Freezer Meals 101

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Freezer Meal Recipes

Saucy Sausage Pasta (Freezer Meal)

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When I first tried this recipe, I knew I had to find a way to create a make ahead version of it. I worked on a few variations to come up with the best one and here it is. This saucy sausage pasta sauce has such fresh flavours. a black bowl is overflowing with noodles covered in a chunky red sauce with chunks of white cheese and herbs on top. The text reads "Saucy Sausage Pasta Sauce freezer meal"Having this in my freezer makes it so easy to get supper on the table. I can just cook up whatever pasta I happen to have, heat up the sauce, and dinner is ready to go.

Saucy Sausage Pasta Sauce Recipe:

  • 500 g ground Italian or Chorizo sausage, browned
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 an onion, chopped
  • 56 g sun dried tomatoes
  • 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 tsp. parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste

For serving:

  • 500 g linguine, penne, or other pasta
  • 200 g bocconcini cheese
  • fresh basil
  • optional: red pepper flakes

Assembly instructions:

  1. Brown the sausage. If it is in the casing, uncase it first.
  2. Place the browned sausage, minced garlic, chopped onion, sun dried tomatoes, can of diced tomatoes, and seasonings in a large resealable freezer bag.
  3. Remove the excess air and seal. Freeze.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Remove the bag from the freezer to thaw.
  2. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain and rinse under hot water.
  3. While the pasta is cooking, heat the sauce over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
  4. Serve the sauce on top of the pasta. Top with fresh bocconcini cheese, torn into bite sized pieces, and fresh basil. I like to sprinkle mine with red pepper flakes as well.

Check out some of our other make ahead pasta sauces:

Chicken in a Mango Cream Sauce

The Best Freezer Spaghetti Sauce

Spicy Italian Sausage Sauce

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Saucy Sausage Pasta Sauce
Course: Main Course
Keyword: freezer meal, pasta, sausage
Ingredients
  • 500 g ground Italian or Chorizo sausage browned
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 an onion chopped
  • 56 g sun dried tomatoes
  • 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 tsp. parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste
For serving:
  • 500 g linguine penne, or other pasta
  • 200 g bocconcini cheese
  • fresh basil
  • optional: red pepper flakes
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Brown the sausage. If it is in the casing, uncase it first.
  2. Place the browned sausage, minced garlic, chopped onion, sun dried tomatoes, can of diced tomatoes, and seasonings in a large resealable freezer bag.
  3. Remove the excess air and seal. Freeze.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Remove the bag from the freezer to thaw.
  2. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain and rinse under hot water.
  3. While the pasta is cooking, heat the sauce over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
  4. Serve the sauce on top of the pasta. Top with fresh bocconcini cheese, torn into bite sized pieces, and fresh basil. I like to sprinkle mine with red pepper flakes as well.

Beef and Bacon Goulash (Freezer Meal)

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My husband started doing Keto this year. It’s made freezer meals more of a challenge as I’ve had to find make ahead recipes that are keto friendly. This Beef and Bacon Goulash is one I made last time we did meal prep and he was very happy with the results. chunks of beef, bacon, mushrooms, and thin slices of onion in a brown sauce are in a white bowl with multicoloured polka dots. The text read "Bacon Beef Goulash freezer meal crock pot"This is an easy freezer to crock pot recipe with just 5 ingredients. And it’s healthy, using real food. So whether you’re on a low carb diet or not, this recipe can be one you add into your dinner arsenal.

It’s not the prettiest looking thing, but the taste is there!

Apparently, a goulash is supposed to be seasoned with paprika and this one isn’t, so technically, I guess I should be calling this a stew, but we named it Bacon and Beef Goulash. Once your bag is labelled that, that’s what you and your family will call it for all of time!

Beef and Bacon Goulash Recipe:

  • 2 lbs. beef stew meat, cubed
  • 1 1/4 cups mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 5 slices bacon, sliced into bite sized pieces*
  • 1 onion, sliced

Optional for day of serving:

  • 2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Note: *If you want crunchier bacon, you can fry it before adding it to the freezer bag.

Assembly instructions:

  1. Cube the beef. Slice the onion, mushrooms, and bacon.
  2. Add the beef, bacon slices, mushrooms, onion slices, and beef broth to a large resealable freezer bag.
  3. Remove the excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Remove from freezer to thaw.
  2. Add the bag contents to the Crock Pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
  3. If you want to thicken up the gravy, mix together 2 Tbsp. of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water and stir into the beef mixture in the slow cooker 20 minutes before serving.

You can serve this on mashed potatoes, rice, or cauliflower rice. Or if you’d rather, you can serve this beside vegetables or with buns. My husband likes to eat his with cauliflower rice fried up with lots of garlic. It’s actually pretty delicious.

Check out these other keto friendly freezer meals:

Instant Pot Keto Bone Brothketo bone broth made in the Instant Pot in a bowl

Lemon Garlic Chicken

Instant Pot Pork or Chicken Shawarma

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Beef and Bacon Goulash
Course: Main Course
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs. beef stew meat cubed
  • 1 1/4 cups mushrooms sliced
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 5 slices bacon sliced into bite sized pieces*
  • 1 onion sliced
Optional for day of serving:
  • 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Cube the beef. Slice the onion, mushrooms, and bacon.
  2. Add the beef, bacon slices, mushrooms, onion slices, and beef broth to a large resealable freezer bag.
  3. Remove the excess air, seal, and freeze.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Remove from freezer to thaw.
  2. Add the bag contents to the Crock Pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
  3. If you want to thicken up the gravy, mix together 2 Tbsp. of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water and stir into the beef mixture in the slow cooker 20 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes

*If you want crunchier bacon, you can fry it before adding it to the freezer bag.

Pastitcio Baked Pasta Recipe

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There’s a small family run restaurant in the town I grew up in called Pasta Pantry. It’s a place you can run in and grab pasta to go or sit down and get a quick bite to eat. The pastas are made in house, but everything is ready when you walk in. They have a Pastitcio there that my husband loves. I decided to see if I could create a Pastitcio Baked Pasta freezer meal.

I wasn’t sure I could pull it off at home, especially as a make ahead meal. But I was worried that I might not be able to get rich enough flavours. Somehow, I pulled it off!a white baking dish is filled with a cheesy baked pasta with text that reads "Pastitcio Baked Pasta Freezer Meal"

My kids love baked pasta, so I also snuck some extra veggies in there with the carrots! This ensures some extra nutrients without complaints.

I know that this is a long ingredient list and that can be intimidating. The instructions are not nearly as simple as most of our other freezer meals either, but if you’re not a beginner at freezer meals or if you aren’t afraid of a small challenge, I encourage you to give this a try. It’s not as complicated as it looks.

Pastitcio Baked Pasta Freezer Meal Recipe:

  • 500 g cavatappi pasta
  • 2 lbs. ground beef, browned
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup red wine
  • 1  Tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1 tsp. brown sugar
  • 1/2  tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed
  • pinch salt and pepper
  • pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 2  eggs, lightly beaten
  • jar Alfredo sauce
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • optional: shredded cheddar cheese for topping

Assembly instructions:

  1. Brown the ground beef.
  2. While the beef is browning, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and rinse. Set aside.
  3. In a very large bowl, mix together the cooked ground beef, chopped onion, diced carrots, minced garlic, diced tomatoes, red wine, tomato paste, brown sugar, seasonings, and first amount of Parmesan.
  4. Stir in the pasta.
  5. In another bowl, lightly beat 2 eggs and mix in the Alfredo sauce and second amount of Parmesan cheese. Fold into pasta mixture.
  6. Scoop everything into a freezer safe baking dish or large resealable freezer bag. If using a casserole dish, cover with two layers of foil. If using a freezer bag, remove excess air and seal. Freeze.

Cooking instructions:

    1. Thaw.
    2. If desired, top with shredded cheddar cheese.
    3. Bake in an oven safe dish at 350° for 1 hour. If baking from frozen, increase the cooking time by half an hour.

I had assumed that Pastitcio was an Italian dish because the restaurant we had it at is Italian, but apparently, it’s a Greek dish. Knowing that makes the spices included in the recipe make more sense.

Serve with garlic bread and a nice fresh salad.

Check out some of our other make ahead pasta recipes:

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Bake

Creamy Tomato Beef Skillet

Tex Mex Pasta Bake

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Pastitcio Baked Pasta Freezer Meal
Course: Main Course
Keyword: freezer meal, pasta
Ingredients
  • 500 g cavatappi pasta
  • 2 lbs. ground beef browned
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1/2 cup carrots peeled and chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup red wine
  • 1  Tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1 tsp. brown sugar
  • 1/2  tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp. fennel seeds crushed
  • pinch salt and pepper
  • pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • 2  eggs lightly beaten
  • jar Alfredo sauce
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Brown the ground beef.
  2. While the beef is browning, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and rinse. Set aside.
  3. In a very large bowl, mix together the cooked ground beef, chopped onion, diced carrots, minced garlic, diced tomatoes, red wine, tomato paste, brown sugar, seasonings, and first amount of Parmesan.
  4. Stir in the pasta.
  5. In another bowl, lightly beat 2 eggs and mix in the Alfredo sauce and second amount of Parmesan cheese. Fold into pasta mixture.
  6. Scoop everything into a freezer safe baking dish or large resealable freezer bag. If using a casserole dish, cover with two layers of foil. If using a freezer bag, remove excess air and seal. Freeze.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Bake in an oven safe dish at 350° for 1 hour. If baking from frozen, increase the cooking time by half an hour.
Recipe Notes

If desired, top with shredded Cheddar cheese before baking.

Easy Kung Pao Chicken Recipe

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There’s no need to order takeout when you can make easy kung pao chicken this delicious at home! This make ahead meal is full of amazing flavours. You’ll be begging for seconds! a plastic bag filled with chicken, sauce, and vegetables is on top with a plate of rice covered in cubed chicken, red sauce, and vegetables is on the bottom with text that reads "Kung Pao Chicken freezer meal"Since this recipe is so simple to put together, I suggest making several at one time which takes only a minute or two longer than making just one. You’ll then be able to have this whenever you want to in less time than it would take to have food delivered. Or you can heat it in the slow cooker and have it ready when you get home from work. The Kung Pao sauce can be a bit hard to find. Neither of my usual grocery stores carry it. If you can’t find it near you, you can always order it online from Amazon. I buy mine at WalMart. Since WalMart isn’t usually where I get my groceries, it means an extra stop, but this recipe is so worth it!

I make several of these at once, so when I do go, I buy 4 or 6 bottles, so that makes the extra stop more worthwhile.

What’s the difference between kung pao chicken and General Tso’s chicken?

While there are a few similarities between kung pao chicken and General Tso’s chicken, they are far from the same dish. They both are usually served over rice and are an Asian inspired chicken dish, but the parallels pretty much  end there.

General Tso’s chicken is breaded, deep-fried chicken dish with hints of both sweet and spicy. Kung pao chicken is not breaded or deep fried and the flavours are sweet and sour, giving it a more tangy taste. Kung pao chicken also usually has other ingredients such as peppers, water chestnuts, and peanuts, whereas, General Tso’s is generally just the chicken.

Easy Kung Pao Chicken Recipe:

Kung Pao Chicken Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. chicken breast, boneless, skinless, cubed
  • 18.75 oz. (554 mL) bottle Kung Pao sauce
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • 8 oz. can water chestnuts, drained
  • 1 bunch green onions, sliced

For serving:

  • peanuts (optional)

Assembly instructions:

  1. Cube the chicken breast.
  2. Chop the peppers and slice the green onions.
  3. Place the chopped chicken, peppers, green onions, and water chestnuts in a large resealable freezer bag. Pour the bottle of kung pao sauce over everything.
  4. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Slow cooker instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Place everything from the bag into the Crock Pot.
  3. Cook on low for 3-5 hours.
  4. Serve over rice.
  5. If desired, sprinkle some peanuts on top.

Skillet cooking instructions: 

  1. Thaw.
  2. Dump everything from the freezer bag into a skillet.
  3. Cook over medium-high heat until chicken is thoroughly cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly.
  4. Serve over rice.
  5. Sprinkle some peanuts on top if you like.

Note: If you want to make assembling this much faster, you can put the chicken breasts into the freezer bag whole and then cube them on the day of cooking either before or after cooking. I find that way is messier so I don’t like it, but if you’re wanting to assemble a lot of freezer meals at once and just going for speed, that is an option.

Check out these other asian inspired freezer meals:

Asian Rice Bowl

Easy Asian Meatballs

Mahjong Chicken

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Easy Kung Pao Chicken Freezer Meal
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. chicken breast boneless, skinless, cubed
  • 18.75 oz. 554 mL bottle Kung Pao sauce
  • 1 red pepper diced
  • 1 green pepper diced
  • 8 oz. can water chestnuts drained
  • 1 bunch green onions sliced
For serving:
  • peanuts optional
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Cube the chicken breast.
  2. Chop the peppers and slice the green onions.
  3. Place the chopped chicken, peppers, green onions, and water chestnuts in a large resealable freezer bag. Pour the bottle of kung pao sauce over everything.
  4. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.
Slow cooker instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Place everything from the bag into the Crock Pot.
  3. Cook on low for 3-5 hours.
  4. Serve over rice.
  5. If desired, sprinkle some peanuts on top.
Skillet cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Dump everything from the freezer bag into a skillet.
  3. Cook over medium-high heat until chicken is thoroughly cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly.
  4. Serve over rice.
  5. Sprinkle some peanuts on top if you like.
Recipe Notes

If you want to make assembling this much faster, you can put the chicken breasts into the freezer bag whole and then cube them on the day of cooking either before or after cooking.

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

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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.