Freezer Meals 101

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Freezer Meal Recipes

The Best Freezer Chili

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When we do our big freezer meal assembly days, we always try some new recipes and rotate through some of our favourites, but this Chili is one of the recipes that we make every single time. Because it really is the best freezer chili recipe of all time. I would venture to say that it may in fact be the best chili recipe ever.blue bowl with chunky ground beef chili topped with white sour cream. Text reads "The Very Best Freezer Chili Recipe"My neighbour Christie and I get together to do our marathon freezer meal prep sessions. I was telling her how good my chili was the first time we got together for meal assembly and I could tell that she was skeptical, but she texted me after her family tried the chili and let me know that this would be the only chili recipe we would use from now on.

I occasionally make other chilis for the freezer such as White Chicken Chili, Taco Chili, and Thick and Chunky Beef Chili, but always in addition to this one, never instead of. It’s just that good!

While I haven’t entered the recipe in a chili contest, over the years, friends and family have all asked me to share the secret to this meal and told me that it’s the best chili they’ve ever had. I often set out a Crock Pot of it for birthday parties and family gatherings. I sometimes use vegetarian Mexican Ground Round in place of the beef. The recipe is one that is almost as old as my marriage. It’s the first meal I attempted to make for my new husband. I used a cookbook we had gotten as a wedding gift. Over the years, I’ve adapted it and tweaked it and this is the result.

The Best Freezer Chili Recipe:

  • 1 1/2 lbs. browned ground beef
  • 1 onion, coarsely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 19 oz. can kidney beans with liquid
  • 14 oz. can Heinz chili style beans with liquid*
  • 28 oz. can diced tomatoes with liquid
  • 5 1/2 oz. can tomato paste
  • 1 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 2 tsp. cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. paprika
  • dash pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. maple syrup (this is my secret ingredient!)

*Note: The chili style beans can be hard to find. If your grocery store doesn’t carry them, you can substitute pinto beans instead.

Assembly instructions:

  1. Put all ingredients in a large resealable bag and squish together to combine. Remove excess air, seal and freeze.

Stovetop Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Heat in a large pot over medium heat until desired temperature is reached.
  3. Allow to simmer so that the flavours meld.

Slow Cooker Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Cook in the slow cooker on low for 3-5 hours.

This Chili recipe is one of the meals featured in our Soups and Stews Freezer Meal Plan. The Menu Plans include recipes, prep lists, shopping lists, and printable labels.

Recipe notes and suggestions:

To make this dish vegetarian/vegan, substitute Mexican Ground Round for the beef.

This chili is gluten free and dairy free.

If you want, you can top it with sour cream, shredded cheese, or cubed avocado.

Print
The Best Freezer Chili
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chili
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef browned
  • 1 onion coarsely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 19 oz. can kidney beans with liquid
  • 14 oz. can Heinz chili style beans with liquid*
  • 28 oz. can diced tomatoes with liquid
  • 5 1/2 oz. can tomato paste
  • 1 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 2 tsp. cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. paprika
  • dash pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Put all ingredients in a large resealable bag and squish together to combine. Remove excess air, seal and freeze.
Stovetop Cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Heat in a large pot over medium heat until desired temperature is reached.
  3. Allow to simmer so that the flavours meld.
Slow Cooker Cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Cook in the slow cooker on low for 3-5 hours.
Recipe Notes

The chili style beans can be hard to find. If your grocery store doesn't carry them, you can substitute pinto beans instead.

Check out some of our other make ahead chili recipes:

Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

Taco Chili Freezer Meal

Thick and Chunky Beef Chili

Scrambled Egg Bites (freezer breakfast idea)

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It’s so nice to have breakfast foods in the freezer ready to go. These scrambled egg bites are great for busy weekday mornings. You can grab them on your way out the door for work or you can heat them up for the kids before school.

muffin tin with little omelettes and a hand holding an egg bite text that reads "Scrambled Egg Bites"The other thing I really like about this particular recipe is how many variations you can make of it. You can try different combinations until you find your favourite. You can also customize them for each person in the family.

This is a great recipe to have kids help with. It’s super easy and older kids can even make them on their own. They can add in the mix ins they like best. Inviting the kids to participate in making the egg bites really allows them to explore their culinary creativity. It also makes them more likely to be willing to try new foods.

Scrambled Egg Bites Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 12 eggs
  • salt and pepper
  • whatever you want to add in such as vegetables, meat, and shredded cheese

Assembly instructions:

  1. Grease muffin tins.
  2. Break one egg into each muffin tin.*
  3. Lightly whisk each to break the yolk.
  4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  5. Drop in your choice of mix-ins.
  6. Press the mix-ins down with a fork or spoon.
  7. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes.
  8. Cool.
  9. Place in large, resealable freezer bag. Seal. Freeze.

*You can substitute egg whites if desired.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Reheat in the microwave on a paper towel or napkin. Cooking times vary depending on the microwave oven but approximately 1 1/2 to 2 minutes if frozen or 30 seconds if thawed.
  3. If you want, you can top the egg bites with salsa, some hot sauce, guacamole, or cottage cheese.

Suggestions for what to put in egg bites:

  • diced green or purple onions
  • chopped red or green pepper
  • pre-cooked deli ham
  • pre-cooked sausage
  • crumbled cooked bacon
  • cooked diced turkey
  • shredded cheese (cheddar, Gruyere, Swiss, jalapeño jack, or a blend)
  • diced jalapeños
  • spinach
  • broccoli

My husband loves the egg bites at Starbucks but finds them a bit small. Also, Starbucks is a farther drive than our freezer! He’s loving having these handy whenever he wants to grab a quick breakfast.

Print
Scrambled Egg Bites
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: egg bites, scrambled egg bites
Servings: 12
Ingredients
  • 12 eggs *You can substitute egg whites if desired.
  • salt and pepper
  • whatever you want to add in such as vegetables, meat, and shredded cheese
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Grease muffin tins.
  2. Break one egg into each muffin tin.*
  3. Lightly whisk each to break the yolk.
  4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  5. Drop in your choice of mix-ins.
  6. Press the mix-ins down with a fork or spoon.
  7. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes.
  8. Cool.
  9. Place in large, resealable freezer bag. Seal. Freeze.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.

  2. Reheat in the microwave on a paper towel or napkin. Cooking times vary depending on your microwave oven, but approximately 1 1/2 to 2 minutes if frozen or 30 seconds if thawed.

  3. If you want, you can top the egg bites with salsa, some hot sauce, guacamole, or cottage cheese.
Recipe Notes

Suggestions for what to put in egg bites:
diced green or purple onions, chopped red or green pepper, pre-cooked deli ham, pre-cooked sausage, crumbled cooked bacon, cooked diced turkey, shredded cheese (cheddar, Gruyere, Swiss, jalapeño jack, or a blend), diced jalapeños, spinach, broccoli

Check out some of our other make ahead breakfasts:

Everything Bagels Breakfast Muffins

French Toast Casserole

Pancake Mini Muffins

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup (freezer meal)

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As I write this, we are just coming out of a deep freeze in our town. It’s been six days of -40° temperatures and I can tell you that it has been a comfort soup kind of week! This homemade Chicken Noodle Soup recipe is exactly that. bag with chopped vegetables, broth, and raw chicken on top and black crock pot of noodle soup on the bottom with text "Chicken Noodle Soup freezer meal"There isn’t much more comforting whether it be on a cold day or nursing a cold than good old fashioned chicken noodle soup. If you have this made ahead and in the freezer, you can eat it whenever you need it.

Having it made as a freezer meal also makes it nice to give as a gift to someone you know who is sick or going through a hard time.

How can I spice up Chicken Noodle Soup?

If you like a bit of kick to your chicken noodle soup or just want to try something new, there are a few routes I can suggest.

  • Italian flavour twist: add seasonings such as oregano, basil, and thyme or Italian blend seasoning
  • Thai flavour twist: add some coconut milk  (1/2 cup), lime juice (1-2 Tbsp.), lemongrass, and top with fresh cilantro
  • Tex mex flavour twist: replace the carrots with cube green or red bell peppers, add a small can of diced green chilies, and top with shredded cheese when serving. You can also serve with hot sauce.

Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 stalks celery, chopped
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 tsp. parsley
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper

Day of cooking:

  • 2 cups uncooked wide egg noodles for day of cooking

Assembly instructions:

  1. Place all ingredients except for the egg noodles in a large resealable freezer bag.
  2. Remove excess air. Freeze.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw. Cook in crock pot on low for 4-5 hours.
  2. Take out chicken and cube or shred it.
  3. Put it back in the crock pot.
  4. Add the noodles.
  5. Cook another 10 minutes until noodles are tender.If you want, you can serve the soup with soda crackers and an extra sprinkle of pepper.
Print
Chicken Noodle Soup
Prep Time
5 mins
 
Course: Soup
Keyword: chicken noodle soup, soup
Ingredients
  • 2 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
  • 2 cups carrots peeled and chopped
  • 1 onion diced
  • 3 stalks celery chopped
  • 3-4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 tsp. parsley
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
Day of cooking:
  • 2 cups uncooked wide egg noodles for day of cooking
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Place all ingredients except for the egg noodles in a large resealable freezer bag.
  2. Remove excess air. Freeze.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw. Cook in crock pot on low for 4-5 hours.
  2. Take out chicken and cube or shred it.
  3. Put it back in the crock pot.
  4. Add the noodles.
  5. Cook another 10 minutes until noodles are tender.

You may also like these other make ahead soup recipes:

Vegetarian Taco Soup

Hearty Sausage and Zucchini Soup

Instant Pot Tomato Soup

Ginger Soy Salmon (freezer meal)

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This is about to become your go-to salmon recipe. Ginger Soy Salmon is easy to make as a freezer meal, yet tastes like it came from a fancy restaurant. If you’ve been nervous to try cooking salmon at home, this recipe will put your fears at ease.marinated salmon in freezer bag on top and white plate with cooked salmon, green beans, and salad on bottom with text that reads "Ginger Soy Salmon freezer meal"

When we would go out to eat, I would often order salmon because I didn’t feel that I could make it at home. It’s actually this recipe that convinced me otherwise. It tastes better than any salmon I’ve ever ordered in a restaurant.

This recipe is company worthy and no one will believe it was a freezer meal. Seafood freezer meals such as our Simple Dill Salmon, Seafood Curry, Red Curry Shrimp, Fish Tacos, and Maple Dill Salmon.

I often serve this salmon for Easter dinner. It goes perfectly for a holiday meal and has the added bonus of creating less work on that day because all you need to do is pull it out of the freezer to thaw and cook it.

The salmon marinates in the sauce as it thaws, deepening the flavours.

Ginger Soy Salmon Recipe:

  • 1 1/2 lbs. salmon fillets
  • 2/3 cup orange juice
  • 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon pepper seasoning
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp. minced ginger or ground ginger

Assembly instructions:

  1. Place the salmon fillets in a large resealable bag.
  2. Mix the orange juice and cornstarch together in a bowl.
  3. Add the other ingredients and mix.
  4. Pour over the salmon. Remove excess air and seal the bag. Freeze.

BBQ cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Preheat BBQ to medium.
  3. Create a tin foil packet for the salmon, place it inside and seal.
  4. BBQ 10-15 minutes or until it flakes fairly easily.

Oven cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Place on a baking sheet lined with tin foil and bake at 400° for about 20 minutes. Exact cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the salmon thickness. It will flake easily when done.

What can I serve Ginger Soy Salmon with?

This salmon goes beautifully with Mango Avocado Salsa. Here are some ideas for side dishes that go well with salmon:

  • wild rice
  • green beans
  • green salad with pomegranate seeds
  • broccoli
  • asparagus
  • sautéed spinach
  • edamame beans

This recipe as well as others are included in our BBQ Freezer Meal Plan. Our menu plans include shopping lists, prep lists, recipes, and printable labels.

Print
Ginger Soy Salmon
Course: Main Course
Keyword: salmon
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 lbs. salmon fillets
  • 2/3 cup orange juice
  • 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon pepper seasoning
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tsp. minced ginger or ground ginger
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Place the salmon fillets in a large resealable bag.
  2. Mix the orange juice and cornstarch together in a bowl.
  3. Add the other ingredients and mix.
  4. Pour over the salmon. Remove excess air and seal the bag. Freeze.
BBQ cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Preheat BBQ to medium.
  3. Create a tin foil packet for the salmon, place it inside and seal.
  4. BBQ 10-15 minutes or until it flakes fairly easily.
Oven cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Place on a baking sheet lined with tin foil and bake at 400° for about 20 minutes. Exact cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the salmon thickness. It will flake easily when done.

Check out these other make ahead meals:

Asian Rice Bowl

Chicken in Mango Cream Sauce

Honey Sesame Chicken Dump Recipe

Philly Chicken Sandwiches (Freezer Meal)

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These Philly Chicken Sandwiches can be cooked in the Crock Pot or Instant Pot and are an easy make ahead lunch idea. They are a nice change from the usual PB&J.

chicken and vegetables in a bag on top with shredded chicken filling and cheese on top of a bun and text that reads "Philly Chicken Sandwiches"

I find it especially helpful to have things in the freezer for the kids to take for school lunches. You can meal prep the week of lunches by cooking the filling for these sandwiches on the weekend and then putting the sandwiches together on weekdays. Then you can add in snacks from the freezer such as homemade granola bars and muffins to round out the lunch.

Philly Chicken Sandwiches Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 green pepper, sliced
  • 1 red pepper, sliced
  • 1/2 an onion, sliced
  • 2 tsp. seasoning salt
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 8 slices provolone cheese

For cooking day:

  • 8 hoagie buns

Assembly instructions:

  1. Place the slices of provolone in a medium freezer bag.
  2. Place chicken and all the other ingredients in a large resealable freezer bag.
  3. Remove excess air and seal. Staple the medium and large bags together above the seal and freeze.

Slow Cooker Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Put the ingredients from the large bag in the crock pot and cook on low for 4-5 hours.
  3. Shred the meat. Place the filling on the hoagie rolls and top each one with a slice of cheese. If you want, you can microwave or place in the oven for a short time just to melt the cheese.

Instant Pot Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Dump the contents of the large bag in the Instant Pot and seal.
  3. Cook for 12 minutes on manual and do a natural release.
  4. Shred the meat. I find it’s easiest to do this right in the Instant Pot. I use my meat masher for this.
  5. Place the filling on the hoagie rolls and top each with a slice of the Provolone.

Notes about this recipe:

You can substitute hot dog buns in place of the hoagie buns if that’s what you have on hand.

Sliced provolone is traditionally the type of cheese used on Philly Cheesesteaks but if you’d prefer, you can substitute cheddar or mozzarella.

This recipe and others are included in our Lunch Freezer Meal Plan. Each menu plan has recipes, prep lists, shopping lists, and printable labels to make meal planning simple.

Print
Philly Chicken Sandwiches
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: sandwich
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 green pepper sliced
  • 1 red pepper sliced
  • 1/2 an onion sliced
  • 2 tsp. seasoning salt
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 8 slices provolone cheese
For cooking day:
  • 8 hoagie buns
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Place the slices of provolone in a medium freezer bag.
  2. Place chicken and all the other ingredients in a large resealable freezer bag.
  3. Remove excess air and seal. Staple the medium and large bags together above the seal and freeze.
Slow Cooker instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Put the ingredients from the large bag in the crock pot and cook on low for 4-5 hours.
  3. Shred the meat. Place the filling on the hoagie rolls and top each one with a slice of cheese. If you want, you can microwave or place in the oven for a short time just to melt the cheese.
Instant Pot instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Dump the contents of the large bag in the Instant Pot and seal.
  3. Cook for 12 minutes on manual and do a natural release.

  4. Shred the meat. Do this right in the Instant Pot with a meat masher.

  5. Place the filling on the hoagie rolls and top each with a slice of the Provolone cheese.

Be sure to take a look at these other make ahead lunch ideas:

Corn Dog Mini Muffins

Beef and Bean Burritos

Make Ahead Mac and Cheese