Freezer Meal Recipes

Citrus Chicken Freezer Meal Dump Recipe

Featuring a sweet and tangy marinade and quick prep time, citrus chicken is a great choice for freezer cooking. In fact, this recipe is a quick and easy freezer dump meal that’s perfect for a quick dinner. Just toss the chicken thighs in a citrus marinade, store it in the freezer, and heat it up for dinner when you need a quick dump and go meal. Chicken dump recipes are among the fastest freezer meals to make. We enjoy many of these recipes such as our Chili Glazed Chicken, Apple Maple Chicken, and Honey Sesame Chicken.

How to Make Citrus Chicken:

Ingredients:

10-12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup VH honey-garlic sauce
1/2 cup unsweetened orange juice
1/4 cup red wine (or red cooking wine without alcohol)
1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp ginger powder (or ginger from a squeeze tube)
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy Seasoning
3 cloves garlic, minced

Assembly instructions:

Place the chicken thighs in a large zip top freezer bag.
Add the honey garlic sauce, unsweetened orange juice, red wine, brown sugar, ginger, pepper, Mrs. Dash seasoning, and garlic cloves to the bag.
Seal the bag and squeeze it between your hands to mix all the ingredients together.

Serving instructions:

Allow the chicken to thaw completely.
Pour the ingredients into a skillet and cook over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through.
Serve immediately.

Citrus Chicken Recipe Ideas and Substitutions:

This simple freezer dump recipe is quick and easy to prepare and cook. And with these recipe ideas, you can create a delicious meal that’s perfect for your family.

Use red cooking wine for an alcohol-free marinade. Cooking wine is a simple alternative if you prefer not to include alcohol in your sauce. Use the same amount of red cooking wine to traditional red wine as listed in the recipe.
Substitute fresh ginger or squeeze ginger for ginger powder. Add more ginger flavour with the help of freshly grated ginger. Or make your prep work even easier by adding squeeze ginger to the recipe in place of fresh ginger.
Serve over rice. Once you have your chicken prepared, you’ll need to come up with some side dishes to enjoy! Try serving your citrus chicken over rice to round out your dinner.

How Do You make Freezer Dump Meals?

Freezer dump meals are one of my favourite types of recipes. In addition to be super easy to cook, dump meals are also so easy to prepare! Dump meals get their name because all you need to do is dump the ingredients into the bag! To make freezer dump recipes, just:

Combine the ingredients in a freezer bag. With this citrus chicken recipe, simply add the chicken and marinade to the bag.
Seal and freeze. Let the extra air out of the bag and place it flat in the freezer for easy storing.
Thaw and cook. Allow the dump meal to thaw complete, then dump the ingredients into a pan or slow cooker and cook.

Side dish suggestions for citrus chicken:

Citrus Chicken Recipe

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken, chicken dump

Ingredients

10-12 chicken thighs boneless, skinless
1/2 cup VH honey-garlic sauce
1/2 cup orange juice unsweetened
1/4 cup red wine or red cooking wine without alcohol
1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy Seasoning
3 cloves garlic minced

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Place the chicken thighs in a large freezer bag.
Add the honey garlic sauce, unsweetened orange juice, red wine, brown sugar, ginger, pepper, Mrs. Dash seasoning, and garlic cloves to the bag.
Seal the bag and squeeze it between your hands to mix all the ingredients together.

Serving instructions:

Allow the chicken to thaw completely.
Pour the ingredients into a skillet and cook over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through.
Serve immediately.

Easy Freezer Taco Cups

By Sharla

Tacos are a great choice for a quick weeknight dinner. But eating plain tacos every week can get pretty boring! Why not change things up by preparing some taco cups, instead? These freezer-friendly individual taco pies are a simple meal idea that everyone in the family is sure to love!

These are great for kids’ lunches or snacks. They are so easy to make. I like to always have make ahead snacks in the freezer such as corn dog mini muffins, English muffin pizzas, or ham and cheese roll-ups.

How to Make Taco Cups:

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
2 Tablespoons taco seasoning
¼ cup water
mini tart shells
shredded cheddar cheese

Assembly Instructions:

Cook the mini tart shells according to the package instructions.
While the shells are cooking, brown the ground beef. When the beef is cooked through, stir in the taco seasoning and water. Continue to simmer until the sauce is thickened. Remove the pan from heat and allow to cool.
Fill each tart shell with taco meat and top with shredded cheese.
Return the shells to the oven to cook until the cheese is melted, around five minutes.
Allow the taco pies to cool completely, then transfer them to a freezer bag.
Remove excess air from the bag and seal, then place them in the freezer.

* Note: If you have any of the taco meat mixture leftover, place it in a medium size freezer bag, seal, and freeze. You can then use it to add to eggs or hash browns, on top of nachos, or for tacos.

Oven Cooking Instructions:

Allow the taco cups to thaw completely.
Place the cups in the oven to bake at 350° for 10 to 15 minutes, until the meat is warm and the cheese is melted.

Microwave Cooking Instructions:

Take as many cups as you want out of the freezer.
Remove the foil and reheat in the microwave.

I recently made these in a day of make ahead snacks to ensure my kids always had something to snack on or bring for lunches. You can check out all that I made in the video below:

Taco Pie Serving Ideas:

Once you have the basic taco cups prepared, you can dress them up according to your family’s tastes! There are a variety of fun ways to serve your mini taco cups. One simple way to change up the taste of this taco pie recipe is to use a different meat. Instead of ground beef, you could also try ground turkey or chicken. Shredded chicken or pork are more great options for creating different flavour taco cups.

But if you would prefer to stick to the recipe, you could also add more flavour to your taco cups with the help of fresh toppings. Try these topping ideas to give your family members a chance to prepare their own individual taco pies for dinner:

diced tomatoes
salsa
chopped lettuce
sliced avocado
sour cream
hot sauce
jalapeño slices
crushed tortilla chips or taco shells
chopped green onion
extra cheese
guacamole
pico de gallo
chopped cilantro

In addition to sprinkling toppings over your baked taco pies, you could also make additions to the recipe itself. Simply mix any of these easy add-ins into your ground beef mixture to give your taco cups even more flavour:

refried beans
diced tomatoes with green chilies
kidney or chili beans
black beans
Mexican rice
quinoa
salsa
chopped onions
diced tomatoes
queso cheese
chopped bell peppers
chopped jalapeño peppers
corn

These are such a fun food with so many variations possible.

Taco Cups

Course: Lunch, Snack

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: taco cups

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef
2 Tbsp. taco seasoning
¼ cup water
mini tart shells
shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Assembly Instructions:

Cook the mini tart shells according to the package instructions.
While the shells are cooking, brown the ground beef. When the beef is cooked through, stir in the taco seasoning and water. Continue to simmer until the sauce is thickened. Remove the pan from heat and allow to cool.
Fill each tart shell with taco meat and top with shredded cheese.
Return the shells to the oven to cook until the cheese is melted, around five minutes.
Allow the taco pies to cool completely, then transfer them to a freezer bag.
Remove excess air from the bag and seal, then place them in the freezer.

Microwave Cooking Instructions:

Take as many as you want out of the freezer. Remove the foil and reheat in the microwave.

Oven Cooking Instructions:

Allow the taco cups to thaw completely.
Place the cups in the oven to bake at 350° for 10 to 15 minutes, until the meat is warm and the cheese is melted.

Recipe Notes

If there is any of the taco meat mixture leftover, place it in a medium size freezer bag, seal, and freeze. It can then be used to add to eggs or hash browns, on top of nachos, or for tacos.

Homemade Freezer Italian Meatballs (Keto, Low Carb)

By Sharla

Homemade meatballs really do beat the taste of store bought every time. It’s worth the time to make your own and it’s easier than you might think. Using this recipe allows you to make Italian meatballs ahead and have them in the freezer to use in recipes or serve for dinner. This Italian meatball recipe is also Keto. If you’re following a low carb diet, these are a great option.

Mixing this with your hands works best. I like to wear gloves so that my hands don’t get icky.

For rolling, I use a cookie scoop or an ice cream scoop so that they are all uniform in size. I scoop the mixture onto the tray and then once all of them are on the tray, shape them a bit more by hand. You can see the process of this in this video of us making 150 freezer meals including meatballs.

Homemade Italian Meatballs Recipe:

Ingredients:

3/4 lb. ground beef
3/4 lb. ground pork
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 Tbsp. whipping cream (30% m.f.)
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. onion, finely chopped
2 tsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Assembly instructions:

Place the raw meats and other ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Mix with your hands. Wear gloves if desired.
Form into meatballs.
Lay out on a cookie sheet.
Freeze (raw).
Once frozen, transfer to a large freezer bag.
Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

Take out as many meatballs as you need.
Meatballs can be baked and/or fried from frozen. Ensure an internal cooking temperature of 160° F is reached.
Serve (see suggestions below).

Suggestions for how to serve meatballs:

Homemade Italian Meatballs

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: meatballs

Ingredients

3/4 lb. ground beef
3/4 lb. ground pork
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
2 Tbsp. whipping cream
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 cloves garlic minced
1 Tbsp. onion finely chopped
2 tsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Place the raw meats and other ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Mix with your hands.
Form into meatballs.
Lay out on a cookie sheet.
Freeze (raw).
Once frozen, transfer to a large freezer bag.
Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

Take out as many meatballs as you need.
Meatballs can be baked and/or fried from frozen. Ensure an internal cooking temperature of 160° F is reached.
Serve.

Salsa Verde Fish Tacos (Freezer Meal)

By Sharla

If you’re looking for a fresh tasting recipe that is super easy to make, these salsa verde fish tacos certainly fit the bill. These are great for summer. Bright tasting and not too spicy, unless of course you want to add some jalapeños or serrano peppers on top!
When I first tried fish tacos at a restaurant, I was hooked. But I assumed that it would have to be one of those “only eat at restaurants” dishes because I had no idea how to make them myself. Once I realized how easy they were to make at home, I devised a few freezer friendly recipes so that I could make them ahead of time and pull them out when the craving struck rather than parting with my money at a restaurant.

The fish tacos with mango salsa are amazing, but require a bit more chopping and time. So I also devised this easy salsa verde recipe that literally takes just minutes to assemble and get in the freezer. It’s also so fast to fry up on the day you serve it.

Can this recipe be made with fish other than tilapia?

Yes! We have made this with cod, snapper, and tilapia. All are delicious. I usually decide which fish to use based on what’s on sale or what is the freshest.

Salsa Verde Fish Tacos Recipe:

Ingredients:

3-4 tilapia filets
salt and pepper
1 1/4 cup salsa verde
1/2 cup crushed pineapple
1-2 cloves garlic, minced

For serving:

hard or soft taco shells
taco toppings (see list of suggestions below)

Assembly instructions:

Place the fish in a large resealable freezer bag.
In a small mixing bowl, stir together the salsa verde, crushed pineapple, minced garlic, and seasonings.
Pour over the fish.
Remove the excess air from the bag, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw. Bake in a 350° oven for 10-12 minutes or fry in a skillet on the stovetop until it easily flakes.
Serve in taco shells with other toppings.

Fish taco topping suggestions:

lettuce
cabbage or coleslaw
diced tomatoes
sliced green onions or purple onions
mango or pineapple salsa
shredded carrots
salsa
pico de gallo
jalapeños or serrano peppers
cilantro
avocados or guacamole
Cotija cheese
black beans
corn
hot sauce
chipotle mayo
fresh lime wedges

Salsa Verde Fish Tacos

Prep Time

5 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: fish tacos, make ahead fish tacos

Ingredients

3-4 tilapia filets
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/4 cup salsa verde
1/2 cup crushed pineapple
1-2 cloves garlic minced

For serving:

hard or soft taco shells
taco toppings see list of suggestions in notes

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Place the fish in a large resealable freezer bag.
In a small mixing bowl, stir together the salsa verde, crushed pineapple, minced garlic, and seasonings.
Pour over the fish.
Remove the excess air from the bag, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw. Bake in a 350° oven for 10-12 minutes or fry in a skillet until it flakes easily.
Serve in taco shells with other toppings.

Recipe Notes

Fish taco topping suggestions:

lettuce, cabbage or coleslaw, diced tomatoes, sliced green onions or purple onions, mango or pineapple salsa, shredded carrots, salsa, pico de gallo, jalapeños or serrano, peppers, cilantro, avocados or guacamole, Cotija cheese, black beans, corn, hot sauce, chipotle mayo, fresh lime wedges

Other make ahead seafood recipes you might enjoy:

Freezer Friendly Johnny Marzetti Casserole Recipe

By Sharla

When it comes to freezer cooking, pasta dishes are always a great choice. In addition to being simple to prepare and reheat, noodle dishes are also filling and popular with everyone in the family. But the next time you’re planning your meals and looking for a simple pasta recipe to add the rotation, skip the plain spaghetti and try something new! This easy Johnny Marzetti casserole recipe is the perfect simple dinner idea that is sure to satisfy everyone in the family.

What is Johnny Marzetti Casserole?

This delicious dish is an Ohio recipe that was originally created in a Columbus restaurant owned by Italian immigrant Teresa Marzetti. The baked pasta dish, which was made with ground beef, cheese, tomato sauce, and noodles, is named after her brother-in-law, Johnny. The Marzetti Restaurant opened in the city, near The Ohio State University, in 1919 and by the 1940s, the namesake dish was a popular dinner option across the Midwest. In addition to ordering the classic pasta dish at restaurants around Ohio, many Midwesterners started whipping up this simple dish at home for their families.

Is Johnny Marzetti the Same as Goulash?

This casserole recipe has similar ingredients as goulash, which is why many people wonder if the two recipes are the same. Although the original Johnny Marzetti casserole is sometimes called American goulash, it isn’t the same as the traditional Hungarian dish.

The recipe that originated in Hungary is typically made with elbow macaroni and seasoned with paprika and other spices. Another notable difference between the two dishes is how they’re cooked. While goulash is usually prepared in a big pan on the stovetop, Johnny Marzetti is a baked casserole that is typically cooked in the oven.

Can You Freeze Johnny Marzetti Casserole?

This quick and easy recipe is so simple to freeze and reheat. All you need to do is prepare the casserole according to the recipe instructions, cover it with aluminum foil, and freeze it until you’re ready to eat. Before you start cooking, make sure to thaw the casserole, then bake it until it’s cooked through and enjoy.

How to Make Johnny Marzetti Casserole:

Ingredients:

2 cups dry penne pasta
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 lb. white mushrooms, sliced
15 oz. can diced tomatoes
15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
salt and black pepper to taste
3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Assembly instructions:

Cook the pasta according to package directions. It’s important not to overcook as the pasta will continue cooking through in the oven. Drain well and return to the pasta pot.
While the pasta cooks, brown the ground beef in a large skillet. Add the onions, minced garlic, and chopped green pepper.
Toss in the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms begin to soften.
Drain the beef mixture and return to the skillet.
Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and seasonings.
Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Pour the meat sauce over the pasta in the pasta pot and give it a stir.
Stir in half of the cheese.
Transfer to a greased 9×13 baking dish or aluminum foil tray. Cover tightly with 2 layers of aluminum foil.
Put the rest of the cheese in a medium size freezer bag. Seal and set on top of the tray and place the tray and bag in the freezer.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw. Set the bag of cheese to the side.
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Bake the casserole for 30 minutes if thawed or one hour if frozen. Remove the aluminum foil and top with the cheese from the bag. Continue baking for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Recipe Substitutions and Ideas

This delicious recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner. But that doesn’t mean you have to follow the recipe exactly! There are a few simple substitutions you can make to adjust your recipe to suit your tastes and dietary restrictions. Try making these recipe swaps to allow you to work with ingredients you already have on hand:

Use different pasta. You can easily swap out the penne pasta for a different noodle variety. Elbow macaroni noodles, rotini pasta, or egg noodles are simple substitutions you can make that won’t affect the taste or cook time of the dish.
Make it gluten free. Since this recipe uses pasta, you’ll need to make a substitution if you’re looking for a gluten free dinner idea. Use gluten free penne pasta (or any other gluten free noodle variety) instead of traditional pasta for a quick fix. Or try substituting rice for pasta for a different take on the recipe.
Use ground turkey. Lighten up the dish by swapping the ground beef with ground turkey. You’ll be able to significantly reduce the fat content of your dish without sacrificing the flavour.
Serve with a salad. Add some freshness to your freezer dinner by tossing together a quick salad while your casserole is cooking. A fresh salad is the perfect healthy side dish to go along with this hearty pasta dish.

Freezer Friendly Johnny Marzetti Casserole

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: casserole, pasta

Ingredients

2 cups penne pasta dry
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 green bell pepper seeded and diced
1 lb. white mushrooms sliced
15 oz. can diced tomatoes
15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
salt and black pepper to taste
3 cups sharp cheddar cheese grated

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Do not overcook. Drain well and return to pasta pot.
While the pasta cooks, brown the ground beef in a large skillet. Add the onions, minced garlic, and chopped green pepper.
Toss in the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms begin to soften.
Drain the beef mixture and return to the skillet.
Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and seasonings.
Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Pour the meat sauce over the pasta in the pasta pot and give it a stir.
Stir in half of the cheese.
Transfer to a greased 9x13 baking dish or aluminum foil tray. Cover tightly with 2 layers of aluminum foil.
Put the rest of the cheese in a medium size freezer bag. Seal and set on top of the tray and place the tray and bag in the freezer.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw. Set the bag of cheese to the side.
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Bake the casserole for 30 minutes if thawed or one hour if frozen. Remove the aluminum foil and top with the cheese from the bag. Continue baking for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Check out some of our other make ahead pastas: