This Meal-Prep Stir-Fry Will Save Your Weeknights
Who knew a freezer bag could be so useful?
Tara Donne
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You know those nights when cooking is the last thing you want to do but takeout isn’t appealing, either? I have those nights fairly often and to be honest, my dinner normally ends up being an apple and a handful of whatever I can find in the snack drawer — not exactly filling or satisfying. That’s why meal-prepped options that you can store in the freezer and cook up in mere minutes are so great to have on hand.
In her Freezer Bag Chicken Primavera Stir-Fry class on the Food Network Kitchen app, Dana Beninati proves that with just a little meal prep, a delicious and satisfying dinner can be ready in a snap. She takes the classic flavors of a primavera (fresh veggies, butter and garlic) and whips up a tasty stir-fry that you don’t need to boil pasta for. And with chunks of chicken and a fresh baguette on the side, it’s a dinner you’ll be excited to prepare in advance.
Dana’s secret? She selects veggies that cook for about the same time, like green beans and red bell peppers, coats them with a buttery mustard sauce and pops them in the microwave until the veggies are crisp-tender and bright in color. Then, she’ll transfer the vegetables to a freezer bag and adds chunks of chicken. After tossing it all together, she’ll stick the bag in the freezer until she’s ready to eat! You’ll need to thaw it for about 24 hours before cooking but, once that's done, you’ll have dinner cooked up in less than 15 minutes.
That's not all, though — Dana also walks you through freezing and reheating fresh bread. Here's how: when she buys a baguette, she wraps the loaf in plastic wrap and sticks it in the freezer. Later, while she's cooking the stir-fry, she unwraps the bread, spritzes it with a bit of water and pops it in a hot oven until soft and warm. It will taste like it just came out of the bakery — and it smells amazing, too.
All in all, Dana's stir-fry is remarkably low-effort for a delicious dinner that feeds four. So, next time you find yourself with an extra hour on the weekend, consider meal-prepping a dinner or two. It's a super-easy way to get back some time you would normally spend cooking dinner — and your future self will definitely thank you.
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