Freezer to Crock Pot

My kids will eat pretty much anything as long as it involves tater tots. This tater tot casserole with beef and veggies is an easy all in one meal that can be made ahead and then popped in the crock pot on cooking day. This is quick and easy comfort food. Our original tater tot casserole is based off the Duggar recipe except that we use ground sausage instead of turkey and don’t use the chicken soup (so I guess it’s totally different!) is most of our kids’ absolute favourite thing to eat, but it’s not all that healthy. We love our tater tot pizza casserole, but I wanted more variety. I’ve been trying different ideas for a new one and this one fits the bill.

This has meat and vegetables and my kids all love it. Healthy AND something my kids will actually eat gives this recipe major points!

I make this tater tot casserole as a freezer meal, but if you prefer, you can always cook it the same day instead. Better yet, make two. Eat one and freeze the other so you’ve got an easy weeknight meal for next week!

Tater Tot Casserole with Beef and Veggies:

Tater Tot Casserole Ingredients:

• 750 g bag frozen tater tots
• 1 lb. lean ground beef, browned
• 1 cup diced onion
• 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
• 10.5 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp. dry mustard powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups of cheddar cheese, shredded

Assembly instructions:

1. Brown ground beef and cool slightly.
2. Place beef in a large resealable freezer bag.
3. Add the chopped onion and mixed vegetables.
4. In a mixing bowl, stir together soup, evaporated milk, garlic, and seasonings. Pour into the bag over the other ingredients.
5. Place the shredded cheese in a medium freezer bag.
6. Remove the excess air from both bags, seal, and staple together above the fold.
7. Freeze.

Crock pot cooking instructions:

1. Thaw.
2. Dump the contents of the large bag into the slow cooker.* Cook on high for 3-4 hours or 6 hours on low.
3. Top with cheese near the end of cooking.
4. Serve.

*This casserole tends to stick to the sides of the slow cooker making it hard to clean afterwards, so I suggest using Crock Pot liners. They are food safe and can be thrown out after use making clean-up a breeze!

Oven cooking instructions:

1. Thaw.
2. Place contents of the large bag in a 9×13 casserole dish. Top with cheese. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes.
3. Serve.

More family favourite freezer meals:

• Pizza Tater Tot Casserole
• Beefy Rice Slow Cooker Casserole
• Chicken and Vegetable Casserole with Crispy Onion Topping
• Instant Pot Pizza Casserole
• Make Ahead Mac and Cheese

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Tater Tot Casserole with Beef and Veggies

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: tater tot casserole

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 750 g bag frozen tater tots
• 1 lb. lean ground beef browned
• 1 cup diced onion
• 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
• 10.5 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/4 tsp. dry mustard powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

1. Brown ground beef and cool slightly.
2. Place beef in a large resealable freezer bag.
3. Add the chopped onion and mixed vegetables.
4. In a mixing bowl, stir together soup, evaporated milk, garlic, and seasonings. Pour into the bag over the other ingredients.
5. Place the shredded cheese in a medium freezer bag.
6. Remove the excess air from both bags, seal, and staple together above the fold.
7. Freeze.

Crock pot cooking instructions:

1. Thaw.
2. Dump the contents of the large bag into the slow cooker. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or 6 hours on low.
3. Top with cheese near the end of cooking.
4. Serve.

Oven cooking instructions:

1. Thaw.
2. Place contents of the large bag in a 9x13 casserole dish. Top with cheese. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes.
3. Serve.

My husband started doing Keto this year. It’s made freezer meals more of a challenge as I’ve had to find make ahead recipes that are keto friendly. This Beef and Bacon Goulash is one I made last time we did meal prep and he was very happy with the results. This is an easy freezer to crock pot recipe with just 5 ingredients. And it’s healthy, using real food. So whether you’re on a low carb diet or not, this recipe can be one you add into your dinner arsenal.

It’s not the prettiest looking thing, but the taste is there!

Apparently, a goulash is supposed to be seasoned with paprika and this one isn’t, so technically, I guess I should be calling this a stew, but we named it Bacon and Beef Goulash. Once your bag is labelled that, that’s what you and your family will call it for all of time!

Beef and Bacon Goulash Recipe:

• 2 lbs. beef stew meat, cubed
• 1 1/4 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup beef broth
• 5 slices bacon, sliced into bite sized pieces*
• 1 onion, sliced

Optional for day of serving:

• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Note: *If you want crunchier bacon, you can fry it before adding it to the freezer bag.

Assembly instructions:

1. Cube the beef. Slice the onion, mushrooms, and bacon.
2. Add the beef, bacon slices, mushrooms, onion slices, and beef broth to a large resealable freezer bag.
3. Remove the excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

1. Remove from freezer to thaw.
2. Add the bag contents to the Crock Pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
3. If you want to thicken up the gravy, mix together 2 Tbsp. of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water and stir into the beef mixture in the slow cooker 20 minutes before serving.

You can serve this on mashed potatoes, rice, or cauliflower rice. Or if you’d rather, you can serve this beside vegetables or with buns. My husband likes to eat his with cauliflower rice fried up with lots of garlic. It’s actually pretty delicious.

Check out these other keto friendly freezer meals:

Instant Pot Keto Bone Broth

Lemon Garlic Chicken

Instant Pot Pork or Chicken Shawarma

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Beef and Bacon Goulash

Course: Main Course

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. beef stew meat cubed
• 1 1/4 cups mushrooms sliced
• 1 cup beef broth
• 5 slices bacon sliced into bite sized pieces*
• 1 onion sliced

Optional for day of serving:

• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

1. Cube the beef. Slice the onion, mushrooms, and bacon.
2. Add the beef, bacon slices, mushrooms, onion slices, and beef broth to a large resealable freezer bag.
3. Remove the excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

1. Remove from freezer to thaw.
2. Add the bag contents to the Crock Pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
3. If you want to thicken up the gravy, mix together 2 Tbsp. of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water and stir into the beef mixture in the slow cooker 20 minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes

*If you want crunchier bacon, you can fry it before adding it to the freezer bag.

Pesto freezes so beautifully. We use it in several of our tried and true freezer meals including our Lemon Pesto Chicken and Vegetable Pesto Minestrone. This new Pesto Chicken and Vegetables recipe turned out to be the best yet. This freezer meal is healthy and easy to make. It can be cooked either in the slow cooker or the oven. This meal is absolutely gorgeous, especially when baked in the oven. It’s an impressive one for serving in the summer or the fall with all of its colours.

My neighbour Christie is the one who thought of adding Brussels sprouts to this recipe and that just took it up to another level, especially for me since I love them!

And I have a particular fondness for meals that are colourful in the bag. Looking at them makes me smile. The bright colours make me feel like I’ve made something particularly healthy for my family.

Pesto Chicken and Vegetables Recipe:

• 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
• 6 oz. pesto sauce
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 12 oz. can kernel corn, drained
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 packet dry Ranch seasoning
• optional: 1/2 to 1 cup frozen Brussels sprouts

Assembly instructions:

1. Place the chicken breasts in a large resealable freezer bag.
2. Add the pesto sauce, diced zucchini, diced carrots, corn, chicken broth, and dry Ranch seasoning. If you’re adding Brussels sprouts, toss them in as well.
3. Remove the excess air and seal. Freeze.

Slow cooker instructions:

1. Thaw.
2. Cook in the Crock Pot on low for 4-6 hours.

Oven cooking instructions:

1. Remove bag from freezer to thaw.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°.
3. Lay everything out on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
4. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes.

Check out these other delicious make ahead meals:

Cilantro Lime Chicken with Corn and Black Beans

Chickpea and Vegetable Curry

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Pesto Chicken and Vegetables Freezer Meal

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
• 6 oz. pesto sauce
• 1 zucchini diced
• 2 carrots peeled and diced
• 12 oz. can kernel corn drained
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 packet dry Ranch seasoning
• optional: 1/2 to 1 cup frozen Brussels sprouts

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

1. Place the chicken breasts in a large resealable freezer bag.
2. Add the pesto sauce, diced zucchini, diced carrots, corn, chicken broth, and dry Ranch seasoning. If you're adding Brussels sprouts, toss them in as well.
3. Remove the excess air and seal. Freeze.

Slow cooker instructions:

1. Thaw.
2. Cook in the Crock Pot on low for 4-6 hours.

Oven cooking instructions:

1. Remove bag from freezer to thaw.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°.
3. Lay everything out on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
4. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes.