Freezer Meals 101 - Page 3 of 19 - Less time cooking, more time living

Taco Breakfast Cups You Can Make Ahead

Mornings are a mad house around here. With so many kids and some of them going to different schools, it’s complete chaos on weekdays between 6 a.m. and 8:10! Having ready to go breakfasts like these taco breakfast cups make mornings so much easier.

If you’re really in a rush, you can even wrap these in a paper towel and eat them on your way out the door.

These breakfast cups are gluten free,

Taco Breakfast Cups Recipe:

6 green onions, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 yellow or orange pepper, diced
6 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp. taco seasoning
1/2 lb. spicy ground turkey sausage
tex mex or taco shredded cheese
optional: salsa for dipping

Preheat the oven to 350°.
Generously grease a muffin tin.
Brown the turkey sausage in a skillet with the taco seasoning mixed in.
Dice the green onions and peppers. Place a spoon full of the diced vegetables in the bottom of each greased muffin tin.
Next, layer a spoon of turkey sausage on top.
In a small mixing bowl, mix together the beaten eggs and milk.
Fill each of the muffin tins to the top with the egg mixture.
Bake for 10-15 minutes, until cooked through.
Top each one with grated cheese and put back in the oven just until the cheese is melted.
Eat immediately or allow to cool before placing the egg cups in a large resealable bag and freezing.
To reheat, take out as many egg cups as you need. Wrap the egg cup in a paper towel and place on a plate. Heat in the microwave just until warm.*
If you want, you can dip these in salsa.

*I find that if you reheat them in the microwave without using paper towel, they get a bit soggy. No one wants soggy eggs, so be sure not to skip this step. If you substitute whipping cream for the milk, then these taco breakfast cups are keto friendly. They are also gluten free provided you use gluten free taco seasoning.

You’ll love these grab and go bites for busy mornings. It’s easy to customize them to your taste. If you like things spicy, you can add some chopped jalepenos with the other peppers. You can also choose to substitute spicy ground Italian sausage in place of the turkey if you prefer. Some of our other make ahead breakfasts:

Make Ahead Cinnamon French Toast

Breakfast Sausage Hand Pies

Taco Breakfast Cups Recipe

Ingredients

6 green onions diced
1 red pepper diced
1 yellow or orange pepper diced
6 eggs beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp. taco seasoning
1/2 lb. spicy turkey sausage
tex mex or taco shredded cheese
optional: salsa for dipping

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°.
Generously grease a muffin tin.
Brown the turkey sausage in a skillet with the taco seasoning mixed in.
Dice the green onions and peppers. Place a spoon full of the diced vegetables in the bottom of each greased muffin tin.
Next, layer a spoon of turkey sausage on top.
In a small mixing bowl, mix together the beaten eggs and milk.
Fill each of the muffin tins to the top with the egg mixture.
Bake for 10-15 minutes, until cooked through.
Top each one with grated cheese and put back in the oven just until the cheese is melted.
Eat immediately or allow to cool before placing the egg cups in a large resealable bag and freezing.
To reheat, take out as many egg cups as you need. Wrap the egg cup in a paper towel and place on a plate. Heat in the microwave just until warm.

Recipe Notes

I find that if you reheat them in the microwave without using paper towel, they get a bit soggy. No one wants soggy eggs, so be sure not to skip this step.

Simple Marinated Pork Chops

By Sharla

These make ahead simple marinated pork chops are an easy, family-friendly meal. They take just minutes to assemble. These are perfect for a busy weeknight. This meal is gluten free if you use a gluten free soy sauce. It pairs well with a variety of side dishes. You can find a list of suggested sides to inspire you below the pork chop recipe.

Simple Marinated Pork Chops Recipe:

6 pork chops, bone in
1/2 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup canola or olive oil
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. melted honey
1 clove garlic, minced

To assemble the meal:

Place the pork chops into a large resealable freezer bag or a reusable silicone freezer bag.
Pour the other ingredients into the bag.
Remove the air from the bag and seal.
Jiggle the bag around a little to combine the marinade before freezing.

On the day of cooking:

Take the bag out of the freezer the day before and let it sit in the fridge overnight to allow the marinade more time to sink in. Marinating it overnight will produce more flavour.
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Cook the pork chops on a broiler pan for 45 minutes until the center of the meat is white and has reached an internal temperature of 145°.
Allow the pork chops to rest for 5 minutes prior to serving to help the meat retain its juices when it is cut.

Serving suggestions for pork chops:

green beans
applesauce
creamed corn
twice baked potatoes
broccoli salad
garlic mashed potatoes
Caesar salad
Southwestern black bean and black eyed pea salad
scalloped potatoes
rice
fruit salad
potato salad
roasted Brussels sprouts
sautéed spinach with a bit of feta
roasted cauliflower
macaroni and cheese
butternut squash make ahead side dish
cornbread
coleslaw
corn on the cob

Simple Marinated Pork Chops Recipe

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Total Time

50 mins

Course: Main Course

Ingredients

6 pork chops bone in
1/2 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup canola or olive oil
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. melted honey
1 clove garlic minced

Instructions

To assemble the meal:

Place the pork chops into a large resealable freezer bag or a reusable silicone freezer bag.
Pour the other ingredients into the bag.
Remove the air from the bag and seal.
Jiggle the bag around a little to combine the marinade before freezing.

On the day of cooking:

Take the bag out of the freezer and thaw. You can instead take it out the day before and let it sit in the fridge overnight to allow the marinade more time to sink in.
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Cook the pork chops on a broiler pan for 45 minutes until the center of the meat is white and has reached an internal temperature of 145°.
Allow the pork chops to rest for 5 minutes prior to serving to help the meat retain its juices when it is cut.

Keto KFC Style Chicken

By Sharla

While not a fan of fast food in my adulthood, I do have fond childhood memories of the occasional trip through the KFC drive-through. Biting into that crispy chicken is something I still remember. That brings me to this creation of a Keto KFC style chicken recipe.

And the best part? It can be made ahead so that you have it in your freezer ready to cook up whenever a craving hits!

You can have the unique flavour of KFC Chicken even on a Keto diet. The world just got a whole lot better, didn’t it?!

Keto KFC Style Chicken Recipe:

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken thighs and cut into 2-3 pieces each
1 1/2 cups almond flour
3 tsp. KFC seasoning (recipe below), to taste
2 eggs
2 cups olive oil

KFC seasoning:

2/3 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. basil
1/3 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. dried mustard
4 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. ground ginger
3 tsp. white pepper

Assembly instructions:

In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of the almond flour with 1 tsp. or more of the KFC seasoning.
Crack the eggs into a second bowl and whisk for 30 seconds.
Dredge the chicken through the almond flour mixture, then the eggs, then repeat through the almond flour.
You will need to do this in several batches as the almond flour gets wet and clumpy after a while (more so than regular flour).
Place the breaded chicken pieces on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Lay the cookie sheet down flat in the freezer.
When the chicken is completely frozen, transfer the chicken pieces into a large resealable freezer bag lined with paper towel. If needed, place more paper towel in between layers.
Remove any excess air from the bag. Seal and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

Place the oil in a heavy pan or deep fryer.
Set heat to medium and allow to heat.
When the oil is hot, add 3 pieces of chicken at a time. Cook for 4-5 minutes each, until it is cooked through and golden brown, flipping halfway through.
Remove the chicken to a paper towel lined plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.

Note that if you have any extra KFC seasoning, you can place it in a medium freezer bag and keep it until the next time you make this recipe. It’s easy to double the seasoning for this purpose as well.

If you don’t want to make this as a freezer meal, just cook the chicken directly after breading. The chicken is best if served immediately after frying.

Check out some of our other delicious keto freezer meals:

Lemon Garlic Chicken

Easy Asian Meatballs

Italian Chicken and Veggies (Instant Pot)

Keto KFC Style Chicken Recipe

Course: Main Course

Ingredients

4 boneless chicken thighs and cut into 2-3 pieces each
1 1/2 cups almond flour
3 tsp. KFC seasoning recipe below, to taste
2 eggs
2 cups olive oil

KFC seasoning:

2/3 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. basil
1/3 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. dried mustard
4 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. ground ginger
3 tsp. white pepper

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of the almond flour with 1 tsp. or more of the KFC seasoning.
Crack the eggs into a second bowl and whisk for 30 seconds.
Dredge the chicken through the almond flour mixture, then the eggs, then repeat through the almond flour.
You will need to do this in several batches as the almond flour gets wet and clumpy after a while (more so than regular flour).
Place the breaded chicken pieces on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Lay the cookie sheet down flat in the freezer.
When the chicken is completely frozen, transfer the chicken pieces into a large resealable freezer bag lined with paper towel. If needed, place more paper towel in between layers.
Remove any excess air from the bag. Seal and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

Take the breaded chicken out of the freezer and allow to thaw in the bag.
Place oil in a heavy pan or deep fryer.
Set the heat to medium and allow to heat.
When the oil is hot, add 3 pieces of chicken at a time. Cook for 4-5 minutes each, until cooked through and golden brown, flipping halfway through.
Remove the chicken to a paper towel lined plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.

Recipe Notes

Note that if you have any extra KFC seasoning, you can place it in a medium freezer bag and keep it until the next time you make this recipe. It's easy to double the seasoning for this purpose as well.

Honey Maple Glazed Carrots Freezer Meal Side Dish

By Sharla

Side dishes are often overlooked when it comes to freezer cooking. But having them in the freezer as well will make dinner even easier. These honey maple glazed carrots can be made ahead and frozen. Doing the work ahead of time, especially if you make several bags of these at one time, makes suppertime so much easier. They make a perfect side dish to go along with most mains. This also makes an excellent side dish for holiday meals.

Having this side made ahead makes Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas dinner that much easier.

Carrots are a vegetable that most kids will eat, especially when sweetened with both honey and maple. Trust me, these are not a hard sell!

Since the carrots are frozen before they are cooked, they don’t take on that mushy texture that some frozen vegetables can. Mushy is not something I strive for in any of my cooking!

Honey Maple Glazed Carrots Recipe:

3 1/2 cups carrots, peeled and sliced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 tsp. maple syrup
1 Tbsp. honey, melted
2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. salt
pinch pepper

To note: 3 1/2 cups of carrots will be approximately 5 carrots, depending of course on their size.

Peel and slice the carrots.
In a medium sized bowl, toss the carrots with the olive oil, maple syrup, melted honey, and all the seasonings. Make sure the carrots are well covered. Alternately, you can put the carrots in the bag and mix everything in there by giving it a squish.
Place it all in a medium resealable freezer bag. Take out the excess air and seal before freezing.

On the day of cooking:

Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
Preheat the oven to 425°.
Spray a cookie sheet with olive oil.
Dump the contents of the bag onto the greased sheet.
Put the pan in the oven for 10 minutes, stir. Return to the oven for another 12-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Carrots are done when they are tender and some of the edges are browning.
Scoop the carrots into a serving bowl. Serve while still warm.

Ideas for main courses to serve with the honey maple glazed carrots:

pictured below with Honey Sesame Chicken, rice, and salad

Other make ahead side dishes that may interest you:

Make Ahead Rice Pilaf

Freezer Garlic Bread

Honey Maple Glazed Carrots Recipe

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups carrots peeled and sliced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 tsp. maple syrup
1 Tbsp. honey melted
2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. salt
pinch pepper

Instructions

Peel and slice the carrots.
In a medium sized bowl, toss the carrots with the olive oil, maple syrup, melted honey, and all the seasonings. Make sure the carrots are well covered. Alternately, you can put the carrots in the bag and mix everything in there by giving it a squish.
Place it all in a medium resealable freezer bag. Take out the excess air and seal before freezing.

On the day of cooking:

Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
Preheat the oven to 425°.
Spray a cookie sheet with olive oil.
Dump the contents of the bag onto the greased sheet.
Put the pan in the oven for 10 minutes, stir. Return to the oven for another 12-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Carrots are done when they are tender and some of the edges are browning.
Scoop the carrots into a serving bowl. Serve while still warm.

Recipe Notes

3 1/2 cups of carrots will be approximately 5 carrots, depending of course on their size.

Instant Pot Bone Broth That’s Keto Friendly

By Sharla

My husband recently went on a keto diet. One of the recommendations from others already doing keto was to make bone broth ahead to always have on hand. This Instant Pot bone broth is keto friendly. It can be frozen to use anytime. Make this broth in the Instant Pot to always have something healthy available to eat. It will help you stave off unhealthy cravings.

What is bone broth made of?

Bone broth is basically stock. Bone broth is made from animal bones and connective tissue. The key to bone broth is the collagen from the joints and bones. This usually requires long periods of cooking to break things down. Using the Instant Pot enables you to get the same results much faster.

Bone broth is also made with liquid, herbs and spices, and vegetables in addition to the bones.

Where do you get the bones for bone broth?

For chicken bones, buy whole chickens or bone-in chicken parts. Save all the bones for making broth.

For beef and pork, save the bones from roasts or ribs.

Your local butcher is the place to go. You can purchase many types of bones from them, but you’ll have to ask as they are not usually labelled and set out in the storefront area.

Visiting local farmers is another good options for securing quality bones to use.

Grass fed and organic bones create the most nutrient rich broths. This is something to keep in mind when choosing which bones to use.

The health benefits of bone broth:

Bone broth is a good source of vitamins and minerals. This can help strengthen teeth and bones, boost immunity, and fighting inflammation.

It improves hydration due to its water content and electrolytes. It can also cut down on calorie consumption (when used in conjunction with will power of course!) because it is a low calorie snack or meal.

The gelatin contained in bone broth is also beneficial with such things as strengthening nails, improving sleep, and some reports claim that it reduces joint pain.

Instant Pot Bone Broth Recipe:

6 or more chicken bones
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 onions, quartered*
salt and pepper, to taste
2 bay leaves
8 cups water

*Since you will be running the broth through a strainer later, there is no need to peel the onions.

Directions:

Chop up the carrot, celery, and onions and place them in the Instant Pot.
If desired, you can sauté the veggies for a few minutes with a bit of oil using the Sauté setting on your Instant Pot. This will result in a more flavourful broth, but it will be darker in colour.
If you want your broth to be seasoned, apply the seasoning first to the chicken bones.
Add the bones and bay leaves to your Instant Pot and then fill about 3/4 of the way full with water.
Secure the lid.
Select the Soup/Stew setting and increase the time to 45 minutes.
Do a natural release.
Carefully pour the broth through a strainer to remove the vegetables and bones. Any remaining meat can be removed from the bones and can then be used in soup. The veggies will be perfectly cooked and can also be used in soup or a stew or as a side dish.

This will make about 8 cups of broth. This Instant Pot bone broth is keto friendly. It is also gluten free and dairy free.

The best way to freeze bone broth:

One of the most common questions on this topic is how to store bone broth. Given the name of this site and the fact that I’ve been doing make ahead freezer cooking for almost two decades now, I’m partial to the freezer method of storage. It is safe and convenient. It also enables you to make large quantities at one time, but then only take out what you need a bit at a time.

To freeze bone broth, you can section it out into resealable freezer bags once it’s cool, remove the excess air, and freeze. In my opinion however, this is not the most efficient way. If you store all of the bone broth in one bag, you’ll have to use it all at once. It’s been my experience that this leads to waste as not all of it can be used.

The best way to freeze bone broth is to pour the broth into ice cube or silicone trays. Place the trays flat in the freezer. Once fully frozen, transfer the cubes into large resealable bags. Take out the air and seal before placing the bag into the freezer again.

The reason this is the most effective method is that it allows you to take out a cube or two at a time and only use what you need.

Making the keto bone broth in individual portions means that you can take out enough for a snack or an entire meal.

If you’re on a keto diet, having things ready-made that you can pull out when you’re hungry or when a craving hits allows you to resist the temptation to grab for sweets.

Silicone Tray for Freezing Broth Instant Pot Ziploc Freezer Bags Gallon

How to make bone broth keto:

Bones are good for keto and the broth creates a good source of protein. Celery is an above ground vegetable so it is keto approved. Carrots and onions grow below ground and have more carbs. If you make the Instant Pot bone broth above, it’s still keto friendly even with the carrot and onions as long as you strain out the actual vegetables. If you are extremely strict with your keto diet, you can also choose to make this without the below ground vegetables.

Either way, the finished bone broth has very few carbs and is low in calories, making it perfect for keto.

You may also be interested in these articles:

The Easy Guide to Instant Pot Freezer Meals Make Ahead Keto Meals

Instant Pot Bone Broth Recipe

Servings: 8 cups

Ingredients

6 or more chicken bones
1 carrot coarsely chopped
1 celery stalk chopped
2 onions quartered
salt and pepper to taste
2 bay leaves
8 cups water

Instructions

Chop up the carrot, celery, and onions and place them in the Instant Pot.
If desired, you can sauté the veggies for a few minutes with a bit of oil using the Sauté setting on your Instant Pot. This will result in a more flavourful broth, but it will be darker in colour.
If you want your broth to be seasoned, apply the seasoning first to the chicken bones.
Add the bones and bay leaves to your Instant Pot and then fill about 3/4 of the way full with water.
Secure the lid.
Select the Soup/Stew setting and increase the time to 45 minutes.
Do a natural release.
Carefully pour the broth through a strainer to remove the vegetables and bones.

Recipe Notes

Any remaining meat can be removed from the bones and can then be used in soup. The veggies will be perfectly cooked and can also be used in soup or a stew or as a side dish.

This will make about 8 cups of broth.

This Instant Pot bone broth is keto friendly. It is also gluten free and dairy free.