Help Wanted: Ricotta Bake, Freezing, and Make Ahead Lunches

This week's goal for me is to have all of my lunches planned, pre-made, and ready to grab and go for work next week! This seems like such a reasonable goal but has proven elusive to actually reach.

I have breakfast down pat.  I make homemade Greek yogurt and granola myself and keep fruit in the house to go with it.  All set! Lunch...not so set and I often end up eating MORE Greek yogurt.  I was thinking about my menus over the past few months and realized I am eating dairy...specifically Greek yogurt...as my primary protein source twice a day almost everyday.  This just seems bad on principal. Variety is key to healthy life right?

I am planning on making Eggface's Ricotta Bake and adding some hamburger and Italian sausage to it. Does anyone know if this will freeze well? Tips for re-heating?  How long do you think it would keep in the fridge?

Also... what other 'lunch' type things work well as make-aheads on the weekend and then fridge or freeze so things are ready to grab and put into a lunchbox. I see so many great recipes on our menu thread group but not sure what freezes well or keeps for a week safely without freezing. 

What are your go-tos? Help a girl out.

Thanks!

~Elizabeth

I've never frozen the ricotta bake, but I do think it would be good for a few days in the fridge if it's kept tightly covered.  

I like to make the egg cups and eat them for breakfast, but you can have them for lunch as well, and you can put in them whatever flavors that you want.  

Sometimes I'll just make up some turkey taco meat and leave it in the fridge.  I'll make a taco salad with greens and I use plain greek yogurt instead of sour cream.  The meat keeps for at least 5 days after it's cooked.  same with grilled chicken.  I cook it up and put it in a container and then I grab my portion and pour some salsa and shredded cheese on and nuke that sucker for a yummy and filling low carb lunch.

Ohhhh taco salad!  Nice one.  That would be tasty awesome. So if I make the meat on Sunday evening and pack it into five little lunchy things...all good?

Yep, I've never had it go bad on me and I've done it a lot. 

You should have no problem

I made a version of the ricotta bake and made a sweet version with cocoa powder, another with sausage and veggies.  They freeze well.  I think Achelle had the recipe, it was not on the Eggface blog.

I also have been using Eggface's bento box ideas.  She has a lot on there... I invested in a bento box with a frozen tray that can keep food cold for a while.

That all said, I am right behind you in the greek yogurt department.

Those bento boxes look soooo AMAZING! Great ideas in everyone!

~E

Chicken salad or tuna salad and carrot sticks or cucumber slices. Lots of dinner things like ham and beans or chili would work. Ham and beans and chili and most casseroles will freeze well in small containers or baggies pre measured. Plop in a bowl and reheat in the microwave for a good hot lunch that will keep you feeling full much longer that yogurt.

As I read these tips and ideas I am realizing that I missed an important life lesson somewhere on the way.  My mother never was able to teach me how to cook so as an adult I've been muddling through. I think there is a "this can freeze and re-heat" class that I missed.  Indulge me? How long can you store chili in the freezer?  I know how to make chili, I have thrown away more chili than I care to admit.  If this stuff freezes...holy crow that is a big help! What about spaghetti? Beef stew? Are those things I could portion and freeze?

Holy cow this makes cooking ahead so much more rational sounding. I have never frozen cooked anything and then re-heated it. I rarely freeze meat.  I go to the store several times a week and buy meat to cook for the next day or so.  Not really clear on how to defrost meat without ruining so...

Ok...maybe I just need Cooking 101 classes. :(

You are just adorable you know that, I love how you are learning so much from everyone's posts!

Pretty much anything and everything can be frozen then thawed and cooked or reheated.

So for your buying meat several times a week, stop driving yourself nuts.  Here is what we do:  Grocery shopping Saturday. We buy all our meat for the week (also requires pre planning on what we are going to eat) and so say there are seven different meats for the week.  All but two meats goes into the freezer.  One stay in the fridge for Saturday night dinner.  Second one in the fridge gets cooked and eaten for Sunday dinner. On Sunday night I take out meat # 3 and put in the fridge to partial thaw. When I get home from work on Monday I take that meat out, put it in super cold water in the kitchen sink and usally we hike the dogs so when we get back the meat is thawed. That gets cooked and eaten for Monday dinner.  Monday night I take out meat #4 and put in the fridge for Tuesday dinner. Get home on Tuesday after work and take it out of the fridge, it not fully thawed put in a super cold ice bath in the kitchen sink, hike the dogs, come home, meat is ready, cook and eat.  Repeat, repeat, repeat.

As for freezing. Chili, spaghetti sauce, meatloaf, stew, sheppard pie, taoo meat, chicken breasts, pork chops, soup, all can be cooked, then frozen, then thawed and heat in the microwave. We do it all the time with chili and taco meat and things like chicken curry, my MIL makes us that all the time, we eat a little, freeze the rest and just thaw when we want some more. There is not much I have not frozen before. We are only two people and have a huge stand up freezer for the leftovers and stuff!  

I LOVE bbqing and totally jealous you live in Texas and can bbq year round!  In the summer I usually will bbq 4 turkey burgers, 1 for me to eat, 2 for hubby to eat and 1 for me for lunch the next day.  He will get bbq potatoes and veggies on the side, I just take extra veggies I have made on the side.  For us we cook, eat, clean the kitchen and right then as we are cleaning the kitchen we make lunches for the next day. Its all done and planned and ready to go then I have the rest of my evening to do whatever I want.

I will admit a lot of this is about pre planning and knowing what you ant to eat and having things thawed and ready to cook or bbq or heat up in the microwave.  I also love things like egg salad & tuna salad, that will last at least a week in the fridge, never does with us because it get eaten but it will last.

We didn't have a lot of money growing up and my Mom was the Queen of stews and leftovers. She could make it seem like you were having another gourmet meal with her leftover selection.  I am well versed in leftovers and freezing meals, we had too cuz that's all we had growing up.

PM me anytime if you want help or suggestions!  You got this E!  I am excited for you to see what you can create!

Happy cooking, freezing, thawing, reheating and eating!!!