Freezer Friendly Recipes & Freezing Tips

It takes just a little bit of time and patience with nearly zero effort.

Hello, gorgeous.

lasagna's lazier cousin.

Ever had a classic French palmier? A flaky turnover filled with fruit? A bite of puff pastry filled with cranberry sauce and brie at a cocktail party? All these delicious treats start right here, with this dough. Yes, you can buy puff pastry at the store, but if you’re in the mood for a real baking project, you can make it yourself at home. All you need is a pastry scraper and a French rolling pin, and simple ingredients like flour, water, and butter.

If you’ve avoided cooking beans at home because you’ve heard they are tricky, finicky, or complicated, it’s time to leave all that behind. Cooking dried beans is no more trouble than filling a pot of water and letting it simmer happily on the back burner all afternoon. In fact, that’s basically all it is. Ignore the naysayers; it’s time to cook some tasty, creamy, totally tender beans at home. Here’s our easy method on the stovetop.

Yes, it’s really that good.

Perfect with a cup of Joe.

Meet your new favorite sweet.

Many of us turn to beans for our weekly meals. It’s a beloved pantry staple for hearty chili, winter stews, and comforting soups. Canned beans are no stranger to my pantry (there’s always a variety lining the shelves for an emergency), but over these past several months at home, I’ve become a dried bean convert.

We've got a secret for the best chicken stock.

Looks fancy, but it's so easy to make.

Trust us on this one.

So light, so citrusy.

Enjoy with a glass of good wine.

Chewy, nutty, chocolaty perfection.

All the pickle girls out there — this one’s for you.

The perfect weekend project.

It's impossible to eat just one.

They bake in half the time as the classic.

King cakes are made around the world as part of the festival of the Epiphany, but in New Orleans, king cakes have truly taken on a life of their own. From the start of Carnival on January 6 through Mardi Gras at the beginning of February, you’ll find one of these sweet, color-splashed king cakes just about everywhere. Did you get “the baby”? That means you bring the next cake — and we have just the cake you’ll want to bring.

Meet your new favorite party recipe: slow cooker baked beans. Long loved for their sweet, tangy flavor and tender, creamy texture, baked beans for backyard barbecues, summer cookouts, and game day parties used to mean heating up the whole house to slowly cook the dried beans for hours upon hours. Here the slow cooker saves the day by doing all the work and keeping you cool at the same time.

It's the most comforting thing you'll cook this winter.

Join the ‘goon squad!

And good fortune!

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.

They could barely wait to get their hands on this recipe.

Hint: Put down the extra-sharp cheddar.

So warm, so cozy.

Almost everything you need is in your pantry.

If you were to glimpse into my freezer at any given moment, I guarantee you’d find a pound or two of uncooked sausage inside. Hot Italian sausage is my preference — either ground sausage sold in bulk or as links — but really, no matter the variety, ground sausage makes delicious quick and easy dinners. It’s so packed with seasoning that you hardly need to do much to turn it into a meal.

Banish all thoughts of stringy, tough, sad chicken from your mind. For our chicken salad sandwiches and quick chicken weeknight meals, we want nothing but the best. And for that, poached chicken is definitely the way to go. This poached chicken method is easy, fast, and foolproof. Totally tender chicken breasts that are as good for dinner as they are for lunch the next day? Not a problem.

Casually read a book while you wait.

This is a bowl of pure comfort.

And they’re a breeze to make.

Bonus: It's super easy.

You can prep it the day before.

Take your pick of mix-ins.

Tastes like a ticket to Paris.

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.

So rich, so savory.

It's the coziest thing you'll cook all winter.

Grab your sheet pan.

It's ridiculously good — and surprisingly easy to make.

No mixer required.

Consider them the ultimate comfort cookie.

So buttery. So garlicky.

People love them.

It's in the dough.

A big casserole dish filled with baked pasta is the easiest (and tastiest) way to feed all of your family and friends.

Make now, eat later.

A bag of frozen veggies = endless dinner opportunities.

Freezer meals are the superheroes of busy weeknight dinners. They swoop in when you’re in a tight spot, like when you’re just back from vacation and don’t have time for the grocery store, or when you come home late from work and would rather hang out with your family than cook. Freezer meals save the day.

It’s not what you think.

So rich, so buttery.

You'll quickly fall in love with these sweet and savory spreads.

They taste like Reese's, only better.

‘Tis the season.

They’re a family favorite for a reason.