Freezer Meals 101

Less time cooking, more time living

Black Bean and Corn Enchiladas (freezer meal)

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These vegetarian black bean and corn enchiladas can be made ahead and frozen. The flavours are intense in all the best ways. This hearty, family friendly meal will be one you will make again and again. at the top, there is a casserole dish with enchiladas covered in melted cheese. At the bottom is a large bowl full of a mixture of black beans, yellow corn, red pepper, green chilies. The text reads "Black Bean and Corn Enchiladas freezer meal"When I’m making freezer meals, I like to use healthy ingredients. When I see bright colours, then I feel like I’m feeding my family well in recipes like the Chickpea and Vegetable Curry, Cilantro Lime Chicken with Corn and Black Beans, or Asian Rice Bowl. The filling in this recipe is so colourful. I know right away when I see that this is a dish I can be proud to serve my kids.

These have Mexican flavours and just the right ratio of filling to wrap. If you’re an enchilada fan, you’re going to fall in love with being able to take these out of the freezer and cook them whenever the craving hits.

Personally, I like using corn tortillas for a more authentic experience, but if you hate the texture of corn tortillas as some people are known to, you can substitute flour tortillas for the corn ones.I make most of my freezer meals in resealable freezer bags to save on space, but this is one that really needs to be made in trays. It takes up more room, but it’s well worth it.

We also made a few of these in small containers for individual freezer meals. We used microwave safe containers so that they could be heated that way. These are perfect for singles.

Black Bean and Corn Enchiladas Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 15 oz. can black beans, drained
  • 15 oz. can kernel corn, drained
  • 4 oz. green chilies
  • red pepper, diced
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. lime juice
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2x 12 oz. cans of enchilada sauce
  • 4 cups shredded Tex Mex cheese
  • 24 corn  tortillas
  • 2x 9×13 baking trays (you can use glass or foil trays)
  • aluminum foil

Assembly instructions:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the black beans, corn, green chilies, diced red pepper, lime juice, and seasoning.
  2. Spoon some of the mixture into a corn tortilla. Wrap.
  3. Place the tortilla seam side down in the baking tray. There will be 12 tortilla rolls in each tray when they are done.
  4. Pour one can of enchilada sauce over top of the enchiladas in each tray.
  5. Sprinkle 2 cups of cheese over each of the dishes.
  6. Cover with two layers of foil. Freeze.

Note that this recipe makes two trays of enchiladas. You can either freeze both or serve one that night and freeze the other for another time. And of course, if you have a large family, you can serve both at once. If you would like to make just one tray, half the ingredients.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Remove the tray from the freezer. Thaw.
  2. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.
  3. Take out of the oven. Remove the foil. Bake for another few minutes until the cheese on top is melted.

You may also want to check out these Mexican inspired make ahead meals:

Print
Black Bean and Corn Enchiladas
Ingredients
  • 15 oz. can black beans drained
  • 15 oz. can kernel corn drained
  • 4 oz. green chilies
  • red pepper diced
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. lime juice
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 12 oz. cans of enchilada sauce
  • 4 cups shredded Tex Mex cheese
  • 24 corn  tortillas
  • 2 9x13 baking trays you can use glass or foil trays
  • aluminum foil
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the black beans, corn, green chilies, diced red pepper, lime juice, and seasoning.
  2. Spoon some of the mixture into a corn tortilla. Wrap.
  3. Place the tortilla seam side down in the baking tray. There will be 12 tortilla rolls in each tray when they are done.
  4. Pour one can of enchilada sauce over top of the enchiladas in each tray.
  5. Sprinkle 2 cups of cheese over each of the dishes.
  6. Cover with two layers of foil. Freeze.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Remove the tray from the freezer. Thaw.
  2. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.
  3. Take out of the oven. Remove the foil. Bake for another few minutes until the cheese on top is melted.
Recipe Notes

Note that this recipe makes two trays of enchiladas. If you would like to make just one tray, half the ingredients. 

 

 

Homemade Granola Bars (freezer friendly)

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These delicious homemade granola bars can be made ahead and frozen. This makes them perfect for school lunches or snacks. They are so much fresher and healthier than what you can buy in the store.light brown granola bars with a messy array of chocolate chips sprinkled with text that reads "Homemade Granola Bars make ahead school snack"The week before my kids went back to school, I spent an afternoon making things ahead that they could take for school lunches or snacks. I made these granola bars, mini corn dog muffins, mini pumpkin muffins, and I froze bags of rhubarb for making rhubarb muffins in the future.

I’m so glad to have these snacks made ahead. It’s making our mornings so much easier. I’m not getting complaints about there being “nothing to put in my lunch” anymore either!

If your child attends a school that is peanut free and nut free or if there are any allergies in your house, you can substitute SunButter or WowButter for the peanut butter.

Homemade Granola Bars Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3 cups honey
  • 2/3 cup coconut oil
  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt
  • 2 cups peanut butter (or SunButter)
  • 4 tsp. vanilla
  • 8 cups Rice Krispies
  • 5 cups old fashioned oats
  • chocolate chips
  • optional: flax seed, pumpkin seeds, or hemp

Instructions:

  1. In a medium pot on the stovetop, bring the brown sugar, honey, coconut oil, and salt to a boil. Boil for 1 minute.
  2. Add in the peanut butter and vanilla. Stir.
  3. Put the oats and Rice Krispies in a large mixing bowl. If you’re adding any of the optional ingredients, mix them in.
  4. Pour the mixture from the pot over the oats and Rice Krispies. Stir.
  5. Let sit for 5 minutes or so.
  6. Spread parchment paper onto two cookie sheets.
  7. Lay the granola bar mixture on the parchment paper.
  8. Press a second cookie sheet on top to flatten. Sprinkle chocolate chips over and press again.
  9. Cool in the fridge. Cut.
  10. Freeze flat on the tray. When frozen, transfer the granola bars to freezer bags, remove the excess air, seal, and freeze again.

You may also be interested in these other make ahead snack recipes:

Corn Dog Mini Muffins for School LunchesEnglish Muffin Pizzas

Mini Pancake Muffins

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Homemade Granola Bars
Ingredients
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3 cups honey
  • 2/3 cup coconut oil
  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt
  • 2 cups peanut butter
  • 4 tsp. vanilla
  • 8 cups Rice Krispies
  • 5 cups old fashioned oats
  • chocolate chips
  • optional: flax seed pumpkin seeds, or hemp
Instructions
  1. In a medium pot on the stovetop, bring the brown sugar, honey, coconut oil, and salt to a boil. Boil for 1 minute.
  2. Add in the peanut butter and vanilla. Stir.
  3. Put the oats and Rice Krispies in a large mixing bowl.
  4. Pour the mixture from the pot over the oats and Rice Krispies. Stir.
  5. Let sit for 5 minutes or so.
  6. Spread parchment paper onto two cookie sheets.
  7. Lay the granola bar mixture on the parchment paper.
  8. Press a second cookie sheet on top to flatten. Sprinkle chocolate chips over and press again.
  9. Cool in the fridge. Cut.
  10. Freeze flat on the tray. When frozen, transfer the granola bars to freezer bags, remove the excess air, seal, and freeze again.
Recipe Notes

You can make these homemade granola bars peanut free by substituting WowButter or SunButter for the peanut butter.

Stuffed Pepper Casserole (Freezer Meal)

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Visually, this is a beautiful dish. The bright colours of the peppers just pop. This stuffed pepper casserole also happens to be delicious. a white bowl in the corner has a yellow pepper, red pepper, and green onions. Nearby, a white casserole dish is filled with hamburger, rice, and green, yellow, and red pepper. The text reads "Stuffed Pepper Casserole freezer meal gluten free"Our family really likes these combinations of flavours as evidenced by our stuffed pepper soup, stuffed pepper skillet, and stuffed pepper recipes! As a mom, I like that these dishes represent an all in one, healthy meal I can serve my family.

Stuffed Pepper Casserole Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. lean ground beef, browned
  • 1/2 an onion, chopped
  • 1 cup Basmati rice, when measured uncooked
  • 1 tsp garlic, minced
  • 1 each red, orange, and yellow bell peppers, chopped into ½ inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained
  • 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper

Assembly instructions:

  1. Brown the ground beef. Chop the peppers and onion.
  2. Cook the rice according to the package directions. Allow the rice to cool.
  3. Add the ground beef, chopped onion, minced garlic, chopped peppers, shredded cheese, tomato paste, drained can of diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings to a large resealable freezer bag.
  4. Remove the excess air from the bag, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°.
  3. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
  4. Dump the contents of the freezer bag in the casserole dish and spread out evenly.
  5. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes.

This casserole is gluten free and hearty. It’s a nice all in one meal.

You might enjoy these other all in one recipes:

Print
Stuffed Pepper Casserole
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
 
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: casserole, stuffed pepper
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. lean ground beef browned
  • 1/2 onion chopped
  • 1 cup Basmati rice when measured uncooked
  • 1 tsp garlic minced
  • 1 each red, orange, and yellow bell peppers chopped into ½ inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes drained
  • 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Brown the ground beef. Chop the peppers and onion.
  2. Cook the rice according to the package directions. Allow the rice to cool.
  3. Add the ground beef, chopped onion, minced garlic, chopped peppers, shredded cheese, tomato paste, drained can of diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings to a large resealable freezer bag.
  4. Remove the excess air from the bag, seal, and freeze.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°.
  3. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
  4. Dump the contents of the freezer bag in the casserole dish and spread out evenly.
  5. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes.

Tater Tot Casserole with Beef and Veggies

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My kids will eat pretty much anything as long as it involves tater tots. This tater tot casserole with beef and veggies is an easy all in one meal that can be made ahead and then popped in the crock pot on cooking day. This is quick and easy comfort food. a black crock pot is filled with a cheesy casserole and a spoon scooping some of it out with text that reads "Tater Tot Casserole with beef and veggies"Our original tater tot casserole is based off the Duggar recipe except that we use ground sausage instead of turkey and don’t use the chicken soup (so I guess it’s totally different!) is most of our kids’ absolute favourite thing to eat, but it’s not all that healthy. We love our tater tot pizza casserole, but I wanted more variety. I’ve been trying different ideas for a new one and this one fits the bill.

This has meat and vegetables and my kids all love it. Healthy AND something my kids will actually eat gives this recipe major points!

I make this tater tot casserole as a freezer meal, but if you prefer, you can always cook it the same day instead. Better yet, make two. Eat one and freeze the other so you’ve got an easy weeknight meal for next week!

Tater Tot Casserole with Beef and Veggies:

Tater Tot Casserole Ingredients:

  • 750 g bag frozen tater tots
  • 1 lb. lean ground beef, browned
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
  • 10.5 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 cup evaporated milk
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp. dry mustard powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups of cheddar cheese, shredded

Assembly instructions:

  1. Brown ground beef and cool slightly.
  2. Place beef in a large resealable freezer bag.
  3. Add the chopped onion and mixed vegetables.
  4. In a mixing bowl, stir together soup, evaporated milk, garlic, and seasonings. Pour into the bag over the other ingredients.
  5. Place the shredded cheese in a medium freezer bag.
  6. Remove the excess air from both bags, seal, and staple together above the fold.
  7. Freeze.

Crock pot cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Dump the contents of the large bag into the slow cooker.* Cook on high for 3-4 hours or 6 hours on low.
  3. Top with cheese near the end of cooking.
  4. Serve.

*This casserole tends to stick to the sides of the slow cooker making it hard to clean afterwards, so I suggest using Crock Pot liners. They are food safe and can be thrown out after use making clean-up a breeze!

Oven cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Place contents of the large bag in a 9×13 casserole dish. Top with cheese. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes.
  3. Serve.

More family favourite freezer meals:

Print
Tater Tot Casserole with Beef and Veggies
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: tater tot casserole
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 750 g bag frozen tater tots
  • 1 lb. lean ground beef browned
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
  • 10.5 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 cup evaporated milk
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1/4 tsp. dry mustard powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Brown ground beef and cool slightly.
  2. Place beef in a large resealable freezer bag.
  3. Add the chopped onion and mixed vegetables.
  4. In a mixing bowl, stir together soup, evaporated milk, garlic, and seasonings. Pour into the bag over the other ingredients.
  5. Place the shredded cheese in a medium freezer bag.
  6. Remove the excess air from both bags, seal, and staple together above the fold.
  7. Freeze.
Crock pot cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Dump the contents of the large bag into the slow cooker. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or 6 hours on low.
  3. Top with cheese near the end of cooking.
  4. Serve.
Oven cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Place contents of the large bag in a 9x13 casserole dish. Top with cheese. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes.
  3. Serve.

Corn Dog Mini Muffins for School Lunches (freezer friendly)

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Last Sunday, we hosted a BBQ for a few families. We ended up with three packs of hot dogs leftover. I didn’t want them to go to waste, but I also didn’t feel like it would be healthy to feed my kids hot dogs for breakfast, lunch, and supper every day. Thus, the corn dog mini muffins were born!

The timing could not have been more perfect because my kids start school on Tuesday. Now, I have bags of these in the freezer ready for them to pop them into their school lunches. I’ve been stocking the freezer with make ahead breakfasts, ready to go sandwiches, mini muffins, and homemade granola bars.
a clear plastic bag is filled with small yellow corn muffins with a chunk of hot dog visible in the middle. The text reads "perfect for school lunches! Corn Dog Mini Muffins"My kids and even my teens thought these were adorable. They are excited to take them in their lunch bags or to grab as an after school snack.

This recipe makes 10 dozen mini muffins, so if you have a smaller family or don’t have much space in your freezer, you may want to half the recipe.

Corn Dog Mini Muffins Recipe:

  • 1 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup softened butter
  • 8 eggs
  • 1 cup honey, melted or softened
  • 2 2/3 cup milk
  • 4 2/3 cup flour
  • 3 Tbsp. baking powder
  • 1 cup corn meal
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 24 hot dogs

Assembly instructions:

  1. In a large bowl, mix together the sugar and softened butter with an electric beater on medium speed.
  2. Add the eggs, honey, and milk and mix.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, corn meal, and salt. Stir with a spoon.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and use the electric beater to combine well.
  5. Grease the mini muffin trays.
  6. Spoon batter to fill about half of each cup.
  7. Slice the hot dogs into chunks.
  8. Place a hot dog chunk into each muffin cup on top of the batter and press down slightly.
  9. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes.*
  10. Remove from the muffin tin after a few minutes and allow to cool before transferring to a large resealable freezer bag.
  11. Remove the excess air from the bags, seal, and freeze.

Serving instructions:

  1. Grab out as many as needed and reseal the bag.
  2. Eat cold or reheat in the microwave on a paper towel or paper napkin. If desired, you can serve with ketchup.

*If you make these into full sized muffins, you’ll need to adjust the cooking time.

Check out these other kid friendly make ahead recipes:

Breakfast Sausage Hand Pies

Tater Tot Pizza Casserole

Make Ahead English Muffin Pizzas

Pancake Mini Muffins

Print
Corn Dog Mini Muffins
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
 
Course: Main Course, Snack
Keyword: corn dog muffins
Servings: 10 dozen
Ingredients
  • 1 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup softened butter
  • 8 eggs
  • 1 cup honey melted or softened
  • 2 2/3 cup milk
  • 4 2/3 cup flour
  • 3 Tbsp. baking powder
  • 1 cup corn meal
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 24 hot dogs
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, mix together the sugar and softened butter with an electric beater on medium speed.
  2. Add the eggs, honey, and milk and mix.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, corn meal, and salt. Stir with a spoon.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and use the electric beater to combine well.
  5. Grease the mini muffin trays.
  6. Spoon batter to fill about half of each cup.
  7. Slice the hot dogs into chunks.
  8. Place a hot dog chunk into each muffin cup on top of the batter and press down slightly.
  9. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes.*
  10. Remove from the muffin tin after a few minutes and allow to cool before transferring to a large resealable freezer bag.
  11. Remove the excess air from the bags, seal, and freeze.
  12. Grab out as many as needed and reseal the bag.
  13. Eat cold or reheat in the microwave on a paper towel or paper napkin. If desired, you can serve with ketchup.
Recipe Notes

*If you make these into full sized muffins, you'll need to adjust the cooking time.