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Freezer Meals 101

Less time cooking, more time living

Sausage and Peppers Freezer Meal

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This sausage and peppers freezer meal recipe came about the same way some of our others have. We invented it using what we had left at the end of our freezer meal assembly day. We took some extra vegetables that were already prepped, onions and peppers and combined it with some other ingredients we had on hand. I had accidentally bought too much sausage because of a miscalculation on my part so we actually invented three different recipes using sausage and what we had left of other ingredients. Sometimes the best freezer meal recipes come about that way!

Sausage and Peppers Skillet Freezer Meal

This recipe can either be served over rice or rolled in a flour or corn tortilla and eaten as a wrap.

Sausage and Peppers Freezer Meal Recipe:

1 lb. of Italian sausage (see directions for preparing it below)
1/2 a yellow pepper, sliced
1/2 a red pepper, sliced
1 onion, chopped or sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 tsp. cajun seasoning
14 oz. can diced tomatoes

You can use mild or spicy sausage depending on your family’s preference. Remove the sausage from the casing and slice. I prefer to actually squeeze out sausage meatballs and flatten them a bit with my fingers to slicing. It is a messier method, but it is easier to remove the casing this way.

Fry the sausage slices in a frying pan over medium-high heat until lightly browned on both sides. Blot the cooked sausage slices on a paper towel to remove some of the grease.

To assemble this meal, place the cooked sausage pieces in a large resealable freezer bag. Add the sliced peppers, onion, minced garlic, cajun seasoning, and the can of diced tomatoes.

Remove the excess air from the bag, seal and freeze.

On the day of cooking, thaw the sausage and peppers freezer meal. Cook in a skillet over medium-high heat until heated through. Serve over rice or in a wrap.

The Quick Start Guide to Freezer Meals

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Have you wanted to try making freezer meals but not known where to start? The quick start guide to freezer meals is here to help! Freezer meals are the smartest thing I have ever done to save myself time, money and sanity. I love not having to decide what to make for supper every day.

In this quick start guide to freezer meals, you will find everything you need to try this method of cooking and see if it’s right for your family. I thought the easiest way to explain this would be to answer some of the most common questions I get about freezer meals.

How should I start?

Planning out a full day of freezer meals is daunting. Even doing a one hour mini session could be too overwhelming for some. My suggestion for those who want to try their hand and freezer meals but not jump in headfirst is simple. Take a few of your family’s favourite recipes that would freeze well and double them. Eat one for supper that night and freeze the other. After a week, you’ll have supper for the next week.

My guess is that after experiencing that second week of being able to eat ready-made meals without having to do any cooking, you’ll be ready to jump into making large batches of freezer meals in no time!

What recipes work best?

If you are wanting to use your own recipes, there are some that adapt well to being frozen. Things such as chili, taco meat, spaghetti sauce, lasagna, sloppy joes, chicken with marinades, soups, and casseroles are all examples of recipes that double easily and freeze well.

Once you are ready to branch out beyond your own recipes, you can find new ones to try in our freezer friendly recipes or dive right into our freezer meal plans that include shopping lists and printable labels.

Here are a few recipes that I recommend starting with:

The Best Ever Freezer Meal Spaghetti Sauce

Make Ahead Beef Fajitas

BBQ Shredded Chicken

Freezer to Crock Pot Chicken Taco Soup

Sloppy Joes Freezer Meal

Pizza Casserole

Pinto Tortilla Soup

What can I freeze?

Many foods can be frozen. Not all foods freeze and reheat well, mostly due to texture issues. There are some adaptations that can be made to account for this. One example is that milk inside a freezer meal recipe does not reheat well but a substitute of evaporated milk or a high fat cream can be used in its place. You can read a more comprehensive explanation of what freezes well here or you can download this free cheatsheet about what freezes, what doesn’t and how to make adjustments in recipes.

What containers should I use?

My preference for freezer meal containers is using large resealable freezer bags because I find that I can fit the most in my freezer that way. Some people use aluminum foil pans so that the container can go directly in the oven. I find I can’t find nearly as many of those in my freezer and I don’t like the garbage it creates.

Some people are concerned about storing food in plastic. Alternatives include glassware, silicone containers, and mason jars. The freezer bags that I use are BPA-free and safe for using with food for freezing.

What supplies do I need?

If you are just doubling your usual recipes, the only supplies you will need are what you would normally use plus the storage containers. If you are planning an actual freezer meal session or full day, you will need large bowls, measuring spoons, measuring cups, knives, sharpies, resealable freezer bags, and a can opener. I highly suggest that you invest in an electric can opener. It saves a lot of time but also it saves your wrists. I wish I had bought mine sooner. It has been a worthwhile investment for freezer meal assembly.

There are a few other things that are not necessary to have but do make things easier. Labels are great as you can fit a lot more information on them such as the cooking instructions and even serving suggestions. A Sharpie works for labelling until you get to the point of printing out labels. A mandolin or food processor speed up the time spent prepping vegetables such as onions and peppers but are not a requirement. Knives will do the trick but are not as fast.

I don’t think it’s necessary to invest in those contraptions that hold your freezer bags up. It works just as well to place your freezer bag inside a plastic juice jug or container and fold the top of the bag over it.

How long do freezer meals keep?

The general rule of thumb is that you can store your meals in the freezer for 3-6 months. Removing the excess air from the bags will help prevent freezer burn and make the meals last longer.

Starting by doubling some of your tried and true recipes and freezing them. I think you’ll find that the freedom that comes with having meals ready to go every day will be life-changing. That may sound extreme, but take it from me, a busy mom of 7, truly life changing!

Filling your freezer really is as simple as that. This guide to freezer meals will hopefully give you what you need to gain a bit of confidence and give it a try for yourself. Let me know how it goes!

Droolworthy BBQ Shredded Chicken Freezer Meal with Garlic Mayo

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This BBQ Shredded Chicken Freezer Meal recipe has always been delicious, but when my friend Christie introduced me to serving it with garlic mayo, it levelled up to droolworthy status! Seriously, this tastes amazing.

Droolworthy BBQ Shredded Chicken with garlic mayo freezer meal

Admittedly, it is messy to eat, but you won’t mind having drips of garlic mayo mixed with BBQ sauce and minced onions running down your wrists because it is so worth it!

BBQ Shredded Chicken Freezer Meal Recipe:

3-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3/4 cup finely minced onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bottle of barbeque sauce or 425 mL of your own homemade BBQ sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

To put this freezer meal together, place the chicken, minced onion, minced garlic, barbeque sauce, and apple cider vinegar in a large resealable bag. Remove excess air and seal.

On the day you want to serve this, take it out of the freezer and allow it to thaw. Cook it in the crock pot on low for 3-5 hours. Shred when done and serve in on buns on top of garlic mayo. You can also serve this shredded BBQ chicken on nachos or in tacos.

I’ve brought this with us camping, had it on a lazy Sunday afternoon and served it to company. You just really can’t go wrong when something tastes this good.

Garlic Mayo Recipe:

1/2 cup mayo
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
dash of salt and pepper

Mix together all the ingredients and serve on buns before topping with the shredded BBQ chicken. If there’s any leftover, you can store it in the fridge in an airtight container. We never have any leftover though because it is lick-the-bowl good (or so I’ve heard)!

This droolworthy BBQ Shredded Chicken recipe is included in the More Family Favourites Freezer Meal Plan along with other family friendly recipes, shopping lists and printable labels.

What Freezes Well, What Doesn’t and How to Adapt Recipes

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Whether you are new to making freezer meals or not, you may wonder what freezes well and what doesn’t. I’ve created this reference to help you determine not only what freezes, but also how to best freeze it. I’m also including some tips on adapting freezer meal recipes if the ingredients required don’t freeze well.

What freezes well and how to best freeze itI’ve also created a cheatsheet for you to print out as an easy reference to remember what freezes well.

Butter, margarine – Freezes well.

Milk in a jug – Freezes well.

Milk – Doesn’t freeze well in recipes, however recipes that call for milk can be adapted easily for the freezer by using evaporated milk or heavy cream in its place.

Sour Cream – The texture changes when frozen, but it holds up well when in cooking or baking.

Yogourt – The texture changes considerably when frozen, but it is still fine for using in smoothies. You can freeze in ice cube trays and add to resealable freezer bags to put into smoothies.

Cheese – Shred it first and seal well before freezing.

Cream Cheese – The texture changes when frozen as it is, but when mixed in a recipe it is fine.

Cottage Cheese – Freezes well within a recipe.

Custards – Do not freeze well.

Eggs (raw) – They need to be taken out of the shell first and mixed with a bit of salt or they will be rubbery.

Eggs (cooked) – Scrambled or cooked eggs freeze well, but hard boiled eggs get rubbery.

Ground meats including wild game – Package and seal well to prevent freezer burn.

Beef – Package and seal well to prevent freezer burn.

Chicken – Package and seal well to prevent freezer burn. Chicken freezer burns easily unless it is in a marinade or within a freezer meal recipe.

Pork – Package and seal well to prevent freezer burn.

Seafood – Package and seal well to prevent freezer burn.

Luncheon Meat – Package and seal well to prevent freezer burn.

Melons, lime, lemon, grapefruit – Do not freeze well.

Fruit juices including lemon, lime and grapefruit juice – Freeze well on their own or within recipes.

Oranges – Do not freeze well, but segmented orange sections do freeze well within recipes.

Grapes – Can only be frozen if you are planning to eat them frozen.

Apples and pears – Core, peel and slice, then place in lemon juice in re-sealable freezer bag to keep from browning for use in future baking.

Peaches – Peel, pit and slice peaches and place in resealable freezer bag for use in future baking.

Berries – All berries freeze well.

Cucumbers, lettuce, sprouts, and radishes – Do not freeze on their own or in recipes.

Celery, peppers and onions – Do not freeze well on their own, but work well within recipes.

Mushrooms – Can be frozen if sauteed first or if used in recipes.

Potatoes – Do not freeze well unless already frozen. Frozen hash browns and tater tots work well within recipes.

*A note about vegetables: Vegetables such as broccoli, peppers, asparagus, green beans, brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, peas, spinach, zucchini, freeze better when blanched first.

Herbs – Freeze in ice cube tray with small amount of water and once frozen, place in resealable freezer bag.

Nuts – Freeze fine if sealed well in a resealable freezer bag.

Baking chips – Seal in resealable freezer bag.

Bread – Freezes well.

Loaves such as zucchini loaf or banana bread – Freezes well.

Buns – Plastic wrap before putting in freezer bag to prevent freezer burn.

Cooking or brownies – Package and seal well to prevent freezer burn.

Cookie dough – Place pre-formed balls on cookie sheet in freezer until frozen and then place in a resealable bag and put back in freezer.

Pizza dough – Freezes well.

Pie dough – Freezes well.

Waffles and pancakes – Place on cookie sheet flat in freezer until frozen and then place in a resealable bag and put back in freezer or place wax or parchment paper in between.

Waffle, pancake and muffin batter – Freezes well.

Muffins – Freeze well.

Pasta – Freezes if cooked to al dente (slightly undercooked).

Rice – Freezes best if slightly undercooked.

Broths and Soup – Freeze well.

Sauces – Most freeze well, but some that have a thickener such as flour or cornstarch will separate.

Wine – Pour leftover white or red wine into an ice cube tray and then place frozen cubes in a resealable bag to be added to soups or sauces. It adds depth to dishes such as pasta sauces and chili.

Make Ahead Cinnamon Freezer French Toast

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Last Sunday, I was making my make ahead cinnamon freezer french toast and my husband commented about how good this new recipe was. I laughed and said that this was the same recipe I always use when I make french toast for the freezer. We soon discovered that he had never eaten a piece because in all the years of me making these, my kids eat them so quickly that my husband had never even gotten to try one! It was a bit funny, especially when one of our older sons came forward and “confessed” to being the culprit behind eating most of them.

Make Ahead Cinnamon French Toast Freezer BreakfastSure enough, that same son ate most of a double batch of these ones in just a few days with a bit of help from his younger siblings! When you have a large family, delicious food like this doesn’t last long.

Cinnamon Freezer French Toast Recipe:

1 loaf of bread (about 16 slices)
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
zest of 1/2 an orange

Whisk together the milk, eggs, spices, vanilla, and orange zest. Heat a skillet or griddle to medium heat and grease with some olive oil. Dip each slice of bread in the egg mixture and cook on both sides until browned.

Lay the cooked slices on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Place cookie sheet in freezer. By freezing them individually like this first, they won’t stick together in the bag and will be easy to remove one at a time.

Once frozen, place slices in a large resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air, seal and freeze.

These make such an easy weekday breakfast. The french toast slices can be taken out one or two at a time and popped in the toaster or toaster oven. Top with syrup or fresh fruit.

When I make this, I use cinnamon bread from a local bakery and double or quadruple the recipe so that I can fill many bags with french toast in the freezer for busy morning. My kids love these and eat them almost as quickly as I can make them!

You can find this recipe along with other easy freezer breakfast ideas with printable shopping lists and labels in our Freezer Breakfast Meal Plan.