The Ultimate Freezer Meal Post

Does preparing Freezer Meals interest you, but you’re just not sure how to get started? This Ultimate Freezer Meal Post will provide you with everything you need to plan, shop for, prep, and freeze yummy meals for your family.

I know that family life can be very busy, and this post has been designed with exactly that in mind.

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Let’s begin with a little planning.

Meal Planning

Meal planning can be a little overwhelming, so finding what works for you is key! You may want to start by using this free Meal Planning Printable to help you brainstorm the types of meals your family enjoys.

Some families do an amazing job preparing monthly menu plans, but I have found that tackling this on a weekly basis seems to work better for our family.

Does your list of ideas include any meals that could be made-ahead and frozen days or weeks in advance? You may be surprised at how many things that you can freeze and keep for later! This kind of planning can be a life-saver – especially on those busy weeknights!

Grocery Shopping

Next, let’s get organized as we prepare to shop for our needed ingredients.

You may want to kick things off by doing a quick inventory: a Pantry Inventory as well as a Freezer Inventory. (A quick search brought up these freebie printables, but you may find others you like better.)

• What do you already have?
• What do you need?

Taking inventory of your pantry might give you a few ideas for an easy freezer meal or two you would like to make.

While you’re at it, take a look in your freezer to see what else you already have. Is there any chance there’s a pan of lasagna you forget you had?

New to thinking through prepping and frozen foods/meals for your family? This Freezer Guide includes recommendations for various types of foods and the length of time for which they can be frozen.

Once you’ve taken inventory, it’s time to prepare your grocery list. I love this Free Grocery List Printable from Just a Girl and Her Blog – It’s functional and pretty, too!

I know meal planning isn’t for everyone, but it has been a total time and money saver for me. We throw away much less food, and there’s rarely the panic of “What am I going to make for dinner?!” So I use the boxes on the left side of my printable to plan meals, then write my categorized list using the rest of the sheet, and my grocery trips go oh-so-smoothly! –Abby Lawson

Gathering Supplies

In addition to gathering groceries, gather supplies:

• foil pans with lids – Perfect for casseroles, etc.
• gallon-size storage bags – We use these for soups, prepared meats, etc.
• quart-size storage bags – These are great for chopped veggies, diced fruit, etc.
• Sharpie Marker – This comes in handy for labeling each bag or container.

Preparing the Meals

The first thing I do is prep my protein. In one session, I will brown 2-4 lbs. of ground beef. That morning, I will also have filled my Crock Pot with chicken tenderloins – allowing them to cook on low throughout the day.

I prefer chicken tenderloins to chicken breasts because they cook a little quicker. But don’t worry, you can cut your chicken breasts into chunks or strips to help them cook just as quickly.

If I have another pound of ground beef leftover, I will add taco seasoning and freeze it in a gallon size bag to use for taco night. If I have any chicken leftovers, I will shred it up – adding taco seasoning to a portion of it (to use one night for chicken taco salads) and BBQ sauce to the rest (to use for BBQ night.) These prepared proteins are great to pull out and warm on nights when you are short on time.

If I’m feeling extra energetic, I will do everything in one day; but other times, I will prep my protein on one day, and then put the meals together the following day (placing the cooked meat in the fridge until I’m ready to complete the meal prep).

My Favorite Freezer Meals to Make Ahead

My freezer meal routine most definitely varies – depending on what’s going on in our lives at the time – but these three pasta freezer meals are go-to favs in our house.

They are super simple but also super delicious.

Chicken Penne Pasta:

• Penne Pasta Noodles
• 1 Jar of Alfredo Sauce
• 1 Can of Drained Peas
• 4-6 of the cooked chicken tenderloins (sliced/diced/shredded/or cubed)
• *Pepper to Taste

Chicken Spaghetti:

• Angel Hair Noodles
• 2 [Cooked/Diced] Chicken Breasts
• 2 Cups of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1 Can of Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 Cup of Milk
• *Salt & Pepper to Taste
• Top with another cup of Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Baked Spaghetti:

• Angel Hair Noodles
• 1 Jar of Spaghetti Sauce
• 1 lb. of cooked ground beef
• Top with Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas:

• 2 Cups of Rotisserie Chicken
• 1 Jar of Salsa Verde (Set a bit aside to top your enchiladas.)
• 1 Cup of Sour Cream
• Mix the above ingredients together, using the mixture as filling in flour tortillas.
• Top with a bit of the Salsa Verde and some shredded cheese of your choosing.

Would you rather do an enchiladas recipe that calls for red sauce? We’ve done that, too! Either way, this is a great freezer meal option – especially if you love Mexican food as much as we do around here.

After dividing the meals up in to my pans of choice, I use my Sharpie Maker to label the pans.

Sometimes I will date them, but not always – It depends on how quickly I’m planning to use them.

All four of these meals can be baked [thawed] at 350 degrees for approximately 20-30 minutes. If they are still frozen when you throw them in the oven, you will probably need to double that time.

More Freezer Meal Recipe Ideas for You

• Crock Pot Taco Soup is a perfect freezer meal! Assemble it. Freeze it. Then toss it in the slow cooker on the day you’re ready to enjoy it.
• Freezer Lasagna – You can make this recipe with the pepperoni or without.
• Ham & Spinach Quiche – Make One – Freeze Two!

• Mexican Lasagna – I’m so glad we discovered this recipe years ago!
• Different Kinds of Calzones – even breakfast ones! You can find them all here.
• Creamy Chicken Tortilla Chip Casserole – A cozy comfort meal for sure –

Ideas for Treats You can Freeze

• Brown Sugar Banana Bread – Yes, you can make this ahead of time…then freeze…then thaw to serve for breakfast. An idea like this is especially helpful when you have guests staying with you.
• Walnut Pumpkin Pie – So helpful to make ahead for Thanksgiving.
• Cake Mix Chocolate Chip Cookies – These have become our favorite Christmas cookies.
• Red Velvet Brownie Bars – We especially like this around Valentine’s Day.

Make – Freeze- Thaw – Enjoy! Yes, all of them!

More Freezer Meal Recipes and Resources

When it comes to freezer meals, The Pioneer Woman has you covered. She has loads of great advice as well as delicious recipes that have worked for her family of six! She is most definitely my go-to gal for all things freezer meal.

THIS is also a fantastic collection of freezer meal ideas – with grocery lists included. All of these meals can be frozen without any cooking ahead of time.  

Simply combine the ingredients in plastic freezer bags and freeze for up to three months. If you want to download all 17 recipes/grocery lists, the PDF is right here. Simply click and save to your computer! Kelly has definitely thought of everything!

Quick Kitchen Tips from Others

• How to Avoid Freezer Burn
• How to Flash Freeze

Meal Prep for Family Vacation

If you appreciate ideas for family meal-prep, you might also like this post about how we sometimes pack food for family vacations.