Freezer Meal Side Dishes

The holidays are a busy time. Less time spent in the kitchen on those special occasions is definitely a win for everyone! This make ahead stuffing is one way to reduce your workload and be able to actually enjoy visiting with your company.

The more you can do ahead, the less stress there is on the day of. Whether you call this dressing or stuffing, it’s one thing you’ll be able to cross off your to-do list. 

When you pair this with our make ahead garlic mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn casserole, you can make most of your holiday meal ahead of the big day.

Make Ahead Freezer Stuffing Recipe:

• half a loaf of white bread, sliced (approx. 8-10 slices)
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 Tbsp. butter
• salt and pepper, divided
• 3/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
• 1/2 cup chicken broth/turkey broth

1. Lay out bread slices the night before, so they dry out slightly.
2. Cube bread into half inch cubes and place in a large bowl.
3. In a large skillet, melt butter and sauté onion and celery over medium heat until just starting to soften, approx. 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Pour onion mixture into bread. Gently combine onion mixture and bread cubes.
5. In small sessions, pausing to gently mix, sprinkle poultry seasoning and more salt and pepper evenly throughout the bread and onion mixture.
6. Again, pausing to gently mix, slowly add chicken broth.
7. Place mixture in buttered 8×8 foil pan and top with plastic wrap and foil. Freeze. Alternatively, the mixture can be placed in a large freezer bag.
8. Gently remove excess air without flattening bread cubes. Seal and freeze.

1. Thaw.
2. Remove plastic wrap, and cover with foil.
3. Place in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Serve with or without gravy.This stuffing is perfect for Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas dinner, Easter, or just a nice family sit down meal. It goes well with:

• turkey
• mashed potatoes
• sweet potato casserole
• cauliflower
• cranberry sauce
• gravy
• garden salad

• If your turkey is in the oven at 325°, the stuffing can also go in at that temperature, but increase the cooking time to 60 minutes.
• If you want to stuff your turkey with this stuffing, omit the chicken broth. Follow directions for cooking a stuffed bird.

Variations to this freezer stuffing:

• If you’re allergic to celery like I am, you can substitute roughly chopped water chestnuts. 
• Dry the bread cubes on a tray in a 200° oven for one hour instead of leaving them out overnight. 
• Use a combination of white or French bread and dark rye bread for a nice colour and flavour contrast.

Can you make stuffing ahead of time?

Yes! You can either make stuffing the night before and put in the fridge overnight and cook the day of serving or you can make it as directed above and keep in the freezer for weeks or months ahead.

Can you freeze stuffing?

You can freeze stuffing or dressing. It tastes best if it’s frozen before cooking and then thawed and baked. This stuffing will keep in the freezer for up to three months.

This makes it just what you need to make before the holiday season gets busy. This make ahead dressing for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter makes those days easier.

Can you freeze leftover stuffing?

You can freeze leftover stuffing. Allow it to fully cool before storing in a freezer bag or airtight container. Be sure to remove excess air before freezing.

We made this stuffing along with many other make ahead holiday side dishes in the video below:

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Make Ahead Freezer Stuffing

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

 

Course: Side Dish

Keyword: stuffing

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• half loaf white bread sliced (approx. 8-10 slices)
• 1/2 onion diced
• 2 stalks celery chopped
• 3 Tbsp. butter
• salt and pepper divided
• 3/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
• 1/2 cup chicken broth/turkey broth

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

1. Lay out bread slices the night before so they dry out slightly.

2. Cube bread into half inch cubes and place in a large bowl.

3. In a large skillet, sauté onion and celery in butter over medium heat until just starting to soften, approx. 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Pour onion mixture into bread. Gently combine onion mixture and bread cubes.
5. In small sessions, pausing to gently mix, sprinkle poultry seasoning and more salt and pepper evenly throughout the bread and onion mixture.
6. Again, pausing to gently mix, slowly add chicken broth.
7. Place mixture in buttered 8x8 foil pan and top with plastic wrap and foil. Freeze. Alternatively, the mixture can be placed in a large freezer bag.
8. Gently remove excess air without flattening bread cubes. Seal and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

1. Thaw.
2. Remove plastic wrap, and cover with foil.

3. Cook at 350° for 45 minutes.

Mashed potatoes are a classic side dish that everyone in the family is sure to love. That means they’re perfect for freezer cooking! And since you can easily freeze mashed potatoes, it’s a great idea to cook a big batch and toss them in the freezer so they’re ready for your next busy weeknight dinner.

With this flavourful recipe for garlic mashed potatoes, you’re going to want to reheat this make ahead side dish for dinner every night!

Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Ingredients:

• 12 large potatoes, cubed or peeled and cubed
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped
• chives or parsley
• salt, pepper to taste

Assembly instructions:

1. Cook the potatoes until they’re soft.
2. Mash the softened potatoes, adding butter in bits as you mash.
3. Stir in the sour cream, garlic cloves, chives, salt and pepper.
4. Allow the mashed potatoes to cool, then scoop the potatoes into a freezer bag.
5. Flatten the bag and store it in the freezer until ready to eat.

Cooking instructions:

1. Thaw the potatoes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350° and grease a casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Transfer the ingredients to the dish and cook until heated through, around 20 minutes. 

(Find slow cooker and stovetop cooking instructions below.)

Can You Freeze Mashed Potatoes?

Freezing mashed potatoes is so easy, which means they make a great side for freezer cooking. Just prepare your favourite mashed potato recipe, then allow the potatoes to cool completely. After that, transfer the cooked and cooled potatoes to a freezer safe dish or freezer bag and pop them in the freezer.

How Long Can You Store Mashed Potatoes in the Freezer?

Frozen mashed potatoes will stay good for up to two months, so make sure to use them up before the expiration date comes. To ensure you enjoy all of your garlic mashed potatoes before they go bad, make sure to write the date you placed them in the freezer on top of the bag for easy reference.

How Do You Reheat Frozen Mashed Potatoes?

There are a few different ways to reheat your mashed potatoes. But in most instances, your frozen potatoes need to be thawed before they’re reheated.

To thaw your frozen potatoes, transfer them from the freezer to the refrigerator at least 12 hours before you plan to cook them. After that, you can use these different cooking methods for reheating your garlic mashed potatoes:

• Oven. My favourite way to reheat these garlic mashed potatoes in the oven. Simply transfer the potatoes to a baking dish and reheat them at 350° until they’re warm.
• Stovetop. Another quick way to warm up your potatoes is on the stovetop. Transfer the thawed potatoes to a medium saucepan and cook over low heat until they’re warmed through, stirring often.
• Slow Cooker. While you need to thaw your potatoes before reheating them in the oven or on the stovetop, you can place your frozen potatoes directly in the slow cooker. Cook the frozen potatoes on low for two hours or until the potatoes are warmed through. Stir the potatoes well before serving.

An important note: If the reheated mashed potatoes seem too runny, it usually means they need to cook longer. 

In the video below, see how to create homemade gravy for the freezer to serve on top of your mashed potatoes! 

Other freezer side dishes:

• Honey Maple Glazed Carrots
• Butternut Squash
• Garlic Bread

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Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: mashed potatoes

Ingredients

• 12 large potatoes cubed or peeled and cubed
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• chives or parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

1. Cook the potatoes until soft.

2. Mash the softened potatoes, adding butter in bits as you mash.

3. Stir in the sour cream, garlic, chives, salt and pepper.

4. Allow the mashed potatoes to cool, then scoop the potatoes into a freezer bag.

5. Remove excess air and seal.

6. Flatten the bag and store it in the freezer until ready to eat.

Cooking instructions:

1. Thaw.

2. Preheat oven to 350° and grease a casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

3. Transfer the ingredients to the dish and cook until heated through, around 20 minutes.

Slow Cooker Instructions

1. Cook from frozen in the slow cooker on low for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

2. Stir well before serving.

Stovetop Cooking Instructions

1. Thaw.

2. Cook in a medium saucepan on low heat until they're warmed through, stirring often.

When you’re looking for dinner ideas you can turn into freezer meals, finding make ahead side dish recipes is a good idea. Often, we focus so much on freezing our entrées that we forget about what we’ll eat along with the main dish. With the help of this simple cilantro corn recipe, you can create a quick and easy frozen side dish to go with any dinner.

The beauty of this dish is that it can be served as a cold corn salad or a warm side. Simply thaw and serve or heat in a saucepan to prepare this delicious recipe two different ways.

This side dish goes so well with most of our Chicken Dump Recipes. Here, it’s pictured with our Citrus Chicken.

Can You Freeze Corn Salad?

This delicious make ahead side dish is a great option for freezer cooking! You can even use frozen corn to speed up the prepping process. Simply combine your frozen corn with seasoning, lime juice, onions, and fresh cilantro to turn this make ahead side into a delicious frozen corn salad.

This corn salad can be served cold or warm depending on your mood! When you’re ready to serve your frozen corn, all you have to do is thaw the ingredients and serve. Or heat the salad in a saucepan to create a warm side dish to go with your dinner.

How to Make Cilantro Corn:

Ingredients:

• 500 g frozen corn
• ½ cup minced purple onion
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp. grated lime zest
• 1/4 cup lime juice or juice from two limes
• ½ tsp. melted honey
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. black pepper

Assembly instructions:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Pour the mixture in a medium freezer bag. Remove excess air from the bag, seal, then place in the freezer.

Serving instructions:

1. Thaw the frozen ingredients completely and serve cold.
2. Or heat the ingredients in a pot on the stovetop until warm.

Cilantro Corn Recipe Variations

This simple side dish can be adjusted in a variety of ways! Try these quick and easy variations to change up the recipe:

• Spice it up. Add some spiciness to your cilantro corn with the help of diced jalapeño. Chop up some fresh peppers and add them to the mix to give the side a bit of kick.
• Add some cheese. If you plan on serving this dish as a warm side, try mixing in some cheese to give it some creaminess. Cream cheese or Monterrey cheddar are both delicious options to add some cheesy flavour to your side.
• Stir in bell peppers. Another simple addition to add to your cilantro corn salad is chopped bell pepper. The corn dish can be served cold or warm with the addition of chopped bell peppers.

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Cilantro Corn

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: corn

Ingredients

• 500 g corn frozen
• ½ cup purple onion minced
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
• 1 tsp. lime zest grated
• 1/4 cup lime juice or juice from two limes
• ½ tsp. honey melted
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. black pepper

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Pour the mixture in a medium freezer bag. Remove excess air from the bag, seal, then place in the freezer.

Serving instructions:

1. Thaw the frozen ingredients completely and serve cold or heat the ingredients in a pot on the stovetop until warm.