Freezer Meal Recipes

Lemon Garlic Chicken Dump Recipe

Supper doesn’t get easier than this Lemon Garlic Chicken Dump recipe. It’s a quick make-ahead meal that can be cooked in the slow cooker.

Dump recipes are probably my favorite type of freezer meal to make. You can easily make ten meals in half an hour to an hour using the dump recipe method. Watch this video with complete step-by-step instructions on how to save time by making dump meals:

The dump recipe method is basically using only one protein or main ingredient, setting up all of your resealable bags on the counter, filling them with that main ingredient, then dumping the other ingredients called for in the recipes into each bag.

Lemon Garlic Chicken Dump Recipe:

3-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. pepper

Since this is a dump recipe, it is just as easy to make lots of these as it is to make one. Begin by opening a large resealable bag (or as many bags as the number of meals you are going to make) and adding the chicken.

Dump the other ingredients into the bag. Remove the excess air from the bag, seal, lay flat, and freeze.

On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 45-55 minutes or in the crockpot on low for 4-6 hours.

If desired, you can sprinkle some parsley on top. Serve with rice or potatoes and your choice of veggies. This meal is one of the many simple, yet delicious recipes included in my Chicken Dump Recipes cookbook.

Check out these other Dump Meal Recipes:

BBQ Shredded Chicken in the Crock Pot

Freezer to Crock Pot Beef Stew

Lemon Garlic Chicken Dump Recipe

The dump recipe method is basically using only one protein or main ingredient, setting up all of your resealable bags on the counter, filling them with that main ingredients and then dumping the other ingredients called for in the recipes into each bag.

Servings: 6

Calories: 271 kcal

Ingredients

3-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. pepper

Instructions

Begin by opening a large resealable bag and adding the chicken.
Dump the other ingredients into the bag.
Remove the excess air from the bag, seal, lay flat, and freeze.
On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 45-55 minutes or in the crock pot on low for 4-6 hours.
Serve with rice or potatoes and your choice of veggies.

Butternut Squash Freezer Meal Side Dish

By Sharla

One of the things I get asked about a lot about side dishes to go along with some of our other freezer meal recipes. Many of our freezer meal recipes include everything needed for a meal, but some of them such as the meat and marinade types need to be served with a side dish. Something I have started doing more and more lately is making side dishes that freeze such as this butternut squash recipe.

Having side dishes in the freezer as well allows me to pull out a main and a side dish together and have supper completely done ahead.

Butternut Squash Freezer Side Dish Recipe:

3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 cup sweet or purple onion, finely minced
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

I have a little trick for making butternut squash easier to peel and cube. I put the entire squash including the skin into the microwave for a minute or two. This softens it just enough to make peeling and cubing simpler.

Place the chunks of butternut squash into a medium-sized resealable freezer bag. There are two options for assembling this side dish. If you want the Parmesan and breadcrumbs as a topping, you can place the other ingredients into a separate medium-sized freezer bag and staple the bags together. Otherwise, you can place all the ingredients into one bag. Remove the excess air from the bag(s), seal, and freeze.

On the day of cooking, thaw. If you made it all in one bag, place the bag contents into a small, greased oven-safe cooking dish and mix. Bake, covered at 350° for one hour.

If it is in two bags, place the butternut squash in a small, greased baking dish and top with the topping from the other bag. Cover and bake at 350° for one hour.

I was so relieved to have several of these side dishes in the freezer at Thanksgiving. There is so much to do that day and so many things to cook. Having something to pull out that’s ready to cook made it so much easier.

Of course, I pulled out several bags so that there would be enough to feed our family and some extended family gathering together that day. This side dish would be great for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or any other group meal.

Butternut Squash Freezer Side Dish

Servings: 6

Calories: 133 kcal

Ingredients

3 cups Butternut Squash
2 tbsp Mayonaise
3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/3 cup Panko crumbs
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 cup Onion, Sweet or Purple

Instructions

Put the entire squash including the skin into the microwave for a minute or two. This softens it just enough to make peeling and cubing simpler.
Place the chunks of butternut squash into a medium-sized resealable freezer bag. There are two options for assembling this side dish. If you want the Parmesan and breadcrumbs as a topping, you can place the other ingredients into a separate medium-sized freezer bag and staple the bags together. Otherwise, you can place all the ingredients into one bag. Remove the excess air from the bag(s), seal, and freeze.
On the day of cooking, thaw. If you made it all in one bag, place the bag contents into a small, greased oven-safe cooking dish and mix. Bake, covered at 350° for one hour.
If it is in two bags, place the butternut squash in a small, greased baking dish and top with the topping from the other bag. Cover and bake at 350° for one hour.

Freezer to Crock Pot Beef Stew Recipe

By Sharla

Some meals just have that home-cooked, hearty comfort food feel to them. This freezer to crock pot beef stew recipe is one of those meals. It’s an easy weeknight family meal.

This beef stew is a great one-dish meal full of chunky vegetables. It is especially nice to have on a cold winter’s night. There is just something about a soup or stew that brings that warm comfortable feeling.

Freezer to Crock Pot Beef Stew Recipe:

2 lbs. stew meat, cubed
1 cup onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup celery, diced
2 cups beef broth
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce*
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. pepper
dash salt

*Be sure to use gluten-free Worcestershire sauce if you are wanting to make this stew gluten-free.

Before putting together this freezer meal, chop the onions, peel and dice the carrots, peel and cube the sweet potato, and dice the celery so that everything is ready to toss into the bag. I like to make the veggies in bigger chunks than what I would do for a soup, but this is a preference thing. Feel free to cut them in the size that works best for you.

To assemble this crockpot beef stew recipe, dump the beef stew meat into a large resealable bag and then add the other ingredients. Remove the excess air from the bag, seal, and freeze.

On the day of cooking, take the meal out of the freezer to thaw. Cook in the slow cooker for 5-7 hours on low.

You can serve this slow cooker beef stew with buns or on its own.

This crockpot beef stew recipe is one of the recipes included in our popular Beef Dump Recipes book.

Crockpot Beef Stew

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beef, crockpot, stew

Servings: 4

Calories: 481 kcal

Ingredients

2 lbs stew meat cubed
1 cup onions chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
3 carrots peeled and diced
2 cups sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
1/2 cup celery diced
2 cups beef broth
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp pepper
1 dash salt

Instructions

Chop the onions, peel and dice the carrots, peel and cube the sweet potato, and dice the celery so that everything is ready to toss into the bag.
Dump the beef stew meat into a large resealable bag before adding the other ingredients. Remove the excess air from the bag, seal, and freeze.

Meal Preparation:

On the day of cooking, take the meal out of the freezer to thaw.
Cook in the slow cooker for 5-7 hours on low.
You can serve this slow cooker beef stew with buns or on its own.

You may also like these freezer meal recipes:

BBQ Shredded Chicken in the Crock Pot

Tex Mex Pasta Bake Freezer Meal

Instant Pot Butter Chicken Freezer Meal

By Sharla

There’s no need to go to an Indian restaurant when you can make this Instant Pot butter chicken recipe at home. It tastes just as good as the ones you’d find there. The best part is that it’s a freezer meal. It can be made ahead, saving time.

Most of our family loves ethnic food, but our oldest daughter doesn’t. Butter chicken is the exception. She loves butter chicken and so do the rest of us. Making butter chicken used to take at least an hour. With this Instant Pot butter chicken freezer meal, it is less than half the cooking time.

Instant Pot Butter Chicken

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, coarsely cubed
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 tsp. minced ginger plus 2 tsp. minced ginger
7 cloves garlic, minced, divided
1 Tbsp. lime juice
3 tsp. garam masala, divided
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. cayenne powder
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. corn starch

To assemble the freezer meal, place the cubed chicken in a large resealable bag. Mix together the yogurt, 2 tsp. of the ginger, 4 cloves of minced garlic, lime juice, and 2 tsp. of the garam masala in a bowl and pour over the chicken. Remove the excess air and seal the bag.

In another bowl, mix together crushed tomatoes, 2 tsp. of the ginger, 3 cloves of minced garlic, salt, 1 tsp. of the garam masala, cumin, ground coriander, and cayenne pepper and place the mixture in a medium sized resealable freezer bag. Remove the excess air and seal.

Staple the medium bag to the large bag and freeze.On the day of cooking, take the freezer meal out to thaw. Set the Instant Pot to sauté. Add in 2 Tbsp. olive oil and 2 Tbsp. of butter. Add the chicken in batches, setting on a plate once browned.

Put 1/2 cup of water in the Instant Pot, scrape the sides and bottom and turn it off. Pour in the sauce from the medium bag and add the chicken back. Lock the cover and seal the steam nozzle. Set it to high pressure and cook for 5 minutes with a 10-minute natural release.

The sauce will be a bit runny. In a small bowl, mix together 1 Tbsp. of water with 1 Tbsp. of cornstarch and stir into the sauce.

If desired, sprinkle with parsley or cilantro. Serve with Naan bread or over Basmati rice.

I think that you will enjoy this Instant Pot butter chicken. This simple recipe is included in our Instant Pot Freezer Meal Plan along with other recipes, prep lists, shopping lists, and printable labels. You may also be interested in these recipes:

Tikka Masala Instant Pot Freezer Meal

Instant Pot Butter Chicken Freezer Meal

There's no need to go to an Indian restaurant when you can make this Instant Pot butter chicken recipe at home. It tastes just as good as the ones you'd find there. The best part is that it's a freezer meal. It can be made ahead, saving time.

Servings: 8

Calories: 229 kcal

Ingredients

2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs, coarsely cubed
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 tsp. minced ginger plus 2 tsp. minced ginger
7 cloves garlic minced, divided
1 Tbsp. lime juice
3 tsp. garam masala divided
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. cayenne powder
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. corn starch

Instructions

To assemble the freezer meal, place the cubed chicken in a large resealable bag.
Mix together the yogurt, 2 tsp. of the ginger, 4 cloves of minced garlic, lime juice, and 2 tsp. of the garam masala in a bowl and pour over the chicken.
Remove the excess air and seal the bag.
In another bowl, mix together crushed tomatoes, 2 tsp. of the ginger, 3 cloves of minced garlic, salt, 1 tsp. of the garam masala, cumin, ground coriander, and cayenne pepper and place the mixture in a medium sized resealable freezer bag.
Remove the excess air and seal.
Staple the medium bag to the large bag and freeze.
On the day of cooking, take the freezer meal out to thaw.
Set the Instant Pot to sauté.
Add in 2 Tbsp. olive oil and 2 Tbsp. of butter.
Add the chicken in batches, setting on a plate once browned.
Put 1/2 cup of water in the Instant Pot, scrape the sides and bottom and turn it off.
Pour in the sauce from the medium bag and add the chicken back.
Lock the cover and seal the steam nozzle.
Set it to high pressure and cook for 5 minutes with a 10-minute natural release.

Recipe Notes

The sauce will be a bit runny. In a small bowl, mix together 1 Tbsp. of water with 1 Tbsp. of cornstarch and stir into the sauce. If desired, sprinkle with parsley or cilantro. Serve with Naan bread or over Basmati rice.

Freezer Corn Chowder with Bacon

By Sharla

This freezer corn chowder recipe is one that you are going to thank me for sharing. I haven’t met anyone yet who doesn’t like it. It is hearty which makes it perfect for a cold day. It stretches far if you pair it with salad or buns. And it has bacon. That right there pretty much seals the deal!

When I make this soup, I quadruple it and divide it into four large resealable freezer bags. There is pretty much never a time when I don’t have this in my freezer. I pull it out for unexpected company, for lunches, as a starter or side dish, or as a full dinner if I serve bread or buns with it.As I type this, we are in the mountains on our annual family ski trip. I brought freezer meals with us because the condo we rent has a kitchen and when you travel with this many kids, it’s not realistic to eat in restaurants. I chose meals to bring that were hearty, delicious and easy to reheat. When my kids come in off the ski hill, they are HUNGRY!

This time, the freezer meals I brought with us were chili, turkey noodle soup made from holiday leftovers, tortellini soup, and corn chowder. When I told the kids today that we were having corn chowder for supper tonight, there were cheers. It’s that good!

What the kids don’t realize is that this recipe is so easy to make. Whenever I serve this soup when we have guests over, they ask for the recipe and then can’t believe how simple it is.

Corn Chowder with Bacon Recipe:

1/2 an onion, chopped
15 oz. can sweet corn (or you can use 15 oz. of frozen kernel corn)
15 oz. can cream corn
12 oz. can evaporated milk
10 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups chicken broth
2 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

To prep everything for this recipe, all you need to do is chop the onion and cook and crumble the bacon. You can cook the bacon however you prefer to cook it, whether that be in the microwave, in the oven or on the stovetop in a skillet. I would probably use the microwave if I were only making one of this recipe (which I’ve never done since I always make at least four of these at a time), but to make more, I use the skillet or oven.

Once your onion and bacon are prepped, stir everything together in a large bowl. Put a large resealable freezer bag into a juice jug and fold it over the top. This will hold the bag open for you as you pour the soup in. Pour the soup into the bag, take the bag out of the jug, remove the extra air, seal it and freeze.On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw and heat on stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave. If you prefer, you can also heat the soup in the slow cooker on low for 2-3 hours.

Can you freeze corn chowder?

This corn chowder with bacon recipe freezes so well. It makes an excellent freezer meal. Corn chowders that contain milk will not freeze well. If you use evaporated milk or heavy cream in the chowder recipe, then it should freeze beautifully.

In short, the answer as to whether or not corn chowder can be frozen depends on the ingredients included.

You may also be interested in these recipes that can also go from the freezer to the crock pot:

BBQ Shredded Chicken with Garlic Mayo Ground Beef Stroganoff

Corn Chowder with Bacon Recipe

Servings: 4

Calories: 487 kcal

Ingredients

1/2 an onion chopped
15 oz. can sweet corn or you can use 15 oz. of frozen kernel corn
15 oz. can cream corn
12 oz. can evaporated milk
10 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups chicken broth
2 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled

Instructions

To prep everything for this recipe, all you need to do is chop the onion and cook and crumble the bacon.
Once your onion and bacon are prepped, stir everything together in a large bowl.
Put a large resealable freezer bag into a juice jug and fold it over the top. This will hold the bag open for you as you pour the soup in.
Pour the soup into the bag, take the bag out of the jug, remove the extra air, seal it and freeze.
On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw and heat on stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave. If you prefer, you can also heat the soup in the slow cooker on low for 2-3 hours.