No matter what school looks like for you, freezer meals can help! These freezer lunches and breakfasts will help save time and sanity!
Who else is totally clueless as to what’s going to happen with school this year?
You’re not the only one! School’s going to look so different- whether you’re homeschooling, doing online school, sending your kids to school, or any combination of the above.
No matter what you choose though, your kids still need to eat- and so do you!
At this time, Allison will be doing some online schooling for at least the first few weeks. So to make things easier, I decided to make a breakfast and a couple lunch items to stick in the freezer. Dinner seems to be okay, because I work from home and I’m always here- but I need some real time-savers in the morning and afternoon.
The Freezer Meals
Here’s what I ended up making:
- 10 Uncrustable sandwiches
- Miniature Chocolate Spinach Banana Muffins
- Healthy Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies
I like breakfasts that I can just pull out and serve Allison. And even though she’ll be home, I’m still packing her lunch in the morning so she can just grab and eat. We still need some semblance of normal, right?
Can you freeze peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?
Absolutely! And I know what you’re thinking- “Jaime, it’s just PB&J. They’re quick to make.”
Yes they are. But sometimes every second counts. And with a tool like this Pampered Chef Sandwich Cutter, I can make those sandwiches in a flash AND freeze the crusts to make French Toast Casserole later. Boom, no food waste.
Tools that make this freezer session a breeze
How to make breakfast and lunch freezer meals
I made these three meals in a very specific order to maximize my time. All of these were finished and ready to freeze in less than an hour, which means I can worry more about school and less about cooking for a little bit!
Make the cookie dough
First I made the dough for the cookies while the oven was preheating to 350 degrees. The dough needed to sit in the fridge for 10 minutes, so I knew that should be first.
Prepare the muffins
The muffins were the most time-consuming, even though they weren’t that hard. You need to add ingredients to the blender, then mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, then combine the two.
I chose miniature muffins instead of regular because they’re super cute and Allison’s more likely to eat them. This recipe is awesome because it has hidden veggies in it- which makes me feel like a ninja mom at times.
After I put the batter in the muffin tin, I used my cookie scoop to place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Both baked at 350 degrees, so I set the timer for 12 minutes and let them both cook.
Make the Uncrustables
Here’s why I love making my own Uncrustables: They’re cheaper and healthier.
First, you pay like $3.00 for 4 sandwiches. I paid about $5.00 for my ingredients and made 10, with plenty of peanut butter and jelly left for more. AND I saved the crust for french toast casserole, which is basically another “free” meal.
Second, these sandwiches don’t have a ton of added sugar like the regular Uncrustables. I use natural peanut butter, which has zero sugar; and the preserves are a tad lower in sugar, and I only used maybe a half tablespoon.
The sandwiches are also made with whole wheat bread; so the combination of all 3 means Allison gets a healthy sandwich without a huge sugar spike.
Freeze the food
After everything was finished baking, I froze them all in batches because my deep freezer was a little full. I placed them all on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and flash froze them; then put them in labeled gallon-sized freezer bags.
And there you have it- about an hour’s worth of work gave me some breakfast and lunch items to save me some time during the first hectic week or two of online school!
I can’t say this enough- Freezer meals are king. A little bit of work goes a LONG way in keeping you sane and healthy, and I will ALWAYS recommend making freezer meals for back-to-school. Whether it’s breakfasts, lunches, or even dinners, every little bit counts!
More freezer meal ideas
Need more inspiration? Here are some other freezer meals I’ve done:
- 4 Weeks to Fill Your Freezer
- 25 Days of Freezer Meals
- Summer Breakfast Freezer Meals
- 3 Breakfast Freezer Meals in One Hour
- Emergency Freezer Meals
Jaime is a Nutrition Coach through the ISSA and professional writer. She has 4 years experience coaching and 9 years experience in writing. She enjoys cooking easy meals, running, and learning more about food.
Jaime specializes in helping women with ADHD learn to meal plan and cook healthier meals without getting overwhelmed.