10 Ingredients I Always Have on Hand In My Freezer for Speedy Dinners.

Your freezer is good for more than just those long-forgotten sacks of peas and a few half-eaten pints of ice cream, according to blogger Becky Rosenthal of The Vintage Mixer and author of the recently released Fast to the Table Freezer Cookbook. It's truly a goldmine of speedy dinners, filling breakfasts, and clever approaches to the meals in between. Even more, as the seasons change, the freezer makes it easier to preserve your favorite ingredients and flavors.

1. Distilled Tomatoes

The possibilities for sun-dried tomatoes are endless, and handmade versions are much more tasty and juicy than the bland ones you buy at the supermarket. In the freezer, airtight plastic bags are the ideal storage option for these. The most popular uses for them are in quiche and pasta, but once you have them on hand, you'll discover your own.

2. Domestic Ravioli

Making homemade ravioli is difficult to get right, but once you do, you'll want to serve it to visitors frequently. I like to make the tiny filled pastas and freeze them so I'm ready for a fancy meal on the go because making pasta from scratch the day you have friends over may be stressful.

3. Bouillon and Broth

Everyone is aware of the benefits of having homemade stock, broth, bone broth, or bouillon on hand, but how frequently do you take the time to make it? Since most recipes call for some amount of broth, you'll be happy to have it on hand for homemade soups, pasta, and just about any dish if making broth becomes a regular for you. You'll never go back to store-bought food if you adjust the flavors to your preferences.

4. Bananas

Becky was asked to list the 10 ingredients that she usually maintains in her freezer for speedy dinners. She has compiled a useful list, and you might be surprised by some of her choices (cough, avocados!).

The freezer is a great place to store bananas. What makes a major difference in their efficiency is how you freeze them. However, it's much simpler to use frozen bananas that have already been pre-cut and frozen so you can quickly toss them into smoothies. Many people simply throw the entire banana, peel and all, in the freezer. For smoothies and one-ingredient banana ice cream, I use frozen, peeled bananas that have been cut into slices (or add peanut butter, maple syrup, or Nutella for an extra-sweet treat). Bananas are another ingredient I purée and freeze in containers for banana cakes.

5. Ready-Scooped Cookie Dough

A warm cookie that has just come out of the oven is unrivaled. Who has the patience or self-control to wait for the tastiest cookie dough to rest in the refrigerator? We enjoy keeping pre-scooped dough in the freezer to bake whenever the mood strikes, especially when guests are here.

6. Falafel

A tasty, vegetarian protein to keep on hand in your freezer is falafel. We just thaw these in the microwave for a quick lunch. You may quickly prepare a delicious dish by adding some Greek yogurt or straightforward tzatziki sauce.

7. Bacon

Surely everyone enjoys bacon. Small quantities that can easily brighten up any dish and go a long way are ideal to keep on hand in the freezer. Cook the frozen bacon that has been cut up quickly and serve it with pasta, pizza, soup, grains, eggs, and seasonal veggies.

8. Bangkok Peanut Sauce

If you have Thai peanut sauce in your freezer, you can make our 10-minute one-pot dish in that time. Easy, delicious, and a lot of fun! Make the sauce ahead of time and portion it out into ice cube trays to freeze for convenient use in Thai peanut noodles pasta meals with vegetables.

9. Black Beans and Chickpeas

There is a significant texture difference if you've ever ventured outside of the can for beans. Canned beans lack the texture of freshly cooked beans. For homemade hummus, bean dips, and other bean-based dishes, starting with dried beans cooked from scratch rather than canned beans can yield noticeably better results. We usually make a basic rice and bean bowl with all the fixings for dinner on weeknights.

10. Avocados

Even though I could eat fresh avocados every day, their seasonality occasionally makes it difficult for me to do so. I enjoy puréeing avocados and keeping tiny bags of half-puréed avocados in my freezer if I buy them in bulk when they are still affordable and ripe. I defrost the purée and make avocado crema to serve as a garnish for any Mexican food by blending it with yogurt or sour cream. Additionally, I include this purée into vegan ice creams, desserts, and smoothies.

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