Freezer Meal Side Dishes

This make ahead rice pilaf recipe is nice to have on hand. It makes the perfect side dish for a chicken or pork recipe since it comprises both the rice and vegetables. My family really enjoys my chicken freezer meals, but when I make them, I’m often scrambling to try to come up with a side dish. You see, one of the few drawbacks about making freezer meals is that I don’t grocery shop very often (which is also a huge perk!). Not grocery shopping often means that I don’t always have the right food on hand to whip up a side.

Having rice pilaf already made and in the freezer solves that problem! I just pull one out when I take out my main freezer meal that day and supper is taken care of. This goes well with a variety of dishes.

Its flavours are quite mild, so it’s also a very kid-friendly dish. And it is gluten free.

What is rice pilaf?

Rice pilaf is usually served as a side dish. It originated in Asia, but is now common in many world cuisines.

The main difference between rice and rice pilaf is that rice is cooked in water whereas rice pilaf is traditionally cooked in a broth. Rice pilaf often has other seasonings or additions such as vegetables in it. You can also add nuts, fruits, grains, meats, or seafood. 

Make ahead rice pilaf recipe:

• 2 cups long grain white rice
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth*
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 1 celery stalk, finely diced
• 1 Tbsp. parsley
• 1 Tbsp. green onions, chopped
• 1 tsp. dill
• pinch of seasoning salt

For the day of cooking:

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil

*Note: you may need to adjust the amount of chicken broth depending on the instructions on the rice.

Assembly instructions:

1. Cook rice according to the package directions, substituting chicken broth for the water called for.
2. Chop the green onions, carrots, and celery.
3. Cool the rice before placing it into a large resealable bag.
4. Add in the rest of the ingredients.
5. Squish it around to combine.
6. Remove air from the bag and seal before placing it in the freezer.

Cooking instructions:

1. On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet on the stovetop on medium-high heat.
3. Add the contents of the bag.
4. Stir the rice pilaf and continue to heat until the carrots have begun to soften.

What to serve alongside rice pilaf:

This side dish goes well with any main meat dish. Here are some of our freezer meal mains that would go perfectly with this:

Apple Maple Chicken

Instant Pot Italian Chicken and Veggies

Lemon Garlic Chicken

Apple Pork Chops

Lemon Mustard Chicken

Maple Dijon Salmon

Tequila Lime Shrimp

Chicken Marsala

Beef Curry

Chili Glazed Chicken

Check out some of our other freezer side dishes:

Freezer Garlic Bread 

Butternut Squash Side Dish 

Print

Make ahead rice pilaf recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups long grain white rice
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth*
• 1 carrot finely diced
• 1 celery stalk finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 Tbsp. parsley
• 1 Tbsp. green onions chopped
• 1 tsp. dill
• pinch of seasoning salt

For the day of cooking:

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

1. Cook rice according to the package directions, substituting chicken broth for the water called for.
2. Chop the green onions, carrots, and celery.
3. Cool the rice before placing it into a large resealable bag.
4. Add in the rest of the ingredients.
5. Squish it around to combine.
6. Remove air from the bag and seal before placing it in the freezer.

Cooking instructions:

1. On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet on the stovetop on medium-high heat.
3. Add the contents of the bag.
4. Stir the rice pilaf and continue to heat until the carrots have begun to soften.

Recipe Notes

You may need to adjust the amount of chicken broth depending on the instructions on the rice you use.