Freezer Skillet Meals

Tequila Lime Shrimp Freezer Meal

I have no idea why this recipe is called Tequila Lime Shrimp because tequila is nowhere to be found in this dish. Alcohol of any kind for that matter is not involved in the making of this meal.

I suppose you could serve it with a glass of wine or in the summer, even a margarita which has tequila in it. But regardless of how it got its unusual name, if you like shrimp, chances are, you’ll like this.

This cooks up so quickly that dinner can be on the table in less than 10 minutes! I know the pictures don’t make it look all that exciting, but it’s got nice flavours. One of my daughters loves to eat this on top of pasta.

Tequila Lime Shrimp Recipe:

1 lb. large, uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped

Place the shrimp into a large resealable freezer bag. Add the other ingredients into the bag. Squish together to combine. Remove the excess air from the bag and seal before freezing.

On the day of cooking, take the bag out to thaw. Stir fry the bag contents in a large skillet on medium-high until the shrimp are heated through and turn pink.

Serve the shrimp with rice, potatoes, or pasta and a side of vegetables. If you want, you can top the shrimp with some additional fresh cilantro and lime wedges.

OR you can cook up the marinated tequila lime shrimp to use inside shrimp tacos. Serve them in a soft tortilla with guacamole. The taste of summer in a simple dish.

And here’s where that tequila could come in. Imagine sitting on your patio with a margarita in a frosted glass while a plate of shrimp tacos is perched on your lap. Yum!

Tequila Lime Shrimp

Course: Main Course

Keyword: shrimp, tequila lime

Servings: 4

Calories: 116 kcal

Ingredients

1 lb large, uncooked shrimp peeled and deveined
3 cloves garlic minced
2 Tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp cilantro chopped

Instructions

Place the shrimp into a large resealable freezer bag.
Add the other ingredients into the bag. Squish together to combine. Remove the excess air from the bag and seal before freezing.

Cooking instructions:

Take the bag out to thaw.
Stir fry the bag contents in a large skillet on medium-high until the shrimp are heated through and turn pink.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve the shrimp with rice, potatoes, or pasta and a side of vegetables. If you want, you can top the shrimp with some additional fresh cilantro and lime wedges.
Cook up the marinated tequila lime shrimp to use inside shrimp tacos. Serve them in a soft tortilla with guacamole. The taste of summer in a simple dish.

Other seafood freezer meals you might enjoy:

Garlic Butter Shrimp

Seafood Curry Pasta Freezer Meal

Make-Ahead Shrimp Stir Fry Packets

Italian Sausage Pasta Sauce

By Sharla

In the mood for hearty, rich, comfort food? This Italian sausage pasta sauce fits the bill. It has a delicious blend of flavors and you can easily adjust the spice level according to your tastes. This recipe is one that we invented after I accidentally miscalculated the amount of sausage for a freezer meal session. I bought double what I should have, so I had to come up with recipes to use the extra meat.

One of the recipes I came up with was a simple Sausage and Peppers Skillet Freezer Meal. Another was an Italian Wedding Soup. I still had sausage left after making a few bags of those, so I came up with this sauce.

It was so good that it has gone into our regular freezer meal rotation. The second time we made it, we experimented with throwing some capers into the sauce. Amazing! I only thought of it because we had extra capers leftover from another freezer meal we had made, but it was the perfect addition.

Italian Sausage Pasta Sauce Recipe:

1 lb. Italian sausage made into meatballs and cooked*
3 cups salsa
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced green pepper
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 Tbsp. capers, drained

Depending on your family’s preference, you can use mild or spicy sausage. We prefer the spicy variety! You can also adjust the spice level of this recipe by using mild, medium, or spicy salsa.

If you’re unsure about the capers, you can try making it without them and adding them to individual plates for those who like them. I was a bit nervous about how they would go over the first time I added them, but my family loved them. They give just the right amount of tang and saltiness to bring this sauce to the next level.

To put this meal together, put the cooked sausage meatballs (see instructions below) and all the other ingredients in a large resealable freezer bag. Remove all the excess air you can and seal the bag before freezing.

On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw and heat in a large skillet until heated through. Serve over your favorite type of pasta.

I also like to sprinkle with Parmesan or Asiago cheese and red pepper flakes. A simple salad and some garlic bread would round out this meal nicely.

Italian Sausage Pasta Sauce Recipe:

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: pasta sauce, sausage

Servings: 6

Calories: 322 kcal

Ingredients

1 lb Italian sausage made into meatballs and cooked
3 cups salsa
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced green pepper
2 cloves garlic minced
1-2 Tbsp capers drained

Instructions

Cooking the sausage:

Remove the sausage meat from the casing and cut into 1/2″ slices or squeeze out sausage meatballs and flatten them a bit with your fingers. The squeezing method is messier, but it is easier to remove the casing that way and I find it faster.
Place the sausage meatballs on a cookie sheet. Bake in a 350° oven for 20 minutes or until lightly browned on both sides. You may want to flip them once during baking. Blot the cooked sausage meatballs on a paper towel to remove some of the grease. Allow them to cool a bit before placing them in the freezer bags.

Freezer bag assembly:

put the cooked sausage meatballs and all the other ingredients in a large resealable freezer bag.
Remove all the excess air you can and seal the bag before freezing.

Cooking instructions:

On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
Heat in a large skillet until heated through.
Serve over your favorite type of pasta.
Sprinkle with Parmesan or Asiago cheese and red pepper flakes.

How do I make and cook the sausage meatballs?

*Remove the sausage meat from the casing and cut into 1/2″ slices or squeeze out sausage meatballs and flatten them a bit with your fingers. The squeezing method is messier, but it is easier to remove the casing that way and I find it faster.

Place the sausage meatballs on a cookie sheet. Bake in a 350° oven for 20 minutes or until lightly browned on both sides. You may want to flip them once during baking. Blot the cooked sausage meatballs on a paper towel to remove some of the grease. Allow it to cool a bit before placing them in the freezer bags.

You may also like these great freezer cooking recipes:

Freezer Spaghetti Sauce

Easy Ground Beef Stroganoff

Shrimp Stir Fry Pack for the Freezer

By Sharla

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

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

The Best Freezer Skillet Meals

By Sharla

The nice thing about having a freezer meal that can be prepared in a skillet is that in 20 minutes or less, supper can be on the table. These meals are perfect for busy days when you need to get out the door to get one of your kids to soccer or gymnastic or piano practise. I’ve compiled a list of delicious freezer skillet meals.

Whether you’re looking for a skillet pasta, a stir fry or something with ground beef, sausage, seafood, or chicken, I’ve got you covered! These super easy meals are all freezer friendly.

Meal prep doesn’t get more simple than dumping the made-ahead meal from a freezer bag into a skillet. Personally, I also love that one pan equals less mess. I’m always a fan of having to do less dishes!

Of course, as with all freezer meals, it’s easier and less expensive per meal to double the recipes and make two of each (or quadruple them and make four of each to save even more time and money). This ensures that you have more meals made ahead and make the best use of your time.