Freezer Meals 101

Cilantro Lime Chicken with Corn and Black Beans

We’ve been making this cilantro lime chicken for quite a few years now. It’s such a pretty freezer meal in the bag. This makes it pretty satisfying once you’ve assembled it and can stand back and admire your work! That may sound silly, but every time, I always comment on how pretty it is.This is a freezer to crock pot meal. It’s easy and delicious.With so many colourful ingredients, it’s healthy too!

Cilantro Lime Chicken Recipe:

3 large chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cubed
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lime, juiced
1 cup cilantro, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
19 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
12 oz. can kernel corn, drained
1 purple onion, minced
1 tsp. chipotle spice
dash salt and pepper

Assembly instructions:

Cube the chicken and add to a large resealable freezer bag.
Add the olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, garlic cloves, drained black beans and corn, minced purple onions, and seasonings.
Remove the excess air from the bag and seal. Freeze.

Cooking instructions (Crock Pot):

On the day of cooking, take out of the freezer to thaw.
Dump the bag contents into a slow cooker. Cook on high for 4-5 hours.
Serve on flour tortillas with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.

Cooking instructions (Oven):

Thaw.
Bake in 350° oven for one hour.

Isn’t that freezer bag pretty?!

Your family will really enjoy this fresh tasting cilantro lime chicken freezer meal. And you’ll love how easy it is to get supper on the table.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Recipe

Keyword: chicken, crock pot

Ingredients

3 large chicken breasts boneless and skinless, cubed
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lime juiced
1 cup cilantro chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
19 oz. can black beans rinsed and drained
12 oz. can kernel corn drained
1 purple onion minced
1 tsp. chipotle spice
dash salt and pepper

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Cube the chicken and add to a large resealable freezer bag.
Add the olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, garlic cloves, drained black beans and corn, minced purple onions, and seasonings.
Remove the excess air from the bag and seal. Freeze.

Cooking instructions:

On the day of cooking, take out of the freezer to thaw.
Dump the bag contents into a slow cooker. Cook on high for 4-5 hours.
Serve on flour tortillas with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.

Check out some of our other freezer to slow cooker meals:

Beef Curry Freezer Meal

Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos

Freezer to Crock Pot Beef Stew

Salsa Chicken Freezer Meal

By Sharla

It truly doesn’t get more simple than this salsa chicken recipe. Not only is this an easy freezer meal, it is tasty! You can customize it to your own tastes by the type of salsa you use.

As with other dump recipes, it is just as fast to make several at a time as it is to make one. If you choose to make multiples, just set the bags up, put the chicken in each bag and then add the other ingredients.

If you want to kick things up a notch, use spicy salsa. You can also vary things by using a chunkier salsa or using a homemade one.

Salsa Chicken Recipe:

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup salsa, your choice of mild, medium, or spicy
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard

Assembly instructions:

Place the chicken in a large resealable freezer bag or reusable silicone freezer bag.
Toss the rest of the ingredients into the bag and squish to mix around.
Take the air out of the bag and seal before freezing.

Oven cooking instructions:

Take the bag out of the freezer. Thaw.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Bake in a casserole dish for 55 minutes.

Skillet cooking instructions:

Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
Cook in a skillet on medium-high heat for about 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside, flipping occasionally.

What to serve with salsa chicken:

taco chips with guacamole
refried beans
rice
salad
corn

Check out these other chicken dump recipes:

Honey Sesame Chicken Dump Meal

Lemon Garlic Chicken Dump Mahjong Chicken Dump Recipe

Salsa Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup salsa your choice of mild, medium, or spicy
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Place the chicken in a large resealable freezer bag or reusable silicone freezer bag.
Toss the rest of the ingredients into the bag and squish to mix around.
Take the air out of the bag and seal before freezing.

Oven cooking instructions:

Take the bag out of the freezer. Thaw.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Bake in a casserole dish for 55 minutes.

Skillet cooking instructions:

Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
Cook in a skillet on medium-high heat for about 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside, flipping occasionally.

Instant Pot Breaded Red Curry Shrimp Freezer Meal

By Sharla

I’m always on the lookout for new recipes that can be made ahead. This Instant Pot Breaded Red Curry Shrimp is actually my friend Tanya’s recipe. When she told me that it worked as a freezer meal, I was super excited. You can make this recipe ahead and freeze it. Combine that with the Instant Pot and this meal will be ready in no time!

By adjusting the seasonings, you can choose the spice level for this dish.

Instant Pot Breaded Red Curry Shrimp Recipe:

2 lbs. raw jumbo shrimp
1 cup pulverized breadcrumbs (to make this gluten free, use 1/2 cup almond or coconut flour)
5 gloves minced garlic
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger (peeled and minced)*
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
Himalayan salt to taste
black pepper (ground) to taste
optional: 1 tsp. cayenne pepper (adjust to preference, if you like it spicy)

*if you don’t have fresh ginger, use 1 tsp. ground ginger

Wet ingredients:

2 Tbsp. coconut oil plus 2 more Tbsp. for day of cooking
2-3 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh is preferred) Assembly instructions:

1. Throw everything in a gallon-sized resealable freezer bag.
2. Mix it well.
3. Freeze, laying flat.

On the day of cooking:

1. Take out of freezer to defrost (or place in sink with water for 20 minutes).
2. Turn Instant Pot on and press the button “Sauté.”
3. Put 2 Tbsp. coconut oil and let it heat up.
4. Empty the bag contents into the Instant Pot.
5. Using a spoon, turn shrimp around for a couple of minutes.
6. Place the lid (make sure it is in seal).
7. Turn Sauté off and turn it on to the setting “Manual.”
8. Set time to 8 minutes (if fully thawed). If it is still frozen, set it to 12 minutes.
9. Let it cook and natural release.
10. When done, serve over rice or lettuce or spinach.

Check out these other seafood freezer meals:

Seafood Curry Pasta

Make Ahead Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa

Garlic Butter Shrimp

Instant Pot Breaded Red Curry Shrimp Recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs. raw jumbo shrimp
1 cup pulverized breadcrumbs to make this gluten free, use 1/2 cup almond or coconut flour
5 gloves minced garlic
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger peeled and minced*
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
Himalayan salt to taste
black pepper to taste
1 tsp. cayenne pepper optional: adjust to preference, if you like it spicy

Wet ingredients:

2 Tbsp. coconut oil plus 2 more Tbsp. for day of cooking
2-3 Tbsp. lemon juice fresh is preferred

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Throw everything in a gallon-sized resealable freezer bag.
Mix it well.
Freeze, laying flat.

On the day of cooking:

Take out of freezer to defrost (or place in sink with water for 20 minutes).
Turn Instant Pot on and press the button "Sauté."
Put 2 Tbsp. coconut oil and let it heat up.
Empty the bag contents into the Instant Pot.
Using a spoon, turn shrimp around for a couple of minutes.
Place the lid (make sure it is in seal).
Turn Sauté off and turn it on to the setting "Manual."
Set time to 8 minutes (if fully thawed). If it is still frozen, set it to 12 minutes.
Let it cook and natural release.
10. When done, serve over rice or lettuce or spinach.

Recipe Notes

*if you don't have fresh ginger, use 1 tsp. ground ginger

Mahjong Chicken Dump Recipe

By Sharla

This easy to make recipe has a unique flavour. We call it Mahjong Chicken and it’s a must-try.

Using the dump recipe method, this meal can be assembled in minutes and then frozen. It can be cooked in the crock pot or in the oven.

My neighbour and I loved the taste of this recipe, but we weren’t sure what to call it. Given some of the Asian flavours like the fish sauce, Chinese 5 spice, and thai sweet chili sauce, we decided to name it Mahjong after the game that originated in China.

Mahjong Chicken Dump Recipe:

3-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (alternately, you can use 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs)
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup thai sweet chili sauce
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. Chinese 5 spice
1/4 tsp. lemon pepper

Assembly instructions:

In a large resealable freezer bag, place the chicken breasts and then dump all the other ingredients on top.
Squish to combine.
Remove the excess air before sealing the bag. Freeze.

Oven cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Dump the bag contents into a casserole dish and bake covered at 350° for 55 minutes.

Crock pot cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Place chicken and sauce into the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-5 hours.

Suggested side dishes for Mahjong Chicken:

You can find other simple to make chicken recipes in our Chicken Dump Recipes cookbook. It includes printable labels and grocery lists, making it easier than ever to get dinner on the table.

Mahjong Chicken

Course: Main Course

Keyword: chicken, chicken dump

Ingredients

3-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup thai sweet chili sauce
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 1/2 tsp. garlic minced
2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. Chinese 5 spice
1/4 tsp. lemon pepper

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

In a large resealable freezer bag, place the chicken breasts and then dump all the other ingredients on top.
Squish to combine.
Remove the excess air before sealing the bag. Freeze.

Oven cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Dump the bag contents into a casserole dish and bake covered at 350° for 55 minutes.

Crock pot cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Place chicken and sauce into the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-5 hours.

Recipe Notes

Instead of chicken breasts, you can use 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.

Some of our other easy chicken freezer meals for you:

Lemon Garlic Chicken Dump Recipe Honey Sesame Chicken Dump Recipe

Kid Friendly Freezer Meals

By Sharla

One of the concerns a lot of moms have about diving into freezer cooking is whether or not their kids will actually eat the meals. I completely understand!

I’m the mom of 7 kids and there are a few very picky eaters in the bunch. The last thing you want is to spend all that time and money making freezer meals and then have your kids refuse to eat them.

Obviously, you know your kids best. If they refuse to eat mushrooms, don’t choose recipes full of mushrooms (or get sneaky and blend them well!). If they are sensitive to spice, tone down the spices called for in the recipe.

I find that there are some generalities when it comes to food that appeals to children. If it has pizza flavours or tater tots or can be eaten with their hands or is served on a bun, then most kids like it.

This list may include recipes that you know at a glance won’t work for your kids because you know their preferences. Skip those of course. But I’m pretty sure you’ll find some freezer meals kids will actually eat on this list.

Kid Friendly Freezer Meals:

Instant Pot Pizza Casserole – Generally, kids love pizza and pasta and this has both.

Tater Tot Pizza Casserole – Tater tots and pizza is a combination made with kids in mind.

Tater Tot Casserole – This is hands-down my kids’ favourite meal.They would eat it every day if they could. I wish it had some veggies in it!

Italian Meatballs Tater Tot Casserole from Premeditated Leftovers

Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos – Tacos are a surefire win with my kids!

Best Ever Freezer Meal Spaghetti Sauce – It’s hard to go wrong with spaghetti.

Buffalo Chicken (made on slider buns) – My kids completely devoured these!

BBQ Pulled Pork – This is great for hot summer days because it cooks in the crock pot. I usually bring this freezer meal camping with us.

KFC Style Chicken – Your kids will be amazed that you were able to make KFC chicken at home.

Chicken Pasta Bake – This pasta bake is comfort food at its finest.

Make Ahead Apple Pork Chops – This recipe is a good introduction to pork chops for kids because of its subtle sweet flavour.

Lemon Garlic Chicken – This SUPER easy to make chicken dish has mild flavours and goes over well with little ones.

Apple Maple Chicken – This dish offers enough sweetness to be eaten without complaint.

Homemade Mini Corn Dogs on Moms Need to Know

Crock Pot Freezer Meal Pizza Casserole from The Chaos and The Clutter (skip the mushrooms in that one if you have kids who don’t eat mushrooms)

Chicken Strips from Happy Money Saver – Homemade chicken strips are less expensive and healthier than the frozen store bought variety.

Sloppy Joes from The Chaos and The Clutter – I have childhood memories of eating Sloppy Joes in my mom’s kitchen and now, my kids will have memories of eating my recipe.

Turkey Sloppy Joes – I call these the gateway recipe for ground turkey!

Droolworthy BBQ Shredded Chicken with Garlic Mayo – We all love this recipe. The garlic mayo really makes it.

Easy Chicken and Veggie Casserole – The crispy onion topping is what makes this one so family friendly.

Kid Friendly Italian Biscuit Cups from Make Ahead Meal Mom

Chicken Alfredo Bake over on Make Ahead Meal Mom

Homemade Frozen Pizza at The Recipe Rebel

Homemade Pizza Pockets from The Girl on Bloor

Make things easy with the Kid Friendly Freezer Meal Plan. It includes make ahead recipes kids will love along with shopping lists, prep lists, and printable labels.