Dinner planning is about to get really easy with this fabulous list of popular Freezer Friendly Meals and Recipes!
Plan ahead and take the stress out of dinner when you make one of these Favorite Freezer Friendly Meals and Recipes.  Talk about the ideal way to  make your meal planning a cinch.
I received the following question from frugal friend Dawn…
“Does anybody have any ideas for cheap or healthy meals I can freeze? I’m about to have our second baby and I’ve been trying to stock up some meals in the freezer, to make things a little easier once our girl arrives. Thank you!!”
That’s such a great question! Â There really are SO many simple meals and sides you can prep ahead of time.
Here are a few of my personal favorites as well as some epic ideas shared by your fellow frugal friends in the comments of this post…
Freezer Friendly Meals and Recipes:
Crockpot Freezer Meal Recipe Italian Chicken Recipe
This freezer friendly chicken is perfect for your busy weeknights, and it also happens to be crazy easy!
Freezer-Friendly Savory Crock Pot Italian Chicken Recipe
Add some Savory Italian to your freezer meals!  Get ready to stock your freezer with some serious deliciousness!
Crockpot Freezer Meal: Green Chile Chicken Recipe
It really doesn’t get much easier than thise. Â It’s time to get a head start on your weekly dinners with this easy Freezer Meal!
Freezer-Friendly Crockpot Ranch Chicken Recipe
You’re gonna love the balanced and juicy flavor this easy chicken dinner delivers!  You’re also going to love that you can pull this right out of your freezer whenever you need it!
Meal Prep Ideas: Pre-Marinating Meat before Freezing
On the hunt for more Kitchen Tips and Timesavers??  Pre-Marinating your meat is a quick trick to save time and hassle later!
Stuffed Artichoke Casserole Recipe
It’s easy to prep your artichoke casserole ingredients ahead of time and then bake the casserole when you’re ready.  Talk about an easy way to plan ahead for the week!
Freezer Friendly Crockpot Pepper Jack Tomato Pasta Sauce Recipe
Once you’ve made this yummy sauce, your freezer is going to contain a little bit of pasta heaven for any night you need it!
Easy Freezer Friendly Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
Use it as a Spaghetti Sauce, Breadstick Dip, or even Pizza Sauce! YUM!  Go grab the Crockpot!  This makes such a yummy make ahead freezer-friendly sauce!
Freezer-Friendly Crockpot Pepper Jack Tomato Soup Recipe
This Crockpot Pepper Jack Tomato Soup Recipe is about to make both your mouth and your freezer very, very happy!
Easy Meatball Recipe {Freezer Friendly}
If you’re looking for a simple {and super-tasty} meatball recipe, I’ve got just the thing!  You’ll LOVE this easy recipe!
Freezer Friendly Ranch Burger Recipe
Wanna keep your evenings fun and carefree? Then you’ll love this tip for Freezing Hamburger Patties to enjoy anytime you need them!
Easy Dutch Oven Baked Beans Recipe
Enjoy these amazing bbq baked beans today… or freeze them for later!
Slow Cooker Creamed Corn Recipe
To make this ahead of time or to store leftovers, the creamed corn can be frozen in freezer friendly bags. Â When ready to serve, just place the frozen corn in the refrigerator to allow it to thaw, then microwave it in a microwave-safe bowl.
Crockpot Caramelized Onions Recipe
Thanks to this big batch, you’ll have plenty to use in the coming weeks.  It’s easy to freeze these onion in individual quart-sized freezer bags for later!
How to Freeze Pesto
Pesto is the perfect way to enjoy a chicken dinner.  And this Pesto really is so simple to make.  The best part, I’ve got such a fun little trick for How to Freeze Pesto so you can have it anytime you want!
How to Freeze Eggs for Later Use
You’ll never toss out another egg once you know How to Freeze Eggs for Later Use! Frozen eggs are great for baking, cooking, and camping, too!
How to Freeze Cake Mix Cookies
Make homemade cookies anytime with this simple tip for How to Freeze Cake Mix Cookies!
World’s Best Pumpkin Bread Recipe {Freezer Friendly}
You’ll never regret having your freezer stocked with this delicious Freezer Friendly Pumpkin Bread!
Freezer Friendly Banana Bread Recipe
Breakfast is going to be the best meal of the day when you stock the freezer with loaves of this Freezer Friendly Banana Bread Recipe!
Banana Bread Muffins Recipe – Freezer Friendly
Enjoy these yummy Banana Bread Muffins anytime with this easy-freezer friendly recipe!
Easy Freezer Jam Recipe {The BEST No Cook Strawberry Jam}
Nothing beats the simplicity of this Easy Freezer Jam Recipe. Strawberry Jam on your morning toast tastes even better when it’s homemade!
3 Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole Recipes
No need to do all that hard work so early in the morning, right? Â You can plan ahead and still pull off an amazing brunch with these delicious casseroles.
Freezer Friendly Recipes for Football Season
Football get-togethers are more about 26 appetizers than they are an actual meal, right? Â So here are some ways to plan ahead and make some amazing appetizer recipes for Football Season!
How to Save Money Freezing Food
Check out these 12 Simple Yet Overlooked Ways to Save Money and Eat Healthy!
37 Easy Timesaver Kitchen Tips
Make the most of your time in the kitchen with these favorite kitchen timesaver tips!
101+Â Genius Kitchen Tips and Tricks
Stock up on loads and loads of helpful ideas for making everything in your kitchen… EASIER!!
20 Ways to Save Money on Meat {How to Save BIG All Year Long}
Are you looking for some Easy Ways to Save Money on Meat? With grocery prices soaring, these simple tips and tricks are just what you need!
How To Cut Your Grocery Bill In Half {35+ Brilliant Tips}
Want to know how to cut your grocery bill in half? Â Keep more cash in your wallet with these easy money saving tricks!
12 of Your Frugal Friends Favorite Freezer Friendly Meals and Recipe Ideas:
Your frugal friends have shared even more fabulous freezer friendly meal ideas. Â So keep reading the comments below for some truly epic meal planning inspiration. Â Talk about the perfect way to take the stress out of your dinner planning!!
So what are your favorite Freezer Friendly Meals and Recipes??
Or do you have any other tips for keeping things simple in the kitchen?
Leave a comment & share!
Laura Clark says
I use cereal bags to put foods in and then also put in a ziploc freezer bag.
I buy a big thing of ground beef from BJ’s club and make two meatloaves and a huge batch of spaghetti sauce and freeze that in batches. (I add lots of pureed veggies to both of these and the family never knows about it). I usually add a big can of tomato sauce and fresh garlic to the spag. when I prepare it, but otherwise ready to go. I also freeze any leftover ham and the bone for cooking w greens or beans and freeze leftover half of pork butt for making yummy bbq sandwiches. I need to try some of these breakfast ideas. My dd only wants to eat hot pockets. Yuck.
Donna says
Breakfast I make up french toast, I use fruit bread from an Amish market. 3-4 slices per bag and then 2 minutes in the microwave. And pancakes, again blueberry or chocolate chip. 4 in a bag 2 minures in the microwave.
Blueberries freeze just whole in bags.
Soups do great, potato leek, from my garden, split pea from extra ham in Easter. Chicken soup from those cooked bought chickens. Turkey soup from Thanksgiving left overs.
Home grown and made spaghetti sauce. Vegetable lasagna from the garden.
Stuffed peppers. Cream dried beef. Sloppy joes. Hamburger patties.
Turkey or chicken croquetes, freeze these on a cookie sheet then bag up.
Fried eggplant slices, again on a cookie sheet then into bags.
Actually fruit pies are great frozed. Just wrap up uncooked then bake still frozed 20 more minutes at 450. I make up apple, apple cranberry. blueberry, peach, peach blueberry, peach pecan.
I went on a 2 week vacation with my Mom and I made a lot of meals ahead for my husband. Plus I do not want to waste leftovers.
Hillary S. says
My two favorite cookbooks – The Don’t Panic Cookbooks are fantastic! Also, the 30daygourmet.com website (no affiliations) has a great ebook (Co-Op Cuisine) about starting a freezer meal coop – it gets you organized, gives you recipes, and shows you how you and x number of your friends can each choose a meal make x number of the same meal and then exchange like a cookie exchange — only better because it is dinner! It even tells you how to make sure that everyone has equal monetary month. By being able to buy in bulk, making a huge batch of the same dinner, and exchanging it with friends allows you to save money, try new things, and stay connected with your friends! My friends and I did this for about 2 years before I moved. I am trying to get a group of 5 families interested in doing this in my new city.
Actually, the 30daygourmet has 10 freezer cookbooks (covering soups, vegetarian, healthy, kid-friendly, desserts, lunches, budget, holiday, and slow cooker meals!) I have 2 of the books, and have liked all the recipes.
Other good freezer recipe books – (you can find some of these at your local library!)
Dream Dinners Cookbook
Fix, Freeze, Feast
Don’t Panic Dinner’s in the Freezer
Don’t Panic More Dinner’s in the Freezer
Once A Month Cooking
Cook Once, Eat Twice
—
My all time favorite freezer recipe is from the Dream Dinner Cookbook – their Parmesan Chicken…
1/2 cup nonfat Italian Dressing
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup (4 oz) grated Parmesan Cheese (I used Fresh)
2/3 cup seasoned Bread Crumbs
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups marinara sauce
Spray 9×13 dish with cooking spray
1) Marinate chicken in Italian Dressing for at least 2 hours.
2) Mix Parmesan Cheese, breadcrumbs, paprika, sugar, salt, and pepper.
3) Spread marinara sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dishes.
4) Dredge the marinated chicken in the bread crumb mixture.
5) Place 6 breasts in prepared baking dish and sprinkle ecenly with bead crumb mixture.
To Freeze: Cover with plastic wrap, then aluminum (Tomato based sauces can eat at the foil!). Up to 3 months. Thaw in Fridge before cooking.
To Cook: Preheat oven 350. Bake, uncovered for 1 hour or until internal temperature reaches 165.
Kimberly K Arnold says
Most of your favorite meals can probably be frozen well. Right now I have pea soup, chicken noodle soup, shepherds pie, beef sroganoff…
Whole potatoes and steak are the only things I did not care for reheated from the freezer.
Check out my recipe site I added. I use the blog as a recipe keeper. Most are healthy recipes!
Cortney says
I love the meat events through Zaycon foods. I get 2 40lb boxes of chicken breasts. They still have the rib meat attached so it requires a little bit of prep work, but it’s so worth it in the end. I fill up both my crock pots with chicken, onion, garlic, celery carrots. Top it off with water and a little s&p. It cooks all day while I prepare the rest of my chicken. I cut up chicken into small bite-size pieces and cook up a portion of it and season it with Johnny’s and garlic, another portion done with taco seasoning, and a portion marinated in Asian spices and seasonings. I freeze it in about 2 cup portions in freezer bags and lay them flat to freeze, then they stack up real nice in the freezer. I also pound out a few breast and roll them up with mix of feta cheese, spinach, cream cheese and roasted red peppers. I freeze them in family size portions and when ready to cook I brown them in a little butter and olive oil then pour a can of cream of mushroom soup mixed with a little chicken broth over the top and bake. It’s great over rice. I shred the chicken in the crock pot and freeze the broth as well. Everything is ready to pull out and add to any meal. I use my Mexican seasoned chicken for chicken ranch tacos (heat chicken, mix in a little ranch salad dressing and serve with your normal taco fixings.) It also makes very quick chicken taco soup or white chicken chili. All you have to do is add the appropriate cans of beans, tomatoes, corn and green chilies.
I found that I don’t eat to many of the meals that are put in the freezer – but this way I have the prep work all done and it makes throwing a meal together quickly a very stress-free process.
AnaLysa Larsen says
When I had each of my kids, my mom came and made tons of freezer dinners for me and my family. One of the simplest ones is a chicken or tuna casserole.
1 box cooked rotini pasta
1 can Costco chicken (or 2 chicken breasts cubed or shredded)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
2 cups frozen mixed veggies (i like peas and carrots)
1/2 cup milk
mix all ingredients together and place in a 9×13 pan.
FREEZE
Thaw in fridge for 5-6 hours. Sprinkle grated cheese and crushed potato chips over the top and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until warmed through.
Theresa says
My favorite freezer meal is shepherd’s pie. It’s super quick to throw together and also very easy to make allergy friendly.
Anytime I make chili or soup or stew and it’s something that would freeze well, I make enough to have plenty to put in the freezer.
k says
Lasagna! If you make homemade sauce, double or triple the recipe to make a few lasagnas at a time. You can also freeze some of the sauce separately that you can thaw & use at will… spaghetti night, goulash, etc.
Tammi says
Fix Freeze Feast by Kati Neville and Lindsay Tkacsik, and Taste of Home Freezer Pleasers Cookbook are two really great books to use for Freezer foods.
Sami says
One of our favorite meals to fix is shepard’s pie. Get a deep casserole dish put browned ground beef(or grilled chicken) in the bottom, next, put in a bag of frozen mixed veggies, then top it off with mashed potatoes. Put it in the oven on 375 until the veggies are done (35 min). It wassoo easy to make when we had our little girl.
Theresa says
I have a 2 month old and shortly before my due date I bought a big turkey at the store. After it thawed in the fridge, I cut butter into squares and tucked it into the skin and put the turkey into an oven bag and placed it into the turkey pan and put back into the fridge. Before I left for the hospital, I turned my oven onto 200 degrees and let the turkey slow cook. (My oven automatically turns off after 12 hours.) Since, it is slow cooked, the turkey practically falls off the bone and there is not much carving needed.
Becky says
What a great idea!!
Diane Ward says
My daughter has an 8-week old (beautiful) baby boy and has just now had to start cooking again because she was so prepared! Good luck!
Anyway… she reminded me of this trick: when you make a dish, double-line the pan with foil, put it in the freezer until just turning hard, then take it out of the pan and freeze only the foil-pack. When you’re ready, stick the freezer pack back in the pan to bake!
Tracey says
Spaghetti sauce, stew, chili, lasagna, enchilada casserole (tear up the tortillas instead of rolling them). All of these hold up well in the freezer. I also make a hamburger gravy thing that is wonderful. Brown 2 lbs ground beef with onion and garlic. Add one can of cream of chicken and one can of cream of celery soups. (these do taste better than other “cream of” soups). Add a couple cans of mushrooms. Season with pepper, worchestershire sauce, maybe a dash or two of Tabasco. Add a bit of white wine and water. Cook until all the flavors meld, about a half hour or so. If it gets too thick, add more water. Serve over rice.
Anytime you cook any of these things, make two or three or four and freeze the rest.
Christina Lowe says
Twice baked potatoes freeze well. I freeze them on a cookie sheet & then put them in a freezer bag. This keeps them from sticking together. They are great for an easy lunch or as a side for dinner.
Natasha says
The filling for sweet potato black bean burritos freezes well or you can even wrap them individually before freezing. Google can find you a few recipes for them. Also, I always make mini loaves of banana/zucchini/etc. bread so I can easily pull one from the freezer and eat it before it dries out.
Laura Wiles says
I bought an extra turkey at Thanksgiving when my local store had a special sale. I used it about a month ago to make turkey and dressing. Delicious! I bought disposable foil pans at Dollar Tree 3 for $1.00. Enchiladas, soups, chili and pasta dishes are also great for freezing.
Michele says
Baked Bolognese! Make a double batch- one for now and one for later. Most of the items are on sale this week during Publix’s Italian Days sale 🙂
Michele says
Sorry! Here is the recipe
Baked Bolognese
1 lb ground lean turkey
1/4 lb Italian turkey sausage
1/2 lb whole grain spaghetti
1/2 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 jar spaghetti sauce
2 cups (1, 15 oz container) ricotta cheese (sometimes I use cottage cheese)
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper
Italian seasoning
Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta. Brown ground meat and sausage. Remove from pan and wipe pan clean. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to pan. Saute carrots, celery, onion, and garlic for 4-5 min. or until softened. Add tomato sauce and meat to veggies. In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom of a 8 x 8 pan. Next, layer the spaghetti over the sauce. Dollop the cheese mixture over the pasta and carefully spread the cheese. Cover with the meat sauce. Place the mozzarella cheese over the sauce and top with some Italian seasoning. Bake about 30 min or until brown and bubbling. You can cover with foil if it begins to brown too quickly. Let stand at least 10 minutes before serving so it can set.
Karen Lynne says
Taco Soup
EASY, freezes well if it lasts that long.
Brown 1 lb ground chicken. Add 1 pack of taco seasoning. Add (juice and all): 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can corn, 1 can red beans, 1 can pinto (or use S&W pinqito? beans), and 1 can black beans. Heat through. YUM!
Mechelle says
Another way to save some space and time is to pre cook and cube and or shred chicken. Brown ground beef and put in baggies. I pull one out and can make tacos, spaghetti or chili, sloppy joes.. the possibility is endless its just fast because the beef is cooked and I can toss in the crock pot with the sauce i want and let it go! Also meat loaf freezes well right in the pan! Just defrost over night in the fridge and set on counter in the morning to finish up. The chicken can be made into taco filling, pot pies, casseroles like king ranch casserole which freezes great! I like to freeze left over chicken that I shred because my family does not like left overs. They like remakes. Some times I will chop up meat loaf that is left over and simmer in spaghetti sauce in the crock pot, a potato masher will break it up once its warm. Nobody can tell it was meatloaf before!
Diann says
“Remakes”…hahaha I love it!! I am not a big fan of leftovers either, so I can really relate to your post.
Thanks for the ideas!
Mechelle says
Swiss Chicken Supreme
Full Entree Serves 4-6
Spray 9Ă—13 pan with pam
Place 6 Chicken Breasts in the pan
Place 1/4 C Shredded Swiss Cheese on top of EACH chicken breast.
In a mixing bowl combine
1C Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1/2 Cup Low Fat Milk
1/2 C Diced Onions
1 tsp Minced Garlic
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt (optional)
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
Gently pour cream mixture over the chicken and cheese
Sprinkle 1/2 C Ritz Cracker Crumbs Over The Top Leave some bigger pieces of cracker they cook up nice.
You can freeze this meal at this point if your making double batches for an extra this is an easy one to double.
Thaw completely or bake freshly made at 375 place pan on baking sheet uncovered 40-50 minutes.
For partially thawed or frozen add 10-20 minutes.
I think this sauce would go great with steamed broccoli and some rice.
Parmesan Chicken with Creamy Sage Sauce
Full Entree Serves 4-6
Spray a 9Ă—13 pan with Pam spray
Place 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts in the pan
In a mixing bowl combine
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Melt the next two ingredients together in microwave
1/4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 Tbsp Canola Oil
and put half of the liquid butter mixture into the mixing bowl and combine well and spread bowl contents over the chicken.
If you want to freeze this put wax paper down now onto the chicken and make sauce in a zip bag and place on the paper and seal the whole thing together to freeze.
Sauce
1 cup bechamel sauce (Basic White Sauce, way easy to make)
4 tablespoons chicken broth
4 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons white wine
The remaining liquid butter (from the butter and oil listed above melted and combined)
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes, until breading is golden brown.
While the chicken is baking, make the sauce. Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan and whisk the ingredients together until well blended. Heat sauce until it simmers and serve with chicken. Enjoy!
Last but not least, my families Favorite and Weekly Staple
Asian Flank Steak
1/3 C Soy Sauce
1/3 C Brown Sugar
1 TBSP Sesame Oil
1-2 tsp Grated Ginger (to taste)
(you can add lemon or lime juice to this as an option)
Poke holes all over steak with a large meat fork,
Marinade a 2 lb flank steak in ziplock bag over night or in freezer for 2 months, let defrost over night in the fridge.
Serve with Pineapple Rice Pilaf
1 box Rice A Roni Rice Pilaf
Make according to dirctions
When rice is just about done put in 1 half cup of pineapple tidbits and 1/4 C frozen green peas and stir to mix them in. Return lid to pan and allow to finish steaming.
Sarah says
This website has lots of great freezables. http://www.ourbestbites.com/
Their baked taquitos and sausage tortellini soup freeze great and are totally awesome. Also for a quick and easy dessert make sure to try their pizzookies!
Jen says
I find that making pasta sauces are a great way to freeze multiple meals because you can change it according to what you add. Nondairy soups also tend to freeze well.
terri fredericks says
Ingredients
2 pound bag of frozen hash brown potatoes
½ cup melted butter
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
1 pint of sour cream
½ cup of finely chopped onions
10 oz. or 2 pkg. of shredded cheddar cheese
Topping:
2-3 cups crushed corn flakes
½ cup melted margarine
How to make it
Thaw potatoes and combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl
Put into a greased large casserole baking dish
Sprinkle topping on
Bake 1 to 1 ½ hours at 350 degrees
Betty819 says
Name of this recipe? Can this be frozen in smaller portions? Do you wrap it in plastic wraps, and foil before freezing in disposable pans? How many servings does your recipe make?
Marianne says
I make a recipe like this that is called funeral potatoes. I put it in 2 8X8 pans. I do not top one with corn flakes and freeze them.Pull them out of the freezer when I am ready. Add the topping and bake.
Angela says
I think soups reheat really great. If you go to AllRecipes.com and search for Catherine’s Spicy Chicken Soup, it freezes great. It’s actually better than when you make it. The recipe makes a lot, so we freeze half of it, and still get two nights out of each half. And the soup is delicious. Good luck!
Lisa says
Chili and meatloaf are our favorites in the freezer.
Also, I like to make pesto. Freeze them in ice cube trays and then pop out and store in a plastic bag. Then mix a cube or two into your favorite hot pasta for a quick meal.
I’ve also been turned on to slow cooker meals lately. One of my favorites is chicken taco (frozen chicken breasts, can of beans, can of corn, can of salsa, and a packet of taco seasoning…cook on high for 4 hours and it shreads easy before serving). Serve with taco chips or in a tortilla. This is nice because the veggies and the meat are all together. Leftovers freeze well. BBQ chicken or pulled pork in a slow cooker is easy and tasty too.
Lastly, don’t forget breakfast! I enjoyed banana bread (w/ flax seed) or banana oatmeal bread for a quick breakfast or anytime snack. I bet muffins might freeze well too so you can have a healthy snack. Banana smoothies aren’t too hard to whip up if you have a few frozen bananas or other leftover fruit in the freezer. I also liked quiche (though I’m not sure this freezes well). The Moosewood cook book has a great recipe for basic quiche that you can modify according to your tastes.
Elaine says
I noticed no one mentioned any breakfast foods. Which in our house are also sometimes lunch or dinner foods. =) Make up a few batches of waffles or pancakes, put wax paper between each and freeze. You can take out only what you need & microwave them. Also, breakfast burritos freeze well. I just fry up some bacon and cool it by putting it in the freezer for a bit. I think it crumbles easier. Scramble up some eggs (I think I usually do a dozen) Lay small tortilla shells on the counter, divide eggs up between the shells, add the crumbled bacon, then add shredded cheddar cheese. Fold the ends in and roll up. Wrap each in plastic wrap and put them all in a ziploc. You can take out only what you want. To reheat, remove from plastic wrap & wrap in a paper towel. Microwave until hot. (I can’t remember exactly how long, it’s been a while since I heated one up myself. Don’t over cook though or the eggs get weird.)
Leslie Bartholow says
When I was younger my mom had to go into the hospital, so she made homemade tv dinners for us. They were fantastic. You could put your leftovers into tv dinners so the family could pick and choose what they want to eat. I told my mom we ate better while she was in the hopital than when she was at home. Lol
Beth says
I also hit up the Dollar Tree and get disposable casserole dishes (aluminum) so when I make one meal, I can either make more or cut it in half and freeze half (lasagna, chicken enchiladas, etc.). Another thing is to make soups and freeze them in portions. I also make mini-meatloaves and freeze them prior to baking. You can also bake them and then freeze them, if that works better for you.
Recipes: I’ve used recipes from: http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/freezer-meal-recipes-master-list
Another family favorite (makes one 9×13 or two 8×8 pans): Poppyseed Chicken
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into chunks
2 cups of shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
2 sleeves Ritz crackers
4-6 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Combine cream of chicken soup, sour cream, poppy seeds, salt, pepper and 1 cup of the Monterey Jack cheese. Spray the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Top with chunks of chicken. Spread soup/cheese mixture on top of chicken. Top with remaining cup of Monterey Jack cheese. Make a topping by crushing the sleeves of Ritz crackers and stirring in the melted butter. Spoon Ritz mixture on top of the casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and hot. Serve over rice.
Or make this pork, eat some and freeze rest in baggies or containers for use later:
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Ingredients:
2 pounds pork tenderloin
12 fluid oz. root beer
18 oz. favorite barbecue sauce
8 hamburger buns
Put pork in slow cooker. Pour root beer over. Cover and cook on low until well cooked and the pork pulls apart easily (about 6-7 hours). Shred pork. Drain well. Stir in barbecue sauce. Serve over hamburger buns.
Mary Beth Tanner says
please e-mail me this
sosto says
What do you do about FREEZER BURN? Whenever I freeze food it ends up tasting awful from freezer burn, and I don’t know how to prevent it. My ideas so far have just been double-wrapping or using thicker bags. I’ve also heard that getting all of the air out of the package helps, but that’s easier said than done (tips?). What do you all do? Thanks a million!!!!
Mechelle says
Freezer Paper on all meat! Wrap all steaks and chops in freezer paper. Then put in a ziploc bag. I use a straw and put it in the bag and close the zipper all the way to the straw. Suck out the air and the slide out straw and zip shut. It works well enough for a few months. For long term I would get a food saver that seals it for real with no air
Tara says
I’m all for using freezer paper & a foodsaver, but sucking Raw Meat Flavored & Scented Air Through A Straw is way, WAY at the top of my List Of Things I Will Never Ever Do. I already have to hold my breath for pretty much the entire time when I handle raw meat so as to not have to smell the blood, so I won’t be using this ^^^^ tip, but thanks for trying.
Sosto says
Thanks for your help!
Sosto says
Thanks for the responses – helpful!
Mindy says
Have you tried the ziplock freezer bags with the little tool to suck the air out for you? I have really good luck with it!
Cynthia Arthur says
Don’t know if you’ve already found a solution? I found online how to & it’s working !! Just put meat in a freezer ziploc & place bottom portion of open bag into a bowl of water (larger than your freezer item that is in the bag) &
slowly press air out of ziploc to the top
& zip !!! The water acts as a vacuum!
Kristen says
Budget Gormer has some frozen crockpot meals that are easy and excellent. Also make extra of whatever you are currently making and just freeze it especially spaghetti sauce!
Sandi says
I have a great Mexican chicken recipe that freezes great.
1 large can cream of mushroom soup
1 large can cream of chicken soup
I medium diced onion
1 can rotel
Cheddar cheese we like it cheesy so add to your taste
1 pound diced chicken ( we cheat sometimes and use a rotissierie chicken)
Crushed nacho cheese dorito chips for the topping
Combine all ingredients except dorito chips and freeze in a ziplock
Thaw in fridge and place in oven @350 for 45 minutes. Then top with some additional shredded cheese and the chips and bake an additional 5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes and serve.
Hollie says
I often freeze spaghetti sauce, manicotti, ham & egg bake (the potato, ham & swiss cheese portion of the recipe) from one of my Betty Crocker cookbooks, potato soup (from the Fix Freeze Feast cookbook by Kati Neville), vegetable soup, and cheesy beef & rice from heavenlyhomemakers.com.
Elisha says
Lasagna is a freezer friendly meal and goes along way. I cut mine into servings and wrap them seperately, then I can have it for lunch and the hubby can take it to work with him. It also saves from reheating the entire pan and wasting what you dont finish.
Heidi says
Ingredients
1 (15 oz) can of chicken broth
1 (16 oz) can refried beans
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15.25 oz) can corn, drained and rinsed
1 (10 oz) can Ro-Tel tomatoes and chilies
2 cooked chicken breasts or 3 cups cooked chicken
Directions
1. Put the broth and refried beans into a soup pot and heat, while whisking together, until the beans have incorporated fully into the broth
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and heat, while stirring until the soup is boiling
3. Serve with a variety of toppings: fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, or Tabasco
The original recipe didn’t have chicken, but in my house it’s not a meal without meat, so I added it.
I agree with Sabrina about lasagnas, casseroles, etc. Whenever a recipe calls for a 9×13 pan I put it in 2 8×8 pans. I bake one that night and freeze the other for another night (My kids are 2 and 4 and if I make an entire 9×13 pan of anything we’re eating it for a week)
Kellie says
I used to freeze meals for my husband when we were long distance dating… Lasagna, pot roast, chicken broccoli rice casserole, chili, chicken noodle soup, vegetable soup, & pretty much anything that has some liquid in it so it’s not dry when you reheat it… If you need any recipes or suggestions let me know… I found the best thing to do is let it cool in the refrigerator for about 24 hours then freezing it & also putting wax paper on top… I used to make cookie dough & used a cookie scooper & put wax paper between the layers.. great thing is if you want just 2 or 3 cookies that’s all you have to make 🙂
Sally Dyer says
I have great luck with freezing beef and vegetable soup. I make a very large pot of it and put it in plastic bowls with lids after it cools. Be sure to leave a little room in the top of the bowl to give room for expansion, then stack the bowls in the freezer. It thaws quite well, and the taste is the same as the day it was made!
Another suggestion is that if you have a George Foreman indoor grill, you can put frozen meat directly on that, close the lid, and it will cook it up perfectly. I use this with chicken breast, hamburgers, etc. and it really saves me on those days that I forget to set something out for dinner!
Sabrina says
I find just about anything freezes well. I would cook bigger batches of your favorite meals the next couple of weeks and just freeze half. My kids love lasagna so I always make enough to freeze a second meal of it. If you add meat and veggies to it when you prepare it then it is a one dish meal for your family. For lasagna just put browned ground beef (or turkey) or cut up meatballs or cut sausage with your cheese on a layer and spinach leafs on another layer. Good luck!