Freezer Meals 101

Less time cooking, more time living

Make Ahead Holiday Side Dishes

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These make ahead holiday side dishes will give you one less thing to do for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, freeing up important time and energy. You know so that you can make more food! Or visit with family or do that puzzle or watch football. Whatever it is you want to spend your time doing, making side dishes probably isn’t at the top of the list.

collage of food dishes with text that reads "Make Ahead Holiday Side Dishes"

Make Ahead Holiday Side Dishes

Honey Maple Glazed Carrots Freezer Meal Side Dish

These are the perfect accompaniment to any holiday meal.

Buffalo Broccoli and Cauliflower

No one has to know that you just pulled these out of your freezer just before cooking.

Make Ahead Southern Cornbread

This goes with just about any meal.

Butternut Squash Freezer Meal Side Dish

Having side dishes such as this one in the freezer allows me to pull out a main and a side dish together and have supper completely done ahead.

Make Ahead Mac and Cheese

Who doesn’t love a good mac and cheese?! It’s the ultimate in comfort food.

Mom’s Classic Make-ahead Bread Stuffing

This is a classic make-ahead stuffing mix you can prep entirely the day before.

Holiday Side Dish – Bacon Cranberry Almond Green Beans

These sautéed green beans with bacon, cranberries, and almonds are delicious and go well alongside anything at your Thanksgiving and Christmas meals.

Spinach Puffs

These are simple, fresh tasting and surrounded by puff pastry, which always makes everything better.

Easy Scalloped Potatoes

The potatoes are cooked to tender perfection in a creamy, cheesy sauce with a golden crunchy top.

Caramelized Onion Gravy

Did someone say “make ahead gravy”? Yep! Make it weeks ahead of time, then just thaw and warm it up in a saucepan on the big day. Having it pre-made takes the pressure off.

You’ll also want to check out:

Make Ahead Holiday Main Courses

Double Caramel Stuffed White Chocolate Chip Cookies

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These ooey-gooey double caramel stuffed white chocolate chip cookies taste as good as they sound! Make the cookie batter ahead and freeze. Then whenever a craving hits, you can pull out as many as you want and enjoy freshly baked cookies.

blue plate piled with cookies and one with a bite from it sits on the counter in front with text that reads "Caramel white chocolate chip cookies"These double caramel stuffed cookies are decadent enough that they can easily be used for holiday baking or gift giving. If you’re a fan of cookies that are nice and soft on the inside, you’re going to love these!

Double Caramel Stuffed White Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups PLUS 2 Tbsp. flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1 cup caramel bits
  • 30 caramel squares

Assembly Instructions:

  1. Place butter and sugars into a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
  2. Add the vanilla extract and eggs and continue beating for another minute.
  3. In a separate medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.
  4. Add half of the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Incorporate fully, then add the remaining half and beat until combined.
  5. Stir in the white chocolate chips and caramel bits, then place dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
  6. Use a 2 Tbsp. cookie scoop to portion out the dough and wrap each dough ball around an unwrapped caramel square.
  7. Place the caramel stuffed dough balls on a cookie sheet and freeze.
  8. Once frozen, transfer them to a large resealable bag or freezer safe container. Seal and place back into the freezer.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°.
  2. Take out as many dough balls as you would like and place them on a cookie sheet.
  3. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until lightly golden.

Your caramel cravings will never have to go unrequited again!

Print
Double Caramel Stuffed White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Course: Dessert
Keyword: caramel stuffed cookies, cookies
Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter softened to room temperature
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups plus 2 Tbsp. flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1 cup caramel bits
  • 30 caramel squares
Instructions
Assembly Instructions:
  1. Place butter and sugars into a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
  2. Add the vanilla extract and eggs and continue beating for another minute.
  3. In a separate medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.
  4. Add half of the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Incorporate fully, then add the remaining half and beat until combined.
  5. Stir in the white chocolate chips and caramel bits, then place dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
  6. Use a 2 Tbsp. cookie scoop to portion out the dough and wrap each dough ball around an unwrapped caramel square.
  7. Place the caramel stuffed dough balls on a cookie sheet and freeze.
  8. Once frozen, transfer them to a large resealable bag or freezer safe container. Seal and place back into the freezer.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Preheat oven to 375°.
  2. Take out as many dough balls as you would like and place them on a cookie sheet.
  3. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until lightly golden.

You might also enjoy these make ahead recipes:

Make Ahead Pancake Mini Muffins

Make Ahead Freezer Smoothie Bags

Buffalo Ranch Cauliflower and Broccoli Freezer Side Dish

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It is so nice to be able to pull a side dish out of the freezer. More and more, I’m finding that I am making sides when we do our freezer meal sessions. This Buffalo Ranch Cauliflower and Broccoli recipe is simple, yet handy to have.

This side dish is low carb, keto friendly, and gluten free. My husband is on a keto diet on and off, so I’m always on the lookout for keto recipes like our Lemon Mustard Chicken, Tequila Lime Shrimp, and Instant Pot Bone Broth. It’s nice to have these vegetables that can easily go with those meals.

roasted broccoli and cauliflower are on a blue plate with fish and white rice with text that reads "Buffalo Broccoli and Cauliflower make ahead side dish"

Even though this recipe uses hot sauce, the end result isn’t very spicy because it’s offset by the Ranch. This makes it a bit more kid-friendly…that is of course if you can get your kids to eat broccoli and cauliflower!

When our kids were younger, we called them “trees” and “winter trees”. That seems to go over a bit better. They actually seemed to want to eat their “mini trees”, well, until after that first bite anyway!

Buffalo Ranch Broccoli and Cauliflower Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 3 1/2 cups each cauliflower and broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
  • 2-3 Tbsp. Frank’s Red Hot sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp. dry Ranch dressing mix

Assembly instructions:

  1. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower and broccoli with the hot sauce, olive oil, and dry dressing mix.
  2. When the vegetables are well coated, spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze for about 45 minutes and then transfer them into a large resealable bag*. Remove the excess air and freeze.

*Pro tip: We like to buy the broccoli and cauliflower frozen in resealable bags from the store. That way, after we assemble this dish, we can put the vegetables back into those same bags, reseal, and store in the freezer. From the outside, it will just look like a bag of frozen broccoli and cauliflower, but it will already be seasoned and ready to cook. You can label it with a permanent marker if you want. I like reusing the bags because it creates less waste.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Place the frozen broccoli and cauliflower in a single layer on top.
  3. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip the vegetables over and place them back in the oven for another 20 minutes.
  4. Serve beside your favourite main dishes or as a potluck side dish.

What to serve the buffalo broccoli and cauliflower with:

Print
Buffalo Ranch Broccoli and Cauliflower
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
 
Course: Side Dish
Keyword: broccoli and cauliflower, buffalo cauliflower
Ingredients
  • 3 1/2 cups each cauliflower and broccoli florets fresh or frozen
  • 2-3 Tbsp. Frank's Red Hot sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp. dry Ranch dressing mix
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower and broccoli with the hot sauce, olive oil, and dry dressing mix.
  2. When the vegetables are well coated, spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze for about 45 minutes and then transfer them into a large resealable bag*. Remove the excess air and freeze.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Place the frozen broccoli and cauliflower in a single layer on top.
  3. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip the vegetables over and place them back in the oven for another 20 minutes.
  4. Serve beside your favourite main dishes or as a potluck side dish.
Recipe Notes

*Pro tip: We like to buy the broccoli and cauliflower frozen in resealable bags from the store. That way, after we assemble this dish, we can put the vegetables back into those same bags, reseal, and store in the freezer. From the outside, it will just look like a bag of frozen broccoli and cauliflower, but it will already be seasoned and ready to cook. You can label it with a permanent marker if you want. 

Check out these other make ahead side dishes:

Garlic Bread

Honey Maple Glazed Carrots

Rice Pilaf

Instant Pot Shrimp Boil (Freezer Meal)

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Years ago, a friend of mine from Maryland brought me a package of Old Bay Seasoning Mix. Although I had seen it on store shelves, I had never tried it before. I soon researched what type of recipes one makes with this type of seasoning and discovered that it’s perfect for seafood dishes such as this Instant Pot Shrimp Boil.

a pressure cooker and green herbs in the background and a jar of Old Bay seasoning with a bowl of corn, shrimp, and sausage and text reads "Instant Pot Shrimp Boil"A magical pairing is freezer meals with the Instant Pot such as with our Breaded Red Curry Shrimp, Easy Italian Chicken and Vegetables, and Beef Taco Soup. With this shrimp boil recipe, I’ve included instructions both for making it directly in the pressure cooker or for making it ahead of time as a freezer meal and then cooking it in the Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Shrimp Boil Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 tsp. garlic, minced
  • 4 cobs corn, split in three pieces each
  • 6 sausage links, chopped
  • 2 cups water or beer
  • 3 Tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
  • 2 cups shrimp, peeled and deveined

For cooking day:

  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 6 medium potatoes, diced

Make Ahead Assembly Instructions:

  1. Place chopped onion, garlic, corn cob pieces, sausage chunks, seasoning, and water or beer into a large resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air and seal.
  2. Put the shrimp in a medium freezer bag. Remove air and seal. Staple above the seal to the large bag.
  3. Freeze.

Make Ahead Cooking Instructions:

  1. Take the bags out of the freezer to thaw.
  2. Place the oil in the Instant Pot.
  3. Dump the contents of the large bag in. Add the potatoes.
  4. Secure the lid and select the manual setting for 9 minutes.
  5. Do the quick release.
  6. Add the shrimp and cook for another minute on the manual setting.
  7. Quick release.

This video shows how to make this meal if you want to make it straight into the Instant Pot rather than doing it as a freezer meal.

Straight to the Instant Pot Instructions:

  1. Place the oil in the Instant Pot and set to the sauté setting.
  2. Once the oil is hot, add the diced onion and cook for two minutes.
  3. Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute before turning off the Instant Pot.
  4. Add the sausages, followed by the potatoes and corn.
  5. Sprinkle in the Old Bay seasoning and the water or beer.
  6. Secure the lid and select the manual setting for 8 minutes. Quick release.
  7. Add the shrimp and cook for an additional minute on manual setting. Quick release.
Print
Instant Pot Shrimp Boil
Course: Main Course
Keyword: shrimp, shrimp boil
Ingredients
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1 tsp. garlic minced
  • 4 cobs corn split in three
  • 6 sausage links chopped
  • 2 cups water or beer
  • 3 Tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
  • 2 cups shrimp peeled and deveined
For cooking day:
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 6 medium potatoes diced
Instructions
Make Ahead Assembly Instructions:
  1. Place chopped onion, garlic, corn cob pieces, sausage chunks, seasoning, and water or beer into a large resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air and seal.
  2. Put the shrimp in a medium freezer bag. Remove air and seal. Staple above the seal to the large bag.
  3. Freeze.
Make Ahead Cooking Instructions:
  1. Take the bags out of the freezer to thaw.
  2. Place the oil in the Instant Pot.
  3. Dump the contents of the large bag in. Add the potatoes.
  4. Secure the lid and select the manual setting for 9 minutes.
  5. Do the quick release.
  6. Add the shrimp and cook for another minute on the manual setting.
  7. Quick release.
Straight to the Instant Pot Instructions:
  1. Place the oil in the Instant Pot and set to the sauté setting.
  2. Once the oil is hot, add the diced onion and cook for two minutes.
  3. Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute before turning off the Instant Pot.
  4. Add the sausages, followed by the potatoes and corn.
  5. Sprinkle in the Old Bay seasoning and the water or beer.
  6. Secure the lid and select the manual setting for 8 minutes. Quick release.
  7. Add the shrimp and cook for an additional minute on manual setting. Quick release.

Check out these easy make ahead Instant Pot meals:

Hawaiian Chicken in the Instant Pot

White Chicken Chili

Pizza Casserole

Make Ahead Main Dishes for your Holiday Meal

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The holiday season can be such a busy time. Being able to make some of the meal ahead of time takes some of the busyness and rush out of the day of. These make ahead main dishes can be made and frozen ahead and then cooked when needed.

Make Ahead Main Dishes for your holiday meal

Apple Maple Chicken Dump Recipe

This apple maple chicken dump recipe is delicious and can be cooked in the oven or the crock pot. It has an interesting blend of flavours that go so well together.

Hearty Sausage and Zucchini Soup

This hearty sausage and zucchini soup is the ultimate in warm winter comfort food. This make ahead meal is packed full of flavour.

Make Ahead Apple Pork Chops

This freezer meal is a little bit more involved in terms of the prep ahead, but it’s worth it. The apples make these Apple Pork Chops the perfect Fall or holiday recipe.

Chickpea Butternut Squash Fajitas

These chickpea butternut squash fajitas are a vegetarian freezer meal. They are colourful. They are healthy. These are also gluten free if you use gluten free tortillas to wrap them in.

Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

A cold day is the perfect time for this Instant Pot white chicken chili. It’s hearty, yet light. This recipe freezes beautifully, so it’s great to make ahead and pull out on busy weekdays.

Freezer Chicken Pot Pie Filling

It has the perfect crispness and the sauce was just right.

Freezer Corn Chowder with Bacon

This freezer corn chowder recipe is one that you are going to thank me for sharing.

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Quesadillas

These are really, really good. It may sound like a strange combination of ingredients, but these are delicious!

Chili Hash Brown Casserole Freezer Meal

This chili hash brown casserole is perfect for potlucks or brunches. I can quickly make it the day before in the crock pot and then put it in the fridge overnight or throw it in the oven 45 minutes before eating.

The Best Freezer Prune and Olive Chicken Recipe

This crock pot meal can be made as a freezer meal and is gluten free.

Freezer to Crockpot Beef Stew

Beef Stew is an all-time comfort food that goes great on those cold fall and winter days.

More Make Ahead Main Dishes:

Cranberry Chicken

This is an incredibly easy recipe – and delicious! Just mix it up before going to work, then pop it in the oven when you get home in the evening. The sauce that forms while baking tastes great on rice.

Make Ahead Sausage Casserole

Not only is this Sausage Casserole really good, it’s super easy to put together. Just a quick whisk of the eggs and milk, a little mustard and salt for seasoning and it’s ready!

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Instead of sugar pumpkins, you can use other winter squash.

Cranberry Dijon Pork

What a delicious treat for a main course!

Crockpot Spaghetti Squash & Meatballs

Did you know that you can cook a spaghetti squash in your crock pot?!

Pork with Sweet Potatoes and Apples

This dish is super affordable and tasty.

Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork Roast

With only four simple ingredients, this is sure to be gentle on your wallet as it wows your family!