The easiest way to stock up on freezer-friendly school lunches

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I know, I know it feels too early but summer is a great time to start stocking up on freezer-friendly school lunches. In a few weeks, I know I’m going to be a tired lady. Our school years start off with a bang and I like getting a jump on things.

The easiest thing to do now while it’s still summer? Clear out some freezer space, buy a pack of gallon zip-loc bags, and start making a double batch of whatever dinner they like now. So many things freeze up beautifully in school-sized portions. You’ll be surprised how fast your freezer can fill up with just a few meals.

What do you need?

Some items I find really helpful when making freezer-friendly school lunches:

• Metal insulated food jar – we like the 10oz. Thermos Funtainers
• Small metal condiment containers with silicone lids – I like the ones with smooth lids rather than decorated for easier cleaning
• Small sides containers with lids – look for easy-open lids for smaller kids
• Ziploc bags, Souper Cubes, or other ways to store things to store things in the freezer

What kinds of dinners make freezer-friendly school lunches?

I’ve found that soups, stews, pastas, and things with rice freeze really well.

You know what doesn’t work, no matter what the internet tells you? Hot ramen with the liquid in the same container. You have to send cooked, cold dry noodles in one container and broth in another so the noodles don’t turn into mush. This is too bothersome for my kids. Yours may find this acceptable.

Below is a list of my kids favorite leftovers for school lunches.

Favorite leftover freezer-friendly school lunches

Beef

• African Peanut Stew from The Kitchn
• Beef and Sweet Potato Tacos (pack tortillas on the side) from Poor Girl Eats Well
• Chili (we’re Chili Magic users here)
• Lasagna from Food.com/Barilla (the OLD recipe, which is superior to the new one on the box)
• Meatballs of darn near any kind
• Meatloaf from Taste of Home
• One-Pot Chili Mac from Budget Bytes
• Sloppy Joes (just pack a bun separately) from Natasha’s Kitchen

Chicken

• African Chicken Peanut Stew from Simply Recipes
• Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry (barbecue sauce is a great sub for hoisin sauce in a pinch) from Dinner at the Zoo
• Chicken Fajitas Recipe (pack tortillas on the side) from Iowa Girl Eats
• Chicken Lazone from Damn Delicious
• Chicken Soup From Scratch from Abra’s Kitchen
• One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta from Budget Bytes (throw some spoon or cherry tomatoes in this from the garden!)
• One-Skillet Chicken with Buttery Orzo (look and you I are both surprised they eat this) from Epicurious
• Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili from Real Food Whole Life
• Thai Peanut Chicken Satay from Happy Money Saver

Pork

• Jeyuk Bokkeum (Spicy Pork Bulgogi) from Korean Babpsang
• One Pot Sausage and Sun Dried Tomato Pasta from Budget Bytes
• Pasta e Fagioli from Food.com
• Peas, Ham, and Creamy Noodles from Kevin and Amanda
• Teriyaki Pork Rice Bowl from Food.com

Vegetarian

• Best Dal Ever from Ambitious Kitchen
• Honey Sriracha Tofu from Budget Bytes
• Paneer Butter Masala (Paneer Makhani) from Cook With Manali
• Pumpkin, Mushroom, and Spinach Pasta from Salt and Lavender
• Sesame Tofu With Broccoli from Bon Appetit
• Spaghetti & Spinach with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce from Eating Well
• Veggie Enchiladas from Tastes Better from Scratch
• Vegetarian Skillet Stuffed Shells from Epicurious

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How to store and serve freezer-friendly school lunch items

To store

I love, truly love, Souper Cubes for storing food like soups, stews, applesauce, leftovers, etc. They freeze in perfect portions and if you like, you can then put those frozen portions into a gallon zip-loc bag for storing. They’re made to fit perfectly. Write the date and name of the food inside and store it in the freezer.

I like to use the 1/2 cup size because I can throw two of these portions in a bowl to reheat more quickly than one larger 1-cup block.

To serve

You can always take out the frozen lunches ahead of time and thaw in the fridge. That makes sense, doesn’t it? But I always forget.

Instead, during the school morning, I heat up a kettle of water and pour the boiling water into the hot food container to pre-heat for about 10-15 minutes.

Then I start defrosting and heating up the frozen portion of food in the microwave. You can also do this on your stovetop. I do this while getting other things ready. Once you know how long it takes to heat things up in your own microwave, you won’t have to eyeball it anymore and it’s all pretty hands off.

Once the hot food container has been pre-heated, pour out the water and pour in the hot food. Put the lid on, add a side, a fork or spoon, and a water bottle and you’re ready to go!