Freezer Meal Recipes

Mongolian Beef Skillet Freezer Meal

If you’re a fan of Mongolian beef, you’re going to love how easy it is to make from scratch. This Mongolian Beef freezer meal recipe is as delicious as it is simple.This easy make ahead Mongolian beef is so fast to assemble and almost just as fast to cook up. There’s no need to order from an Asian restaurant when you can just pull this out of the freezer and have it at home!

We love asian flavours so they often make their way into our freezer meals such as in our Easy Kung Pao Chicken, Asian Rice Bowl, and Ginger Soy Salmon, and Asian Meatballs.

Time saving tips:

I use the squeeze tubes of ginger because it still has that fresh taste but saves me having to grate the ginger myself.
Purchase the beef strips pre-sliced.
If you slice the steak yourself, putting it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes right before slicing makes it easier to cut.

Can you freeze Mongolian Beef?

Yes! You can absolutely freeze Mongolian beef. In fact, this recipe is designed for just that, although you can also eat this straight away if you prefer. You can double or triple the recipe to freeze several dinners at a time. Then, just pull out a bag on the day you have a craving for Asian take-out and instead, quickly cook up your own!

Mongolian Beef Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. package beef strips*
1/2 tsp. ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup carrots, cut into tiny matchsticks
2 green onions, sliced

For the day of cooking:

1/3 cup cornstarch

Assembly instructions:

Peel the carrots and cut them into matchsticks.
Slice the green onions.
Add the beef strips to a large resealable freezer bag.
Toss in the ginger, minced garlic, soy sauce, water, brown sugar, carrots, and green onions to the bag.
Squish to combine.
Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Skillet cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Heat in skillet.
Whisk 1/3 cup cornstarch into the sauce as it cooks.
Cook until beef is cooked. This will be quick, 3-5 minutes.
Serve over rice. Sprinkle with some sliced green onions if you like.

*If you can’t find the beef cut into strips already, you can ask the butcher at your grocer to slice some flank steak for you or you can slice it yourself against the grain. You can substitute sirloin steak for flank steak if you prefer.

What to serve with Mongolian beef:

Rice is a natural choice to serve under or beside the Mongolian beef to soak up some of that delicious sauce. White rice, jasmine rice, sticky rice, or any rice will do. You can also add a side veggie.

Here are some suggestions for great side dishes for this meal:

Mongolian Beef

Prep Time

8 mins

Cook Time

5 mins

Course: Main Course

Keyword: beef, Mongolian

Servings: 6

Calories: 268 kcal

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb. package beef strips*
1/2 tsp. ginger
4 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar packed
1/4 cup carrots cut into matchsticks
2 green onions sliced

For the day of cooking:

1/3 cup cornstarch

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Peel the carrots and cut into small matchsticks.
Slice the green onions.
Add the beef strips to a large resealable freezer bag.
Toss in the ginger, minced garlic, soy sauce, water, brown sugar, carrots, and green onions to the bag.
Squish to combine.
Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Skillet cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Heat in skillet over medium.
Whisk 1/3 cup cornstarch into the sauce as it cooks.
Cook until beef is cooked. (about 5 minutes)
Serve over rice. Sprinkle with some sliced green onions

Recipe Notes

*If you can't find the beef cut into strips already, you can ask the butcher at your grocer to slice some flank steak for you or you can slice it yourself against the grain. You can substitute sirloin steak for flank steak if you prefer.

Check out these other Asian inspired freezer meals:

Easiest Kung Pao Chicken Asian Rice Bowl

Asian Beef Noodle Soup for the Instant Pot

Vegan Chili (Freezer Meal)

By Sharla

Whether your diet is entirely plant based or you are just looking for an occasional meatless dish, you’ll appreciate this vegan chili recipe. It can be made ahead as a freezer meal.

This recipe combines three different beans, giving it lots of protein. It has a bit of a kick with the jalapeños and southwestern seasoning.

The medley of beans makes this vegetarian chili a hearty and filling meal.

Vegan Chili Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup black beans
1 cup kidney beans
1 cup pinto beans
1 onion, diced
2 jalapeños, diced (deseed if you don’t like spicy food)
4 cloves garlic, smashed and sliced
2-3 Tbsp. southwestern seasoning
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
3-4 cups vegetable broth or water
32 oz. can diced tomatoes

Note: if desired, you can soak the beans overnight before assembling this recipe.

Assembly Instructions:

Rinse the beans and combine them in a large stockpot. Cover with water and bring to a boil on the stovetop over high heat.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer the beans for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until beans are tender.
Drain and rinse the beans.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Place cooled cooked beans in a large resealable freezer bag. Add diced onion, diced jalapeños, garlic, seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, vegetable broth or water, and diced tomatoes.
Squish the bag to combine. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking Instructions:

Thaw.
Place in a large stovetop pot. Heat on medium-high and bring to a boil.
Reduce to medium-low and cover, simmering for 1 hour until all liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally.

You might be interested in some of our other vegetarian freezer meals:

Vegan Chili

Course: Main Course

Keyword: chili, vegan

Servings: 4

Calories: 320 kcal

Ingredients

1 cup black beans
1 cup kidney beans
1 cup pinto beans
1 onion diced
2 jalapeños diced (deseed if you don't like spicy food)
4 cloves garlic smashed and sliced
2-3 Tbsp. southwestern seasoning
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
3-4 cups vegetable broth or water
32 oz. can diced tomatoes

Instructions

Assembly Instructions:

Rinse the beans and combine them in a large stockpot. Cover with water and bring to a boil on the stovetop over high heat.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer the beans for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until beans are tender.
Drain and rinse the beans.
Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Place cooled cooked beans in a large resealable freezer bag. Add diced onion, diced jalapeños, garlic, seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, vegetable broth or water, and diced tomatoes.
Squish the bag to combine. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking Instructions:

Thaw.
Place in a large stovetop pot. Heat on medium-high and bring to a boil.
Reduce to medium-low and cover, simmering for 1 hour until all liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally.

Recipe Notes

Note: if desired, you can soak the beans overnight before assembling this recipe.

Make-Ahead Cranberry Sauce

By Sharla

The holidays are such a busy time. Anything you can cross off your list by doing it ahead of time will take some of the stress out of things. This cranberry sauce can be made weeks or months ahead to serve at your holiday meal.

Now you are of course welcome to just open up a can of cranberry sauce, but this is one side dish where you can taste the difference between store-bought and homemade. And it’s so worth the extra effort to make homemade cranberry sauce.

Using just 4 ingredients, you can make your own cranberry sauce and freeze it until you’re ready to use it.

This freezes well for up to 3-6 months. Imagine making this one afternoon in late summer and knowing that you have one of your holiday side dishes already made and ready to go!

Make-Ahead Cranberry Sauce Recipe:

Ingredients:

12 oz. bag cranberries
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup apple cider

Assembly instructions:

Add cranberries, sugar, water, and cider to a stovetop pot and heat on medium heat.
Bring the mixture to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes. Continue stirring regularly until the cranberries fall apart and the mixture reduces to a thick, chunky sauce.
Cool to room temperature.
Pour into a medium-sized resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Serving instructions:

Thaw.
Transfer to a bowl and serve with your turkey, pork, ham, or chicken.

Ways to use any leftover cranberry sauce:

Glaze meats.
Spread it on toast or bagels like jam.
Pour over cream cheese or brie and serve with crackers.
Heat up and pour over cakes.
Bake into fruit muffins.
Combine with bbq sauce over chicken wings.
Mix it into oatmeal.
Spread on the bread or a croissant for a delicious turkey and brie sandwich.
Make these tasty cranberry-brie bites as an appetizer.

Check out these other make-ahead side dishes for your holiday meal:

Make Ahead Cranberry Sauce

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cranberry sauce, holiday meal

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 124 kcal

Ingredients

12 oz. bag cranberries
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup apple cider

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Add cranberries, sugar, water, and cider to a stovetop pot and heat on medium.
Bring the mixture to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes. Continue stirring regularly until the cranberries fall apart and the mixture reduces to a thick, chunky sauce.
Cool to room temperature.
Pour into a medium-sized resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Serving instructions:

Thaw.
Transfer to a bowl and serve with your turkey, pork, ham, or chicken.

Ranch Chicken Tenders (Make Ahead Freezer Meal)

By Sharla

There is no need to buy frozen chicken tenders from the store when you have homemade ones right in your freezer ready to cook when you need them. These baked Ranch Chicken Tenders are easy to make ahead and taste so much better than the ones you’ll find in the frozen food aisle.

It’s nice to know what ingredients are in your chicken tenders. You’ll feel confident feeding these to your kids without any hidden fillers. With just 5 ingredients, this is as straightforward as it gets.

And chicken tenders aren’t just for kids. These babies are crispy on the outside yet tender on the inside making the kid inside all of us happy!

Ranch Chicken Tenders Recipe:

Ingredients needed:

3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cut into strips
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp. dry Ranch seasoning
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs

Assembly instructions:

Start by cutting the chicken into strips. You want to cut against the grain.
Next, beat the eggs in a small bowl with a fork.
Stir the ranch seasoning into the flour in a medium bowl.
Dredge the chicken strips in the beaten eggs, then in the flour mixture, back into the eggs, and finally, in the breadcrumbs.
Place the breaded chicken in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and set the tray flat in the freezer.
Leave for several hours or overnight and then transfer the strips to a large resealable freezer bag.
Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking Instructions:

Thaw.
Preheat oven to 375°.
Place the breaded chicken tenders on a greased cookie sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes, flipping at the halfway point. Be sure that the chicken has an internal temperature of 165° (use a meat thermometer to check).

By freezing the chicken flat on a cookie sheet first before putting them in a bag, you ensure that they don’t stick together. This also enables you to take just a few pieces out at a time to cook as needed.

Serve with Ranch dressing, honey mustard, or plum sauce for dipping.

Variations:

Sprinkle some shredded Parmesan cheese into your breadcrumb mixture.

Use Panko breadcrumbs mixed with the regular breadcrumbs (about half and half). This will increase crunch and texture. Add a minute or so of extra baking time.

If you want to make the chicken tenders more golden, spray with cooking oil and set the oven to 450° or broil for the last 2 minutes of the cooking time.

What should I serve with baked chicken tenders?

french fries
sweet potato fries
zucchini fries (are you noticing a theme here?!)
oven-roasted potatoes
buttermilk biscuits
coleslaw

Check out these other kid-friendly foods for your freezer:

Corn Dog Mini Muffins (great for school lunches or snacks)
English Muffin Pizzas
Ham and Cheese Roll-Ups
Beef and Bean Burritos (great for after school!)

Find more make-ahead lunch recipes along with printable shopping lists and labels in our Lunch Freezer Meal Plan.

Ranch Chicken Tenders

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken, chicken strips

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 291 kcal

Ingredients

3 chicken breasts boneless and skinless, cut into strips
2 eggs beaten
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp. dry Ranch seasoning
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Slice the chicken into strips.
Beat the eggs in a small bowl.
Stir the ranch seasoning into the flour in a medium bowl.
Dredge the chicken strips in the beaten eggs, then in the flour mixture, back into the eggs, and finally, in the breadcrumbs.
Place the breaded chicken in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and set into the freezer.
Leave for several hours or overnight and then transfer the strips to a large resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking Instructions:

Thaw.
Preheat oven to 375°.
Place the breaded chicken tenders on a greased cookie sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes, flipping at the halfway point. Be sure that the chicken has an internal temperature of 165° (use a meat thermometer to check).

Recipe Notes

Tip: If you want to make the chicken tenders more golden, spray with cooking oil and set the oven to 450° or broil for the last 2 minutes of the cooking time.

Turkey Meatloaf (freezer meal)

By Sharla

If you’re looking for a new family-friendly recipe to add to your kitchen arsenal, try this moist turkey meatloaf freezer meal. It can be made ahead as a freezer meal which means getting dinner on the table quickly.

We sometimes change things up with turkey such as our turkey sloppy joes. Using ground turkey in your meatloaf creates a healthier version than using ground beef. This recipe uses a variety of spices that give it a nice Italian flavor.

Turkey meatloaf variations:

Add finely chopped mushrooms to add more moisture to the loaf.
Sneak in some finely chopped veggies such as bell peppers or spinach.
Wrap your meatloaf in bacon before cooking. Add a bit of cooking time to account for the extra fat.
Shape the turkey mixture into meatballs instead of meatloaf and bake the turkey meatballs on a baking sheet.
Make this recipe into meatloaf muffins.

Turkey Meatloaf Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground turkey
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. minced onion
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1-1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1-1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 large eggs at room temperature
1/4 cup skim milk
3/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

Sauce ingredients:

2/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1-1/2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

Assembly instructions:

In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, seasonings, and Worcestershire sauce.
Add the bread crumbs, milk, and eggs.
Mix with your hands until all ingredients are combined.
Scoop the meatloaf mixture into a greased loaf pan OR shape the mixture into a loaf shape.
Place the loaf pan or the loaf shape into a large resealable plastic freezer bag. Remove the excess air.
Whisk together the sauce ingredients and place them in a medium resealable freezer bag. Seal. Staple it onto the meatloaf bag and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Preheat oven to 350°.
If your mixture is not yet in a pan, coat a loaf pan with cooking spray and pat the mixture into it.
Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes.
Remove the meatloaf from the oven.
Pour the glaze on top and place it back in the oven for 10 additional minutes.
Garnish with chopped green onion if desired.
Slice and serve.

This may just be the recipe that converts you into a ground turkey fan!

Turkey Meatloaf

Course: Main Course

Keyword: meatloaf, turkey

Servings: 8 people

Calories: 305 kcal

Ingredients

2 lbs. ground turkey
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. minced onion
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1-1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1-1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 large eggs at room temperature
1/4 cup skim milk
3/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

Sauce ingredients:

2/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup dark brown sugar packed
1-1/2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, seasonings, and Worcestershire sauce.
Add the bread crumbs, milk, and eggs.
Mix with your hands until all ingredients are well combined.
Scoop the meatloaf mixture into a greased loaf pan OR shape the mixture into a loaf shape.
Place the loaf pan or the loaf shape into a large resealable plastic freezer bag. Remove the excess air.
Whisk together the sauce ingredients and place in a medium resealable freezer bag. Seal. Staple it into the meatloaf bag and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Preheat oven to 350°.
If your mixture is not yet in a pan, coat a loaf pan with cooking spray and pat the mixture into it.
Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes.
Remove the meatloaf from the oven.
Pour the glaze on top and place back in the oven for 10 additional minutes.
Garnish with chopped green onion if desired.
Slice and serve.

Check out some of these other kid-friendly freezer meals:

Instant Pot Turkey Sloppy Joes
Meatloaf Muffins

Beef and Bean Burritos