Freezer Meal Recipes - Elizabeth Santelmann (2024)

I made these 25 freezer meal recipes in 3 hours. Some were for my family and some were for a friend who is about to have a baby! It’s super easy really and has saved me so so much cooking and prep time over the next 2 or 3 weeks.

Personally, I hate reading someone’s whole life story before I get to the recipe, so I recorded this 5-minute podcast episode talking through how I meal prep and what makes it easy! Hope by the time you’re done listening you feel like you can easily do it too!

I know some people are weird about crock pot meals. If you prefer to grill meat over the crockpot, I also have this full recipe list! Hum, maybe it’s just time to write a cookbook! Plus, this is the recipe I love to take to others when they need a yummy and warm meal!

Freezer Meal Recipes - Elizabeth Santelmann (1)

Easiest Method and GF/DF

These are all just chicken. The easiest way to start is to pick one meat so these first recipes are just that! If you want more variety keep scrolling! Those are coming next!

Italian Chicken

  • Chicken (I do 3 breasts for our family size)
  • 1 bag broccoli
  • 1/2 bag frozen carrots
  • 1/2 bottle Italian Dressing

I cook this for 6 hours. Then I take my electric egg beater and shred it! I serve over rice. I have my rice recipe and method next!

Day of Rice

  • 2 cups Rice
  • 4 cups broth (whole container the way it’s sold)
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 Tablespoons Butter

I put it all in my instant pot and push the rice button. It’s usually done in about 20 min!

Soy Garlic Chicken

  • 1/2 cup Soy Sauce
  • 1/2 cup Honey
  • 1/4 cup Ketchup
  • 1 tsp Oregano
  • 1 tsp Garlic
  • Red Pepper to Taste

I dump this sauce over two bags of chicken with three breasts each! In each bag, I also put some carrots and broccoli. I know Ketchup feels like an odd addition. It weirded out a little bit the first time I saw this recipe, but it’s really delicious and I’ve only adjusted it a little bit! I also serve this one with rice or quinoa.

Taco Chicken

  • 1 tsp Chili Powder
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Garlic (could do a half, but I love garlic)
  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • 1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Put one of each of these into each bag of chicken. I have the chicken in each bag with the mouth of the bag open and just go down the line. One tsp chili power in each bag, then one tsp of paprika, and so on. Saves you soooooo much time!

Pre-Mixed Seasonings

There’s no shame in the pre-mixed game! It still saves time! If you want to just buy a bottle of seasoning like McCormick’s and put a couple teaspoons in each bag it will still save you deciding power on the day of to just open a bag and dump it in the crock pot.

Other Meat Freezer Meal Recipes (not GF/DF)

Okay, so my favorite way to add pork is to buy a pork loin and then slice it into thirds for individual roasts, or into chops. It is cheaper than buying them in smaller containers.

Garlic Soy Pork Chop

You can use the recipe above or this one.

  • 1/2 cup Honey
  • 4 Cloves Garlic
  • 4 tablespoons Soy Sauce
  • 2 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
  • 1/4 cup oil

Boil or heat in the microwave until everything mixes well. Split between two bags of pre-cut chops.

Crockpot Taco Chicken

In each bag put the following ingredients.

  • 1 cup salsa
  • 1 Tablespoon Cumin
  • 2 Green peppers (cut into strips

Ranch Chicken or Pork Chop

This is one of the easiest recipes to start with and a HUGE hit at my house. I put all these ingredients over 2/3 breasts!

  • 1/2 pack Hidden Valley Ranch
  • 1/2 cup milk or half and half
  • Broccoli and Carrots if you prefer

BBQ Pulled pork

My mom’s favorite grab at the deli meal was bbq pulled pork. So I cook a big one and divide it into meal-size portions. For some reason if I make it and expect people to eat leftovers it goes bad, so this works great!

  • 1 pork Loin
  • 2 cups BBQ
  • 2 Tablespoons of Dijon Mustard

When it’s cooked 4-6 hours I use the egg beater to shred the meat or I put it in the Kitchen Aid with the paddle attachment to shred it that way. Then I divide it into individual bags.

Meat Loaf

My husband loves it if I make a double batch of Pioneer Woman Meatloaf and freeze it. Each recipe is two meals for our family, so it works out great to do it this way! I’ll link her recipe since it’s the only “not gross” meatloaf! My hack for this is saving the heals off the loaf of bread and keeping it in a bag in the freezer for meatloaf!

Hope these freezer meal recipes have been helpful. I also wrote this post about how to cook and eat at home more often! It has so many methods that I use to help save our family money!

If you found this helpful check out the “Pantry Inventory”

Freezer Meal Recipes - Elizabeth Santelmann (2024)

FAQs

What is the best meal to freeze? ›

Soups, stews, lasagna, empanadas, and pie dough are some of our favorites to freeze—check out more ideas below.

Is freezer meals healthy? ›

Myth #1: Fresh food is healthier than frozen food

Fresh is best, unless frozen is available. That's right: frozen food is just as—and in some cases more—nutritious than fresh varieties. Fresh food is often picked before the fruit or vegetable is ripe, then packaged, shipped, and stocked.

How many freezer meals should you make? ›

If your maternity leave is short or you plan to eat out regularly, then 10-20 make-ahead freezer meals should do the trick. But if you have more time before the baby comes or if you plan on eating at home most of the time, then 30-50 freezer meals might be more suitable for your family.

How do you freeze your own meals? ›

To freeze your food quickly, expose as much surface area as possible to cold freezer air. Distribute foods you're trying to freeze (like meatballs) on sheet trays, then transfer them to freezer bags. Freeze soup in multiple freezer bags, not one large container.

What foods Cannot be frozen? ›

Foods That Do Not Freeze Well
FoodsUsual UseCondition After Thawing
Cream or custard fillingsPies, baked goodsSeparates, watery, lumpy
Milk saucesFor casseroles or graviesMay curdle or separate
Sour creamAs topping, in saladsSeparates, watery
Cheese or crumb toppingsOn casserolesSoggy
11 more rows

Which food is not okay to freeze? ›

These include anything with both a high water content and a cell structure that will burst from the expansion of the freezing water. Examples include cucumbers, grapes, and all but the firmest vegetables. Some cheeses freeze well but others like ricotta or even sour cream tend to get gritty.

Does spaghetti freeze well? ›

Yes! Freezing fresh or cooked pasta by itself is the best way to do it. Cook your dry pasta al dente (which should be your plan anytime you cook pasta, especially if it is going into a hot sauce that will inevitably keep the cooking process going). Let it cool completely.

Can you eat freezer burned frozen meals? ›

In general, freezer burn is caused by water evaporating from the stored food item and can most easily be prevented by tightly wrapping your food, removing as much air as possible. While flavor and texture will undoubtedly suffer when food has been freezer burned, it is still safe to eat.

Are frozen meals cheaper than fresh? ›

Economic Choice: Frozen foods are economical. You don't pay for stalks, pits, skins, rinds, or damaged food. Edible ounce for edible ounce, frozen food costs are usually less than their fresh counterparts, and they don't tend to vary widely in price.

Do you cook freezer meals before freezing? ›

Either cook it and then freeze it or freeze it raw. It doesn't matter which. I prefer to freeze raw, that way I'm not stuck with a specific meal when I thaw it out, and can choose what to cook when I thaw it out.

Can I freeze mashed potatoes? ›

Yes, you can. Freezing mashed potatoes is a great way to plan for the holidays or avoid wasting any leftovers.

What cooked foods freeze well? ›

For ideas to make your own frozen ready meals check these out.
  • Cheese.
  • Milk and dairy-free milk.
  • Eggs.
  • Mushrooms, broccoli and other veg.
  • Cooked rice.
  • Mashed potato and sweet potato.
  • Cooked pasta.
  • Bananas.

How do you keep freezer burn off frozen meals? ›

How can I prevent freezer burn?
  1. Step 1: Prepare your food for freezing. ...
  2. Step 2: Use airtight storage containers. ...
  3. Step 3: Set freezers to the proper temperature. ...
  4. Step 4: Limit the amount of time your freezer is open. ...
  5. Step 5: Rotate your foods to help prevent freezer burn. ...
  6. Step 6: Avoid thawing and refreezing food.

What food dishes freeze well? ›

Here are 10 faves for the freezer – most will keep for up to six months.
  • Fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs**
  • Stocks and soups.
  • Hot and cold sauces (such as marinara and pesto**)
  • Chili and stews.
  • Baked pasta dishes**
  • Cookie dough (shape into balls before freezing)**
  • Baked brownies.
  • Bread, rolls and flour tortillas.

What foods freeze really well? ›

15 freezer friendly foods
  • 1) Cheese. Toggle accord. ...
  • 2) Milk and dairy free milk. Toggle accord. ...
  • 3) Eggs. Toggle accord. ...
  • 4) Mushrooms, broccoli and other vegetables. Toggle accord. ...
  • 5) Cooked rice. Toggle accord. ...
  • 6) Potatoes. Toggle accord. ...
  • 7) Cooked pasta. Toggle accord. ...
  • 8) Bananas. Toggle accord.

What foods freeze well meal prep? ›

You'll find that most soups, stews, pasta bakes, and pie dough are great for freezing. Slow Cooker Chicken Chili. (Picture above.) This meal keeps on giving because it's super filling and freezes wonderfully.

What meals can I batch cook and freeze? ›

Freezable family recipes
  • Sausage pasta bake. A star rating of 4.4 out of 5. ...
  • Meatballs in tomato, cardamom & lime sauce. A star rating of 3.8 out of 5. ...
  • Chicken & chorizo ragu. ...
  • Broccoli stem falafel bowl. ...
  • Creamy halloumi & tomato curry. ...
  • Chicken & bacon pie. ...
  • App onlyCheesy potato patchwork pie. ...
  • Peanut butter chicken.

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