Freezer Meals 101

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Freezer Meal Dump Recipes

Taco Chili Freezer Meal

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This hearty taco chili combines the flavours of Mexican-American food with classic chili. It’s an easy dump recipe that can go from the freezer to the Crock Pot. This is a very non-traditional chili however, in that it does not have any beans in it.

So if you are not a fan of beans, but love the flavours of chili, this is the one for you!a blue bowl that's white on the inside is filled with corn, ground beef, tomatoes, red sauce that is topped with shredded cheese and green herbs with text that reads "Taco Chili Freezer Meal"The nice warm feeling from a bowl of chili is such a nice lunch or dinner to curl up with in winter or fall.

This is already a budget friendly meal, but there are ways that you can make this even more affordable. If you want to stretch this recipe further, you can use the taco chili as a topping on baked potatoes, stuffed inside green and red peppers, or add a tetrapak of beef broth to turn it into taco chili soup.

Taco Chili Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. ground beef, browned
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 15 oz. can kernel corn, drained
  • 8 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 4 oz. can green chilies
  • 1 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper

Assembly instructions:

  1. Prep by browning the ground beef until it is no longer pink and chopping the onion.
  2. Place the cooked beef, chopped onion, and all other ingredients in a large resealable freezer bag. Remove the excess air, seal, and freeze.

Slow cooker instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Cook in the Crock Pot on low for 3-5 hours.
  3. Optional: Top with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, chopped green onions, cilantro, and/or sliced avocado.

Stovetop instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Heat on the stovetop on medium-low heat until heated through, stirring occasionally.
  3. Optional: Top with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, chopped green onions, cilantro, and/or sliced avocado.

Check out some other tasty make ahead chili recipes:

Thick and Chunky Hearty Chili

Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

Print
Taco Chili Freezer Meal Recipe
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. ground beef browned
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 15 oz. can kernel corn drained
  • 8 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 4 oz. can green chilies
  • 1 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Prep by browning the ground beef until it is no longer pink and chopping the onion.
  2. Place the cooked beef, chopped onion, and all other ingredients in a large resealable freezer bag. Remove the excess air, seal, and freeze.
Slow cooker instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Cook in the Crock Pot on low for 3-5 hours.
  3. Optional: Top with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, chopped green onions, cilantro, and/or sliced avocado.
Stovetop instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Heat on the stovetop on medium-low heat until heated through, stirring occasionally.
  3. Optional: Top with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, chopped green onions, cilantro, and/or sliced avocado.

Make Ahead Everything Bagels Breakfast Muffins

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Busy weekday mornings don’t have to be so chaotic. Making these everything bagels breakfast muffins ahead allows you to grab one on your way out the door.at the top, a green bowl holds five muffins sprinkled with seasoning. There are images of the ingredients such as eggs, cream, shredded cheese, cream cheese, and bagel cubes and a whisk in a yellow bowl. The text reads "Everything Bagel Breakfast Muffins"

They pack the flavours of the everything bagel into a breakfast muffin you can hold in one hand while you hold your coffee or phone in the other. This is the very definition of breakfast on the go.

Everything Bagels Breakfast Muffins Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 4-5 everything bagels, cut into cubes
  • 1 package of bacon sausage or 1 pound of ground sausage, browned until no longer pink
  • 2 cups of half and half
  • 10 large eggs
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. Everything Bagels Seasoning, divided
  • 4 oz. of cream cheese, diced
  • 4 oz. Swiss cheese, shredded
  • 4 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

Assembly instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with oil.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the half and half and the eggs.
  3. Add in the salt, pepper and 1 Tbsp. of the Everything Bagels Seasoning into the egg mixture. Set aside.
  4. Lay out all the other ingredients.
  5. Layer each muffin cup in this order: 3-4 bagel cubes, cooked sausage, 4-5 pieces of cream cheese, a sprinkle of the Swiss and cheddar cheeses.
  6. Pour the egg mixture to about halfway.
  7. Add 4-5 bagel cubes and a bit more sausage and sprinkle the remaining Everything Bagels Seasoning over each muffin.
  8. Place in the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until browned and the muffins are no longer soft in the middle. If you like your muffins more browned, you can place them under the broiler for 2-3 minutes at the end, but keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
  9. Remove from the oven and cool. Top with a sprinkle of the Everything Bagels seasoning.
  10. Take the muffins out of the pan and move to a cooling rack. Once the muffins have cooled, transfer them to a large resealable freezer bag. Remove the excess air and freeze.

Eating instructions:

  1. Take one muffin (or more) out of the bag. Be sure to take out the extra air before sealing the bag up again.
  2. Eat slightly frozen or reheat in the microwave.

Some other freezer breakfast recipes you may be interest in:

Taco Breakfast Cups

Cinnamon French Toast

Print
Everything Bagels Breakfast Muffins
Ingredients
  • 4-5 everything bagels cut into cubes
  • 1 package of bacon sausage or 1 pound of ground sausage browned until no longer pink
  • 2 cups half and half
  • 10 large eggs
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. Everything Bagels Seasoning divided
  • 4 oz. cream cheese diced
  • 4 oz. Swiss cheese shredded
  • 4 oz. cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with oil.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the half and half and the eggs.
  3. Add in the salt, pepper and 1 Tbsp. of the Everything Bagels Seasoning into the egg mixture. Set aside.
  4. Lay out all the other ingredients.
  5. Layer each muffin cup in this order: 3-4 bagel cubes, cooked sausage, 4-5 pieces of cream cheese, a sprinkle of the Swiss and cheddar cheeses.
  6. Pour the egg mixture to about halfway.
  7. Add 4-5 bagel cubes and a bit more sausage and sprinkle the remaining Everything Bagels Seasoning over each muffin.
  8. Place in thee oven and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until browned and the muffins are no longer soft in the middle. If you like your muffins more browned, you can place them under the broiler for 2-3 minutes at the end, but keep an eye on them so they don't burn.
  9. Remove from the oven and cool. Top with a sprinkle of the Everything Bagels seasoning.
  10. Take the muffins out of the pan and move to a cooling rack. Once the muffins have cooled, transfer them to a large resealable freezer bag. Remove the excess air and freeze.
Eating instructions:
  1. Take a muffin (or morout of the bag. Be sure to take out the extra air before sealing the bag up again.
  2. Eat slightly frozen or reheat in the microwave.

Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork

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Oh man! You’re going to love this Dr. Pepper pulled pork recipe! It has just a bit of kick from the peppers that plays so nicely with the sweetness in the soda.a bun sits on a white plate with shredded meat on top of it and a green salad beside it with a few tomato pieces. The text reads "Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork - freezer meal - crock pot"This freezer to crock pot recipe is all kinds of tasty. I like to serve it on buns with a bit of garlic mayo, but just plain old buns is fine too.

I take this with us when we go camping if there is a plugin for my crock pot. Just pop the freezer meal in the cooler for the drive there and then on the day you want to serve it, throw it in the slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork Recipe:

  • 5-7 lb. pork shoulder or butt
  • 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 can (11 oz.) chipotle peppers in adobe sauce
  • 2 cans Dr. Pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper

Assembly instructions:

  1. Place the pork in a large resealable bag.
  2. Toss in the chopped onion, can of chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.
  3. Pour in 2 cans of Dr. Pepper soda pop, holding the bag up to prevent spills.
  4. Remove the excess air, seal the bag, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Place in the crock pot. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
  3. Shred and serve on buns.

Check out some of our other freezer to slow cooker meals:

Cilantro Lime Chicken with Black Beans and Corn

Freezer to Slow Cooker Beef  Stew

Easy Beef Dip

Print
Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork Recipe
Prep Time
5 mins
 
Course: Main Course
Keyword: pork
Ingredients
  • 5-7 lb. pork shoulder or butt
  • 1 large onion coarsely chopped
  • 1 can 11 oz. chipotle peppers in adobe sauce
  • 2 cans Dr. Pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Place the pork in a large resealable bag.
  2. Toss in the chopped onion, can of chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.
  3. Pour in 2 cans of Dr. Pepper soda pop, holding the bag up to prevent spills.
  4. Remove the excess air, seal the bag, and freeze.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Place in the crock pot. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
  3. Shred and serve on buns.

Salsa Chicken Freezer Meal

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It truly doesn’t get more simple than this salsa chicken recipe. Not only is this an easy freezer meal, it is tasty! You can customize it to your own tastes by the type of salsa you use.

Salsa Chicken Dump Freezer Meal #freezermeals101 #freezercooking #chickendumprecipe #easyfamilymealsAs with other dump recipes, it is just as fast to make several at a time as it is to make one. If you choose to make multiples, just set the bags up, put the chicken in each bag and then add the other ingredients.

If you’re new to making dump meals, watch the video below to see step-by-step instructions and get helpful tips:

If you want to kick things up a notch, use spicy salsa. You can also vary things by using a chunkier salsa or using a homemade one.

Salsa Chicken Recipe:

  • 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup salsa, your choice of mild, medium, or spicy
  • 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. dijon mustard

Assembly instructions:

  1. Place the chicken in a large resealable freezer bag or reusable silicone freezer bag.
  2. Toss the rest of the ingredients into the bag and squish to mix around.
  3. Take the air out of the bag and seal before freezing.

Oven cooking instructions:

  1. Take the bag out of the freezer. Thaw.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°. Bake in a casserole dish for 55 minutes.

Skillet cooking instructions:

  1. Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
  2. Cook in a skillet on medium-high heat for about 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside, flipping occasionally. 

What to serve with salsa chicken:

  • taco chips with guacamole
  • refried beans
  • rice
  • salad
  • corn

Check out these other chicken dump recipes:

Honey Sesame Chicken Dump Meal

Lemon Garlic Chicken Dump Mahjong Chicken Dump Recipe 

 

Print
Salsa Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup salsa your choice of mild, medium, or spicy
  • 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Place the chicken in a large resealable freezer bag or reusable silicone freezer bag.
  2. Toss the rest of the ingredients into the bag and squish to mix around.
  3. Take the air out of the bag and seal before freezing.
Oven cooking instructions:
  1. Take the bag out of the freezer. Thaw.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°. Bake in a casserole dish for 55 minutes.
Skillet cooking instructions:
  1. Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
  2. Cook in a skillet on medium-high heat for about 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside, flipping occasionally.

Mahjong Chicken Dump Recipe

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This easy to make recipe has a unique flavour. We call it Mahjong Chicken and it’s a must-try.

Using the dump recipe method, this meal can be assembled in minutes and then frozen. It can be cooked in the crock pot or in the oven.

Mahjong Chicken with rice and broccoli saladMy neighbour and I loved the taste of this recipe, but we weren’t sure what to call it. Given some of the Asian flavours like the fish sauce, Chinese 5 spice, and thai sweet chili sauce, we decided to name it Mahjong after the game that originated in China.

Mahjong Chicken Dump Recipe:

  • 3-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (alternately, you can use 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 cup thai sweet chili sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
  • 1 1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp. paprika
  • 1/4 tsp. Chinese 5 spice
  • 1/4 tsp. lemon pepper

Assembly instructions:

  1. In a large resealable freezer bag, place the chicken breasts and then dump all the other ingredients on top.
  2. Squish to combine.
  3. Remove the excess air before sealing the bag. Freeze.

Oven cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Dump the bag contents into a casserole dish and bake covered at 350° for 55 minutes.

Crock pot cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Place chicken and sauce into the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-5 hours.

Suggested side dishes for Mahjong Chicken:

You can find other simple to make chicken recipes in our Chicken Dump Recipes cookbook. It includes printable labels and grocery lists, making it easier than ever to get dinner on the table. 

Print
Mahjong Chicken
Course: Main Course
Keyword: chicken, chicken dump
Ingredients
  • 3-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 cup thai sweet chili sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
  • 1 1/2 tsp. garlic minced
  • 2 tsp. paprika
  • 1/4 tsp. Chinese 5 spice
  • 1/4 tsp. lemon pepper
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. In a large resealable freezer bag, place the chicken breasts and then dump all the other ingredients on top.
  2. Squish to combine.
  3. Remove the excess air before sealing the bag. Freeze.
Oven cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Dump the bag contents into a casserole dish and bake covered at 350° for 55 minutes.
Crock pot cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Place chicken and sauce into the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-5 hours.
Recipe Notes

Instead of chicken breasts, you can use 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.

Some of our other easy chicken freezer meals for you:

Lemon Garlic Chicken Dump Recipe Honey Sesame Chicken Dump Recipe