Life can get busy between working a 40+ hour job, raising kids, going to college and much more! Thankfully, freezer meals can be a lifesaver in these situations. Freezer meals are pre-cooked or partially cooked meals that can be quickly reheated for busy nights either on the stovetop, oven, Instant Pot or low and slow in the slow cooker ready to eat when you come home. We found they are best made on your meal prep day but can be made anytime and anywhere! Some people enjoy a good freezer meal party with their friends where they make freezer meals together making it faster and fun for everyone. Freezer meals save time and make meal prep easier. In this blog post, we will discuss the benefits of freezer meals, how to prepare them, and some recipe ideas.
Benefits of Freezer Meals
Freezer meals have several benefits. Firstly, they save time as they can be prepared in bulk and stored for later use. This means that you can have dinner ready in minutes on those busy days. Secondly, they are a cost-effective option as they allow you to buy ingredients in bulk, reducing the overall cost of the meal. Finally, they can be a healthy option as you can control what goes into the meal, ensuring that you are eating a balanced diet.
How to Prepare Freezer Meals
Preparing freezer meals is relatively easy. One option is to cook your meal as you would normally, but instead of serving it let it cool then portion it into freezer-safe containers. Make sure to label each container with the name of the meal, the date it was prepared, and how to cook it such as 4-6 hours on low in a slow cooker or Instant Pot. This will ensure that you can keep track of what is in your freezer and how long it has been stored. For best results, make sure your freezer is set to 0°F (-18°C) or below. When you are ready to eat, simply defrost the meal in the fridge overnight and reheat it when needed (or if you forget like we have give it a quick hot bath in a pan full of hot not boiling water unless using you’re using a glass container in which case you need to slowly bring it to room temperature like leaving it in the fridge overnight or on the kitchen counter during the day so as not to shatter the glass). You can make multiple freezer meals this way by doubling or tripling your recipe. Another option is as your cooking your meal for dinner, you can double or triple the recipe and portion out some of that meal, let it cool then store it in a freezer safe container for a freezer meal. So one option is cooking a meal or meals, let them cool and then freeze them or another option is cooking your dinner recipe just double or triple the recipe, let it cool and freeze for future use.
Some tips to keep in mind:
Butter freezes great, mainly sticks of butter. Write the purchase date on the package so for future use you can see when you purchased it and when it was supposed to expire. For example, March 1, 2023, you purchased the sticks of butter, and they expire on June 1, 2023.
Cheese. If it’s individually wrapped or sliced or shredded, stick it in the freezer as is. Brick of cheese you’ll probably want to shred once it thaws because it changes texture.
If you are going to freeze food with plastic bags, get the quality baggies for freezing as you don’t want a cheap plastic baggy ruining your $5 dinner.
You can freeze rice, crackers, chocolate bars/chips, yeast, nuts, flaxseeds, breadcrumbs, gallons or cartons milk, yogurt, whole avocados, cookies and baked items, beans and refried beans, you can also freeze seeds for gardening, pizza, batters & dough, veggies (specify if they are cooked or not) and fruit just separate bananas.
You can get freezer meal ideas by browsing the freezer section at your local grocery store. If they freeze them at the store, you can freeze them at home.
Wrap bread in aluminum foil when you place in the freezer and when you make bread sandwiches like egg salad sandwiches or deli sandwiches or barbecue sandwiches or PB&J.
Shave off corn kernels and then place them in a bag to freeze or you can stick them in a bag with their husks off uncooked just label whether or not you’ve cooked your corn.
Cream cheese freezes but it can change texture.
Cottage cheese you can freeze but don’t eat it plain because it’ll taste off; also, you can take some out blend it then it becomes a substitute for ricotta cheese. Ricotta cheese freezes but don’t eat it plain as it too will taste off if eaten plain.
Meal containers like food prep containers are good for individual frozen lunches.
Sauces, soups and salsas can be frozen just leave some space because the liquid expands, and you don’t want the glass jar or container to break.
If you’ve got mushy fruit and berries going soggy, flash freeze them (which means place them in the freezer and check in 20 or so minutes that they are frozen) and then place them in a freezer container for smoothies and other recipes!
Freeze meat in useable portions such as a pound of meat if that is typically how much you use for your recipes; make sure to get the air out of the bags before sticking the meat in the freezer & write what type of meat it is, and when you purchased it. You could also put use by date like if the package says you’ve got 3 days from purchase till it expires, you’d put: “use within 3 days”.
Avoid freezer burn by using freezer-safe containers or bags, letting your meal come to room temperature before placing it in the freezer and removing as much air as possible before freezing. You can also avoid freezer burn by eating your freezer meal within 2-3 months from the date it was frozen.
Label your containers with the name of the meal, the date it was frozen and how to cook it such as 4-6 hours on low in a slow cooker or Instant Pot so you can easily keep track of what you have in your freezer.
Six Sister’s Stuff has an Easy Freezer Meals playlist that has a video form of their freezer meal recipes as well as videos with freezer meal tips.
Recipe Ideas
There are several freezer meal recipes that you can try. One popular option is lasagna. Simply cook the lasagna as you would normally, but instead of baking it, place it in a freezer-safe container and store it in the freezer. Another recipe idea is chicken curry. Cook the curry as you would normally and portion it into containers for the freezer. When you are ready to eat, simply defrost the curry and serve it with rice. Six Sister’s Stuff has several freezer meal recipes as well as Jordan Page and several more food bloggers share delicious freezer meal recipes! Let us know your favorite freezer meal recipe to make!
Conclusion
Freezer meals are an excellent option for those who want to save time and still enjoy a home-cooked meal. They are cost-effective, healthy, and easy to prepare. By following these steps, you can make freezer meals in advance and have them ready to go whenever you need a quick and easy meal. We suggest you type out and print your favorite freezer meals and place it in your recipe binder for quick access for your meal planning. We are referencing the recipe binder we spoke about in our blog post meal planning. If you haven’t yet started meal planning, we suggest you check out our blog post meal planning to help save you money and time on your groceries. In our next blog, this Thursday, we will be giving tips on how to keep your produce fresh longer. Leave a comment for what you found the most helpful and Subscribe so you never miss a blog! Stay saucy!
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