Freezer Meal Recipes

Freezer meals don’t get much more kid friendly than combining tater tots and pizza flavours. This Tater Tot Pizza Casserole can be made as a freezer meal or layered and cooked immediately.This recipe bakes in a square casserole dish, but can easily be doubled and made in a rectangular casserole dish.

In a family our size, we always double it. Our kids love tater tots and they love pizza. This one is always a hit!

Tater Tot Pizza Casserole Recipe:

• 2 cups frozen tater tots
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. basil
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes, optional
• 1/4 cup pepperoni slices
• 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Freezer meal instructions:

Place the frozen tater tots, tomato sauce, seasonings, pepperoni, and chopped green pepper in a large resealable bag. Remove the excess air and seal.

Measure out the shredded cheddar cheese into a medium sized freezer bag and seal. Staple the bags together above the seal. On the cooking day, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw. Dump the contents of the large bag into a square baking dish. Sprinkle the cheese on top.

Cover with tin foil. Bake at 400° for 30-35 minutes. If cheese is not fully melted, remove the tin foil and cook for another 5 minutes. 

Cook immediately instructions:

Lay the frozen tater tots in an even layer on the bottom of your casserole dish.

In a small bowl, mix together the tomato sauce and seasonings. Spread the tomato sauce over the tater tots.

Sprinkle the cheese on in an even layer and finish with your choice of pizza toppings. Cover with tin foil. Heat oven. Bake at 400° for 30-35 minutes.

This recipe is so versatile. You can add sliced mushrooms, finely cubed ham, crumbled bacon, chopped onions, or diced tomatoes. Whichever flavours you like on your pizza you can add to the tater tot casserole.One of the greatest things about this recipes is that it’s so easy for little ones to help with it. They can dump the tots in the pan, spread the tomato sauce over the tater tots, and sprinkle on the toppings.

If you made it ahead as a freezer meal, they can pretty much assemble the whole thing. Depending on their age, they may need help putting it into the oven. This recipe is a great way to give kids a bit of independence in the kitchen.

Here are some other kid friendly make ahead meals:

Instant Pot Turkey Sloppy Joes Make Ahead Pancake Mini Muffins 

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Tater Tot Pizza Casserole Recipe

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Total Time

40 mins

 

Course: Main Course

Keyword: tater tot pizza casserole

Ingredients

• 2 cups frozen tater tots
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. basil
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes optional
• 1/4 cup pepperoni slices
• 1/4 cup green pepper chopped
• 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded

Instructions

Freezer meal instructions:

1. Place the frozen tater tots, tomato sauce, seasonings, pepperoni, and chopped green pepper in a large resealable bag. Remove the excess air and seal.
2. Measure out the shredded cheddar cheese into a medium sized freezer bag and seal. Staple the bags together above the seal.
3. On the cooking day, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw. Dump the contents of the large bag into a square baking dish. Sprinkle the cheese on top. 
4. Cover with tin foil. Bake at 400° for 30-35 minutes.

Cook immediately instructions:

1. Lay the frozen tater tots in an even layer on the bottom of your casserole dish.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the tomato sauce and seasonings.
3. Spread the tomato sauce over the tater tots.
4. Sprinkle the cheese on in an even layer and finish with your choice of pizza toppings.
5. Cover with tin foil. Bake at 400° for 30-35 minutes.

Recipe Notes

This recipe is so versatile. You can add sliced mushrooms, finely cubed ham, crumbled bacon, or diced tomatoes. Whichever flavours you like on your pizza you can add to the casserole.

It just does not get any easier than this 4 ingredient Lemon Pesto Chicken recipe! Not only is it fast and easy to make, it’s a freezer meal, saving you even more time.

This freezer meal recipe is gluten free. It’s a very easy meal to put together, but it is a bit different than chicken recipes with just a marinade.

The pictures are awful. I make this often, but I always forget to take a picture of it once it’s on the plate with sides. All I have are pictures of it in the freezer bag and in the casserole dish fresh out of the oven. I decided to put this recipe up here anyway so that others could benefit from the recipe even though the pictures are so ugly. You’ll just have to take my word that it looks better on a plate!

Lemon Pesto Chicken Recipe:

• 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup jarred pesto sauce
• 1/8 cup lemon juice
• pinch of salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• optional: 1 tsp. lemon rind

Put the shredded mozza cheese in a medium resealable bag and seal.

Place the chicken breasts in a large sized resealable bag. Add the pesto, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. If you want some extra zip, toss in some lemon rind. Remove the excess air from the bag and seal. Staple the medium bag to the large one above the seal to ensure there are no leaks. Lay flat in the freezer.

On the day of cooking, thaw. Put the chicken in a casserole dish. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes, covered. Uncover and top with the mozzarella cheese and bake for another 5 minutes. Turn the oven to broil and cook for another 3-5 minutes.

This recipe is included in our Family Favourites Freezer Meal Plan along with other family friendly make ahead recipes, prep and shopping lists, and printable labels. 

Check out these other delicious freezer meals:

Chicken and Vegetable Casserole with Crispy Onion Topping Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Bake 

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Lemon Pesto Chicken Recipe

Keyword: lemon pesto chicken

Ingredients

• 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup jarred pesto sauce
• 1/8 cup lemon juice
• pinch of salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• optional: 1 tsp. lemon rind

Instructions

1. Put the shredded mozza cheese in a medium resealable bag and seal.
2. Place the chicken breasts in a large sized resealable bag. Add the pesto, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. If you want some extra zip, toss in some lemon rind. Remove the excess air from the bag and seal.
3. Staple the medium bag to the large one above the seal to ensure there are no leaks. Lay flat in the freezer.
4. On the day of cooking, thaw. Put the chicken in a casserole dish. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes, covered. Uncover and top with the mozzarella cheese and bake for another 5 minutes. Turn the oven to broil and cook for another 3-5 minutes.

We always like to include a few salmon recipes every time we make freezer meals. Salmon is high in Omega-3 fatty acids. It’s good for brain health. This maple dijon salmon takes just minutes to prepare. There are two salmon recipes that we alternate between and then we always try out one new one. We usually just invent something based on the ingredients we have on hand or what season it is.

That was the case with this recipe invention. We happened to have maple syrup and dijon mustard. We thought it sounded like a nice Fall meal.

Maple Dijon Salmon Recipe:

• 1 1/2 lbs. salmon fillets
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Place the salmon in a large resealable freezer bag. Add the other ingredients. Give it a bit of a mix (squish or shake) before taking out the excess air and sealing. Freeze.

On cooking day, thaw.

BBQ Directions: Create a foil packet using enough tin foil to cover and seal. Cook in the barbeque on high for 7-10 minutes per side until the salmon flakes easily with a fork.

Oven Instructions: Place salmon on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes.

Serve with green beans, asparagus, or brussels sprouts and rice pilaf.

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Maple Dijon Salmon Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs. salmon fillets
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Instructions

1. Place the salmon in a large resealable freezer bag. Add the other ingredients. Give it a bit of a mix (squish or shake) before taking out the excess air and sealing. Freeze.
2. On cooking day, thaw.

BBQ Directions:

1. Create a foil packet using enough tin foil to cover and seal. Cook in the barbeque on high for 7-10 minutes per side until the salmon flakes easily with a fork.

Oven Instructions:

1. Place salmon on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes.

I love soups. I know that not everyone does, but they are like comfort food for me. This spinach and sausage white bean soup is a nice cold weather meal. Of course having soups made ahead and in the freezer means that this can be an “any weather” soup. I don’t put the spinach in until the day of cooking because I find it has the wrong texture if it is frozen with the rest of the ingredients first.

Spinach and Sausage White Bean Soup:

• 14 oz. smoked sausage
• 8 cups vegetable broth
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• ½ medium onion, diced
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 19 oz. can cannellini beans, undrained
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. thyme

For cooking day:

• 2 cups rotini pasta
• 2 cups spinach, roughly chopped

In a skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Chop the smoked sausage into ½-1 inch thick slices. Cook the sausage over medium heat, 6-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are cooked through and beginning to crisp on all sides.

When they have cooled slightly, place the cooked sausage pieces in a large resealable freezer bag. Add chopped onions and minced garlic. Pour in vegetable broth, and add cannellini beans and their liquid. Add in the seasonings. Remove excess air from the bag, seal and freeze.

On the day you want to eat this, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw. Place the bag contents in a large pot. Bring it to a boil on the stovetop.

Add in pasta. Boil for another 5-7 minutes, until pasta is al dente. Add the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Serve hot.

If you want, you can sprinkle with some shredded Parmesan cheese and a bit of freshly ground pepper.

Check out some of our other favourite make ahead soups:

Italian Wedding Soup 

Hearty Sausage and Zucchini Soup 

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Spinach and Sausage White Bean Soup

Course: Soup

Keyword: spinach and sausage white bean soup

Ingredients

• 14 oz. smoked sausage
• 8 cups vegetable broth
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• ½ medium onion diced
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 19 oz. can cannellini beans undrained
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp thyme

For cooking day:

• 2 cups rotini pasta
• 2 cups spinach roughly chopped

Instructions

1. In a skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Chop the smoked sausage into ½-1 inch thick slices. Cook the sausage over medium heat, 6-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are cooked through and beginning to crisp on all sides.
2. When they have cooled slightly, place the cooked sausage pieces in a large resealable freezer bag.
3. Add chopped onions and minced garlic. Pour in vegetable broth, and add cannellini beans and their liquid. Add in the seasonings. Remove excess air from the bag, seal and freeze.
4. On the day you want to eat this, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw. Place the bag contents in a large pot. Bring it to a boil on the stovetop.
5. Add in pasta. Boil for another 5-7 minutes, until pasta is al dente. Add the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Serve hot.

Recipe Notes

If you want, you can sprinkle with some shredded Parmesan cheese and a bit of freshly ground pepper.