Sometimes you just don’t have to cook. Sometimes you just don’t want to cook. If you plan ahead, you can still have great meals on those days.

The next time you make a dish similar to the ones shown today, make double or make two. Eat one for dinner and freeze the other for a rainy day. This way you eat great food every day without cooking every day.

The first recipe is one of my favorite freezer foods. Baked Spaghetti.

Make the spaghetti as directed below. However, if you are going to make it a freezer meal, make two batches. One is a great pasta dinner for that night. For the second, leave the noodles a little al dente (don’t cook completely).

Place the noodles in an aluminum baking pan, layer the sauce on top and then cover with shredded cheese (I use a combo of mozzarella, parmesan & cheddar). On top of that, sprinkle with Italian herbs. Place the baking dish in a large freezer bag and date it. When it’s time to bring it out, either put it in the fridge the night before or cook it slowly in the oven on the same day.

The second recipe is Chili con Carne. It’s a great dish for a cold, winter day. It’s also a great dish to double and put the second half in the freezer. This one takes about three hours to cook, but will be well worth it.

The last recipe is one of my personal favorites. I love lasagna. It also freezes very well. This is a dish that will really wow your friends and family when you whip it out on a day when they were sure you were too busy to prepare a great meal. Throw a salad and some garlic bread on the table and you’re a hit.

There are also lots of soups and stews that freeze well. Keep in mind that almost anything that you prepare for dinner can be frozen and stored for a special occasion.

These dishes also make great gifts for a sick friend, someone with a new baby or someone recovering from an illness.

Baked Spaghetti

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1 Onion, Chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, smashed