Freezer Meal Recipe Collections

You are going to love these easy make ahead side dishes. These recipes will take the stress out of holiday meals. Just knowing that you have these ready to go is such peace of mind.

Whether you are using these for a holiday meal such as Thanksgiving, Easter, or Christmas or for a regular weeknight dinner, having these freezer cooking side dishes is going to make your life so much easier.One of the things I’ve found with making freezer meals is that a lot of the recipes are for a main such as chicken. While those recipes are super fast to make, I’m then left scrambling to create a balanced meal. It’s only been in the past few years that I’ve started to put some thought towards freezer side dishes.

Now that I have sides as well as mains in my freezer, I have everything I need for healthy meals. This means less trips to the grocery store, more savings, and less stress.

Make Ahead Side Dish Recipes:

This Honey Maple Glazed Carrots recipe is about to become one of your new go-tos. They go well along with so many dishes and are great for holiday meals. I like to always have a few bags in the freezer.

Of all of our make ahead side dish recipes, our Freezer Garlic Bread is our most popular.

Your guests will have no idea that this Butternut Squash Freezer Meal Side Dish was made weeks ago and has been waiting in the freezer. This is an impressive one.

I want to be eating these Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes from Make-Ahead Meal Mom right now! They are that good.

Joyfully Thriving shares these Parmesan Garlic Rolls that can be made ahead and frozen. It’s one of those recipes that gets passed along from person to person. Those ones are usually the best!

The Garlic Texas Toast from Love to be in the Kitchen is a nice one to have on hand.

Make this Instant Pot Mac and Cheese from Baking Beauty ahead of time and freeze it for up to 2 months.

You can prepare the ingredients for This Old Gal’s Crack Slaw and freeze them ready to go into the Instant Pot. This makes this easy dish even easier.

These Buttermilk Biscuits at Baking Beauty are a versatile side that go with almost anything.

What are your favourite freezer side dishes?

Soup, that delicious liquid that you eat with a spoon! These freezer to crock pot soup recipes combine the best of both worlds. They have all the depth of flavour of soups that takes hours to simmer because of being cooked in the slow cooker with the ease of a freezer meal.

I love the variety that soup recipes can offer. They can use everyday ingredients, seasonal produce, or leftovers. Soups allow you to stretch a dollar by having food go further and feed more people.

Having make ahead soups in the freezer ready to go makes life so much easier. I know that most people think of soup as a fall or winter lunch or supper, but I love them for hot summer days because the slow cooker means the house doesn’t get too hot. And eating hot soup actually helps your body to kick in its own cooling down systems.

Freezer to Crock Pot Soup Recipes:

Our Enchilada Soup can be cooked in the slow cooker or the Instant Pot.

Create homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup and have it on hand any time you’re needing a bit of comfort food as a pick-me-up.

Make Ahead Stuffed Pepper Soup has a nice blend of flavours and is a great way to use up leftovers.

Our Freezer to Slow Cooker Sausage and Zucchini Soup is my personal favourite. I love the flavours of the spicy sauce and the hearty sauce.

Beef Taco Soup Recipe is easy to throw together.

Spicy White Bean and Chicken Chili uses leftover rotisserie chicken and can be cooked in the slow cooker, Instant Pot, or on the stovetop.

Freezer to Crock Pot Chicken Taco Soup on The Chaos and The Clutter – This one is one that you will have to try to believe! It tastes as good as tortilla soup you would order in a restaurant. It’s a recipe I wouldn’t hesitate to serve to company.

Crock Pot Tortellini Soup from The Chaos and The Clutter – I have been making this recipe for decades. It is hearty enough that it doesn’t need side dishes or buns alongside it to be a complete meal.

Vegetable Pesto Minestrone from The Chaos and The Clutter – The pesto in this gives it such a fresh flavour and the wine adds a hint of sophistication.

Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden style!) from Sidetracked Sarah

Beef Vegetable Soup from Eating on a Dime

Tuscan Chicken and White Bean Soup over on The Magical Slow Cooker

Slow Cooker Pizza and Pasta Soup from The Magical Slow Cooker

Mexican Vegetable Beef Soup from Gimme Some Oven

What are your favourite crock pot soup recipes? I hope you’ll give some of these a try and find some new favourites.

Take the stress out of mealtimes at your house with these delicious freezer meal recipes for large families. Suppertime just got easier!

I know what it’s like feeding a large family. We have 7 children including some growing teens who seem to always be hungry, so I understand how freezer meal planning can help.

It can be difficult to find recipes when it seems like most meals are designed to feed a family of four. If you’re looking for large family recipes, I’ve got you covered!

With these large family freezer meals, you’ll be able to easily plan your freezer cooking day now that the recipe ideas are taken care of.

Freezer Meal Recipes for Large Families:

Cilantro Lime Chicken with Corn and Black Beans is one of our favourites. I especially like the bright colours in the bag that reassure me that it’s a healthy meal that I can feel proud to feed my family.

Our Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork has just the right amount of kick to it. It’s an easy freezer to crock pot recipe that feeds a large family when served on buns with a salad. We like to have garlic mayo between the bun and the meat on ours.

This freezer Corn Chowder recipe is one that we make every single time we do freezer cooking. In fact, we quadruple the recipe so that we have 4 bags. That way, if we have company over, we can easily take out a second bag to heat up.

Try the Mild Italian Sausage and Pepper Bake from Large Family Table. Jamerrill is a large family mom who knows what she’s talking about when it comes to make ahead meals.

The recipe for this Easy Homemade Lasagna from Food Meanderings is over 100 years old. It has certainly withstood the test of time. Lasagnas are a great option when feeding a large family because you can make several at one time if one isn’t enough for the size or appetite of your crew.

One of the things that large families have to contend with is accommodating for different allergies. It can be hard to find recipes that work for everyone. The Baked Ziti at Strength and Sunshine is gluten free, vegan, and soy free.

More Large Family Freezer Meals:

Yum! The Creamy Baked Million Dollar Chicken Spaghetti at Faith and Food for Busy Moms is perfect for batch cooking. It’s budget friendly and freezes well.

The Beef Enchilada Casserole from Awe Filled Homemaker is cooked in the Instant Pot, making it an even easier freezer cooking meal.

Intentional by Grace’s Mexican Chicken Chili is a nice blend of flavours that can be made ahead and cooked in the slow cooker.

The family friendly Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole Bake over on Large Family Table is a great meal all in one dish.

Large Family Meal Prep Tips:

• For recipes that call for cooked chicken, place the chicken on baking sheets and cook in the oven at …for… before cubing or shredding and adding to meals.
• To cook large quantities of bacon, twist the bacon and place it on a baking sheet. You will be able to fit more than 2 packs in the oven on one sheet using this method.
• Do your shopping and prep on one day and assemble the meals the next.
• Wear good running shoes to avoid getting sore feet.
• Plan your recipes around what’s on sale and what you can buy in bulk. This will save so much money and help you budget ahead of time.
• Make more than one of each recipe. I usually make 4 of each and make enough meals for 3 months at a time. But even making 2 of each recipe will enable you to save more time and money.

This will help you fill your freezer and keep more money in your wallet! What are your favourite large family freezer meal recipes?

Find more great make ahead recipes in our Beef and Chicken Dump Recipe cookbooks.

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 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.

Do you remember making English muffin pizzas when you were growing up? These mini pizzas are perfect for school lunches.

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. 

One of the concerns a lot of moms have about diving into freezer cooking is whether or not their kids will actually eat the meals. I completely understand!

I’m the mom of 7 kids and there are a few very picky eaters in the bunch. The last thing you want is to spend all that time and money making freezer meals and then have your kids refuse to eat them.

Obviously, you know your kids best. If they refuse to eat mushrooms, don’t choose recipes full of mushrooms (or get sneaky and blend them well!). If they are sensitive to spice, tone down the spices called for in the recipe.

I find that there are some generalities when it comes to food that appeals to children. If it has pizza flavours or tater tots or can be eaten with their hands or is served on a bun, then most kids like it.

This list may include recipes that you know at a glance won’t work for your kids because you know their preferences. Skip those of course. But I’m pretty sure you’ll find some freezer meals kids will actually eat on this list.

Kid Friendly Freezer Meals:

Instant Pot Pizza Casserole – Generally, kids love pizza and pasta and this has both.

Tater Tot Pizza Casserole – Tater tots and pizza is a combination made with kids in mind.

Pizza Stuffed Chicken – Are you noticing a trend here?!

Tater Tot Casserole – This is hands-down my kids’ favourite meal.They would eat it every day if they could. I wish it had some veggies in it!

Italian Meatballs Tater Tot Casserole from Premeditated Leftovers

Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos – Tacos are a surefire win with my kids!

Best Ever Freezer Meal Spaghetti Sauce – It’s hard to go wrong with spaghetti.

Buffalo Chicken (made on slider buns) – My kids completely devoured these!

BBQ Pulled Pork – This is great for hot summer days because it cooks in the crock pot. I usually bring this freezer meal camping with us.

KFC Style Chicken – Your kids will be amazed that you were able to make KFC chicken at home.

Chicken Pasta Bake – This pasta bake is comfort food at its finest.

Make Ahead Apple Pork Chops – This recipe is a good introduction to pork chops for kids because of its subtle sweet flavour.

Lemon Garlic Chicken – This SUPER easy to make chicken dish has mild flavours and goes over well with little ones.

Apple Maple Chicken – This dish offers enough sweetness to be eaten without complaint.

Homemade Mini Corn Dogs on Moms Need to Know

Crock Pot Freezer Meal Pizza Casserole from The Chaos and The Clutter (skip the mushrooms in that one if you have kids who don’t eat mushrooms)

Chicken Strips from Happy Money Saver – Homemade chicken strips are less expensive and healthier than the frozen store bought variety.

Sloppy Joes from The Chaos and The Clutter – I have childhood memories of eating Sloppy Joes in my mom’s kitchen and now, my kids will have memories of eating my recipe.

Turkey Sloppy Joes – I call these the gateway recipe for ground turkey!

Droolworthy BBQ Shredded Chicken with Garlic Mayo – We all love this recipe. The garlic mayo really makes it.

Easy Chicken and Veggie Casserole – The crispy onion topping is what makes this one so family friendly.

Kid Friendly Italian Biscuit Cups from Make Ahead Meal Mom

Chicken Alfredo Bake over on Make Ahead Meal Mom

Homemade Frozen Pizza at The Recipe Rebel

Homemade Pizza Pockets from The Girl on Bloor

Make things easy with the Kid Friendly Freezer Meal Plan. It includes make ahead recipes kids will love along with shopping lists, prep lists, and printable labels.