Freezer Meals 101

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Freezer to Crock Pot

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken on Buns

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The first time I made this shredded buffalo chicken on buns for dinner, I didn’t get to taste it. My kids were so in love with it, that some of them went in for seconds and thirds before I realized what was happening. When I went to scoop up myself, there was nothing left!

Gotta love an awesome tasting meal that goes from the freezer to the crock pot! Buffalo Chicken on Buns #freezermeals101 #crockpotrecipes #buffalochicken #makeaheadmeals #freezertocrockpotLooking at the inside of that empty crockpot could have made me angry, but instead, I was thrilled! I love when I find a meal that every single one of my kids will eat with no complaints. We had a winner on our hands!

I was slightly less thrilled with the notion of warming up leftovers for myself for supper, but I knew I would get to try it the next time. I also knew how easy it had been to put together. It was an easy decision to put it into the regular freezer meal rotation.

This recipe takes minutes to throw together, so it’s easy to make several at a time so that you always have one on hand to pull out of the freezer.

I love freezer to slow cooker recipes because they combine two things that make getting supper on the table easier and faster.

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken on Buns:

  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 8 oz. package of cream cheese
  • 1 bottle of Frank’s Red Hot sauce
  • 1 envelope of dry Ranch seasoning
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions for assembly:

  1. Put the chicken breasts into a large resealable freezer bag or silicone reusable freezer bag.
  2. Dump the other ingredients into the bag.
  3. Take out any extra air. Seal and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

If you are using a slow cooker liner, add it to the slow cooker. They are not necessary but make clean-up so simple.

  1. Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
  2. Cook in the crockpot on high for 3-4 hours. Shred the chicken.
  3. Spoon the chicken mixture onto buns to serve.

This mixture would also be great for making cute little buffalo chicken sliders to serve at a potluck or Super Bowl gathering or birthday party.

It shouldn’t have been a surprise to me how much my kids loved this recipe. They devour my buffalo chicken dip and request that I make it often. This shredded buffalo chicken has many of the same flavors as the dip does.

Possible Toppings for Buffalo Chicken Buns or Sliders:

  • blue cheese (slice or crumbles)
  • Mozza or cheddar cheese (sliced or shredded)
  • pickles
  • Ranch dressing
  • lettuce
  • tomatoes
  • coleslaw

Find more freezer to slow cooker recipes in our Slow Cooker Freezer Meal Plans. It includes recipes, a shopping list, and printable labels, making it so easy to get dinner on the table for your family.

Check out some of our other make-ahead crockpot® recipes that can be served on buns:

BBQ Pulled Pork close up of pulled pork on a bun with sauceSlow Cooker Beef Dip close up of beef on a bun with dipBBQ Shredded Chicken with Garlic Mayo on Buns collage of BBQ shredded chicken on a bun plated and in the slow cooker

Print
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken on Buns
Course: Main Course
Keyword: buffalo, chicken
Servings: 6
Calories: 300 kcal
Ingredients
  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 8 oz. package of cream cheese
  • 1 bottle of Frank's Red Hot sauce
  • 1 envelope of dry Ranch seasoning
  • salt and pepper to taste
For cooking day:
  • buns
Instructions
Directions for assembly:

  1. Put the chicken breasts into a large resealable freezer bag or silicone reusable freezer bag.

  2. Dump the other ingredients into the bag.
  3. Take out any extra air. Seal and freeze.
Cooking instructions:

  1. If you are using a slow cooker liner, add it to the slow cooker. They are not necessary but make clean-up so simple.

  2. Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.

  3. Cook in the crockpot on high for 3-4 hours. Shred the chicken.

  4. Spoon the chicken mixture onto buns to serve.

Rustic Beef Stew Recipe for the Slow Cooker

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This rustic beef stew recipe is simple and hearty. Having it made ahead in the freezer and ready to go in the crockpot® is the way to go! Rustic Beef Stew for the Slow Cooker #crockpotcooking #crockpotrecipes #freezermeals101 #freezercooking #freezertocrockpot #slowcookerrecipes #beefrecipesOnce this homemade beef stew has spent the day in the crockpot, it is fall-apart-tender.

This all-in-one meal takes the guesswork out of everything. It is easy, easy to put together and there’s no way to mess this recipe up. That is very good news for beginner cooks or those who haven’t had the best of luck in the kitchen. close up of rustic beef slow cooker stew in a bowlWith beef stew, you can do so many variations and put your own spin on it, but sometimes, it’s nice to go back to a simple classic beef stew recipe like this. This is just good old-fashioned comfort food.

Rustic Beef Stew Recipe:

  • 2 lb. beef stew meat
  • 3 carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 stalks of celery, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 2 Tbsp. seasoning salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper

For the day of cooking:

  • 4 potatoes, cubed* (peeled or not peeled, depending on your preference)

Assembly instructions:

  1. Dump all the ingredients (except the potatoes) into a large resealable freezer bag.
  2. Remove the excess air.
  3. Seal and freeze.

collage of rustic beef slow cooker stew in bowlsSlow Cooker Cooking Instructions:

  1. Take the bag of stew out of the freezer to thaw.
  2. Place the bag contents into the slow cooker along with the cubed potatoes.
  3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
  4. Serve immediately with bread or buns.

A note about the potatoes: *I find that the consistency of potatoes changes when they are frozen, so I prefer to add them on the day of cooking. For best results, I suggest you do the same.

This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and also suitable for a Paleo diet.

Find more freezer to crockpot recipes along with shopping lists, prep lists, and printable labels in our Slow Cooker Freezer Meal Plans. 

Check out some of our other hearty make-ahead recipes for the slow cooker:

Beefy Rice Slow Cooker Casserole close up of beefy rice slow cooker casseroleChicken Cacciatoreclose up of chicken cacciatore on pastaBeef Curry Freezer Meal close up of beef curry in a bowl

Print
Rustic Beef Stew Recipe
Course: Soup
Keyword: beef, stew
Servings: 6
Calories: 374 kcal
Ingredients
  • 2 lb. beef stew meat
  • 3 carrots peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 stalks of celery diced
  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 2 Tbsp. seasoning salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
For the day of cooking:
  • 4 potatoes cubed (peeled or not peeled, depending on your preference)
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Dump all the ingredients (except the potatoes) into a large resealable freezer bag.
  2. Remove the excess air.
  3. Seal and freeze.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Take the bag of stew out of the freezer to thaw.
  2. Place the bag contents into the slow cooker along with the cubed potatoes.
  3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Recipe Notes

Serve immediately with bread or buns.

Stuffed Pepper Soup Recipe Make Ahead Meal

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This stuffed pepper soup recipe has all the delicious flavours of stuffed peppers, but with half the work. It can also be made ahead and frozen, saving you even more time. You can cook this soup on the stovetop or in the slow cooker or even in the Instant Pot, whichever is most convenient for you. This make ahead Stuffed Pepper Soup can be cooked in the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or stovetop. #freezermeals101 #freezercooking #makeaheadmeals #soupson #soup #instantpot #easyinstantpot #crockpotrecipesI’ve been making stuffed peppers for many years. I do it as a freezer meal by making the filling ahead and freezing. On the day of cooking, I fill the peppers and cook them in the oven. You can find the recipe for that here.

But even with having the filling made ahead of time, stuffed peppers can still be time-consuming, so when you’re in the mood for the hearty flavours of stuffed peppers, but don’t have much time, this stuffed pepper soup is the way to go.

What’s in stuffed pepper soup?

While some ingredients and seasonings can vary, most stuffed pepper soups have as their main ingredients ground beef, rice, bell peppers, tomatoes or tomato sauce, and broth.

The type of broth can vary. It can be beef broth, chicken broth, or vegetable stock. Most stuffed pepper soup recipes also have onions and garlic.

Common seasonings for stuffed pepper soup include such spices as thyme, sage, marjoram, salt, and pepper, though not altogether in the same recipe. close up of stuffed pepper soup with garnish in a bowlAn important tip: you will want to choose extra lean ground beef for this soup. If you choose to use regular ground beef, be sure to drain the fat before adding it. Otherwise, it will have a greasy look to it and not be visually appealing. It will also not taste as good, so this is an important note for making this recipe.

Stuffed Pepper Soup Recipe:

  • 1 lb. extra-lean ground beef, browned
  • 1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 cup yellow or red pepper, chopped
  • 1 cup onions, finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • 1/2 tsp. marjoram
  • salt, pepper

For the day of cooking:

  • 2 cups beef or chicken broth
  • 2 cups of rice

Assembly instructions:

  1. Chop the peppers and onion.
  2. Brown the beef in a large skillet on the stove. Drain the fat afterwards. This step is important.
  3. Place the cooked beef in a large resealable bag.
  4. Add the diced peppers and onion, garlic, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and seasonings.
  5. Remove the air from the bag and seal. Freeze.

collage of stuffed pepper soup in bowlsStovetop cooking instructions:

  1. Take the bag out of the freezer and thaw.
  2. Place the contents in a large pot on the stovetop.
  3. Add the broth.
  4. Cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
  5. Add the rice in the last 20 minutes.
  6. Stir occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom.

Instant Pot instructions:

  1. Thaw the bag contents and add them to the Instant Pot.
  2. Cook the rice separately on the stovetop and set aside.
  3. Add the broth.
  4. Cover and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Do a natural release.
  5. Add the rice either to the entire soup or a bit into each bowl when serving.

Slow Cooker instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Dump the bag contents into the crockpot®.
  3. Add the broth and rice.
  4. Stir.
  5. Cook on low for 3-4 hours.

Is Stuffed Pepper Soup Gluten-Free?

This particular stuffed pepper soup recipe is gluten-free. It is also dairy-free. If it is made without rice, it is keto-friendly.

Check out some of our other make-ahead soups:

Spinach and Sausage White Bean Soup close up of spinach and sausage white bean soupItalian Wedding Soup close up of Italian wedding soupSausage and Zucchini Soup close up of sausage and zucchini soup

Print
Stuffed Pepper Soup Recipe
Course: Soup
Keyword: soup, stuffed pepper
Servings: 4
Calories: 193 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. extra-lean ground beef browned
  • 1/2 cup green pepper chopped
  • 1/2 cup yellow or red pepper chopped
  • 1 cup onions finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • 1/2 tsp. marjoram
  • salt, pepper
For the day of cooking:
  • 2 cups beef or chicken broth
  • 2 cups rice
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Chop the peppers and onion.

  2. Brown the beef in a large skillet on the stove. Drain the fat afterward. This step is important.

  3. Place the cooked beef in a large resealable bag.

  4. Add the diced peppers and onion, garlic, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and seasonings.

  5. Remove the air from the bag and seal. Freeze.
Stovetop cooking instructions:

  1. Take the bag out of the freezer and thaw. Place the contents in a large pot on the stovetop. Add the broth. Cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes. Add the rice in the last 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom.

Instant Pot instructions:

  1. Cook the rice separately on the stovetop and set aside. Thaw the bag contents and add them to the Instant Pot. Add the broth. Cover and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Do a natural release. Add the rice either to the entire soup or a bit into each bowl when serving.

Slow Cooker instructions:

  1. Thaw. Dump the bag contents into the crockpot. Add the broth and rice. Stir. Cook on low for 3-4 hours.

Lemon Mustard Chicken Dump Recipe

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When we are making freezer meals, the chicken dump recipes are the fastest to assemble. Because of that, we tend to choose to make many chicken dump recipes to speed things up. Not wanting to eat the same thing over and over, we have come up with a lot of variations. This lemon mustard chicken dump recipe is a nice one. Lemon Mustard Chicken Dump Recipe #crockpotrecipes #freezermeals101 #freezercooking #makeaheadmeals #slowcooker #chickenrecipes #dumprecipes

With this recipe, I prefer to use chicken thighs because I find that they come out juicier, but it works with either thighs or breasts.

One of the other things I like about this particular recipe is that it uses ingredients that I always have in the house. I buy a huge pail of local honey each year and lemon juice and dijon mustard are just fridge standards in our house.

That means that this recipe is often one that gets made at the end of our freezer meal sessions. I like to buy extra chicken so that we can make extra chicken dump recipes since they are so easy to put together.

If you’re new to chicken dump recipes, watch the video below for full instructions and tips:

close up of lemon mustard chicken with sides of salad, rice and creamed cornLemon Mustard Chicken Dump Recipe:

  • 4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1/2 cup honey, melted
  • 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh lemon juice or from a jar)
  • 2 tsp. lemon pepper
  • 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

collage of lemon mustard chicken in the freezer bag and plated with sidesTo assemble this meal, open a large resealable bag, fold down the top and prop the bottom so that it stays upright on the counter. It’s easiest to make several of these meals at one time. Prop open as many bags as the number of meals you want to make.

Melt the honey. Place the chicken pieces in each bag. Dump in the rest of the ingredients including the melted honey. Squish everything together to combine. Remove the excess air from the bag(s). Seal, lay flat, and freeze.

On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer. Thaw. Bake at 350° for one hour, covered, uncovering the last ten minutes, or cook in the crockpot® on low for 4-6 hours. This freezer to crockpot recipe is included in our Chicken Dump Recipes book. Check out all the recipes included. 

Lemon mustard chicken is gluten-free and of course, dairy-free. This makes it quite an allergy-friendly meal.

If you are on a keto diet, you can make this recipe without honey. I have made it without the honey and it still tastes amazing.

What side dishes complement this lemon mustard chicken?

The flavors of lemon mustard chicken go well with a variety of side dishes. Here is a list of ideas of side dishes to accompany this meal:

You may be interested in some of our other easy chicken freezer meals:

Instant Pot or Crock Pot Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos close up of salsa verde chicken tacosLemon Garlic Chicken Dump Recipe close up of lemon garlic chicken with riceMake-Ahead Chicken Marsala close up of marsala chicken with asparagus on the side

Print
Lemon Mustard Chicken Dump Recipe
Course: Main Course
Keyword: chicken dump, freezer meal
Servings: 6
Calories: 302 kcal
Ingredients
  • 4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1/2 cup honey melted
  • 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. lemon pepper
  • 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Instructions

  1. To assemble this meal, open a large resealable bag, fold down the top and prop the bottom so that it stays upright on the counter. 

  2. Melt the honey. Place the chicken pieces in each bag. Dump in the rest of the ingredients including the melted honey. 
  3. Squish everything together to combine. Remove the excess air from the bag(s). Seal, lay flat, and freeze.

  4. On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer. Thaw. 

Oven instructions

  1. Bake at 350° for one hour, covered, uncovering the last ten minutes.

Slow cooker instructions

  1. Cook in the crockpot on low for 4-6 hours.

Thick and Chunky Hearty Chili

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There’s something about how a down-home bowl of hearty chili feels. It’s nice to always have one in the freezer. Chili is great to pull out on a snowy day. Thick and Chunky Hearty Chili freezer meal #freezermeals101 #freezerchili #chilirecipes #easyfamilymeal

Thick and Chunky Hearty Chili Recipe:

  • 1- 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 1- 28 oz. can of diced Italian style tomatoes
  • 2 ¼ lb. lean ground beef
  • 2- 15 oz. cans of small red kidney beans
  • 1-2 medium onions, chopped
  • 1 medium green pepper, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • ½ tsp. red pepper flakes (add more if you like it spicy)
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Brown the beef in a large skillet and drain the grease. Allow it to cool. Put the browned ground beef in a large resealable freezer bag. Add the salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and cilantro.

Add the chopped onions, garlic, and green peppers. Pour in both cans of tomatoes. collate of thick and chunky chili in bowlsThe bag will be quite full at this point so here are some tips to help.  You may want to prop it up either by setting it in a tall juice container and folding the top of the bag over the edge, having someone hold it open, or using a “baggy rack” to hold the bag open for you.

Drain one of the cans of kidney beans and add it to the bag. Add the other can of beans with its juice. Remove the excess air from the bag and seal. Squish to combine. Freeze.

On the day you want to cook the hearty chili, take the bag out of the freezer. Thaw. close up of thick and chunky chili in a bowl with pieces of tortilla chips on top

Stovetop instructions:

Cover with lid and cook on the stovetop over low-medium heat for 2 hours while stirring occasionally.

When you notice that the chili is looking a bit watery then take the lid off. When it starts to look like it needs to be a bit more watery then add the lid. Repeat this process for the duration of the cooking time.

Don’t forget to stir it from time to time. Chili stuck to the bottom of the pot is no fun to clean off!

Crock Pot® instructions:

Cook on low for 5-7 hours.

Check out these other great family freezer to crockpot meals:

BBQ Pulled Pork close up of BBQ pulled pork with sauce dripping out

Chickpea and Vegetable Curry close up of hearty chickpea and vegetable curry in a bowl

Print
Thick and Chunky Hearty Chili Recipe
Course: Main Course
Keyword: hearty chili
Servings: 6
Calories: 436 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1- 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 1- 28 oz. can diced Italian style tomatoes
  • 2 ¼ lb. ground beef
  • 2- 15 oz. cans small red kidney beans
  • 1-2 medium onions chopped
  • 1 medium green pepper chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • ½ tsp. red pepper flakes add more if you like it spicy
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro roughly chopped
Instructions

  1. Brown beef in a large skillet and drain the grease. Allow it to cool. Put the browned ground beef in a large resealable freezer bag. Add the salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and cilantro.

  2. Add the chopped onions, garlic and green peppers. Pour in both cans of tomatoes.

  3. The bag will be quite full at this point. You may want to prop it up either by setting it in a tall juice container and folding the top of the bag over the edge, having someone hold it open, or using a "baggy rack" to hold the bag open for you.

  4. Drain one of the cans of kidney beans and add it to the bag. Add the other can of beans with its juice. Remove the excess air from the bag and seal. Squish to combine. Freeze.

  5. On the day you want to cook the hearty chili, take the bag out of the freezer. Thaw.

Stovetop instructions:

  1. Cover with lid and cook on the stovetop over low-medium heat for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

  2. When you notice that the chili is looking a bit watery, take the lid off. When it starts to look like it needs to be a bit more watery, add the lid. Repeat this process for the duration of the cooking time.

  3. Don't forget to stir it from time to time. Chili stuck to the bottom of the pot is no fun to clean off!

Crockpot instructions:
  1. Cook on low for 5-7 hours.