Freezer Meals 101

Less time cooking, more time living

Easy Kung Pao Chicken Recipe

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There’s no need to order takeout when you can make easy kung pao chicken this delicious at home! This make ahead meal is full of amazing flavours. You’ll be begging for seconds! a plastic bag filled with chicken, sauce, and vegetables is on top with a plate of rice covered in cubed chicken, red sauce, and vegetables is on the bottom with text that reads "Kung Pao Chicken freezer meal"Since this recipe is so simple to put together, I suggest making several at one time which takes only a minute or two longer than making just one. You’ll then be able to have this whenever you want to in less time than it would take to have food delivered. Or you can heat it in the slow cooker and have it ready when you get home from work. The Kung Pao sauce can be a bit hard to find. Neither of my usual grocery stores carry it. If you can’t find it near you, you can always order it online from Amazon. I buy mine at WalMart. Since WalMart isn’t usually where I get my groceries, it means an extra stop, but this recipe is so worth it!

I make several of these at once, so when I do go, I buy 4 or 6 bottles, so that makes the extra stop more worthwhile.

What’s the difference between kung pao chicken and General Tso’s chicken?

While there are a few similarities between kung pao chicken and General Tso’s chicken, they are far from the same dish. They both are usually served over rice and are an Asian inspired chicken dish, but the parallels pretty much  end there.

General Tso’s chicken is breaded, deep-fried chicken dish with hints of both sweet and spicy. Kung pao chicken is not breaded or deep fried and the flavours are sweet and sour, giving it a more tangy taste. Kung pao chicken also usually has other ingredients such as peppers, water chestnuts, and peanuts, whereas, General Tso’s is generally just the chicken.

Easy Kung Pao Chicken Recipe:

Kung Pao Chicken Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. chicken breast, boneless, skinless, cubed
  • 18.75 oz. (554 mL) bottle Kung Pao sauce
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • 8 oz. can water chestnuts, drained
  • 1 bunch green onions, sliced

For serving:

  • peanuts (optional)

Assembly instructions:

  1. Cube the chicken breast.
  2. Chop the peppers and slice the green onions.
  3. Place the chopped chicken, peppers, green onions, and water chestnuts in a large resealable freezer bag. Pour the bottle of kung pao sauce over everything.
  4. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Slow cooker instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Place everything from the bag into the Crock Pot.
  3. Cook on low for 3-5 hours.
  4. Serve over rice.
  5. If desired, sprinkle some peanuts on top.

Skillet cooking instructions: 

  1. Thaw.
  2. Dump everything from the freezer bag into a skillet.
  3. Cook over medium-high heat until chicken is thoroughly cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly.
  4. Serve over rice.
  5. Sprinkle some peanuts on top if you like.

Note: If you want to make assembling this much faster, you can put the chicken breasts into the freezer bag whole and then cube them on the day of cooking either before or after cooking. I find that way is messier so I don’t like it, but if you’re wanting to assemble a lot of freezer meals at once and just going for speed, that is an option.

Check out these other asian inspired freezer meals:

Asian Rice Bowl

Easy Asian Meatballs

Mahjong Chicken

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Easy Kung Pao Chicken Freezer Meal
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. chicken breast boneless, skinless, cubed
  • 18.75 oz. 554 mL bottle Kung Pao sauce
  • 1 red pepper diced
  • 1 green pepper diced
  • 8 oz. can water chestnuts drained
  • 1 bunch green onions sliced
For serving:
  • peanuts optional
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Cube the chicken breast.
  2. Chop the peppers and slice the green onions.
  3. Place the chopped chicken, peppers, green onions, and water chestnuts in a large resealable freezer bag. Pour the bottle of kung pao sauce over everything.
  4. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.
Slow cooker instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Place everything from the bag into the Crock Pot.
  3. Cook on low for 3-5 hours.
  4. Serve over rice.
  5. If desired, sprinkle some peanuts on top.
Skillet cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Dump everything from the freezer bag into a skillet.
  3. Cook over medium-high heat until chicken is thoroughly cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly.
  4. Serve over rice.
  5. Sprinkle some peanuts on top if you like.
Recipe Notes

If you want to make assembling this much faster, you can put the chicken breasts into the freezer bag whole and then cube them on the day of cooking either before or after cooking.

Taco Chili Freezer Meal

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This hearty taco chili combines the flavours of Mexican-American food with classic chili. It’s an easy dump recipe that can go from the freezer to the Crock Pot. This is a very non-traditional chili however, in that it does not have any beans in it.

So if you are not a fan of beans, but love the flavours of chili, this is the one for you!a blue bowl that's white on the inside is filled with corn, ground beef, tomatoes, red sauce that is topped with shredded cheese and green herbs with text that reads "Taco Chili Freezer Meal"The nice warm feeling from a bowl of chili is such a nice lunch or dinner to curl up with in winter or fall.

This is already a budget friendly meal, but there are ways that you can make this even more affordable. If you want to stretch this recipe further, you can use the taco chili as a topping on baked potatoes, stuffed inside green and red peppers, or add a tetrapak of beef broth to turn it into taco chili soup.

Taco Chili Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. ground beef, browned
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 15 oz. can kernel corn, drained
  • 8 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 4 oz. can green chilies
  • 1 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper

Assembly instructions:

  1. Prep by browning the ground beef until it is no longer pink and chopping the onion.
  2. Place the cooked beef, chopped onion, and all other ingredients in a large resealable freezer bag. Remove the excess air, seal, and freeze.

Slow cooker instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Cook in the Crock Pot on low for 3-5 hours.
  3. Optional: Top with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, chopped green onions, cilantro, and/or sliced avocado.

Stovetop instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Heat on the stovetop on medium-low heat until heated through, stirring occasionally.
  3. Optional: Top with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, chopped green onions, cilantro, and/or sliced avocado.

Check out some other tasty make ahead chili recipes:

Thick and Chunky Hearty Chili

Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

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Taco Chili Freezer Meal Recipe
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. ground beef browned
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 15 oz. can kernel corn drained
  • 8 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 4 oz. can green chilies
  • 1 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Prep by browning the ground beef until it is no longer pink and chopping the onion.
  2. Place the cooked beef, chopped onion, and all other ingredients in a large resealable freezer bag. Remove the excess air, seal, and freeze.
Slow cooker instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Cook in the Crock Pot on low for 3-5 hours.
  3. Optional: Top with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, chopped green onions, cilantro, and/or sliced avocado.
Stovetop instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Heat on the stovetop on medium-low heat until heated through, stirring occasionally.
  3. Optional: Top with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, chopped green onions, cilantro, and/or sliced avocado.

Pesto Chicken and Vegetables Freezer Meal Recipe

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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. chicken breasts, diced green zucchini, orange carrots, green Brussel sprouts, and yellow corn are laid out on tin foil on a baking tray. The text reads "Pesto Chicken and Veggies"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.

Creamy Tomato Beef Skillet Meal

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This creamy tomato beef skillet meal is so easy to make. It can be on the table in a flash! This is a great dinner idea for when you’re in a hurry, but still want a healthy dinner. The best part is that this can be made as a freezer meal so that it’s ready to go whenever you need it.

a green skillet sits on a brown cutting board. The skillet is filled with noodles, beef, and tomato sauce. The text reads "Homemade Hamburger Helper"Once you’ve got the sauce for this made and in your freezer, it becomes like a healthier, more delicious homemade Hamburger Helper. This meal is a real family classic.

Creamy Tomato Beef Skillet Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. ground beef, browned
  • 1/2 an onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 15 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp. garlic salt
  • 1 tsp. pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. brown sugar

For the day of cooking:

  • 16 oz. package of egg noodles
  • 2 Tbsp. flour
  • 2 cups of shredded cheddar jack cheese (or Parmesan if you prefer)

Assembly instructions:

  1. Brown the ground beef. Allow to cool slightly.
  2. Place the ground beef in a large resealable freezer bag.
  3. Add the chopped onion, minced garlic, tomato sauce, seasonings, heavy cream, brown sugar, and beef stock.

Skillet cooking instructions:

  1. Remove the bag from the freezer. Thaw.
  2. Cook the egg noodles according to the package directions. In the meantime, place the freezer bag contents in a large skillet on the stovetop.
  3. Cook on medium until the flavours and well blended. Stir in the flour and allow the sauce to thicken somewhat.
  4. Turn the heat to low and let the sauce simmer while you finish cooking the pasta. When noodles are cooked, drain well, and add them to the skillet.
  5. Stir all together so that the meat sauce and the egg noodles are well mixed. Sprinkle the skillet ingredients with the grated cheese and stir just until cheese melts. Serve immediately.

You may also enjoy these family friendly freezer meals:

Ground Beef Stroganoff

Shrimp Stir Fry Packs for the Freezer

Pizza Stuffed Chicken

Print
Creamy Tomato Beef Skillet
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. ground beef browned
  • 1/2 an onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 15 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp. garlic salt
  • 1 tsp. pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
For the day of cooking:
  • 16 oz. package of egg noodles
  • 2 Tbsp. flour
  • 2 cups of shredded cheddar jack cheese or Parmesan if you prefer
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Brown the ground beef. Allow to cool slightly.
  2. Place the ground beef in a large resealable freezer bag.
  3. Add the chopped onion, minced garlic, tomato sauce, seasonings, heavy cream, brown sugar, and beef stock.
Skillet cooking instructions:
  1. Remove the bag from the freezer. Thaw.
  2. Cook the egg noodles according to the package directions. In the meantime, place the freezer bag contents in a large skillet on the stovetop.
  3. Cook on medium until the flavours and well blended. Stir in the flour and allow the sauce to thicken somewhat.
  4. Turn the heat to low and let the sauce simmer while you finish cooking the pasta. When noodles are cooked, drain well, and add them to the skillet.
  5. Stir all together so that the meat sauce and the egg noodles are well mixed. Sprinkle the skillet ingredients with the grated cheese and stir just until cheese melts. Serve immediately.

Easy Make Ahead Side Dishes

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You are going to love these easy make ahead side dishes. These recipes will take the stress out of holiday meals. Just knowing that you have these ready to go is such peace of mind.

Whether you are using these for a holiday meal such as Thanksgiving, Easter, or Christmas or for a regular weeknight dinner, having these freezer cooking side dishes is going to make your life so much easier.a collage of garlic bread, carrots, mashed potatoes, buns, and squash with text that read "Easy Make Ahead Side Dishes"One of the things I’ve found with making freezer meals is that a lot of the recipes are for a main such as chicken. While those recipes are super fast to make, I’m then left scrambling to create a balanced meal. It’s only been in the past few years that I’ve started to put some thought towards freezer side dishes.

Now that I have sides as well as mains in my freezer, I have everything I need for healthy meals. This means less trips to the grocery store, more savings, and less stress.

Make Ahead Side Dish Recipes:

This Honey Maple Glazed Carrots recipe is about to become one of your new go-tos. They go well along with so many dishes and are great for holiday meals. I like to always have a few bags in the freezer.

Of all of our make ahead side dish recipes, our Freezer Garlic Bread is our most popular.

Your guests will have no idea that this Butternut Squash Freezer Meal Side Dish was made weeks ago and has been waiting in the freezer. This is an impressive one.

I want to be eating these Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes from Make-Ahead Meal Mom right now! They are that good.

Joyfully Thriving shares these Parmesan Garlic Rolls that can be made ahead and frozen. It’s one of those recipes that gets passed along from person to person. Those ones are usually the best!

The Garlic Texas Toast from Love to be in the Kitchen is a nice one to have on hand.

Make this Instant Pot Mac and Cheese from Baking Beauty ahead of time and freeze it for up to 2 months.

You can prepare the ingredients for This Old Gal’s Crack Slaw and freeze them ready to go into the Instant Pot. This makes this easy dish even easier.

These Buttermilk Biscuits at Baking Beauty are a versatile side that go with almost anything.

What are your favourite freezer side dishes?