Freezer Meals 101

Less time cooking, more time living

Sharla

Make Ahead Mac and Cheese

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Who doesn’t love a good mac and cheese?! It’s the ultimate in comfort food. But sometimes after a hard day when the craving hits, I don’t have it in me to actually cook. That’s what’s so awesome about this Make Ahead Mac and Cheese! It’s ready to go whenever you need it.

I suggest making several of these recipes at once. That way, it’s the same amount of work, but you’ll have several in the freezer ready for whenever that mac and cheese craving hits.a baking dish with cheesy baked macaroni and cheese in it and one scoop missing while a blue plate is filled with macaroni and cheese nearby with a fork on the side of the plate. The text reads "Make Ahead Mac and Cheese"All of my kids love macaroni and cheese which is another reason that I like having some of these in the freezer ready to go.

Around here, we eat mac and cheese as a meal (with loads of hot sauce!), but you can also serve this as a side dish.

Make Ahead Mac and Cheese Recipe:

  • 8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 8 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded 
  • 1 1/2 cups macaroni noodles, cooked
  • 5 Tbsp. butter 
  • 3 Tbsp. flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. pepper

Assembly instructions:

  1. In a large skillet, melt 3 Tbsp. butter.
  2. Add the flour and stir over medium heat until the mixture is lightly browned.
  3. Pour in the milk and whisk.
  4. Add the salt and pepper and cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens and starts to bubble.
  5. Slowly stir in both types of cheese (saving a little bit of the cheese to sprinkle on top later) and the last 2 Tablespoons of butter and whisk until smooth and melted.
  6. Add the noodles once the cheeses have melted and mix well. 
  7. Pour into a foil baking dish or a large resealable freezer bag. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. If using a foil dish, top with two layers of aluminum foil. If using a freezer bag, remove excess air and seal.
  8. Freeze.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Take tray or bag out of the freezer. Thaw.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°.
  3. Bake in an oven safe baking dish for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
  4. Serve and enjoy! 

Check out some of our other make ahead pasta dishes:

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Bake

Irresistible Chicken Pasta Bake

Instant Pot Pizza Casserole

Print
Make Ahead Mac and Cheese Recipe
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: mac and cheese, macaroni and cheese
Ingredients
  • 8 oz. cheddar cheese shredded
  • 8 oz. Monterey Jack cheese shredded
  • 1 1/2 cups macaroni noodles cooked
  • 5 Tbsp. butter
  • 3 Tbsp. flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. pepper
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. In a large skillet, melt 3 Tbsp. butter.
  2. Add the flour and stir over medium heat until the mixture is lightly browned.
  3. Pour in the milk and whisk.
  4. Add the salt and pepper and cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens and starts to bubble.
  5. Slowly stir in both types of cheese (saving a little bit of the cheese to sprinkle on top lateand the last 2 Tablespoons of butter and whisk until smooth and melted.
  6. Add the noodles once the cheeses have melted and mix well.
  7. Pour into a foil baking dish or a large resealable freezer bag. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. If using a foil dish, top with two layers of aluminum foil. If using a freezer bag, remove excess air and seal.
  8. Freeze.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Take tray or bag out of the freezer. Thaw.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°.
  3. Bake in an oven safe baking dish for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
  4. Serve and enjoy!

Hawaiian Chicken in the Instant Pot

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Another day, another easy Instant Pot recipe! This Hawaiian Chicken has some unique flavours. It can be served on its own or over top of rice or pasta.

a white bowl sits on a marble surface. In the bowl is an orangey red stew with chunks of red pepper, pineapple, and chicken visible. The text reads "Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken"Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs. chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, and cut into pieces
  • 20 oz. can pineapple chunks in juice, reserving 2 Tbsp. of the juice
  • 1 red bell pepper, cubed into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 purple onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • ⅓ cup soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. sesame oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ tsp. ground ginger
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
  • ⅓ cup hoisin sauce

For day of cooking:

  • 2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Assembly Instructions:

  1. Cut the chicken, red pepper, and onion.
  2. Place all the ingredients EXCEPT the 2 Tbsp. pineapple juice (and cornstarch) into a large resealable freezer bag. Squish to mix. Remove the excess air and seal.
  3. Pour the pineapple juice in a small or medium resealable freezer bag. Seal and staple the bags together above the seals.
  4. Freeze.

Cooking Instructions:

  1. Take the bags out of the freezer to thaw. Dump the contents of the large bag into the Instant Pot.
  2. Cover the pressure cooker and set the valve to sealing. Cook on “manual” or “pressure cook” for 5 minutes. Allow it to release naturally for 10 minutes before doing a quick release to remove the remaining pressure.
  3. Remove the lid and turn the pressure cooker to “sauté.”
  4. In a small bowl, stir together the pineapple juice from the smaller bag and 2 Tbsp. of cornstarch to create a slurry. When well mixed, pour into the pressure cooker and stir gently to combine. Allow the chicken to simmer for 3 to 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
  5. Serve over rice or noodles.

Be sure to check out some of our other Freezer to Instant Pot Recipes:

Instant Pot Italian Chicken and Veggies

Country Style Ribs in the Pressure Cooker

Instant Pot Turkey Sloppy Joes

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Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs. chicken thighs boneless, skinless, cubed
  • 20 oz. can pineapple chunks in juice reserving 2 Tbsp. of the juice
  • 1 red pepper cubed into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 purple onion cut into 1 inch pieces
  • ⅓ cup soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. sesame oil
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • ½ tsp. ground ginger
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar packed
  • ⅓ cup hoisin sauce
For day of cooking:
  • 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
Instructions
Assembly Instructions:
  1. Cut the chicken, red pepper, and onion.
  2. Place all the ingredients EXCEPT the 2 Tbsp. pineapple juice (and cornstarcinto a large resealable freezer bag. Squish to mix. Remove the excess air and seal.
  3. Pour the pineapple juice in a small or medium resealable freezer bag. Seal and staple the bags together above the seals.
  4. Freeze.
Cooking Instructions:
  1. Take the bags out of the freezer to thaw. Dump the contents of the large bag into the Instant Pot.
  2. Cover the pressure cooker and set the valve to sealing. Cook on “manual” or “pressure cook” for 5 minutes. Allow it to release naturally for 10 minutes before doing a quick release to remove the remaining pressure.
  3. Remove the lid and turn the pressure cooker to “sauté.”
  4. In a small bowl, stir together the pineapple juice from the smaller bag and 2 Tbsp. of cornstarch to create a slurry. When well mixed, pour into the pressure cooker and stir gently to combine. Allow the chicken to simmer for 3 to 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
  5. Serve over rice or noodles.

Pizza Stuffed Chicken

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This is an easy kid friendly make ahead meal that the whole family will love. Most kids’ ears perk up at the word “pizza” so this is a great recipe to get those reluctant chicken eaters on board!

a fork sits beside chicken topped with red sauce and a slice of pepperoni on a white plate with a piece of garlic toast on the side. The text reads "pizza stuffed chicken make ahead freezer meal"I find that my kids also like food that’s stuffed with something. It’s almost like it contains a surprise so that’s another element of this dish that is appealing to the younger crowd.

As far as being appealing to moms, this dish can be made ahead and frozen until the day you want to serve it. While you’re at it, you might as well assemble several so that you have a few in the freezer ready to go. You’ll be glad you did.

The other thing about this pizza stuffed chicken recipe that appeals to moms is how few ingredients it requires. It’s an easy 5 ingredient meal that’s going to quickly become one of your go-tos for busy weeknights.

Let’s get this show on the road and get right to the recipe!

Pizza Stuffed Chicken Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 3 large chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
  • 30 pepperoni slices
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup prepared pizza sauce
  • salt and pepper

Assembly instructions:

  1. Spritz a 9×13 oven safe dish or 9×13 foil tray with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. Slice chicken in half horizontally through the thickness of the breast. Pound to ½ an inch thick. You can make this easier by placing chicken between sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper when pounding.
  3. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. In the middle of the chicken, place four slices of pepperoni and about 1 Tbsp. of shredded mozzarella. Roll the chicken, tucking in the edges, and place in the baking dish or foil tray.
  4. Pour pizza sauce over each chicken breast. Top with remaining mozzarella and pepperoni slices.
  5. Place two layers of aluminum foil over the tray and seal the edges well.
  6. Label and freeze.

Cooking Instructions:

  1. Take the tray out of the oven. Thaw.
  2. Preheat oven to 375°. 
  3. Place the tray in the oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes (depending on the thickness of the chicken breast) or until a meat thermometer reads 165°.

Serve with a salad and some garlic bread.

Check out these other make ahead kid friendly freezer meals:

Pizza Tater Tot Casserole

Turkey Sloppy JoesTurkey Sloppy Joes with sides

KFC Style Chicken

Print
Pizza Stuffed Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
  • 3 large chicken breasts boneless and skinless
  • 30 pepperoni slices
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
  • 1 cup prepared pizza sauce
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Spritz a 9x13 oven safe dish or 9x13 foil tray with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. Slice chicken in half horizontally through the thickness of the breast. Pound to ½ an inch thick. You can make this easier by placing chicken between sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper when pounding.
  3. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. In the middle of the chicken, place four slices of pepperoni and about 1 Tbsp. of shredded mozzarella. Roll the chicken, tucking in the edges, and place in the baking dish or foil tray.
  4. Pour pizza sauce over each chicken breast. Top with remaining mozzarella and pepperoni slices.
  5. Place two layers of aluminum foil over the tray and seal the edges well.
  6. Label and freeze.
Cooking Instructions:
  1. Take the tray out of the oven. Thaw.
  2. Preheat oven to 375°.
  3. Place the tray in the oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes (depending on the thickness of the chicken breasor until a meat thermometer reads 165°.

Country Style Instant Pot Ribs

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When you think of making ribs, it usually involves the barbecue grill, lots of foil, bottles of barbecue sauce, hours of prep work and meticulous planning for just the right temperatures and time. The opposite is true with these ribs. The Instant Pot is your magic weapon. These fall off the bone ribs are delicious!saucy ribs sit in a white bowl on a white background. The words "Country Style Instant Pot Ribs" are overlaid on the image.

What will save you even more time than the Instant Pot with this recipe is that it can be made ahead and then cooked in the Instant Pot. Have this ready to go in your freezer any time of the year.

Country Style Instant Pot Ribs Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1 – 2 racks of pork ribs*
  • 2 Tbsp. coarse ground garlic salt
  • 2 Tbsp. seasoning salt
  • 2 Tbsp. seasoned pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp. dry mustard
  • 2 Tbsp. paprika
  • 1 Tbsp. onion powder
  • 1 small bottle of liquid smoke

For day of cooking:

  • 1 large bottle of Country Bob’s all purpose sauce (if you can’t find Country Bob’s, you can substitute your favourite BBQ sauce)
  • 1 cup honey (local if possible)

Assembly instructions:

Ribs have a membrane on the back side of the rack that needs to be removed. It is on the opposite side of the meaty part of the ribs. It’s a silvery white colour and may look like fat at first glance.

  1. Take a sharp knife, and start at one corner on the back side of the ribs. Run the knife under the membrane to loosen it. Pull it back just a little bit and use a paper towel to get hold of the loosened membrane and pull it off.  You may have to do this in 2 or 3 segments as some racks will have a membrane that comes off easily and others will take a little more work.
  2. Once the membrane is removed, place the ribs in a flat bottomed dish (like an 11 x 14 pan) and sprinkle with liquid smoke. Let the ribs sit for 30 minutes and absorb the liquid smoke.
  3. After 30 minutes, lift the ribs up to allow any liquid remaining to run off into the dish.
  4. In a large resealable bag, place the garlic salt, seasoning salt, seasoned pepper, chili powder, dry mustard, paprika, and onion powder. Close the bag and shake vigorously to blend all the dry ingredients. Add the ribs into the bag. Press the seasonings into the ribs.
  5. Remove the excess air from the bag, seal, and freeze. 

Cooking instructions:

  1. Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
  2. Place the Trivet in the Instant pot and add 1 cup of water, and 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce.
  3. Place the ribs on the trivet circled around or leaning against the inside liner of the Instant pot.
  4. Put the lid on the Instant Pot and turn it until it beeps and locks. Make sure the pressure valve is set to ‘SEALING’ and press the Manual button. Set the time to 30 minutes.
  5. Allow the Instant Pot to automatically build and release the pressure. Once the Instant Pot has released all the pressure (about an hour), make sure the pressure valve button is down and gently, and with a pot turn the valve to VENTING with a pot holder to make sure that all the pressure has been released.
  6. Remove the lid and place the ribs in an oven safe dish.
  7. In a separate dish, pour half the bottle of Country Bob’s sauce, add the cup of honey, and stir well. Pour the honey BBQ sauce over the ribs.
  8. Place the ribs in the oven at 350° for 30 minutes. This will crisp the ribs and all the BBQ sauce to melt into the ribs. Yum! It will get a little gooey in the oven, which blends the dry rub and BBQ flavours together. Once ribs have browned a little and the sauce is gooey, remove them from the oven and serve immediately.

*Note: You may want to double the dry rub recipe for 2 full racks of ribs. The dry rub mix given will make enough for about 2 – 3 pounds of ribs, which is approximately 1 rack.

Check out some of our other make ahead Instant Pot recipes:

Instant Pot White Chicken Chili Instant Pot Turkey Sloppy Joes 

Instant Pot Red Curry Shrimp 

Print
Country Style Instant Pot Ribs Recipe
Ingredients
  • 1 - 2 racks of pork ribs*
  • 2 Tbsp. coarse ground garlic salt
  • 2 Tbsp. seasoning salt
  • 2 Tbsp. seasoned pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp. dry mustard
  • 2 Tbsp. paprika
  • 1 Tbsp. onion powder
  • 1 small bottle of liquid smoke
For day of cooking:
  • 1 large bottle of Country Bob's all purpose sauce if you can't find Country Bob's, you can substitute your favourite BBQ sauce
  • 1 cup honey organic or local if possible
Instructions
Assembly Instructions:
  1. Take a sharp knife, and start at one corner on the back side of the ribs. Run the knife under the membrane to loosen it. Pull it back just a little bit and use a paper towel to get hold of the loosened membrane and pull it off.  You may have to do this in 2 or 3 segments as some racks will have a membrane that comes off easily and others will take a little more work.
  2. Once the membrane is removed, place the ribs in a flat bottomed dish (like an 11 x 14 paand sprinkle with liquid smoke. Let the ribs sit for 30 minutes and absorb the liquid smoke.
  3. After 30 minutes, lift the ribs up to allow any liquid remaining to run off into the dish.
  4. In a large resealable bag, place the garlic salt, seasoning salt, seasoned pepper, chili powder, dry mustard, paprika, and onion powder. Close the bag and shake vigorously to blend all the dry ingredients. Add the ribs into the bag. Press the seasonings into the ribs.
  5. Remove the excess air from the bag, seal, and freeze.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
  2. Place the Trivet in the Instant pot and add 1 cup of water, and 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce.
  3. Place the ribs on the trivet circled around or leaning against the inside liner of the Instant pot.
  4. Put the lid on the Instant Pot and turn it until it beeps and locks. Make sure the pressure valve is set to 'SEALING' and press the Manual button. Set the time to 30 minutes.
  5. Allow the Instant Pot to automatically build and release the pressure. Once the Instant Pot has released all the pressure (about an hour), make sure the pressure valve button is down and gently, and with a pot turn the valve to VENTING with a pot holder to make sure that all the pressure has been released.
  6. Remove the lid and place the ribs in an oven safe dish.
  7. In a separate dish, pour half the bottle of Country Bob's sauce, add the cup of honey, and stir well. Pour the honey BBQ sauce over the ribs.

  8. Place the ribs in the oven at 350° for 30 minutes. This will crisp the ribs and all the BBQ sauce to melt into the ribs. Once the ribs have browned a little and the sauce is gooey, remove from oven and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

*Note: You may want to double the dry rub recipe for 2 full racks of ribs. The dry rub recipe given will make enough for about 2 - 3 pounds of ribs, which is approximately 1 rack.

Make Ahead Lunch Recipes

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Coming up with dinner ideas is hard enough. But having to think about breakfasts and lunches too?! These make ahead lunch ideas will take the worry out of the midday meal.

Make Ahead Lunch Recipes make life so much easier! #freezermeals101 #makeaheadmeals #lunchrecipes #whatsforlunch

Make Ahead Lunch Ideas:

There’s something so comforting about tomato soup. Pair this Instant Pot Tomato Soup with a grilled cheese or enjoy it on its own.

These Hot Roast Beef or Ham Sandwiches are great for large group gatherings or for bringing with you when you go camping.

Tater Tot Pizza Casserole is a favourite for kids.

Buffalo Chicken on Buns has all the flavours of the dip in a sandwich.

Our Hearty Sausage and Spinach Soup is packed with flavour. It is one of my all-time faves!

This Instant Pot Asian Noodle Soup pairs well with a salad or raw veggies.

Shrimp Stir Fry Packs make a fast and easy meal. They are nice and light. Lunch is ready in minutes.

Turkey Sloppy Joes are a lighter option and great for lunch.

The Easy Homemade Pizza Pockets from Eating on a Dime make packing lunches a breeze.

These Make Ahead Pizza Rolls from Spaceships and Laser Beams are great for school lunches.

When kids have allergies, it can mean missing out on some of the fun foods. That doesn’t have to be true with these gluten free vegan Pizza Bagel Bites from Strength and Sunshine.

Amy and Jacky share this Instant Pot Sloppy Joes recipe that can be made ahead and served on a bun for a quick lunch.

Yum! Awe Filled Homemaker’s Instant Pot Beef Lettuce Wraps. You’ll have a hard time believing this is a freezer meal.

This Old Gal has Air Fryer Tijuana Street Tacos. The meat can marinate beautifully as it thaws in this delicious freezer meal.

The Sweet Pulled Pork Wraps at Sidetracked Sarah are a crowd pleaser.

The Soccer Mom’s Freezer Chicken Soup is another great comfort food recipe. The next time you are feeling under the weather, this is what you’re going to wish you had in the freezer ready to go.

Check out our Lunch Freezer Meal Menu Plan to make things even easier. It includes some make ahead lunch recipes as well as prep lists, shopping lists, and printable labels.