Some days I really need more day in my day. Who doesn’t? I would love to have time to cook every night, but with 2 kids and baseball games and practices, etc., that is not reality. So, to make life easier on myself I’ve started making double or triple batches of meals so that I have a stash of food in the freezer. Here are a few delicious things that are in my regular rotation. I hope they make your life a little easier too.

These Rosemary Turkey Burgers are based off a memory of the ones I used to get at The Mustard Seed Cafe in Hollywood when I worked at Children’s Hospital LA . I never make it to that side of town anymore, so I decided to make them at home. Let me say that I am not a turkey burger fan at all, but the rosemary makes these sublime. They end up being more like a sausage without a casing.

Rosemary Turkey Burgers
(makes 12-15)

3 lbs ground turkey
3 T finely chopped rosemary
6 T mayo
3 tsp kosher salt
3 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Mix everything together and form into patties, which will be very soft. Put them on a plate and stack them in layers in between parchment. Put them in the fridge for at least an hour to firm up. Get your grill hot and ready and grill up all the burgers. Let them cool in the fridge before putting them in the freezer. I know it seems odd to freeze already cooked burgers, but they freeze well. Defrost overnight in the fridge, and reheat for a quick dinner. Personally, my family loves these open faced with goat cheese on top. If I have some caramelized onions in the freezer, then I’ll add those on top as well. You could also make mini burgers for little sliders with some garlic aioli. Or, to bump up the rosemary factor even more, serve open faced on rosemary bread from Costco. (Costco also sells organic ground turkey for a great price)

I cannot say enough about this Braised Brisket. I tastes sooooo melt-in-your mouth good, and it’s so darn easy. I made this for our Christmas dinner and it got rave reviews. The best part is that it freezes beautifully.

Kalua Pork with Teriyaki Sauce

A staple in Hawaii, kalua pork will make you fall in love with pork (in case you haven’t already). There are 2 recipes that I use regularly. I often make this recipe, which I have posted before, and the liquid smoke really makes it taste authentic. I use this delicious slow cooker recipe when I only have time for hands off cooking. The pork freezes great. I like to serve the pork with this Teriyaki Sauce – I make a quadruple batch of the sauce and freeze it. I serve this with rice, which also freezes beautifully. Other meaty items that I freeze are mini meatloaves (think meatloaf cupcakes) and chili. One more time saving trick is to roast a chicken for Sunday dinner, and use the leftover chicken for tacos on Taco Tuesday.

I hope these ideas fill your bellies and save you time cooking and doing the dishes. If you like these recipes, sign up to receive an e-mail anytime there’s a new post (where? the right column of the homepage).

The belly rules the mind.  ~Spanish Proverb