Plan ahead by stashing away a few ready-to-heat casseroles and you’ll find they come in handy on busy days. When you’re preparing one dish for tonight’s meal, make two instead and pop the other in the freezer. You can make them with a variety of ingredients (chicken, beef, ham) and they can be creamy, cheesy or savory.

Ready to try a few? Here are over a dozen different recipes to get you started, a nice mixed bunch of everything. I’ll be adding to this page as I find more goodies so you may want to bookmark it for future reference. Enjoy!

*Ingredients mentioned below are a summary only and not a complete list

Chicken:

1. Country-Style ^[1]: Small shell pasta, cream soup, cheddar, canned french fried onions, mixed vegetables. [Southern Plate].
2. Tater Bake ^[2]: Tastes like a pot pie with a tater tot crust, made with condensed cream soup, peas and carrots, cheddar and a package of Tater Tots. [Taste of Home].
3. Arroz Con Pollo ^[3]: Diced onion, bell peppers (green, red and yellow), corn (canned), rice, chili powder, broth and diced tomatoes (canned). States on this page ^[4] that it can be frozen. [Parents Connect].
4. With Gravy ^[5]: Meat mixture is cooked before storage. When ready to use, top with mashed potatoes, wild rice (and cheese) or a can of pop biscuits and bake. Includes olive oil, carrots, celery, flour and stock. [Rachael Ray].
5. Curried Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie ^[6]: (can also use turkey) Sweet potatoes, vegetable oil, curry powder, broth, carrots, parsnips, fresh ginger (grated), peas. [Delish].
6. Baked Penne with Sun-Dried Tomatoes ^[7]: Can be frozen up to 3 months, has penne rigate, whole milk, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, provolone and finely grated Parmesan. [Delish].
7. Pasta Milano ^[8]: Bacon, mashed roasted garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, broth, heavy cream, dry farfalle (bowtie) pasta, Parmesan and fresh basil. [What's Cookin' Chicago].
8. Tetrazzini ^[9]: Makes enough for two meals, includes mushrooms, all-purpose flour, broth, dry white wine, grated Parmesan, dried thyme, linguine, peas (thawed and drained). [Martha Stewart].
9. Cacciatore ^[10]: Onions, mushrooms, oregano, parsley, tomato sauce, dry white wine, salt-cured olives. [MyRecipes].

Ground Beef:

1. With Broccoli & Potato ^[11]: Inspired by the classic tater tot dish and uses shredded potatoes or hashbrowns instead, this is made with broccoli, Worcestershire, low-fat milk, cornstarch, sharp Cheddar, turmeric, a lightly beaten egg, Hungarian paprika. [Eating Well].
2. Cheesy Cornbread ^[12]: Jalapeno pepper, enchilada sauce (canned), black beans, cumin, corn muffin mix. Meat mixture can be frozen for up to 1 month. [Kraft].
3. Lasagna ^[13]: Lasagna noodles, cottage cheese, ricotta, beaten eggs, pesto, salt, mozzarella, onion and tomato-and-basil pasta sauce (jars). Can be frozen for up to 3 months. [MyRecipes].
4. Noodles & Spinach ^[14]: Baked before freezing, this is made with wide egg noodles, spaghetti sauce (jar), Italian seasoning, spinach (thawed and drained), Monterey Jack, sour cream, a beaten egg, Parmesan. [MyRecipes].

Ham:

1. Spaghetti Bake ^[15]: Thin spaghetti, cubed ham (cooked/leftovers), cans of condensed cream soup, sour cream, fresh mushrooms, olives (optional), mustard, seasoned salt, Worcestershire and topped with soft bread crumbs, Cheddar. [Taste of Home].
2. Penne ^[16]: Penne noodles, butter or margarine, Dijon mustard, Colby and strips of deli ham. [Country Radio Mom].

Interested in preparing bulk meals in advance? Check out Once A Month Cooking ^[17] for some great resources to get you started.