Whether you're facing busy weeknights, embracing lazy weekends, or preparing for a significant life event like maternity leave or surgery, freezer meals offer a convenient and nutritious solution. Stocking your freezer with pre-prepared meals can save time, reduce stress, and ensure you always have a healthy option on hand. This comprehensive guide explores a variety of freezer-friendly recipes, preparation tips, and storage solutions to help you master the art of freezer meal prepping.
Why Freezer Meals?
In the newborn world, you may not yet know just how FULL your hands are about to be. Though newborns do sleep quite a lot, you’ll want/need rest, too. Nutrient needs in the early postpartum period are higher than when you are pregnant, especially if you are breastfeeding.
Freezer meals can be an absolute life-saver. You can rely on them for an extended period of time, like maternity leave, surgery, or a trip away from your family, or, you can stock a few at a time to pull out when life gets busy and you need a no-fuss dinner.
Planning Your Freezer Meal Prep
Prioritize Your Needs
Consider your family's preferences and dietary needs when selecting recipes. Also, if you know that family or friends will be providing dinner for your family during the first couple of weeks post-delivery/surgery/etc., you may consider skipping dinner prep and focusing on breakfast and snack prep instead.
Schedule and Organize
Schedule. Make space. Select and print your recipes. Printing out all of the recipes ahead of time (vs. relying on your phone or computer) will help streamline the process. Make a grocery list. Prepare and organize. Prepare what you can ahead of time. Chop your vegetables, and organize your produce, canned goods, and proteins.
Read also: Freezer Meals for New Moms
Label Everything
To make for the easiest use of your freezer meals when you are finally ready to eat them, make sure to label your meals before they go into the freezer. Key details to include are defrosting instructions, how to reheat, and most importantly, what the meal is! This is a sure way to help keep track of what you have in storage so there isn’t any guesswork that has to happen. Be sure to include the name of the dish, the “best-by” date (3 months from the date it is frozen will give you the best flavor and texture), and cooking instructions.
Consider Portions
When freezing, consider the size of the portion you are freezing together and who will be eating the meal. Split the recipes up into smaller portions in your storage containers to minimize waste.
Essential Freezer Meal Recipes
Hearty Main Courses
Easy Chicken Pot Pie: Chock-full of poultry, potatoes, peas and corn, this recipe for easy chicken pot pie makes two golden pies, so you can serve one at supper and save the other in the freezer for a busy night. Freezer Meal Prep Tip: For the best results, freeze unbaked chicken potpies. That way, the pies will be able to cook through without burning the crust.
Shepherd's Pie: This is the best shepherd's pie recipe I've ever tasted. It's very quick to make, and I usually have most-if not all-of the ingredients already on hand.
Beef Barbacoa: This beef barbacoa is great because the meat is fall-apart tender and the sauce is smoky, slightly spicy and so flavorful. You can have a soft taco bar and let people make their own-or offer mouthwatering Mexican pizzas or rice bowls. 2 filled tortillas: 361 calories, 10g fat (3g saturated fat), 101mg cholesterol, 652mg sodium, 28g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 4g fiber), 38g protein.
Read also: Freezer Meals for a Slimmer You
Pork Chops with Black Beans and Tomatoes: This recipe came out of necessity! One day I found myself with nothing but some pork chops, canned black beans and canned tomatoes.
Crunchy Beef Burritos: The very first time I made them for my own family, they instantly became a favorite meal. They’re even better warmed up the next day in the microwave.
Lasagna: Want to know how to make lasagna for a casual holiday meal? You can't go wrong with this deliciously rich meat lasagna recipe. My grown sons and daughter-in-law request it for their birthdays, too. 1 piece: 519 calories, 27g fat (13g saturated fat), 109mg cholesterol, 1013mg sodium, 35g carbohydrate (10g sugars, 4g fiber), 35g protein.
Stuffed Shells: This is my husband’s favorite dish. He always requests it, even for holidays! You’ll love the variety of cheeses and spices that jazz it up. It’s restaurant-quality, but at a quarter of the price! 2 stuffed shells: 647 calories, 34g fat (18g saturated fat), 158mg cholesterol, 937mg sodium, 49g carbohydrate (18g sugars, 5g fiber), 40g protein.
Chicken Tortilla Casserole: Mother frequently made this comforting chicken tortilla casserole when I was growing up. Our family would scrape the pan clean. Chicken, cheese and zippy green chiles are a mouthwatering mix. 1 piece: 359 calories, 17g fat (8g saturated fat), 81mg cholesterol, 1007mg sodium, 26g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 3g fiber), 25g protein.
Read also: Easy Chicken Dinners
Orange Chicken: This orange chicken recipe with orange marmalade is a family favorite. 1 serving (calculated without rice or noodles): 379 calories, 15g fat (4g saturated fat), 88mg cholesterol, 962mg sodium, 31g carbohydrate (25g sugars, 1g fiber), 30g protein.
Slow Cooker Barbacoa: This slow cooker barbacoa is so versatile and the perfect add to any side.
Bourbon Chicken: The dark meat from the chicken thighs in Bourbon Chicken provides iron, zinc, and vitamins B6 and B12 to help support your healing. Plus, the sweet, sticky sauce is so tasty!
Convenient Slow Cooker and Instant Pot Options
Slow Cooker Freezer Meals: For these meals, you don’t cook them in advance and then freeze them. Instead, you just throw all the ingredients in a bag, freeze, and then dump them into your slow cooker on the day you’re ready to eat.
Instant Pot Freezer Meals: The best thing about the Instant Pot method is that you don’t have to defrost your meal before adding it to the pot; instead, it can cook completely from frozen!
Chicken and Vegetable Stew: To freeze this meal, place the onion, celery, garlic, ginger, sweet potatoes, and chicken breasts in the bottom of your container. Then, whisk together the broth, thyme, salt, pepper, bay leaf, turmeric, and coconut milk and pour over the chicken and vegetables.
Teriyaki Chicken: To freeze this meal, place the chicken in the bottom of your container, then whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour it over top.
White Bean Chicken Chili: To freeze this meal, place the chicken, yellow onion, minced garlic, drained green chilis, white beans, and yellow corn in the bottom of your container. Then, whisk together the dried oregano, sea salt, ground cumin, black pepper, lime juice, and chicken broth and pour it over top.
Salsa Verde Chicken: To freeze this meal, place the chicken in the bottom of your container. Then, whisk together the salsa verde and sea salt and pour it over top of the chicken.
Tomato Basil Chicken: To freeze this meal, whisk together the tomato paste, tomato sauce, coconut milk, and spices, and pour into the container.
Chicken Taco Soup: To freeze this meal, place the chicken, black beans, and corn in the bottom of your container. Then, whisk together the chicken broth, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, and sea salt and pour it over top.
Chuck Roast: To freeze this meal, place the chuck roast and garlic in the bottom of your container. Then, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, lime juice, sea salt, black pepper, cumin, chili powder, oregano, cloves, and bay leaves and pour it over top.
Korean Beef Stew: To freeze this meal, place the stew meat, onion, and garlic in the bottom of your container. Then, whisk together the chicken broth, coconut aminos, toasted sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, coconut sugar, ginger, and sea salt and pour it over top.
Pork Carnitas: To freeze this meal whisk together the salt, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and black pepper in a large bowl, then add the pork shoulder pieces and toss to coat. Place the pork in a large Ziplock bag, or another container, then pour in the orange juice.
Soups and Stews
Minestrone: There's nothing quite like the comfort of warm homemade soup, and it's even better when your slow cooker will do most of the work for you! This minestrone is easy to put together but has all the flavor of a high-effort dish.
Healing Chicken Soup with Ginger and Turmeric: This chicken soup is perfect for providing your body with extra nourishment in the early postpartum days.
Creamy White Chicken Chili: This creamy white chicken chili puts a fun spin on traditional chili and freezes beautifully!
Quick and Easy Meals
Pizza: I’ve spent years trying to come up with the perfect pizza crust and sauce, and they’re paired up in this recipe. I fix this crispy, savory pizza for my family often, and it really satisfies my husband and sons.
Asian Chicken: The thick, tangy sauce makes this dish one of my favorite Asian chicken recipes. Serve the chicken over long grain rice or with ramen noodle slaw.
Chicken and Broccoli Casserole: This delicious chicken and broccoli casserole recipe is a twist on chicken divan that came from an old boss. It’s quick, satisfying comfort food.
Salsa Chicken: Salsa chicken makes for a quick meal that can be served a variety of ways (alongside chips, in a burrito bowl, or on its own for a high protein meal).
Breakfast Options
Balanced Breakfast Egg Cups: These Balanced Breakfast Egg Cups have it all! Protein, veggies, carbohydrates, healthy fats, flavor, and ease.
Roasted Veggie Breakfast Casserole: This roasted veggie breakfast casserole is the easiest to prep, bake, and store to provide you a hearty breakfast option loaded with protein, healthy fats, and veggies!
Blueberry Sweet Potato Breakfast Meatballs: These blueberry sweet potato breakfast meatballs are the perfect combination of savory and sweet and are a breeze to whip together!
Snacks
Oatmeal Lactation Cookies: Easy to make, these homemade oatmeal lactation cookies were developed by a Board Certified Lactation Consultant and are SO delicious.
Pumpkin Bread: Pumpkin is rich in vitamins and nutrients that help support digestion and your immune health, and I can think of no better way to enjoy postpartum than with this tasty pumpkin bread!
Paleo Blueberry Muffin Energy Balls: These energy balls are sure to keep your hunger satisfied and give you an extra punch of energy to get you land Дан faroche Cold- Work?
Freezing and Reheating Guidelines
Storage Containers
It’s up to you whether you want to use glass storage containers, plastic containers, or gallon-sized plastic freezer bags. While we love using glass containers wherever possible, it isn’t always practical to stock your freezer full of bulky containers. If you use freezer bags, on the other hand, you can lay them flat to freeze and save even more space.
Bag Stands: If you’re going to be using freezer bags, things can get messy quickly when you’re trying to fill them one-handed!
Vacuum Sealer: While this isn’t necessary, it can be a great investment if you want to make freezer meals regularly.
Preventing Freezer Burn
Preventing freezer burn is largely about trying to keep air away from your food as much as possible. If using a freezer bag, squeeze out as much air as possible. Removing as much air as you can from the bag is key to preventing freezer burn! Fill your container all the way up. If you’re using a glass lock or other container, you want to leave as little room as possible between the container and lid.
Defrosting and Reheating
Slow Cooker Method: For food safety reasons, any freezer meal that contains meat that you plan to make in the slow cooker needs to be completely defrosted before you cook it. Since the slow cooker cooks at such a low temperature, it can’t cook frozen meat quickly enough to properly kill any potentially harmful bacteria. To defrost your meals, place the bag in a bowl of water in the refrigerator overnight, or fill your sink with cold water and let the meal sit in the water for about 1-2 hours until fully thawed.
Instant Pot Method: If you want to go this route, though, you’ll need to find round containers to store your meals in so that the frozen meal fits into the pot. Otherwise, you’ll still need to defrost it for a while until you’re able to fit everything in. We recommend taking the food out of the freezer about 30 minutes before you plan to cook, running it under some hot water, then letting it sit on the counter so that it easily pops out of the container.
Baking from Frozen
- Casseroles: Option 1: bake straight from freezer. Preheat the oven to 350°F, bake covered for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove foil and stick a fork in the center of the casserole. If it is still frozen, re-cover and bake for an additional 30 minutes, then check again. Continue this process until the casserole has defrosted. Option 2: defrost in the refrigerator for 2 days prior to baking.
Reheating Baked Goods
Option 1: place your cooled baked goods on a baking sheet and put the baking sheet in the freezer. Allow your baked goods to freeze through, then remove the baking sheet and transfer frozen goods to a freezer-safe bag. To reheat from frozen, simply microwave your baked good for 1-2 minutes (start with 1 minute and continue microwaving in 30-second increments until heated through if needed). If you prefer to go the non-microwave route, you can set your serving (or several) in the refrigerator the night before and allow them to defrost that way.
Additional Tips for Success
Eat your older meals first: The longer food sits in the freezer, the more likely it becomes that it will develop freezer burn.
How long will these freezer meals last in the freezer?: Freezer meals will keep for about 3 months in the freezer, which is why it is so important to label your food! If you use a vacuum sealer, they can keep for about 5 months.