Freezer Meal Recipes

Shrimp Stir Fry Pack for the Freezer

You’ll be so glad you have some of these shrimp stir fry freezer packs on hand for busy weeknights. Just pull one out and heat in a skillet for 8-10 minutes and dinner is served! These are so easy to make and fast to cook. These freezer meal bags make great gifts for expectant moms or those who are suffering an illness or moving.

It is just as fast to whip up two or four of these stir fry packs as it is to make one so I suggest that while you have the ingredients out, you make multiples. You can also experiment with adding different vegetables so you can find your favorite combination.

This dish is flavorful and colorful. The sauce is inspired by Asian influences and ingredients.

Shrimp Stir Fry Freezer Pack Recipe:

1 1/2 lbs. medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup zucchini, diced
1/2 cup sugar snap peas
3/4 cup carrots, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup frozen peas
14 oz. can baby corn, drained
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. oyster sauce
2 Tbsp. orange juice
1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

Place the shrimp, zucchini, carrots, onions, snap peas, peas, and baby corn in a large resealable bag. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, orange juice, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, minced garlic, sesame oil, and pepper flakes. Pour the sauce into the bag with the shrimp and vegetables.

I use frozen shrimp that is already peeled and deveined. We rinse the shrimp under cold water in the sink to separate the shrimp and wash them. Do this quickly so that they don’t thaw before we get the shrimp stir fry packs into the freezer.

On the day of cooking, take the stir fry freezer bag out to thaw. Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Next, add the bag of shrimp and veggies to the pan and stir fry for 8-10 minutes until the shrimp is pink and the vegetables are tender.

You can garnish with sliced green onions or cilantro. If you like things spicy, then you can stir in a bit of Sriracha sauce towards the end of cooking. Serve over rice.

Shrimp Stir Fry Freezer Pack Recipe

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: stir-fry

Servings: 4

Calories: 319 kcal

Ingredients

1.5 lbs medium or large shrimp peeled and deveined
1/2 cup zucchini diced
1/2 cup sugar snap peas
3/4 cup carrots peeled and sliced
1/4 cup onion diced
1/4 cup frozen peas
14 oz canned baby corn drained
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp oyster sauce
2 Tbsp orange juice
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

I use frozen shrimp that is already peeled and deveined. Rinse the shrimp under cold water in the sink to separate the shrimp and wash them. Do this quickly so that they don’t thaw before you get the shrimp stir fry packs into the freezer.
Place the shrimp, zucchini, carrots, onions, snap peas, peas, and baby corn in a large resealable bag.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, orange juice, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, minced garlic, sesame oil, and pepper flakes. Pour the sauce into the bag with the shrimp and vegetables.

Cooking Instuctions:

On the day of cooking, take the stir fry freezer bag out to thaw.
Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add the bag of shrimp and veggies to the pan and stir fry for 8-10 minutes until the shrimp is pink and the vegetables are tender.
You can garnish with sliced green onions or cilantro. If you like things spicy, you can also stir in a bit of Sriracha sauce towards the end of cooking. Serve over rice.

Check out these other freezer skillet meals:

Seafood Curry Pasta

Garlic Butter Shrimp

Make Ahead Chicken and Spinach Penne Alfredo

By Sharla

You’re going to love this make ahead chicken and spinach penne Alfredo. It is perfect for giving a friend who is moving, expecting, adopting, or going through a difficult season. It is an all in one meal that packs a flavourful punch.

I know the pictures don’t make it look like the prettiest dish ever. It’s not. But it is loaded with flavour and it is an easy meal that will soon become a family staple. The combination of the pesto and Alfredo create a unique taste. Give it a try!

Chicken and Spinach Penne Alfredo Recipe:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
410 mL jar of Alfredo sauce
2 Tbsp. pesto
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp. olive oil
1 227g bag of fresh spinach
4 cups dry penne pasta

Before assembling this freezer meal, cook and cube the chicken. I prepare many freezer meals at one time, so I find that the fastest way to cook large amounts of chicken breasts is to place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and cook them in the oven. Once they are cooked, I cube them. If you’re only making the chicken for this one recipe, you can instead cube the raw chicken and cook it in a skillet in a bit of oil on medium-high heat.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add pasta. Cook for 1 minute less than the box directions call for. This is because you want the pasta slightly undercooked so that it doesn’t become mushy after freezing and reheating. Drain the pasta.

In a skillet on the stovetop, heat the olive oil. Add the spinach and saute until wilted. Mix the Alfredo sauce, pesto, and garlic into the drained pasta.

Add the cooked, cubed chicken, pasta mixture and spinach to a large resealable freezer bag. Remove the extra air and seal before freezing.

On the day of cooking, thaw the bag before placing its contents into a greased 9×13 baking dish. Bake, covered in a preheated 350° oven for 45 minutes.

The chicken and spinach penne Alfredo has everything you need for a complete meal so you can serve it on its own or pair it with a salad and some bread.

Chicken and Spinach Penne Alfredo Recipe

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Alfredo, italian, penne, spinach

Servings: 6

Calories: 307 kcal

Ingredients

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked and cubed
410 ml jar of Alfredo sauce
2 Tbsp pesto
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp olive oil
227 g bag fresh spinach
4 cups dry penne pasta

Instructions

Cook chicken either in the oven or on the stovetop and cube it.
Cook the pasta for 1 minute less than the directions call for. This is because you want the pasta slightly undercooked so that it doesn’t become mushy after freezing and reheating. Drain the pasta.
In a skillet on the stovetop, heat the olive oil. Add the spinach and saute until wilted. Mix the Alfredo sauce, pesto, and garlic into the drained pasta.
Add the cooked, cubed chicken, pasta mixture and spinach to a large resealable freezer bag.
Remove the extra air and seal before freezing.

Cooking Instructions:

On the day of cooking, thaw the bag before placing its contents into a greased 9×13 baking dish. Bake, covered in a preheated 350° oven for 45 minutes.
The chicken, spinach, and penne Alfredo has everything you need for a complete meal. Serve it on its own or pair it with a salad and some bread.

Check out these other great casserole-style freezer meals:

Chicken and Vegetable Casserole with Crispy Onion Topping Tex Mex Pasta Bake

Apple Maple Chicken Dump Recipe

By Sharla

Dump Recipes are the fastest way to make freezer meals. It’s so easy to make many at one time. This apple maple chicken dump recipe is delicious and can be cooked in the oven or the crock-pot®. It has an interesting blend of flavors that go so well together. This recipe calls for a fair bit of garlic. We are big fans of garlic as you may notice from the fact that most of our recipes call for garlic and that a lot of them even have the word “garlic” in the title! If you aren’t a fan, just reduce the amount the recipe calls for or eliminate it altogether. Personally, I think it tastes best with this amount, but you be the judge!

Apple Maple Chicken Dump Recipe:

3-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 cloves of garlic, minced
12 1/2 oz. can frozen apple juice concentrate
3/4 cup dry white wine (you can use alcohol-free if you prefer)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tsp. pepper

If you’re new to making dump recipes, this video takes you through the process step-by-step:

To put together this freezer meal, place chicken pieces in a large resealable bag. Dump all the rest of the ingredients in the bag. Squish it to mix everything together. Remove the excess air, seal, and freeze.

On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw. You can cook it in the oven or in the slow cooker.

Oven instructions: After thawing, place the chicken and sauce in a covered casserole dish. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for one hour, uncover during the last 10 minutes.

Crock-pot instructions: Place thawed chicken and sauce into the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-5 hours.

Serve the chicken with side dishes such as rice, potatoes, vegetables, or a salad. We ate ours with roasted root vegetables (yum!) and cabbage.

Looking for more chicken dump recipes? Check out our tried and true recipes that include printable labels and shopping lists.

Apple Maple Chicken Dump Recipe

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken

Servings: 6

Calories: 313 kcal

Ingredients

3-5 chicken breasts boneless, skinless or 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 cloves garlic minced
12 1/2 oz. can frozen apple juice concentrate
3/4 cup dry white wine you can use alcohol-free if you prefer
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tsp. pepper

Instructions

To put together this freezer meal, place chicken pieces in a large resealable bag. Dump all the rest of the ingredients in the bag. Squish it to mix everything together. Remove the excess air, seal, and freeze.
On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.

Oven instructions:

After thawing, place the chicken and sauce in a covered casserole dish. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for one hour, uncover during the last 10 minutes.

Crock-pot® instructions:

Place thawed chicken and sauce into the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-5 hours.

Check out these other easy and delicious chicken freezer meals:

Lemon and Garlic Chicken Dump Recipe

Chicken and Vegetable Casserole with Crispy Onion Topping

Italian Wedding Soup Recipe

By Sharla

My kids love meatballs. I knew that they would think it was fun to have meatballs in soup. I also like to use alphabet pasta in this soup for the same reason. Between the meatballs and the alphabet pasta, I can make this Italian wedding soup recipe kid-friendly while still being healthy.

This is an easy recipe but such a great soup. Being able to make it ahead makes it even easier. As with most freezer meals, it’s just as easy to make several of these at once.

Italian Wedding Soup Recipe:

1 lb. Italian sausage, formed into meatballs and cooked
1 carrot, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp. parsley
salt, pepper to taste
1 cup small pasta like alphabet or orzo
day of cooking: 2 cups spinach, sliced or chopped

The fastest way to make the sausage meatballs in bulk if you’re using them for several recipes (such as in the delicious Sausage and Peppers recipe), is to form the balls and place them on a cookie sheet then bake in the oven. If you’re only making one recipe, you can instead fry them in a skillet.

You can use regular Italian sausage or the spicy variety depending on what your family’s spice tolerance and preferences are. We like the spicy type and the bit of kick that provides.

Place the cooked sausage meatballs, chopped carrot, seasonings, and chicken broth in a large resealable bag. Remove excess air and seal. Put 1 cup of small pasta in a medium-sized resealable bag and staple the bags together. Freeze.

On the day of cooking, take the bag of soup out of the freezer and thaw it. Remove the staples and set aside the bag of pasta. In a large pot, heat just the soup on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Bring it to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low. Add in the pasta and spinach and continue cooking for another 5 – 10 minutes until the pasta is fully cooked.

Ladle soup into bowls. If desired, you can sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese before serving.

Italian Wedding Soup

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: italian, soup, wedding

Servings: 6

Calories: 314 kcal

Ingredients

1 lb Italian sausage formed into meatballs and cooked, regular or spicy
1 carrot chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp parsley
1 cup small pasta like alphabet or orzo
1 pinch salt and pepper
2 cups sliced or chopped, for the day of cooking

Instructions

The fastest way to make the sausage meatballs is in bulk if you’re using them for several recipes. Form the balls and place them on a cookie sheet then bake in the oven. If you’re only making one recipe, you can fry them in a skillet.
Place the cooked sausage meatballs, chopped carrot, seasonings, and chicken broth in a large resealable bag.
Remove excess air and seal.
Put 1 cup of small pasta in a medium-sized resealable bag and staple the bags together. Freeze.

Cooking Instructions:

On the day of cooking, take the bag of soup out of the freezer and thaw it. Remove the staples and set aside the bag of pasta.
In a large pot, heat just the soup on the stovetop over medium-high heat and bring it to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low. Add in the pasta and spinach and continue cooking for another 5 – 10 minutes until the pasta is fully cooked.
Ladle soup into bowls. If desired, you can sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese before serving.

Check out these other kid-friendly freezer meals:

Best Ever Spaghetti Sauce

Mini Pancake Muffins

Garlic Butter Shrimp Freezer Meal

By Sharla

This Garlic Butter Shrimp freezer meal is a delicious easy recipe. The flavours are dynamite! This is my daughter Eliana’s favourite lunch dish ever.

This recipe is so versatile. I love it served over pasta with some spicy red chili flakes and grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled over top, but you can also eat it in a rice bowl or on a salad if you prefer.

I got this recipe from my friend Corrine. She had found it in a magazine and discovered that it froze well. The initial recipe had a lot of steps to it and we try to keep our freezer meals as simple to put together as possible, so we experimented and adapted and came up with this recipe. It still has the same great taste as the original, but there are much fewer steps involved in getting it ready.

For this recipe, you really want to use real butter and fresh garlic. You can save time by using jarred minced garlic, but trust me, it is worth the few extra minutes to use the fresh ingredients for this one!

Garlic Butter Shrimp Recipe:

1 lb. medium shrimp, deveined and tails removed
6-8 garlic cloves, minced
1⁄4 cup butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
Dash of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper

Using a fork or an electric beater, blend the butter, garlic, olive oil, and spices until they are thoroughly mixed. Add with shrimp into a large resealable freezer bag. Seal, lay flat and freeze.

*Note – If you use frozen uncooked shrimp, it often has the tail on. Prepare your butter mixture first, then you can remove the tails of the shrimp without them thawing by de-tailing them under cool running water and doing it quickly so that you can get it back in the freezer right away. This also helps clean the shrimp for cooking.

On the cooking day, take the bag out of the freezer and thaw. Sauté shrimp and butter sauce for 6-7 minutes over medium heat just until they turn pink. If you want to turn this into garlic butter shrimp pasta, cook 8-12 oz. of the pasta of your choice and drain, saving 1 cup of the starchy pasta water. Add the shrimp with butter sauce to the pasta. Add some or all of the reserved pasta water. Toss the ingredients together and serve.

You can throw on a bit of parsley if you like. Personally, I like to add red chili flakes and grated Parmesan or asiago cheese on mine.

You can find this garlic butter shrimp recipe along with other quick and easy meals in our Dinner in 20 Freezer Meal Plan. It includes recipes, prep lists, shopping lists, and printable labels making it easy to get dinner on the table on those busy weeknights.

Garlic Butter Shrimp

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: butter, garlic, shrimp

Servings: 4

Calories: 276 kcal

Ingredients

1 lb medium shrimp deveined and tails removed
6-8 garlic cloves minced
1/4 cup butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 dash red pepper flakes
1 dash salt
1 dash pepper

Instructions

Using a fork or an electric beater, blend the butter, garlic, olive oil, and spices until they are thoroughly mixed.
If you use frozen uncooked shrimp, it often has the tail on. Prepare your butter mixture first, then you can remove the tails of the shrimp without them thawing by de-tailing them under cool running water and doing it quickly so that you can get it back in the freezer right away.
Add shrimp into a large resealable freezer bag. Seal, lay flat and freeze.

Meal Prepatation:

Take the bag out of the freezer and thaw. Sauté shrimp and butter sauce for 6-7 minutes over medium heat just until they turn pink.

Options:

If you want to turn this into garlic butter shrimp pasta, cook 8-12 oz. of the pasta of your choice and drain, saving 1 cup of the starchy pasta water. Add the shrimp with butter sauce to the pasta. Add some or all of the reserved pasta water. Toss the ingredients together and serve.

Here are some other fast weeknight recipes for you to try:

Best Ever Freezer Spaghetti Sauce

Lemon Garlic Chicken Dump Recipe