I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of coming up with freezer-friendly recipes that can be reheated in a snap! Although I love preparing a fresh meal, the convenience of being able to pull something from the freezer at a moment’s notice can be a lifesaver!
Growing up, I liked to spoil my brothers by filling the freezer with healthy snacks, breads, and personal-sized main dishes just for them. They loved being able to grab something before work, before school, or whenever hungry; and I loved the opportunity to come up with new recipes!
Now that I am married, I find individual freezer meals even more beneficial – especially for breakfast! It is so nice to be able to have a hearty breakfast on the table for my husband in less than five minutes.
Homemade Hot Pockets for Busy Mornings
I was super excited to recently come up with a new freezer-friendly breakfast recipe — these homemade hot pockets!
Breakfast pockets are the perfect solution for busy mornings, because they literally take just a few minutes to warm up in the microwave and can be eaten on the go.
Also, I love how versatile this recipe is. For instance, I often leave out the cheese (my husband is dairy-free), add extras to the filling (chopped spinach, sliced olives, green chiles, bacon, etc.), and use tortillas in place of the dough (like breakfast burritos). It can easily be adjusted to your liking!
These homemade hot pockets are best served with salsa or your favorite hot sauce. Scroll down to get the printable recipe!
1/2 teaspoon of each: salt, dried parsley, oregano, paprika
1/4 teaspoon of each: pepper, garlic powder
Pinch of ground cayenne pepper, optional
1 dozen eggs
2+ cups cheddar cheese, shredded
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water and sugar using a fork and then add remaining dough ingredients. Once everything is mixed together nicely, form mixture into a dough and knead on a flour-dusted countertop for 5-10 minutes. (You may need to add more flour if dough is sticky.) Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Then, cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
While dough is rising, brown the sausage in a skillet over medium heat with chopped onions and peppers. Drain off fat, then stir in seasonings and eggs. Continue cooking until the eggs are set, stirring continuously to scramble eggs and prevent from burning. When the eggs are finished cooking, remove the skillet from the burner. Stir in the cheese and set it aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While oven is preheating, punch down dough and divide into 2 equal parts. On a lightly-floured surface, roll each part into a large rectangle, then cut both larger rectangles into eight smaller 5×8 inch rectangles.
Place about 1/3–2/3 cup filling on half of each rectangle. (Note: Be sure to place filling along the long edge so that the final hot pocket will be the shape of a hot dog instead of a hamburger). If desired, sprinkle with more cheese. Fold rectangle over to enclose and pinch dough shut. Place rectangles on greased or foil-lined baking sheets. (I used a fork to further seal ends once they were on the pans.) Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly brown. Glaze tops with melted butter.
To freeze: Cool completely, then store in an airtight freezer bag for up to 2-3 months.
To reheat: When you’re ready to eat a homemade hot pocket, simply remove the desired number of pockets from the freezer and warm them individually in the microwave for about two minutes or until heated through. Alternatively, warm on a cookie sheet in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes, or until heated through. (You may want to cover with foil to prevent over-browning).
Serve these homemade hot pockets with salsa or your favorite hot sauce!
Yields: 16 hot pockets
More Breakfast Ideas:
If you’re looking for even more breakfast ideas, try one of these!
And while cold cereal, pop-tarts, and granola bars are easy on-the-go breakfasts, you might be looking for something a little more filling to give your kids that extra boost of energy they need to get through those first long school days.
If you’re looking for healthy breakfast recipes for kids that are quick, easy, and budget-friendly, this list has you covered!
This is our list of top breakfast recipes for kids that meet the following criteria:
Generally healthy — These recipes are packed with nutrition for lots of energy, use wholesome ingredients, or sneak in an extra dose of veggies/fruit! (But yes, many of the muffins, pancakes, and waffles DO contain sugar.)
Quick and easy — These recipes are easy for weekday school mornings because they’re really simple to make, have very little prep time (so you can pop them in the oven to bake while you’re getting the kids ready for school), can be made ahead of time, or are freezer-friendly recipes that can be frozen for later.
This is one of the easiest breakfast recipes for kids, and it’s really versatile!
Homemade instant oatmeal packets are so easy to put together ahead of time and customize. You can mix it up and use a variety of different add-ins, depending on what each family member loves.
These muffins are another great way to sneak in a dose of carrots! They are super easy, healthy, and a great way to start the morning.
You don’t have to frost them with the sweetened cream cheese. That’s just a little something to make them feel more special, but they are certainly just as good without it!
This simple Breakfast Casserole is one we’ve loved for years. It’s a pared-down version of my mom’s Breakfast Casserole and one we ate often in our lean law school days.
While not super duper healthy, it is packed with protein and sure to give your kids energy and focus during long school mornings!
Just throw all the ingredients in a pan and pop it in the oven to bake while you’re getting the kids ready for school. Super easy!
These breakfast burritos are perfect for breakfast-on-the-go! They’re also frugal and delicious.
While these aren’t the absolutely healthiest of options, they can be made ahead of time and they’re super filling! Also, there’s some green pepper and onion snuck in there!
Psst! Be sure to also try these Homemade Hot Pockets — a great variation of the breakfast burrito!
These pancakes are one of our favorite breakfast recipes for kids! It’s been a family favorite for years, and it’s healthy and tastes amazing!
The best part is you can totally freeze these ahead of time and just pull them out on a busy weekday morning! (We even love these straight from the freezer. They’re SO good!)
Note: Not a fan of reheated pancakes (or eating them straight from the freezer the way we crazies do!)? Try this Make Ahead Pancake Batter method or this Homemade Baking Mix. These will at least takes a few steps out of the process, so that the mix is ready to go on those mornings you want pancakes.
Looking for something a little different? These Oatmeal Pecan Pancakes my sister makes are really tasty, too!
This recipe is super-simple, (practically) fool-proof, and makes you the “muffin hero” in less than a half-an-hour!
Even more, I love that this recipe is fairly healthy, using intentional ingredients to make a more nutritious muffin. It’s a great recipe to make when blueberries are on sale.
Whip up a batch of these at the beginning of a school week to have a week’s worth of delicious breakfasts at your fingertips!
These muffins are absolutely packed with nutrition!
If you’ve been looking for a good bran muffin recipe that is also really good for you, try these out!
Looking for more breakfast recipes for kids?
These are some other great breakfast recipes that we didn’t include on this list due to their not-quite-as-nutritious content or the time it takes to make them on a busy weekday morning. 😉
{I highly recommend the Cinnamon Rolls and the Ice Cream French Toast. SO yummy — especially on a slower weekend morning with the family!}
Looking for some really easy 4th of July recipes? These Patriotic Strawberry and Blueberry Muffins are delicious and super simple to whip up in a pinch!
The 4th of July is right around the corner and will be here before we know it!!
If you’re looking for creative 4th of July recipes to take to an Independence Day potluck or family gathering, try these fun Patriotic Strawberry and Blueberry Muffins!
These Patriotic Muffins are ridiculously easy to whip up and they’re seriously some of the BEST muffins I’ve ever tasted!
They’re super moist and delicious — and it’s difficult to eat just one! You might want to make an extra batch just in case. 😉
If you’re looking for easy 4th of July recipes, these Strawberry and Blueberry Muffins are really versatile!
You could use them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even snack/dessert! I’d think they’d also be perfect for a brunch gathering!
You can eat them cooled or warmed, but I recommend them warm and slathered in butter. YUM!
I love the extra flavor twist that the strawberries add to the traditional blueberry muffins taste. But if you love the tart taste of raspberries, you could always substitute the strawberries for raspberries and still have a fun patriotic-themed 4th of July recipe!
The best part of these Patriotic Muffins? They freeze really well!
Make them ahead of time a few days or even a week before you need them, and then all you have to do is pull them out of the freezer a few hours before serving them! Eat them as-is or pop them in the microwave to warm them up.
Oh — and if you’re looking for a dairy free version, just substitute the yogurt with your favorite brand of dairy-free vanilla yogurt. Voila!
Patriotic Strawberry and Blueberry Muffins
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups vanilla yogurt (I used dairy-free)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups each fresh blueberries and fresh chopped strawberries
Beat eggs in a bowl, and then gradually add in the sugar. While beating, slowly pour in the oil. Next, stir in vanilla and the yogurt.
Combine all dry ingredients and then add it to the egg mixture. Gently fold in blueberries and strawberries.
Spoon into muffin tins lined with paper muffin liners (I used patriotic ones). Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.
Almost a decade ago now, I decided to do the P90X program. I remember it being a really fun time of coming up with creative, nutritious recipes that I could make from scratch on a budget.
And this homemade protein bar recipe ended up being one of my favorite go-to snacks during that season of my life!
I actually found the inspiration for this recipe in the P90X forums, but (in my usual fashion!) I decided to tweak it to my tastes.
The result was these delicious homemade protein bars — which every single person in my family ended up loving! Scroll to the bottom of this post for the printable recipe!
Healthy Homemade Protein Bars
1 mashed banana
dry oatmeal, 1 1/2 cups
ground flax seed, 2 tablespoons
protein powder, 2-4 scoops
peanut butter, 1/4 cup
shredded coconut, 1/4 cup
melted coconut oil or butter, 1/4 cup
raisins, 1/4 cup
water, 1/4 cup
1 large chocolate bar (I used organic dark chocolate) or 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Mix all ingredients except chocolate together well (mixture will be somewhat sticky). Line an 8×8-inch pan with foil and spread the mixture evenly in the pan. Melt chocolate on the stove or in the microwave. Drizzle or spread over the mixture in the pan.
Place the pan in the freezer for at least 2 hours. Cut into 10 -12 bars and wrap in plastic wrap and/or foil and store in the freezer.
Thaw slightly before serving.
Enjoy your delicious healthy protein bars recipe!
1/1oth of this recipe = approximately 260 calories and 11 to 13 grams of protein (depending upon how much protein powder you use, per Calorie Count.)
Note from Crystal: I’m so excited to have my youngest sister, Olivia, sharing this fun homemade Easter candy recipe — a spring variation on our family’s favorite homemade Christmas Candy recipe! We typically make this candy to give as gifts during the Christmas season, but I never thought of the brilliant idea to make it for Easter baskets!
Looking for non-candy Easter basket ideas? Check out this Easy Homemade Slime Recipe that my daughter loves making!
Looking for unique and different Easter basket ideas this year? This homemade Easter candy recipe is sure to be a hit with your kids!
This delicious recipe is a spin-off of Crystal’s incredible Christmas candy recipe — and if you’re a white chocolate lover like me, you might end up actually liking this one better than the original! 😉
(Not a fan of white chocolate? Just use milk or dark chocolate chips instead, but don’t forget to put on the festive colorful sprinkles!)
This recipe is SO easy to make and only uses a few ingredients! It’s hard to believe this recipe could be so yummy with just these few ingredients, but it really is.
There’s just something about the concoction of crackers, chewy caramel, and chocolate! YUM!
I brought a bowl of these to a recent family gathering, and not only did the kids absolutely love it, but the adults raved about it, too!
This is a super simple dessert that you could totally use for Easter Sunday, if you want something a little different than usual. Just make a big batch ahead of time and you’re ready to go.
And it’s SO easy to make ahead of time, because it keeps really well in the freezer. I recommend making a batch and breaking it up into individual baggies to freeze for later.
Then just pull a baggie out when you’re ready to use it for a get-together or Easter basket!
I love the fun colors of the sprinkles — and this recipe is really perfect for just about any spring parties or get-togethers! You could even use them as frugal end-of-the-year teacher gifts.
This homemade Easter candy recipe will add such a personal touch to a kids’ Easter basket — even if it’s the only thing in it! You could even make some of this Homemade Slime to add a little non-candy gift to the mix!
Easiest Homemade Easter Candy Recipe
1 sleeve Saltine crackers
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups white chocolate chips
Pastel sprinkles
On a baking sheet, spread out Saltine crackers. Melt butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until gooey. Pour over crackers and bake at 350 degrees for five minutes, or until bubbly.
Remove from oven and sprinkle white chocolate chips on top. Let sit for a few minutes until white chocolate chips begin to melt. Then, spread over crackers evenly with a spatula. Immediately decorate with sprinkles.
Stick in the freezer for an hour, or until chocolate hardens. Break into small pieces and put into gift containers or baggies. Store in the freezer until ready to eat or give away.
