Freezer Meals 101

Less time cooking, more time living

3 Ingredient Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Ribs

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These tender ribs can go from the freezer to the crock pot to create a delicious meal.

Dr. Pepper is a carbonated soft drink, sometimes called “soda” or even “Coke”. Here in my region in Canada, we call it “pop”. The pop helps tenderize the meat, making it melt in your mouth tender. In fact, I use it more for cooking than as a beverage like our Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork and Dr. Pepper Baked Beans.

 

close up of a black slow cooker filled with ribs and red sauce with text that reads "3 ingredients Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Ribs"

Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Ribs Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1 rack of ribs
  • 1/4 cup Dr.Pepper
  • 2 cups BBQ sauce
  • salt
  • pepper

Assembly instructions:

  1. Cut the rack of ribs in thirds so that the ribs can lay flat in the crockpot later! Place the three pieces in a large resealable freezer bag.
  2. Sprinkle with salt & pepper.
  3. Dump in 2 cups of BBQ sauce. Pour in the Dr. Pepper. Squish to combine.
  4. Remove excess air from the bag, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Place the ribs in the crockpot.
  3. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.
  4. Remove from the slow cooker once the ribs are fully cooked.
  5. If desired, top with some additional BBQ sauce before serving.

Helpful hint: If you want, you can whip up a small batch of extra sauce by mixing an additional 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce with 1 additional Tbsp. of Dr. Pepper. Freeze the extra sauce in a medium freezer bag. Staple that bag to the other bag above the seal. You can use this sauce when serving.

Can you cook frozen ribs in the Crock Pot?

It’s not recommended to cook frozen meat in a slow cooker as there is the risk of harmful bacteria contaminating the meat before it has the chance to reach a safe temperature. It is best to thaw the ribs in the refrigerator before adding them to a slow cooker.

Print
Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Ribs
Course: Main Course
Keyword: ribs
Ingredients
  • 1 rack of ribs
  • 1/4 cup Dr.Pepper
  • 2 cups BBQ sauce
  • salt
  • pepper
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Cut the rack of ribs in thirds so that the ribs can lay flat in the crockpot later! Place the three pieces in a large resealable freezer bag.
  2. Sprinkle with salt & pepper.
  3. Dump in 2 cups of BBQ sauce. Pour in the Dr. Pepper. Squish to combine.
  4. Remove excess air from the bag, seal, and freeze.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Place the ribs in the crockpot.
  3. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.
  4. Remove from the slow cooker once the ribs are fully cooked.

Check out our other Dr. Pepper Freezer Meals:

Dr. Pepper Baked Beans

Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork in the Crock Pot

Freezer to Crock Pot Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole Recipe

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This Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole is a really simple recipe that you can go from the freezer to the crock pot. Those are my favourite kind of crock pot meals! You’ll find the end result is cheesy and gooey. It’s sure to become a new family favourite.

The nice thing about making this as a casserole is that you get all the same flavours without the finicky work. Traditional Chicken Cordon Bleu includes a crispy coating on the chicken, so I used boxed stuffing to create that same concept but without all the work of breading the chicken.white oval casserole dish heaped with stuffing and chicken and strings of melted cheese with text that reads "Freezer to Crock Pot Chicken Cordon Bleu"

We love hearty, family friendly meals that can be made ahead and cooked in the Crock Pot like our Beefy Rice Slow Cooker Casserole, Easy Cheesy Tater Tot Chicken Casserole, or Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
  • 16 oz. deli ham
  • 10.75 oz. can cream of chicken soup
  • 1 box of instant stuffing
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese, divided

Assembly Instructions:

  1. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Place it into a large resealable freezer bag.
  2. Melt the butter. In a small bowl, combine the cream of chicken soup with the butter and milk.
  3. Pour half of the soup mixture over the chicken.
  4. Cut the lunchmeat into bite sized pieces. Add half of the ham on top of the chicken.
  5. Top with 1 cup of Swiss cheese.
  6. Add ½ the box of stuffing on top of the cheese.
  7. Layer the remaining ham, cheese and stuffing into the bag.
  8. Pour in the rest of the soup mixture.
  9. Remove the excess air from the bag and seal.
  10. Put the remaining 1 cup of Swiss cheese in a medium freezer bag. Seal the bag and staple it to the large bag above the seal.
  11. Freeze.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
  2. Dump into the slow cooker.
  3. Cook on low for 4 hours.
  4. Top with remaining Swiss cheese in the last 30 minutes.

Being able to skip the steps of stuffing and breading the chicken saves a lot of time. It allows you to introduce your family to the flavours of chicken cordon bleu in an easier more mom-friendly way.

Additional tips for this recipe:

As with all freezer meals, it takes almost no extra time to make several bags of this at once to stock up your freezer or to keep some and gift some. This makes a wonderful gift for a new mom or someone going through a hard time.

If you prefer not to make this as a freezer meal, simply layer the ingredients directly into the slow cooker and follow the rest of the instructions.

Swiss cheese has a strong flavour. If you absolutely cannot stand it (but I suggest that you try it once in this recipe because it really does blend well with the other flavours), you can substitute provolone or mozzarella.

Print
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: French
Keyword: chicken, chicken cordon bleu
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts cubed
  • 16 oz. deli ham
  • 10.75 oz. can cream of chicken soup
  • 1 box of instant stuffing
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese divided
Instructions
Assembly Instructions:
  1. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Place it into a large resealable freezer bag.
  2. Melt the butter. In a small bowl, combine the cream of chicken soup with the butter and milk.
  3. Pour half of the soup mixture over the chicken.
  4. Cut the lunchmeat into bite sized pieces. Add half of the ham on top of the chicken.
  5. Top with 1 cup of Swiss cheese.
  6. Add ½ the box of stuffing on top of the cheese.
  7. Layer the remaining ham, cheese and stuffing into the bag.
  8. Remove the excess air from the bag and seal.
  9. Put the remaining 1 cup of Swiss cheese in a medium freezer bag. Seal the bag and staple it to the large bag above the fold.
  10. Freeze.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
  2. Dump into the slow cooker.
  3. Cook on low for 4 hours.
  4. Top with remaining Swiss cheese in the last 30 minutes.

What side dishes go with Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole?

Since this particular casserole includes the stuffing mix, you don’t necessarily need another carb like rice, potatoes, or bread, but you will want to serve this with vegetables or a salad to round this out to be a balanced meal.

Some specific side dish ideas:

Check out these other family friendly freezer to crock pot meals:

Tater Tot Casserole with Beef and Veggies

Rustic Crock Pot Beef Stew

Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

How to Prevent Freezer Burn

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It is possible to prevent freezer burn. Have you ever had the night time munchies and needed a sweet snack? You remember that half-gallon of ice cream that’s tucked away in your freezer and you prepare to get a scoop or two, only to discover there are ice crystals covering your midnight snack. Talk about a downer! two raw steaks with ice crystals sit on a yellow foam tray. Text reads "How to Prevent Freezer Burn"This can be not only a huge letdown, but also a waste of money. While you won’t get sick from eating freezer-burned food, that ice cream has certainly lost its appeal. How do you stop your food from becoming freezer burned? These tips will help ensure that freezer-burned ice cream doesn’t haunt you again.

How Does Freezer Burn Happen?

In order to prevent freezer burn, it’s important to know why it keeps happening. Freezer burn is the result of air coming into contact with the surfaces of food and causes moisture to escape from the food, drying it out. It can even change the colour of your food with greyish-brown spots. There are also a few other reasons why your food might be becoming freezer burned.

While it is technically safe to eat food that has freezer burn, it is not appealing visually or tastewise. Having to throw food away wastes money and it’s always a disappointment to discover freezer burnt food. Therefore, it is best to prevent it from happening in the first place.

Preventing Freezer Burn

Maintain the Right Temperature

Make sure that you have your temperature dial set to the right temperature to make sure that’s not part of the problem. Set the dial to low or cold. Freezers are meant to keep food frozen and under 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Food that reaches temperatures warmer than this are susceptible to freezer burn.

Keep a Full Freezer

You might think that the fuller the freezer, the harder your freezer is having to work to keep your food frozen. That’s actually not true. It works more efficiently when it’s not half-empty. There’s actually less warm air in your freezer when you have it stuffed. Your freezer doesn’t have to work as hard when it’s stuffed to the gills with other frozen foods.

Keeping your freezer more full also lowers the utility bill as your freezer doesn’t take as much energy to keep its contents frozen. This is yet another way that making freezer meals can save your family money.

Maintain Air Flow

While you do want to maintain a full freezer, you don’t want your food blocking the airflow. Make sure there’s space at the top and bottom of your freezer where airflow is not being blocked. This ensures that your freezer works optimally.

Freeze Foods at the Right Time

Don’t make the mistake of putting hot steak or pork chops directly into the freezer for future enjoyment at a later date. Because you won’t be able to enjoy them later. Putting warm or hot food into the freezer is a mistake which can also lead to freezer burn.

Instead, put your food in the refrigerator for an hour or two before moving it to the freezer, allowing it to chill first.

Use the Right Containers and Remove Excess Air

This is the number one thing you can do to prevent freezer burn. It’s important to make sure that you package your food in air-tight containers, and freezer wrap food when you store it in the freezer. Make sure that air is not being left in storage bags. There are some great containers that will do the trick like Ziploc freezer containers and Ziploc freezer storage bags.

Be sure to take out as much excess air as you can before freezing. One tip is to close a freezer bag almost all the way and then insert a straw in the tiny opening left and suck out the air before fully sealing. Vacuum sealing is another way to ensure there isn’t much air in there.

If something needs to be in a casserole type dish, place plastic wrap directly on top of the food and then place a lid or aluminum foil on top of the dish. This helps keep extra air away from the food.

Freeze Appropriate Portions

It’s also important to freeze your food in appropriate meal portions. This way, you’re not pulling out an entire batch of something, only to put it back in the freezer. Repeated exposure to air will cause freezer burns too. Make smaller batches by separating them into smaller containers or bags.

Don’t Open the Freezer Door So Often

This is another tip to keep in mind. Every time you open the freezer door, you’re allowing warm air in, increasing the possibility of freezer-burned food. Do your best to keep the freezer door shut as much as possible.

Our new freezer has an alarm that sounds when the door is kept open too long or when one of our kids accidentally don’t shut it all the way. That’s been a handy feature.

Don’t Keep Food In the Freezer Too Long

While putting food in the freezer may extend the life of your favourite slab of meat, that doesn’t mean that it will last forever. Uncooked frozen meat such as steak, roasts, and pork chops should remain in your freezer for no more than a year.

Ground meat, no more than 4 months, while frozen cooked meats, only 3 months. In general, freezer meals can be stored for 3-6 months.

Put dates on the container or freezer bags to help you stay on top of how long certain food has been in your freezer. You can print off our Freezer Meal Inventory sheet and keep it in the door of your freezer to help you keep track.

I suggest that you keep it in a plastic sheet protector and use a dry erase marker to mark off which of your freezer meals you’ve used. This also helps you to be able to see at a glance what you have left.

Freezing Greens

If you’re wanting to freeze your vegetables, a great way of doing this is by boiling them for 30 seconds. Then put them directly into an ice bath before putting them into the freezer. You should be able to put them in a resealable freezer bag where they will be safe for up to 6 to 8 months.

These are a few methods you can use to keep your foods from becoming freezer burned. Have you ever had expensive meat or food products tampered with by freezer burn, costing you a lot of money? What other ways have you discovered to prevent freezer burn on your food?

These tips will also help:

What Freezes Well (and What Doesn’t)What freezes well and how to best freeze it

What You Need to Know to Make Freezer MealsFreezer Meals 101 - your complete guide to batch freezer cooking #freezermeals101 #easyfamilymeals #freezercooking #freezermeals

Dr. Pepper Baked Beans (Freezer Meal)

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These Dr. Pepper baked beans can be served as a side dish or as a main course. With only 5 ingredients, this is an easy recipe. Make it ahead as a freezer meal or serve immediately.

Dr. Pepper may be a popular carbonated beverage to some (or “pop” as we call it here in Canada!), but it’s also an ingredient I like to use in cooking. We have our Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork and our Dr. Pepper Crockpot Ribs. The pop tenderizes the protein and also gives it such a nice flavour. If you’re really a fan, you can even make Dr. Pepper Cake! cast iron skillet with beans, onions, bacon, sauce and text that reads "Dr. Pepper Baked Beans"These baked beans are a great dish to take to a summer potluck or BBQ. This is a stick-to-your-ribs kind of dish, so is also great for camping.

Dr. Pepper Baked Beans Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 28 oz. can baked beans
  • 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 1/2 medium onion, chopped
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup Dr. Pepper

Assembly instructions:

  1. Combine baked beans, cooked and crumbled bacon, chopped onion, and brown sugar.
  2. Add 1/4 cup Dr.Pepper.
  3. Mix well.
  4. Pour into a large resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air. Seal and freeze. (If you want to save on clean up, you can just pour everything directly into the bag and squish to combine before sealing.)

Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Pour into a 2 quart baking dish.
  3. Bake, uncovered for 1 hour at 350° or until bubbly.
  4. Serve.

Print
Dr. Pepper Baked Beans
Ingredients
  • 28 oz. can baked beans
  • 4 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
  • 1/2 medium onion chopped
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup Dr. Pepper
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Combine baked beans, cooked and crumbled bacon, chopped onion, and brown sugar.
  2. Add 1/4 cup Dr.Pepper.
  3. Mix well.

  4. Pour into a large resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Pour into a 2 quart baking dish.
  3. Bake, uncovered for 1 hour at 350° or until bubbly.
  4. Serve.

Check out these other make ahead side dishes:

Freezer Garlic Bread

Honey Maple Glazed Carrots

Old Fashioned Southern Cornbread

One Bowl Chocolate Chip Cookies

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This classic chocolate chip recipe can be made in one bowl. The dough can be frozen ahead and then baked as needed. The cookies also freeze well after baking. This easy recipe also doubles well.

Who doesn’t like chocolate chip cookies?! By making the dough up ahead, you can bake up fresh cookies whenever the craving strikes. We love having cookie dough in the freezer like our Double Caramel Stuffed White Chocolate Chip Cookies.decorative white rectangular plate with chocolate chip cookies and text that reads "Chocolate Chip Cookies"Since these freeze well both before and after baking, they work well for holiday baking too. They also are great for gifting. My friend Alison makes great chocolate chip cookies and always gives them as a gift after someone has a baby or is in hospital. It’s such a thoughtful gift. I’ve always loved when I’m the recipient of them!

One Bowl Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup PLUS 2 Tbsp. white sugar
  • 1/4 cup PLUS 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1-1.5 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Assembly instructions:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine both sugars and butter until light and fluffy, 2 minutes.
  2. Add the egg and vanilla in and beat until incorporated.
  3. Place the flour in the center of the bowl and stir in the baking soda and salt. Beat until mixed well.
  4. Add chocolate chips. Stir.

Make ahead instructions:

  1. Use a Tablespoon-sized cookie scoop to portion out the cookies on a baking sheet. You can put them right next to each other.
  2. Set the baking sheet in the freezer flat.
  3. Freeze for an hour or two and then pop the cookie balls into a large freezer safe resealable bag.
  4. Seal and put back in the freezer.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  3. Take out as many cookie balls as you want and drop them on the parchment paper, allowing them room to spread out.
  4. Bake for 14-17 minutes, until lightly golden.
  5. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheets for one minute before transferring to a cooling rack.

Makes 24 cookies.

Print
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Servings: 24 cookies
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup PLUS 2 Tbsp. white sugar
  • 1/4 cup PLUS 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine both sugars and butter until light and fluffy, 2 minutes.
  2. Add the egg and vanilla in and beat until incorporated.
  3. Place the flour in the center of the bowl and stir in the baking soda and salt. Beat until mixed well.

  4. Add chocolate chips and stir.

Make ahead instructions:
  1. Use a Tablespoon-sized cookie scoop to portion out the cookies on a baking sheet. You can put them right next to each other.
  2. Set the baking sheet in the freezer flat.
  3. Freeze for an hour or two and then pop the cookie balls into a large freezer safe resealable bag.
  4. Seal and put back in the freezer.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  3. Take out as many cookie balls as you want and drop them on the parchment paper, allowing them room to spread out.
  4. Bake for 14-17 minutes, until lightly golden.
  5. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheets for one minute before transferring to a cooling rack.

You might also like these recipes:

Double Caramel Stuffed White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Homemade Granola Bars