Freezer Meal Recipes

Chicken is always a great option for dinner. And when it comes to baking chicken, drumsticks are a delicious choice. On top of being quick to bake, chicken legs are packed with flavor. And when you top them with a flavorful herb sauce, you have a delicious dinner that everyone in the family will love. This freezer-friendly recipe for honey mustard drumsticks is going to be a meal planning favorite!

If you’re fond of drumsticks, you’ll want to also check out our Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Drumsticks. They are a favourite around here.

Honey Mustard Drumsticks Recipe

Ingredients:

• 12 chicken drumsticks (about 2 ½ pounds)
• 1/4 cup honey, melted
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Freezing instructions:

1. Place the chicken legs in a large resealable freezer bag.
2. Add the honey, cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, Herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper to the bag.
3. Squish the bag to combine the ingredients and coat the drumsticks in the sauce. Open the bag slightly, then press out the remaining air and reseal.
4. Place the bag in the freezer until ready to eat.

Serving instructions:

1. When you’re ready to prepare your drumsticks, thaw the chicken legs in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
3. Place the drumsticks in a single layer in a 9×13 baking pan. Pour all the remaining sauce from bag onto chicken.
4. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven and baste with the sauce. Return to the oven and cook for an additional 25 minutes. 

Are Drumsticks the Same as Chicken Legs?

If you want to be technical, chicken legs and drumsticks aren’t exactly the same – although the two words are often used interchangeably. Technically, a whole chicken leg is made up of both the thigh and the drumstick. But while a drumstick is just part of a chicken leg, most people use the words drumstick and chicken leg to mean the same thing.

Can You Freeze Fresh Drumsticks?

Freezing fresh chicken – including chicken legs or drumsticks – is a simple way to prepare make-ahead dinners for your family. That’s because it’s so easy to freeze fresh drumsticks and cook them later. Just follow these simple steps for freezing fresh chicken legs:

1. Remove the chicken from the original packaging. Transferring the chicken from the original package will help prevent freezer burn and make adding sauces and seasonings easier.
2. Transfer to a freezer-friendly container. Freezer bags are a great option for saving space in your freezer. But you can transfer the chicken to any freezer-friendly container, including airtight plastic containers, glass baking dishes, or aluminum baking pans.
3. Add sauce or seasoning. While you can freeze your drumsticks plain, adding some flavor to your chicken before freezing is simple. And once you mix the sauce or seasoning on your chicken, you instantly have a main dish ready to be baked! The sauce will serve as a marinade for your chicken, adding flavor to the meat while it freezes.
4. Cover and freeze. If you’re storing your chicken legs in a freezer bag, simply remove the excess air from the bag and seal it. Otherwise, cover the dish with the included lid or wrap it in plastic wrap to seal and protect the chicken.
5. Thaw before cooking. When you’re ready to prepare your chicken legs, remove the package from the freezer and transfer it to the refrigerator to safely thaw the chicken. This will take up to nine hours, so it’s a good idea to move the frozen chicken to the fridge the night before you plan on cooking the drumsticks.

Can Drumsticks Be Cooked from Frozen?

While your chicken drumsticks can be frozen raw, they need to be thawed before you start baking them. Cooking drumsticks from frozen isn’t recommended because it can be difficult to evenly cook the chicken when it’s frozen. While the outside of the chicken legs may look done, the inside could still be raw.

Instead of trying to cook your chicken from frozen, make sure to allow plenty of time for your drumsticks to thaw before baking them or cooking them in the slow cooker.

How to Get Crispy Baked Drumsticks

One of the best parts about eating drumsticks is enjoying the crispy skin on the outside of the chicken legs. But it can be difficult to get that crispy texture when you’re baking the chicken legs in the oven or cooking them in a crockpot.

If you’re hoping to get your honey mustard drumsticks extra crispy, the easiest way to add a crunch to your chicken legs is with the broiler. When cooking your drumsticks in the oven, simply turn the broiler on and cook the chicken legs under the broiler for 5 to 7 minutes.

But if you’re using your slow cooker to cook the chicken legs, you’ll need to transfer your drumsticks to a baking dish after they’re finished cooking in the crockpot. After that, you can cook your drumsticks under the broiler for 5 to 7 minutes.

Either way, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on the chicken legs as they’re broiling. They can quickly burn, so it’s important to watch the chicken closely at this point in the recipe to ensure your drumsticks don’t overcook.

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Honey Mustard Drumsticks

Prep Time

7 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

 

Course: Main Course

Keyword: chicken

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 12 chicken drumsticks about 2 ½ pounds
• 1/4 cup honey melted
• 2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. grainy Dijon mustard
• 1-2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp. Herbes de Provence
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

1. Place the chicken legs in a large resealable freezer bag.
2. Add the honey, cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, Herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper to the bag.
3. Squish to combine. Open the bag slightly, then press out the remaining air and reseal.
4. Freeze.

Cooking instructions:

1. When you’re ready to prepare your drumsticks, thaw the chicken legs in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°.
3. Place the drumsticks in a single layer in a 9x13 baking pan. Pour all the remaining sauce from bag onto chicken.
4. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven and baste with the sauce. Return to the oven and cook for an additional 25 minutes.

When it comes to meal prepping, meatloaf is always a great option because it’s perfect for freezing. But why prepare classic meatloaf week after week when you can easily take the flavour up a notch with a few simple substitutions? This BBQ meatloaf recipe is packed with flavour thanks to the sweet and salty filling and homemade BBQ glaze on top. But the best part about this simple dinner is that you can make it ahead of time and store it in the freezer until you’re ready to enjoy it!

If you’re looking for a lighter option that can also be made ahead, you can also check out our Turkey Meatloaf.

BBQ Meatloaf Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds ground beef, raw
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup graham wafer crumbs
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk
• 1/4 cup onion, minced
• 2 eggs
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons MSG-free onion soup mix

BBQ Sauce Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon chili sauce

Assembly Instructions:

1. Mix the ground beef, bread crumbs, evaporated milk, onion, eggs, salt, pepper and onion soup mix together in a large bowl.
2. Transfer the meat mixture to a large resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air from the bag and seal.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together ketchup, brown sugar, dry mustard, and chili sauce to make the BBQ glaze.
4. Pour the sauce mixture into a medium resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air from the bag and seal.
5. Staple the BBQ sauce to the meat mixture above the zipper line of the bags. Place both bags in the freezer.
6. Alternatively, this dish can be made in an 8×8 square pan, with BBQ sauce spread on top of the meat mixture, covered tightly with tin foil and then frozen.

Cooking Instructions:

1. Transfer the meatloaf mixture to the refrigerator to thaw.
2. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3. Press the meat mixture into an 8×8 square pan and top with BBQ sauce.
4. Bake uncovered for one hour, then let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Do You Cover Meatloaf with Foil When You Cook It?

Meatloaf is a very versatile dish, which means you can cook it covered or uncovered. If you’re worried about the meatloaf getting dry as it cooks, try covering the pan with foil for the first 40 minutes of cook time. Then, remove the foil and continue cooking another 20 minutes uncovered. The foil will help retain the moisture inside of the pan during the time it’s placed on top. And removing the foil at the end of the cook time will allow the BBQ glaze to thicken while the meatloaf finishes cooking.

What is the secret to moist meatloaf?

Ensuring your meatloaf stays moist while it cooks is essential to a delicious dinner. Luckily, this recipe provides you with plenty of opportunity to create a moist meatloaf thanks to several different ingredient additions. On top of the BBQ sauce on top of the meatloaf, adding eggs and evaporated milk to the meat mixture will ensure that your loaf stays nice and juicy as it cooks.

What should I serve with meatloaf?

Meatloaf is a nice hearty main and can be served with a variety of side dishes. Here are some suggestions:

• Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Steamed Broccoli
• Southern Cornbread
• Roasted Potatoes
• Cheesy Jalapeño Slow Cooker Corn 
• Garlic Bread
• Potato Wedges
• Brussels Sprouts
• Broccoli Salad
• Cauliflower Tots

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BBQ Meatloaf

Course: Main Course

Keyword: ground beef

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. ground beef raw
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup graham wafer crumbs
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk
• 1/4 cup onion minced
• 2 eggs
• salt and pepper
• 3 Tbsp. dry onion soup mix

BBQ Sauce Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. dry mustard
• 1 Tbsp. chili sauce

Instructions

Assembly Instructions:

1. Mix the ground beef, bread crumbs, evaporated milk, onion, eggs, salt, pepper and onion soup mix together in a large bowl.

2. Transfer the meat mixture to a large resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air and seal.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together ketchup, brown sugar, dry mustard, and chili sauce to make the BBQ glaze.

4. Pour the sauce mixture into a medium resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air and seal.

5. Staple the BBQ sauce to the meat mixture above the seal. Freeze.

6. Alternatively, this dish can be made in an 8x8 square pan, with BBQ sauce spread on top of the meat mixture, covered tightly with tin foil and then frozen.

Cooking Instructions:

1. Thaw.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°.

3. Press the meat mixture into an 8x8 square pan and top with the BBQ sauce from the medium bag.

4. Bake uncovered for one hour, then let stand for 10 minutes before serving.