freezer meal: baked ziti

one of the pieces of advice i followed when nearing the end of my pregnancy was to stock up on freezer meals, and i'm so glad i did! in hindsight, i wish i would've done even more. thankfully we have a wonderful group of friends and family who brought us food in the 2 weeks after ellie was born, but eventually the food stops coming and you have to figure out how to feed yourself again. :) freezer meals to the rescue!

this was one of our favorites and can actually make 3 pan instead of just 2 like the recipe calls for, it's so easily customizable with whatever vegetables or meats you want. this is the base recipe that you can add to.

[modified recipe courtesy of sixsistersstuff.com]

1 pound whole wheat ziti (or any short pasta)
1 chopped onion
1 pound ground beef, turkey, or chicken
2 jars spaghetti sauce
8 slices provolone cheese
1.5 cups lite sour cream or greek yogurt
6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

1. cook pasta according to package directions.

2. in a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef and drain. add spaghetti sauce and simmer 15 minutes.

3. spray 8x8" pans with cooking spray, and layer ingredients as follows: 1/4 of the pasta, 1/4 of the sauce, 4 slices of provolone, 1/2 of the sour cream, 1/4 of the pasta, 1/4 of the mozzarella, and 1/4 of the sauce. top with remaining mozzarella (and parmesan, if you want!)

4. either bake immediately at 350 for 30 minutes, or cover and freeze. when you're ready to eat the frozen meal, let it thaw in the fridge for 24-36 hours before baking at 350 for 30 minutes.