Freezer Meals: Part 1

With work and my commute, I have a lot less time than I used to.  I do enjoy being employed, but I miss being able to make delicious dinners without having to rush.  For the first couple weeks of my job, hubby and I had more take out and breakfast for dinner than we would have liked.  That's when I decided that things had to change.  I wanted to have a delicious dinner waiting for me when I got home and knew that hubby wasn't going to do it.  Instead, I researched some good meals that could be made ahead, frozen, and reheated.  In the end, I found three recipes that I decided to make all at once.  I spent an entire Sunday afternoon with the stove going making one dish after the other, letting it cool, and putting them in the freezer.

The recipes:

Lamb Ragu

Baked Penne with Sausage and Creamy Ricotta

Fig Balsamic Chicken

This is Part 1 because you'll see how I prepped all the food and got ready for three weeks of meals.  In subsequent posts, you can see how things turned out.  From the smell of all the initial cooking, I am very hopeful that things will turn out great.  Hubby wanted to eat everything as I was making it, but I told him he might have to wait a couple of weeks.  Each recipe was made in large enough quantities to last at least two or three dinners, and I tried to vary the side dishes to ensure we didn't get too bored of eating the same thing everyday.

This is the lamb ragu ready for a day in the slow cooker.

The penne bake was ready to be put in the oven (once I froze it and defrosted it).

The chicken was browned and awaiting its sauce and day in the slow cooker.

 An afternoon's worth of cooking and three recipes made half way through... let's see what happens next!