Freezer cooking makes my life so much easier because I don’t have to wonder what is for dinner. I plan a day to assemble all the meals and freeze them. On the day I want to serve it, I simply pull it out of the freezer and follow the instructions to serve.
The FREE download includes instructions and serving ideas for all 33 meals. The freezer menu includes:
- Spaghetti
- Chicken Cacciatore
- Oven Roasted Chicken Thighs
- Meatloaf/Meatloaf Sandwiches
- Creamy Chicken Tacos
- Beef Tacos
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Vegetable Beef Soup
- Beef Chili
- White Chicken Chili
Each of the meals is served 3 times except for the meatloaf. I have doubled the amount of meatloaf and am planning to use it for two meals. I have found the magic number three gives us enough variety that we are not eating the same thing over and over again.
I have also included several soup recipes in this menu because it is a great scoop and go meal. It can be prepared in the morning and left to simmer all day filling your house with delicious aromas and a sense of coziness. It makes everyone look forward to dinner.
Freezer Packaging
Before we go any further let’s just chat about packaging your meal so that it is safe from the elements. This food is an investment and I want to protect it. Not only have I spent a decent amount of money on it, but I have also invested quite a bit of time as well.
Plastic Bags
This particular freezer menu is all about dumping into a bag, so no aluminum pans are needed. I always buy the freezer Ziplock bags. Now, I love to save money on generic products, but this is one place I do not skimp.
As you can see it’s a difference of about $0.03 per bag. This is what I have experienced and so I feel like it is worth it for the peace of mind and the time you will save in fiddling with the packages to make sure they seal correctly.
Last quick tip, make sure you get as much air as you can out of the bags before putting them in the freezer. Not only will you keep your food longer, but it will make storage easier in your freezer.
Label Every Meal
Nobody likes mystery meals so make sure you label every single bag that goes into the freezer. I use a permanent marker. I have made the mistake of thinking I would remember what it was, and I didn’t. Do you want to know what happens? Those bags don’t get used because you have no idea what you are fixing so it ends up being wasted money and time.
I label each bag with the recipe name, date prepared, and any prep instructions I feel I need. To cut down on the writing I do refer to my serving day prep instructions as much as possible so I don’t have to write so much, therefore, cutting down on the preparation time. You can do that too! Refer to my PDF download as many times as you need too.
Prepare to Share
This method gives me the perfect opportunity to be a blessing to someone. If someone is sick or there is some sort of occasion like a funeral, I can pass along my frozen meal or cook it really quickly.
Honestly, this is my favorite baby gift. I mean, what mom can’t use a freezer of food that is prepped and ready for her to cook when she’s had a sleepless night with a little one. I know from experience what blessing this is.
Tracking Your Inventory
After I am done with all my prep and I have it all in the freezer, I make a list on our family’s Cozi app. When I sit down to meal plan, I mark them off the list, so my freezer inventory remains accurate. About halfway through the menu, I take a quick inventory just to make sure everything is correct.
Check out this post on how we meal plan.
Cooking Methods
Most of these recipes are cooked in the Instant Pot or Slow Cooker.
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, I highly recommend it! It makes cooking so much easier and quicker. I have a couple of sizes but the 8 quart Instant Pot has brought cooking in one pot back for our family. A lot of times I only have to use one instant pot to cook the entire meal. Yes, it is that versatile.
Your freezer menu instructions will tell you how to prepare it on serving day.
Cooking Tip for Prep Day
For this particular food prep day, I had to brown about 25 pounds of ground meat for our recipes. The first thing I did before I started prepping the meals was to pull out my big roaster oven. You know, the one you pull out at holiday time when you don’t have room in your regular oven?
I pop all my meat in there and crank it up as high as it will go. I stir it regularly to make sure the meat is browned evenly. I plan to prep the meals that call for cooked ground meat towards the end of my prep day so that it has time to cook while I am prepping other stuff.
CrewTip: The Concept Behind My Crazy
2 cups of cooked lean ground meat equal one pound. When the recipe calls for one pound of hamburger, you can add 2 cups of the meat. When it calls for 2 pounds of meat, then you add 4 cups.
Soup
Soup recipes are some of my favorites to do because they are the perfect scoop and go meal. I can put it in the slow cooker or the instant pot early in the morning so it will be ready to go for dinner. It fills your house with the most delicious scent which advertises dinner that is something you don’t want to miss.
As a general rule, I make a pot of soup on a weekly basis because soups generally are a pretty healthy option and it makes a delicious lunch. Add a sandwich or a side salad and you have a nice well-rounded meal to enjoy.
Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken Noodle Soup has onions, peas, and carrots in a garlic chicken broth with a touch of sage. It is finished off in the last thirty minutes with some egg noodles, so it feels like an authentic homemade soup.
I put all the ingredients except the pasta into the bag so the only thing I have to do is add water on the day of cooking. The broth and veggies simmer until about 30 minutes before serving I add the egg noodles.
I love to pair this meal with tuna salad sandwiches because it goes together really well. If you’re not a tuna fan then, a simple side salad is great too.
Vegetable Beef Soup
This recipe is a new one for us and it feels like a really cozy vegetable beef soup. Don’t worry I tested it before I added it to this menu. The base is a beef broth with your choice of veggies and ground hamburger. During the last thirty minutes of cooking, you add the macaroni. A simple salad or biscuit on the side will complete this meal.
Beef Chili
It is the chili time of year and so I wanted to be sure I have this ready to go when it turns cold here in Missouri. This particular recipe is similar to a taco soup but does not have the corn. I do use bagged dry beans because it is much more cost-effective.
I serve it with a simple side salad or bake some cornbread.
This meal can easily be turned into another meal with the leftovers. Chili Tator Tots, Chili Mac, and Chili dogs just to name a few but the possibilities are endless! This is a great meal to have on hand for those fall camping trips or when the forecast is saying snow.
White Chicken Chili
This delicious recipe has some simple spices. I used to buy the spice packets for white chicken chili until I found this recipe. Over the years I have altered it some by adding extra garlic and canned diced tomatoes and green chilis. Personally, I think the secret ingredient is ground oregano!
I serve this topped with cheese, sour cream, and a few tortilla chips. Some of the kiddos like to add salsa and lettuce too. The leftovers make a great lunch.
I also have been known to make it into nachos by laying chips onto a cookie sheet, top with white chicken chili and cheese. Melt in a 450-degree oven for about 5-10 minutes.
Pasta
Yes, I even cook pasta in my instant pot! I do have a couple of tips for you before we move on.
- For every one pound of pasta add four cups of salted water to the instant pot. I have found that longer pasta like spaghetti or fettuccine needs an extra cup of water.
- Place under manual pressure for 2 minutes. I have done as long as four minutes, but the texture is a bit mushier and I tend to like a firmer pasta, so I don’t go too long.
- As soon as it has completed the two minutes of manual pressure, manually release the pressure by turning the valve on top of the instant pot to vent. I lay a towel on top as it releases the pressure, so water doesn’t spray all over my kitchen. Don’t let it sit too long in the instant pot because as it sits, it cooks.
- Be prepared that as you manually release the pressure from the instant pot it could leak all over your countertop. Generally, I have towels handy or let it leak into my sink.
Spaghetti
This meal is a favorite with our family because we love our pasta! I always get joyful whoops when they see this meal on the menu board. I make my own marinara sauce, but you can certainly purchase yours. I add ground meat to it and divide it into freezer bags. On the day of cooking, I cook the pasta and simply add the sauce to it. We top it with cheese and serve it with corn and/or an Italian side salad.
Chicken Cacciatore
This delicious entree is one of my favorites. You can pop it into the crockpot on the morning of serving and it will cook all day. Just make sure you plug it into the wall before you turn it on. That’s what happened to us last time… we turned it on but forgot to plug it in.
I like to make ours with chicken thighs, however, you can use chicken breast if you would prefer. I like to use a variety of bell peppers and onions for sweetness and color. I use canned diced tomatoes although you can use whole tomatoes if you like. I usually end up chopping the tomatoes since the kiddos really aren’t too enthusiastic about whole tomatoes on their plates. I might as well save myself the trouble and use diced tomatoes.
My favorite way to serve this is over pasta but I have also served it with rice or mashed potatoes. A simple salad and/or green beans as the side makes for a great meal.
Meat and Potato Meals
I love meat and potato meals. It’s just one of my favorites. I do have to plan these meals for when I am going to be home to do a little preparation. Even though you prepare it ahead of time usually these meals require some time on serving day.
Oven Roasted Chicken Thighs
I love roasting chicken thighs in the oven over veggies. The fat from the dark meat drips over the vegetables causing them to caramelize and taste yummy. For me, it’s a comfort meal!
I cut up potatoes and onions and layer those with green beans. I add a little salt, pepper, and garlic to taste. I lay my seasoned chicken thighs onto the top of the vegetables and bake. I serve this as is or I may add a side salad to it.
Meatloaf and Meatloaf Sandwiches
Am I the only one who likes the sandwiches the next better than just the meatloaf? I have doubled the amount of meatloaf and planned this for two meals. I usually serve mashed potatoes and green beans with this meal and I make extras for the next day too.
Now, if your family sees the extras and will want to eat it go ahead and hide it before they come to the table. What they don’t know won’t hurt them and they will be genuinely surprised when they get to eat their meatloaf sandwiches the next day.
You can be very creative with this meal by adding different toppings to the meatloaf. You can make a tomato sauce based topping or go with homemade gravy.
The last time I made this I topped it with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni in the last 15 minutes of cooking. The kiddos loved it and it added a little variety to the meal. Plus, it made extra delicious sandwiches the next day!
Tacos
Tacos are always a huge hit at our house, and they are super easy. Plus, you can diversify them so easily by turning them into nachos or a taco salad.
We like to bake tater tots and in the last five minutes of the cooking, layer the meat and cheese on top. We bake until it’s melted and add all our favorite toppings like sour cream, salsa, lettuce, and onions. Makes for a great movie night meal!
Beef Tacos
I simply just packaged my ground meat into the freezer bag and added diced tomatoes and taco seasoning. On the day of serving, I simply heat it in the microwave or in my instant pot and serve on tortillas with all our favorite toppings.
Creamy Chicken Tacos
This is one of our favorites because you simply dump into the slow cooker and it cooks through the day. In the last 30 minutes of cooking, you add a brick of cream cheese. After it melts, mix it all together and serve the mixture on tortillas or chips. Sometimes I don’t add any more cheese to it because the cream cheese adds enough creaminess and texture.
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What’s included?
Meal List
This is a list of all the meals included in this Freezer menu and the amount this menu plans for.
Ingredient List
The instructions have an ingredients list for serving 4-6 people or 8-10 people by making the listed meal three times.
Prep Day Instructions
This is a step by step to-do list for the day of cooking. You will be packaging all your meals to go into the freezer so that on the day of serving you can grab and go.
Serving Day Instructions
This will tell you how to prepare the meal using the instant pot, slow cooker or oven depending on the recipe.
Serving Suggestions
I have included serving suggestions for each meal. When I am meal planning, I keep in mind the food groups to provide a balanced and healthy meal for my family.
I’m not seeing the download. Did it get removed? And there’s no link to youtube at the end. Am I missing something?