Freezer meals are some of the best ways to get dinner on the table quickly, especially during a busy work week. I love creating simple meals that I can make up, and sometimes double or triple the meal and freeze them for later.
I will go over 7 of my favorite freezer meals to make and turn them into 20 meals for your family to enjoy when you need something quick and easy!
Not to mention these easy dinner recipes will give you a break in the kitchen without having to run through the drive-thru and break the bank!
So keep these easy freezer meals in mind when you need fast food but from home instead and add them to your meal plan once or twice a week. You might even find your new favorite recipe for the whole family.
How to make 20 budget-friendly freezer meals:
When making these meals, every one of the recipes but the tortilla soup will be tripled. Making the same meal (especially the ones you love) but doubling or tripling it will save you time overall since you are already doing the prep for one meal but now just in a larger quantity.
The only difference is that since you are preparing 20 meals instead of 7 recipes, you will need to make sure to budget for when you want to prep some meals in advance and use them at a later date.
How long do freezer meals last?
After you have everything prepped and ready to do in the freezer, make sure to label each bag with the name of the recipe (yes sometimes it is hard to remember what all was made) and the date it was made.
Most often freezer meals will last up to about 90 days in a deep freezer before they suffer from freezer burn. But, if you can try to use the meals within 60 days of making the recipe it will ensure they will taste just as good if you made it that same day.
When to use homecooked freezer meals:
Have you ever had days where you just really don’t want to cook? I did, and to be prepared I would buy some of those premade freezer meals for a large family that you can find in the grocery store freezer section. However, the quality of them isn’t all that great, plus they are pretty expensive for what you get.
This is the time I decided to try freezer meal prep. When making an easy meal prep of a full recipe, I grab a large plastic bag or freezer-friendly container and double or triple the recipe, and freeze it for later. Now I have original recipes I know we love for those busy days, crazy weeknights, and fun-filled weekends.
Not to mention that you will also still be eating homemade food, but without all of the added work. Talk about the best present you can give yourself.
How to store freezer meals:
When you are done cooking or assembling freezer meals, depending on the type of meal, you will either need freezer-safe ziplock bags or freezer-safe airtight containers.
With the ziplock bags, you can write the name of the recipe and the date it was made to make sure that you know what is exactly in each bag and when it was put together.
For the casserole dishes, it is a good idea to use either blue painter’s tape or white tape and write with a pen on the tape to adhere to the container with the same information. This way when you use tape it can be removed when you are about to make the easy freezer meal.
If you have room it is also a great idea to include the cooking temperature and time on the label just in case you can find the recipe when you are ready to thaw and cook the prepared meal.
Your favorite freezer-friendly recipes can be a different way to give a gift:
​I also love to make up my favorite meals to bring to friends or families after they have a new baby, or if someone is sick. It is super simple to pull out and give to someone for easy reheating when they need dinner without all the prep work.
Sheet Pan Freezer Meals:
Italian Chicken and Vegetables
Difficulty: EasyZesty Italian marinade, chicken breast, and veggies topped with parm make this Italian Chicken and Vegetables a delicious and easy weeknight meal.
Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken
Difficulty: Easy
Slow Cooker Freezer Meals:
Southwest Chicken Bowls
Difficulty: EasySlow cooker southwest chicken bowls are some of the best burrito bowls you can make with only a few ingredients needed!
Barbecue Pulled Pork
Difficulty: Easy
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Difficulty: EasyThis Chicken Tortilla Soup will make your kitchen smell amazing all day long and will taste even better. All you have to do is throw the ingredients in the slow cooker!
Recipe note: The chicken tortilla soup is the only recipe that will be double instead of tripled in order to make 20 freezer meals.
Casserole Freezer Meals:
Chicken Parmesan Casserole
Difficulty: Easy
Fiesta Chicken Casserole
Difficulty: EasyChicken, rice, tomatoes, corn, and black beans are enveloped in a creamy and spicy sauce for a perfect blend of comfort and zing. This Fiesta Chicken Casserole is one of my most popular recipes!
Next Steps:
Once you have looked over all of the recipes, be sure to triple the recipe ingredients (except for the tortilla soup) to make all 20 freezer meals.
Plus to make your life even easier, I love using these freezer bag holders to make it super simple to just dump all of the ingredients into the freezer bags without spilling everything over the counter.
Try these for more delicious and easy recipes:
- Sausage Biscuit Casserole
- Enchilada Meatball Casserole
- Sheet Pan Greek Chicken Thighs and Potatoes
- Cheddar Crusted Sheet Pan Pork Chops with Brussels Sprouts
If you give these recipes a try, make sure to tag us on Instagram @julia.pacheco.cooking and let us know how much you liked the recipes!
I made all of these except the barbecue pork. Just a suggestion, I’d skip both sheet pan meals. The vegetables in the Italian Chicken recipe turned out very soggy, no matter how long I baked them, and with the Pesto Chicken, the potatoes turned purplish-black after being frozen and were rather distasteful. That being said, everything else was a HUGE hit, especially the Fiesta Chicken Casserole and the Chicken Parmesan Casserole! Would definitely recommend those.
To make the chicken parm casserole amd fiesta chicken a freezer meal do you mix everything together then freeze it all uncooked?
If I am adding this correctly is it 22.5 lbs of chicken in total for all meals? Thanks