More than 59 freezer meals that your family will love. Made with healthy, wholesome ingredients, plus instructions on how to prepare and cook them. Freezer crockpot meals, casseroles, and more!
Does it sometimes feel impossible to find freezer meals that are A) easy to prepare on meal prep day B) actually taste good after freeze/thawing and C) made with unprocessed ingredients? Yep. Me too.
This post was originally published in 2017, but has been updated with fresh make ahead freezer meals and tips in 2019!
Over the years, I've become way more comfortable with freezer cooking, but I remember when I started, I had so many questions: can I freeze that ingredient? Do I cook that before freezing or put it in the freezer raw? Can I swap that cream of mushroom soup for something a little healthier? Why is this recipe labelled a freezer meal when there are no freezer directions?!
It was confusing and overwhelming.
Today, I'm sharing tried and true easy freezer meals with you...the ones you can count on to taste just as good after freezing as before freezing. The ones that actually explain how to prep, store, and cook.
But first...
FAQ
How do you prepare freezer meals? There are a lot of different types of freezer meals, making this question harder to answer.
- crockpot freezer meals- are assembled raw, then frozen. Thaw completely before cooking up as directed in your slow cooker. See my round-up with 27 Crockpot Freezer Meals
- Instant Pot freezer meals- are assembled raw, then frozen. Unlike the slow cooker, it is sometimes possible to cook Instant Pot freezer meals from frozen (but consult the recipe first). Check out these 17 Instant Pot Meals from the Family Freezer!
- casseroles- depending on the casserole, you may cook and cool before freezing. Lasagnas are generally OK to freeze raw, whereas I would personally cook a quiche before freezing. There is no right or wrong rule here, and you'll need to consult each recipe for prep and freezing directions.
- my favorite thing about casseroles is that you can often bake them from frozen!
- chicken marinades- are a staple in my freezer! Simply portion out the chicken + marinade and freeze. Thaw, then bake up as directed.
- meatballs, meatloaf, burgers- I prefer to freeze these raw because once you thaw & cook, they taste fresh and juicy. Reheating after cooking is fine as well, but I notice they are always a littler drier.
- freeze raw meatballs and burgers on a sheet pan before transferring to a meal prep container or freezer bag
- soups & stews- are very freezer-friendly! I do like to cook before freezing, although you can also store as freezer crockpot or freezer Instant Pot meals. I store my cooked & cooled soups in 1 quart jars (leave ¼ of jar empty to allow for expansion, and leave lids ajar until fully frozen), or these resuable plastic freezer jars. Find a ton of soup recipes in this round up with 38 Healthy Soup Recipes
- breakfasts- I always cook my breakfast burritos, breakfast sandwiches, steel cut oats, or other breakfast recipes before freezing. I have not included breakfasts in this round-up, but you can find tons of options in this round-up of 36 Healthy Breakfast Meal Prep Recipes
- lunches- you can also pre-cook full meals, portion them out and store as single-serve meals. I love to portion out leftover curries, stir fries and other meals with rice or quinoa, and freeze for a stash of freezer lunches. I'm not covering that in this post, but you can check out some of my faves at 34 Freezer-Friendly Meal Prep Lunches
How long do make ahead freezer meals last once frozen? The real answer is 'indefinitely', as there are no food safety concerns once frozen, but the quality and taste of your food can decline with time. If you want to avoid your food tasting like freezer, I do advise eating within 3 months.
Which ingredients can I freeze? You can freeze more than you might think including raw potatoes (depending on the recipe), sweet potatoes, and more. Be careful about which veggies you freeze as many require a blanching step. When in doubt, use pre-frozen veggies as they have been blanched. I generally avoid freezing anything heavy in milk or cream. Find a full list of ingredients I don't freeze in this Freezer Meal Do's and Don'ts post.
How do I store my healthy freezer meals? It really depends on the type of meal. Check each section for tips and equipment I recommend, and if you are interested in reducing your plastic waste in the kitchen, check out my Plastic-Free Freezer Storage Ideas.
Quick tips for easy freezer meals
- for max efficiency- pick recipes that have no pre-cooking, use pre-chopped veggies (frozen is great), get an assembly line going
- for best taste- eat within 3 months
- for organization- always label your containers, group similar meals in same location (ie: chicken marinades on one shelf, freezer crockpot on another, etc), upright freezers are 1000x more easy to organize than chest freezers, take stock of your freezer regularly and eat those meals
- for Mother Earth- avoid plastic waste by using large meal prep containers (I like the 3 quart ones from Ikea), or reusable silicone bags (the gallon silicone bags are a good size for freezer crockpot meals and the 1.5L silicone bags or stasher bags are great for chicken marinades)
Don't forget to pin this post to save it for later!
Those are my tips! If you have a question I didn't answer, please leave me a question below and I'm happy to answer.
Find what you need
This post covers a lot! Click the links below to jump straight to that section in the post:
- crockpot freezer meals
- Instant Pot freezer meals
- freezer casseroles
- meatballs, meatloaf and burgers
- misc freezer meals
Crockpot Freezer Meals
One of my favorite make ahead meals: simply combine the ingredients in a freezer bag or container, freeze, and thaw when you're ready to cook! The ease of dumping your prepped ingredients into the slow cooker, pushing the button, and walking away, is just so amazing!
Meal prep tip- seek out crockpot meals that do not require sauteeing or searing. Meals containing meat must be thawed before cooking. Vegetarian or vegan meals may be cooked from frozen.
How to prepare- chop, measure, and portion out all ingredients. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and cook as directed in the recipe.
Freezer containers- gallon sized freezer bags (get good quality, double zippered ones)
- reusable gallon silicone bags work as an eco-friendly option, but can be tricky to clean
- 3 quart Ikea glass containers work great but are heavy and take up space in the freezer
a. 7 Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes from Sweet Peas & Saffron
13. Crockpot Taco Soup from Sweet Peas and Saffron // 14. Vegan Slow Cooker Tikka Masala from Sweet Peas and Saffron
19. Sticky Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs from Sweet Peas and Saffron // 20. Vegan Crockpot Chili from Sweet Peas and Saffron
Instant Pot Freezer Meals
The slow cooker is great but can be challenging when you work outside the home and can't set your timer for a 4 hour cook time. The solution? An Instant Pot!
Meal prep tip- seek out Instant Pot meals that do not require sauteeing or searing. Some Instant Pot meals may be cooked from frozen, consult recipe directions before cooking this way.
How to prepare- chop, measure, and portion out all ingredients. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and cook as directed in the recipe.
Freezer containers- gallon sized freezer bags (get good quality, double zippered ones)
- reusable gallon silicone bags work as an eco-friendly option, but can be tricky to clean
- 3 quart Ikea glass containers work great but are heavy and take up space in the freezer
b. 7 Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipes from Sweet Peas & Saffron
21. Instant Pot Cajun Rice and Sausage from Sweet Peas and Saffron // 22. Freezer Asian Peanut Chicken from Sweet Peas and Saffron
23. Crockpot Mexican Chicken Stew (+ Instant Pot) from Sweet Peas and Saffron // 24. Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala from Sweet Peas and Saffron
25. Spicy Instant Pot Thai Chicken Curry from Sweet Peas and Saffron // 26. Instant Pot Quinoa Enchilada Casserole from Sweet Peas and Saffron
27. Moroccan Instant Pot Lentils from Sweet Peas and Saffron // 28. Shortcut Instant Pot Chicken Chile Verde Soup from Sweet Peas and Saffron
29. Instant Pot Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps from Sweet Peas and Saffron // 30. Instant Pot Fiesta Rice Bowls from Sweet Peas and Saffron
Healthy Freezer Casseroles
I love a cook frozen casserole because they reheat so well and often taste just as good as a freshly cooked casserole!
Meal prep tip- casseroles are great for bulk prep sessions: double or triple a recipe for maximum efficiency. Store-bought shortcuts will be your hero with casseroles: bottled sauces, no-cook noodles, rotisserie chicken all make prep day so much easier.
How to prepare- assemble and layer your casseroles as directed by each recipe. Some casseroles require cooking on prep day and others may be frozen raw. Consult each recipe for directions.
Freezer containers- disposable aluminum pans are a hero for casseroles, but personally I invested in some metal pans and use them over and over
- cover with plastic, then a second layer of foil to seal the casserole tightly
- we remove the foil and save four our next casserole. To bake up, I cover with these reusable silicone lids.
31. Bacon Mushroom Make Ahead Quiche from Sweet Peas and Saffron // 32. Broccoli Cheese Crustless Quiche from Sweet Peas and Saffron
33. Healthier Taco Casserole from Sweet Peas and Saffron // 34. Portuguese Freezer Chicken Bake from Sweet Peas and Saffron
35. Eggplant Lasagna from Sweet Peas and Saffron // 36. Chicken Caprese Pasta Bake from Sweet Peas and Saffron
37. Mexican Spaghetti Squash Casserole from Sweet Peas and Saffron // 38. Broccoli Quinoa Casserole from Sweet Peas and Saffron
39. Vegan Bolognese from Sweet Peas and Saffron // 40. Herb & Zucchini Egg Bake Recipe from Sweet Peas and Saffron
Meatballs, Meatloaf and Burgers
Another freezer staple includes frozen meatballs, meatloaf and burgers. These proteins freeze and thaw well and you often can't tell they have ever been frozen!
Meal prep tip- look for recipes where you don't need to sautee any ingredients to make prep day easier; use pre-minced garlic.
How to prepare- assemble meatballs and burgers as directed, then layer them on a baking dish. Freeze for 3 or so hours (until frozen through), then transfer to a container or bag for longer term storage. Meatloaf can be assembled, then frozen directly in the dish you plan to cook it in.
Freezer containers- for meatloaf, I recommend a 9 x 5 inch pan similar to this one
- for meatballs and burgers, I like these sheet pans to flash freeze
- after flash freezing, I would transfer to one of these 8 cup glass meal prep containers (layered with some parchment paper to protect from freezer burn)
41. Southwestern Grilled Turkey Burgers from Sweet Peas and Saffron // 42. Best Baked Turkey Meatballs- 7 Ways! from Sweet Peas and Saffron
43. Hoisin Turkey Meatloaf from Sweet Peas and Saffron // 44. Freezable Vegan Veggie Burger Recipe from Cotter Crunch
45. Mediterranean Turkey Meatballs from Meal Plan Addict // 46. Sheet Pan Marinara Meatballs & Veggies from Just Jessie B
47.Muffin Tin Meatloaf from Some the Wiser // 48. Sweet Chili Chicken Burgers from Meal Plan Addict
Misc Make Ahead Freezer Meals
These miscellaneous meals are the meals that don't really fit a category: stuffed mushrooms, zucchini boats, sheet pan meals and some soups
Meal prep tip- Several of these meals require cooking before freezing, which is best done in bulk.
How to prepare- Follow directions to prepare and freeze as indicated on recipe card as it will vary by recipe type.
Freezer containers-
- 8 cup glass meal prep containers
- 9 inch baking pan
- reusable plastic freezer jars
- 1 quart jars
- gallon silicone bags
c. 7 Chicken Marinades You Can Freeze from Sweet Peas & Saffron
d. 7 More Chicken Marinades You Can Freeze from Sweet Peas & Saffron
