One of my favorite dishes is Meatballs and Mashed Potatoes. It may not seem like the ideal summer dinner, but considering that all the components can be made ahead and frozen, it can definitely be a delicious addition to the hottest of summer nights, especially when served with a tall glass of lemonade and maybe a scoop of sorbet for dessert.
Meatballs and Mashed Potatoes is also an economical dish. With potatoes selling for about $1-$1.50 for ten pounds, you can easily make up a batch of mashed potatoes for less than $1, accounting for butter, cream cheese, and seasoning. Recently I bought ground beef for $1.49 a pound, making a dinner’s worth of meatballs about $2 after adding eggs, spices, and bread crumbs. Add in a vegetable and you definitely have a good cheap eat.
Dinner for 4 for about $5!
Meatballs – Make up a batch of meatballs, bake, cool, wrap, and freeze in meal size portions. You don’t need to thaw them before reheating, making this an ideal dinner for the night your plan doesn’t go according to plan.
Mashed Potatoes
These make a great freezer side dish. However, you do want to thaw these babies. If not, count on nuking them before baking or extending your baking time significantly.
8 russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
8 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup butter, cut into cubes
In large pot of cold water, bring potatoes to a boil. Simmer until tender. Drain water. Mash potatoes with a potato masher or hand mixer. Once smooth, mix in cream cheese, salt and pepper. Dot with butter. Serve immediately or cool, label, and freeze.
If serving from frozen, bake in 350° oven for about 45 minutes or until hot through. Fluff with a fork before serving. (And feel free to add a little milk or cream if you think it’s too dry.)
Gravy
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup flour
2 cups beef or chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme or dill weed
In medium saucepan, melt butter. Sauté onion until clear. Whisk in flour and cook until bubbly. Whisk in broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened. Stir in seasonings. Serve immediately or cool, package in plastic container with a lid, label, and freeze. Warm on the stovetop and whisk to blend.
Serve Meatballs over Mashed Potatoes with Gravy and steamed vegetables as a side.
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It's 6am and this sounds sooo good! I better include it in my next menu plan.
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YUM!
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Freezer mashed potatoes and meatballs are a staple around here. Such an easy thing to prepare and can be served so many ways.
Yum!
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Those look yummy. Alas I'm the only meatball eater here so that would never work.
~Micha
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I made this last night. Yummy!! The gravy was the best. I used the dill and one of my kids was liking it up off his plate. Thanks for the recipe. I will be making this again.
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This looks delish!
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this sounds awesome! I'm thinking about doing some freezer cooking (for the first time ever). I was wondering what you freeze your mashed potatoes in. Is there something that you can take from freezer, to fridge, straight to oven??? that would be handy.
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I put the mashed potatoes in a baking dish. Dot with butter, wrap and freeze. Thaw and bake to serve.
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This is an awesome meal! Cheap and hearty! Thanks!
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What size baking dish do you use for your mashed potatoes? I’m making a ton of your recipes this week!
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Jessica Reply:
July 13th, 2010 at 8:57 pm
Meal size. Whatever is the right size for your family.
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How long do you need to reheat meatballs/what temperature if you are reheating them from froze?
Thanks!!
…Lisa
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Jessica Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 5:36 pm
@Lisa Hetherington, I just reheat on the stovetop and check periodically. Probably about 15 – 20 minutes.
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Lisa Hetherington Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 6:23 pm
@Jessica,
Thanks!!
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I love this recipe just made it and it came out wonderful! My family loved it so awesome.
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Making more of these today! I’m very thankful for you, Jessica, and all others who take the time to try these things out and post ‘em so I have meals ready and more time for my family! Thanks!
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I am going to use your gravy recipe tomorrow night with dinner!! Thank you
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I’d love to know your meatball recipe. You gave the recipe for the mashed potatoes and gravy, but not the meatballs. I have everything I need and I’m ready to try it out asap. Sounds like a fun alternative to meatloaf.
Rosemary
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Jessica Reply:
February 4th, 2012 at 10:27 pm
@Rosemary, the link is kinda hidden up above. Here it is again: http://lifeasmom.com/2010/06/more-ground-beef-freezer-meals.html
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Hello,
I was wondering how long everything is good in the freezer for- I usually date my stuff but I like to have an idea of when I need to use it by.
Thanks for the great recipes and ideas !!
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Jessica Reply:
March 27th, 2012 at 4:10 pm
This post addresses a lot of those kind of questions: http://lifeasmom.com/2010/05/freezer-cooking-storage-length-and-methods-of-packaging.html
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How much gravy would you need to have enough to freeze for the 4 lb. of meatballs? I’m assuming just one batch wouldn’t cut it.
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Jessica Reply:
March 30th, 2012 at 4:09 pm
@Ellen, You would need to quadruple the gravy to match the 4# of meatballs. I use the meatballs with a variety of sauces, so I don’t always make the large batch of gravy.
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