Do you ever get tired of making lunches? ME TOO! Which brings me to why I love this freezer pasta salad recipe.
This recipe allows me to prep several lunches and pop them in the freezer.
Then, I can simply pull one of these out to defrost the night before and BAM! It’s a healthy whole grain lunch with a minimum of effort. Happy day!
Oh, and if you are ever out of bread (happens to me all the time), you have a ready alternative. This might be the best reason of all to make this recipe.
I use this whole wheat orzo:
It’s not organic, but it is non-GMO.
It can be hard to find whole wheat orzo in the regular grocery store, so I always order mine in a three pack from Amazon.
You do know my 5 Secret Ways to Save at Amazon, don’t you?
As far as freezing the pasta goes, I use these freezer safe jelly jars. They hold about a cup of pasta salad and fit beautifully in the freezer door.
You’ll get between 5 and 6 jars of salad depending on how much you eat when you “test” your recipe or how tightly you pack the jars.
Since there is no liquid in this recipe, you can pack the jars to the top.
Of course, if you prefer to pack the salad in a freezer safe bag, that works too.
Feta cheese is my favorite way to add some protein to this pasta lunch.
However, leftover cooked chicken, sun dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, garbanzo beans and/or pine nuts are also great, healthy additions.
Freezer Pasta Salad Recipe for Kids
Ingredients
- 1 pound whole wheat orzo pasta
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons chopped dill
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup yellow pepper chopped
- 1 cup red pepper chopped
- 3 green onions chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives
- optional: feta cheese
Instructions
- Cook orzo according to package directions.
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, dill, and garlic for dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- In a large bowl, combine orzo, peppers, onions, and olives. Toss with dressing.
- Allow to cool completely. Once cool, divide pasta into freezer safe containers. Freeze up to 2 months.
- Thaw in refrigerator overnight before packing in lunchbox the next day.
- Optional serving suggestion: top with feta cheese for a protein boost.
If you are in a lunch making rut, I encourage you to make this easy freezer pasta salad recipe!
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