you try it, you’re not likely to think of it as a “substitute” again!). Nutty quinoa is an easy grain to love, and it’s one of the most delicious, fast-cooking pantry staples we know.

Pork shoulder is one of my secret weapons in the kitchen. Slow-cooked, it can become a thousand different meals. I can mix in some barbecue sauce and make pulled pork sandwiches, scatter it on top of tortilla chips for pulled pork nachos, or use it as a filling for pulled pork lettuce wraps. And that’s just to start! Here’s everything you need to know about pork shoulder — from choosing the meat to transforming it into a fork-tender meal that can last all week.

On a chilly day, there’s nothing like a big bowl of birria with warm consommé. But birria tacos — and specifically quesatacos? Well, there’s a reason I can’t stop making them. Quesatacos (also known as quesabirria) are a cross between a taco and a quesadilla, filled with melty cheese and the delicious shredded beef.

Crunchy tortilla strips or gooey cheese topping? Both, obviously.

This is a soup you can be proud of. No matter how many times you’ve made it before, a pot of this soup on your stove should (and will) result in a self-congratulatory fist pump. And if you’ve somehow made it this far in life without making chicken soup from scratch using a whole chicken, then prepare yourself for something truly special. Dinner is going to be amazing.

From Polish pierogi and Italian ravioli to Japanese gyoza and Korean mandu, dumplings are universal comfort food. Even though there are as many variations as there are eaters, the classic Chinese dumpling is filled with a ground pork and garlic chive base to which cabbage, scallions, and black mushrooms can be added.

Lumpia Shanghai is a popular Filipino spring roll that’s traditionally filled with ground pork, onions, garlic and/or vegetables and shallow-fried in a skillet, giving it a light, crisp exterior.It’s the first thing the kids line up for, patiently waiting for the aunties to be done frying so they can cram a piping-hot lumpia into their mouths. I’m guilty of piling my plate up with lumpia only and eating as much as I can, not really caring about who doesn’t get any.

So simple.

When it comes to cookies, we all have our preferences. Me, I’m a texture girl. I like them soft and chewy. From peanut butter cookies and oatmeal cookies to gingerbread cookies, any soft and chewy cookie automatically has my attention. These snickerdoodles were redesigned with that in mind. I often don’t like snickerdoodles that much; they get too crisp, too crunchy. Not these — they’ll still be soft days after you’ve made them.

They're perfectly light and airy.

If creamy pasta makes you weak in the knees, white lasagna is going to be right up your alley. Unlike lasagnas made with marinara, you won’t find a drop of red sauce in sight. Here you get layers of hearty pasta, ricotta cheese, mozzarella, Italian sausage crumbles, and an entire pound of fresh spinach.But what makes white lasagna so special is the creamy white sauce that’s blanketed throughout the casserole.

The best thing to happen to a chocolate kiss.

A hot chocolate in cookie form.

Two cookies for the price of one.

They’re crispy, buttery and loaded with cinnamon sugar.

Put a little yee-haw in your holiday cookie tin.

Christmas Chex Mix is one of my favorite holiday treats that offers a welcome change from all the cookies and candy canes fighting for attention. This crispy, salty-sweet mixture even looks like Christmas — everything is coated in white chocolate, and red and green M&Ms; peek through! My favorite Christmas Chex Mix blend is pretty simple — cereal, pretzels, and candy — but the sprinkle of flaky salt at the end is what takes it over the top.

When I think of Italian American bakeries, I envision piles of biscotti, rainbow cookies, cannolis, and trays and trays of an array of cookies decorated with colorful sprinkles —including ricotta cookies. Super-soft and cakey, thanks to the ricotta cheese, these cute little cookies remind me a bit of Lofthouse sugar cookies (which are often made with sour cream or yogurt). Want proof of their deliciousness?

Linzer cookies might look like another pretty sandwich cookie, but these sweet-tart cookies have a rich, tender crumb, thanks to a nearly invisible ingredient. Almonds turned into almond flour make an everyday sugar cookie dough a tender, melt-in-your-mouth treat, fragrant with the warm notes of toasted nuts. Two cookies serve as the bookends to the sweet and sticky jam of your choice to transform into a holiday cookie made for customization. Here’s how to make them.

Regardless of what time everyone rolls out of bed on holiday mornings, you know there will be stomachs growling. It’s a holiday for you too, though, so no need to wake up at the crack of dawn to get going in the kitchen. Our favorite solution: a make-ahead breakfast casserole.

I’m an “instant gratification” kind of baker. Any baked good that’s deemed a “project” (with the exception of pumpkin cinnamon rolls, of course!) isn’t really my speed. Give me sweets that I can mix together quickly and easily, pop in the oven, and snack on in half an hour and I’m sold. Enter: 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies. Not only are these the absolute easiest, but they’re my favorite soft and chewy peanut butter cookies too.

I am very worried, friends. Worried that the fear of pie crusts may be keeping a great many of you from making your own pies at home. Is this true? Does this sound like you? Do debates over butter vs. shortening or tender vs. flaky make you want to run and hide? Well, take a deep breath and grab your notebook — today we’re going to go over how to make a pie from start to finish, one step at a time. Here’s your first lesson: Homemade pies do not have to be perfect. Really.

For me, the best part of Thanksgiving dinner are the leftovers. Day one is the day for turkey sandwiches and plates of reheated dinner. And this turkey noodle soup is the ideal next step for leftovers. It not only uses up the leftover turkey meat, but also any vegetables and herbs you may have left from the big day.  It’s the best way to use leftover turkey.

Bonus: The recipe uses a whole can of pumpkin.

Perfect for pairing with a PSL.

Save a slice for me.

Pumpkin cookie meets snickerdoodles.

Do you have a soft spot in your heart for roasted winter squash, like butternut squash, kabocha, or acorn squash? If so, it’s high time to roast a pumpkin. If you’ve done this before then you know the results are nothing short of amazing. And spoiler alert: it’s not as tough or fussy as you might think. In fact, prepping a pumpkin is a lot easier than some other squash varieties (I’m looking at you, butternut squash).

Say bye-bye to the blue box.

Bonus: It’s so easy.

Bonus: There’s only 5 minutes of prep.