These days, it’s pretty much just me and my husband around the dinner table and so we are in that weird transition phase of trying to figure out if we should cut a recipe in half, or take advantage of the fact that since we’ve got all the ingredients out, to just go ahead and get a few meals out of the whole thing without having a bunch of leftovers sitting around in the fridge.
Freezer meals for two. It’s my new favorite thing. 😉
We weren’t planning on making a bunch of freezer meals this year, but with gardening season right around the corner, and oodles of projects in front of us, I think it would be silly not to just dive in and go for it. Because seriously, after working in the yard all day, who wants to think about dinner? I know I don’t.
So if you are looking for not only a great manicotti recipe, but one that will work as an easy freezer meal too, this is the recipe for you. We chose to make this recipe as 1 dinner for 2 {for me and my husband}, 1 dinner for 1 {for our daughter} and 2 freezer meals for 2 {for later use}.
Manicotti Freezer Meal Recipe for 2
Ingredients
- 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
- 12 manicotti shells
- 4 cups marinara sauce
- 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 freshly ground pepper
Instructions
Thaw spinach, drain and finely chop.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook the manicotti shells according to the package directions until al dente. You want them tender but still slightly firm. Drain the noodles and pat dry.
Cover the bottom of a 9″ x 6″ ovenproof foil pan or baking dish with 1/2 cup of marinara sauce.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, and 1/3 cup of the Parmesan, eggs, and spinach. Stir in nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Using a pastry bag {or a zip baggie with one of the corners cut off} pipe the cheese mixture into the manicotti shell. Line the filled manicotti noodles in the bottom of the baking dish.
Cover each pan of filled noodles with 1/2 cup of marinara sauce. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the noodles.
To Cook: Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cooked through.
To Freeze: Cover with foil and place pan on a cookie sheet so the contents of the pan freezes flat. Label foil {or lids if they come with the pans} with cooking directions and date. When ready to use, cook from frozen for 40 – 50 minutes at 350 degrees. * I like to cook mine with the lid on, and then 5 minutes before taking the pan out of the oven, I carefully remove the lid {or foil} so the cheese has a chance to brown.
Links to freezer pans I commonly use:
- Aluminum Foil Pan Containers with Lids 8.5″ x 6″ x 3″ * I used these pans for the manicotti for 2 recipe
- Aluminum Foil Deep Pans 9″ x 13″
- Round 9 Inch Aluminum Foil Pans with lids
Find More of My Freezer Meal Recipes
Wendy Clark says
I am loving this idea. I still have 2 kiddos at home eating most meals, but this is totally doable for us also. For some reason May is always a super busy month for my family. By just doubling and freezing a couple of recipes each week I could have quite a few freezer meals ready for the May craziness. Tomorrow is shopping day for me so I’ll be working on my list today. Oh, and I made Mrs HB’s Pecan Chicken and it was a HIT. I actually have a leftover piece last night and it was just as good as the first time.
Jennifer says
I’ve always been intimidated by manicotti noodles so I use large shells. Wal-Mart even has them under the Great Value brand. There are about 40 in the box, so I make multiple recipes and freeze the rest.
Lana says
One of our freezers is dedicated solely to freezer meals. We have 20 to 30 on hand at all times. We spend a lot of time at our house on the lake so I pack a cooler full of meals for our time there and do not have to cool. The 30 pack of 13 x 9 pans are around $6 at Sam’s. One thing I have done is to buy the exact right size of container for items that we keep all the time such as meat sauce and sausage gravy. This saves freezer space and makes it easier to portion out a huge pot of food. I buy the containers at Dollar Tree because they have tons of sizes and the containers last longer than any others I have tried.
Kim says
Oh goodness, yes, if you are going to drag everything out………………eat one, freeze one. There are too many other fun things to that start from scratch every night of the world!
Nancy Sadewater says
We have 4-5 adults here that all work different shifts and days. I have done this for a very long time. I package meals in servings of 1, 2, and 4. I love the foil packages and having multiple of different meals ready to eat in my freezers.
Jen says
Thank you so much for doing a freezer meal for two, especially the pic that shows the cooking instructions for smaller portions. I live alone but usually like to make two dinner servings, so that I have leftovers for lunch the next day. I have been wanting to start freezer cooking but all the recipes I’ve found assume that you’re feeding an army. Or at least a houseful of kids.
Michelle Counter says
I have the exact opposite problem… I only ever find freezer meal ideas for 4 to 6. I need ideas to feed an army since there is 7.5 (I am expecting) of us. Meal planning is fine but cooking double or triple batches for a big family can be quite price prohibitive and time consuming. I would love suggestions for freezer meal planning for a big family.
HeatherS says
I love that you are sharing the freezer meals for two. Most nights it’s just two of us here and I have been wanting to do this. Also, I am hoping to make some small freezer meals to give to my son for his college apartment next year. It will be his first year on his own not in the dorms or with a food plan and though he will do some cooking, I think the freezer meals will make a nice gift.
Karen says
An easy way to fill the shells is to cut down one side with scissors. Spread it open and put in the filling. Place it in the pan with the cut side down.
suzanne says
Excellent idea Karen. Thanks.
Kathy Schick says
I never precook (boil) the shells. Much easier to fill when they aren’t soft. After filling them, I cover with sauce and top off with a little water. Place in fridge for about 2-4 hours before cooking (or freezing) to allow the shells to absorb some water and begin to soften. When I put them in the over, I sometimes add a tiny bit (few tablespoons?) of water.
Darlene says
Looking forward to more freezer meals.
ELSIE says
I have been splitting up all my 9 X 13 casseroles. Most of them fit perfectly into (3) 9 X 6 pans.
This has worked for me and my Husband well.
Lauretta Findlay says
I would like it if you csn just touch print each meals Can’t copy all of the receipts
Mavis Butterfield says
Printing printer friendly recipes from the site is easier than you may think. There is a green PRINT tab at the bottom of each post. You can chose to print as a PDF, or remove the images in the recipe to make it more printer friendly. Sometimes the remove images is found in a drop down menu for print sizes but it should always give you the option to take them out. Or you go old school and copy and paste it into a Word doc. Not simple and I know it’s an extra step, but it will cut down on wasted ink.
Sandy says
Hi, do you bake the ones first that you’re going to freeze? Thanks!
Mavis Butterfield says
Nope. Just like the freezer section at the grocery store. You bake when you’re ready to eat them.