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Last week, I tried to make a lasagna for dinner with no-bake lasagna noodles. In the time it took me to layer the sauce, cheese filling, and noodles, all hell broke loose. My baby cried. My 3-year-old ate two cookies. My crying baby stopped crying long enough to stuff a cookie in her mouth. What was my 5-year-old doing? Who knows!

Reading: How to freeze potatoes for stew

“This is why I don’t cook!” I screamed out loud (or at least in my head).

I love to cook, but truth is that I’ve done very little of it since my third daughter was born last year. I’ve settled into a routine of prepping simple meals on the weekend and freezing them for the week ahead.

My freezer cooking system works like this: I chop the vegetables and add them to a gallon-sized plastic freezer bag with sauces, spices, and meat. Freezer meals last up to three months in a standard freezer, so if I assemble 5-7 per week my freezer stays stocked and I don’t have to cook at all!

If you’re brand-new to the concept of “no cook” freezer cooking, here’s why you’ll love it:

Since the meals are frozen without any cooking ahead of time, they’re very easy to prep. (It only takes me 40-50 minutes to assemble six freezer meals – including clean-up!)
Your homemade freezer meals will cook for the first time out of the freezer and won’t taste like leftovers at all. Wahoo!
You can take advantage of sales and bulk purchases and stock your freezer.
You’ll have healthy, homemade meals ready for busy weeknights.

To get you started today, here’s a recipe for freezer crockpot beef stew that I adapted from Kristin’s recipe. It’s so delicious that I’ve already made it several times for my family and friends. You won’t believe how easy it is to prepare this healthy meal.