Freezer Meals 101

Make Ahead Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are a classic side dish that everyone in the family is sure to love. That means they’re perfect for freezer cooking! And since you can easily freeze mashed potatoes, it’s a great idea to cook a big batch and toss them in the freezer so they’re ready for your next busy weeknight dinner.

With this flavourful recipe for garlic mashed potatoes, you’re going to want to reheat this make ahead side dish for dinner every night!

Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Ingredients:

12 large potatoes, cubed or peeled and cubed
3/4 cup butter
1 cup sour cream
3 garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped
chives or parsley
salt, pepper to taste

Assembly instructions:

Cook the potatoes until they’re soft.
Mash the softened potatoes, adding butter in bits as you mash.
Stir in the sour cream, garlic cloves, chives, salt and pepper.
Allow the mashed potatoes to cool, then scoop the potatoes into a freezer bag.
Flatten the bag and store it in the freezer until ready to eat.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw the potatoes.
Preheat the oven to 350° and grease a casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Transfer the ingredients to the dish and cook until heated through, around 20 minutes.

(Find slow cooker and stovetop cooking instructions below.)

Can You Freeze Mashed Potatoes?

Freezing mashed potatoes is so easy, which means they make a great side for freezer cooking. Just prepare your favourite mashed potato recipe, then allow the potatoes to cool completely. After that, transfer the cooked and cooled potatoes to a freezer safe dish or freezer bag and pop them in the freezer.

How Long Can You Store Mashed Potatoes in the Freezer?

Frozen mashed potatoes will stay good for up to two months, so make sure to use them up before the expiration date comes. To ensure you enjoy all of your garlic mashed potatoes before they go bad, make sure to write the date you placed them in the freezer on top of the bag for easy reference.

How Do You Reheat Frozen Mashed Potatoes?

There are a few different ways to reheat your mashed potatoes. But in most instances, your frozen potatoes need to be thawed before they’re reheated.

To thaw your frozen potatoes, transfer them from the freezer to the refrigerator at least 12 hours before you plan to cook them. After that, you can use these different cooking methods for reheating your garlic mashed potatoes:

Oven. My favourite way to reheat these garlic mashed potatoes in the oven. Simply transfer the potatoes to a baking dish and reheat them at 350° until they’re warm.
Stovetop. Another quick way to warm up your potatoes is on the stovetop. Transfer the thawed potatoes to a medium saucepan and cook over low heat until they’re warmed through, stirring often.
Slow Cooker. While you need to thaw your potatoes before reheating them in the oven or on the stovetop, you can place your frozen potatoes directly in the slow cooker. Cook the frozen potatoes on low for two hours or until the potatoes are warmed through. Stir the potatoes well before serving.

An important note: If the reheated mashed potatoes seem too runny, it usually means they need to cook longer.

In the video below, see how to create homemade gravy for the freezer to serve on top of your mashed potatoes!

Other freezer side dishes:

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: mashed potatoes

Ingredients

12 large potatoes cubed or peeled and cubed
3/4 cup butter
1 cup sour cream
3 garlic cloves minced
chives or parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Cook the potatoes until soft.
Mash the softened potatoes, adding butter in bits as you mash.
Stir in the sour cream, garlic, chives, salt and pepper.
Allow the mashed potatoes to cool, then scoop the potatoes into a freezer bag.
Remove excess air and seal.
Flatten the bag and store it in the freezer until ready to eat.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Preheat oven to 350° and grease a casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Transfer the ingredients to the dish and cook until heated through, around 20 minutes.

Slow Cooker Instructions

Cook from frozen in the slow cooker on low for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Stir well before serving.

Stovetop Cooking Instructions

Thaw.
Cook in a medium saucepan on low heat until they're warmed through, stirring often.

Pepperoni Pizza Rolls for Snacks or Lunches

By Sharla

Having a few quick and easy appetizer recipes in your back pocket is a great way to ensure you have something delicious to bring to those last-minute parties. With the help of crescent rolls, you can whip up an easy party snack in a matter of minutes! These pepperoni pizza pinwheels are packed with pizza flavour and look like they’re difficult to make. But since they’re made with crescent roll sheets, you easily whip up a yummy appetizer without any effort at all. Watch me in the video below make these pizza scrolls as well as some other great make ahead lunch recipes that are perfect for school lunches:

My kids love grabbing these scrolls out of the freezer to pack in their lunches or for a quick snack.

Pepperoni Pizza Pinwheels

Ingredients needed:

1 package refrigerated crescent roll sheet
½ cup marinara or pizza sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
10 pepperoni slices, finely chopped
optional: other pizza toppings such as finely chopped green pepper, sliced black olives, or sliced mushrooms

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375°.
Unroll the refrigerated crescent roll dough and spread the marinara or pizza sauce in an even layer over the top of the dough.
Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top of the sauce.
Add the pepperoni to the top of the cheese.
Roll the dough up into a long log, then use a sharp knife to cut the log into 10 1-inch slices.
Place the slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake the scrolls for 10 to 12 minutes, until the dough is golden brown.

Freezing instructions:

Once cool, transfer to a resealable freezer bag.
Take out the excess air and freeze.
Serve cold or heat on a paper towel in the microwave until warm.

Pizza Pinwheels Recipe Ideas

This simple recipe is perfect for a quick party snack. But what I love most about these easy appetizers is that they can be customized to suit your own tastes! Try these pizza pinwheels recipe ideas the next time you make your appetizers to create a new pizza snack every time you make them.

Add more toppings. Pepperoni is a classic pizza topping. But that doesn’t mean you need to stick to adding only pepperoni to your pizza pinwheels. You can add any type of pizza toppings you choose to your scrolls. Just make sure the toppings are finely chopped to ensure the dough rolls properly.
Try different cheeses. Enhance the flavour of your pizza pinwheels with the help of different cheese blends. In addition to mozzarella, you could sprinkle parmesan, Romano, asiago, or Monterrey jack cheese in your pinwheels.
Add some seasoning. With the help of flavourful marinara sauce and spicy pepperoni, your pizza crescent rolls don’t require added seasoning. But if you want to add even more taste, try adding some classing Italian seasonings to the dough before you start rolling. You could sprinkle Italian seasoning blend on the crust or add some basil, oregano, garlic, or red pepper flakes to the pizza pinwheels before you bake them.
Decorate with garnishes. The pinwheel design of these pizza crescent rolls makes them look amazing without the need for garnish. But if you really want to dress up your appetizers, try topping the pinwheels with a simple garnish. Before adding garnish to your pinwheels, melt a small amount of butter. Brush the butter over the top of the baked pinwheels, then sprinkle the top of the pinwheels with dried herbs to add a pop of green colour to the top of each appetizer.
Get the kids to help. If you’re going to be including these in your child’s lunches or offering them as an after school snack, get them to add the pizza toppings they love. This is such a fun, kid friendly recipe already, but getting them in on the preparation makes it even more fun!

Pepperoni Pizza Pinwheels

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: pizza pinwheels, pizza scrolls

Servings: 10 servings

Ingredients

1 package refrigerated crescent roll sheet
½ cup marinara or pizza sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
10 pepperoni slices finely sliced
other pizza toppings such as finely chopped green pepper, sliced black olives, or sliced mushrooms optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°.
Unroll the refrigerated crescent roll dough and spread the marinara or pizza sauce in an even layer over the top of the dough.
Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top of the sauce.
Add the pepperoni to the top of the cheese.
Roll the dough up into a long log, then use a sharp knife to cut the log into 10 1-inch slices.
Place the slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake the crescents for 10 to 12 minutes, until the dough is golden brown.

Freezing instructions:

Once cool, transfer to a resealable freezer bag.
Take out the excess air and freeze.
Serve cold or heat on a paper towel in the microwave until warm.

Other popular freezer snack and lunch ideas:

Lasagna Soup

By Sharla

Soup is a great dinner option, no matter what time of year it is. And if you’re a fan of meal prepping, you know how convenient soup can be. Just compile the soup ingredients and toss them in the freezer to quickly and easily prepare a delicious dinner. This quick and easy freezer lasagna soup recipe is one of those amazing make ahead dinner ideas that you’ll want to prepare over and over again. In addition to being packed with flavour, this delicious dish is also super simple to prepare.This freezer meal combines the flavours of traditional lasagna without the work of layering the ingredients. It was my attempt to create a lazier version of the original! It’s truly a win-win.

Freezer Lasagna Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

1 lb. browned ground beef or cooked ground Italian sausage
2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. basil
3 cloves garlic, minced
crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. fennel seed
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 onion, diced
900 mL chicken or beef broth
2x 15 oz. cans fire roasted tomatoes
5 oz. can tomato paste

For day of serving:

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup Ricotta cheese
5 lasagna noodles

Assembly instructions:

Brown the hamburger or ground sausage in a large skillet.
Allow the meat to cool, then combine it with the oregano, basil, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, bay leaves, fennel seed, nutmeg, onion, broth, tomatoes, and tomato paste in a large freezer bag.
Remove excess air from the bag and seal. Flatten the bag and store in the freezer until ready to eat.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw the meat mixture in the refrigerator.
Pour the ingredients into a large stovetop pot and cook over medium heat until boiling.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes to allow the flavours to meld.
Add broken lasagna noodles and cook until noodles are softened.
When ready to serve, spoon the soup into bowls and top each bowl with some ricotta and Parmesan cheese.

What Are the Best Containers to Freeze Soup in?

I love using freezer bags to freeze all my meals because they allow you to conserve space in your freezer. But there are a few other great options for freezing soup if you’re worried your recipe might leak out of the bag before it freezes or as thaws.

Freezer safe plastic containers. Plastic containers with airtight lights are a great option for storing liquid ingredients in the freezer. Make sure your containers are safe to use in the freezer, then fill them up with your soup mixture. After placing the lid on top, just store your soup in the freezer until you’re ready to enjoy it.
Glass freezer dishes. Glass dishes are another good option for storing your soup in the freezer. To ensure your soup doesn’t spill, make sure your glass dish has an airtight lid on top.
Mason jars. Since glass mason jars are safe in the freezer, they make great storage containers for soup. Use a large jar to store your soup until it’s ready to be eaten, making sure the lid is screwed on tightly to prevent leaks.

How Do You Freeze Soup in a Resealable Bag?

Using freezer bags is my favourite way to store freezer meals, no matter what the meal is made up of. And while it may seem difficult to store soup in a bag, it’s actually a pretty simple process once you get the hang of it. Follow these easy steps for storing your soup in the freezer:

Use a bag holder for easy pouring. The hardest part about storing soup in freezer bags is getting the soup into the bag. A bag holder, which has clips to hold the freezer bag in place, is a great way to ensure you don’t make a mess as you’re pouring your soup into the bag. If you don’t have a bag holder, try folding the top of the bag over to create a bowl shape, then slowly adding the soup using a measuring cup or ladle.
Remove as much air as possible. To keep your soup from getting freezer burn, make sure to remove as much air as possible from the bag before you store it. This will help keep the bag flat as it freezes and keep the air inside the bag from damaging your food while it’s being stored.
Freeze on a flat surface. Since the contents of the bag will likely move around before it freezes solid, it’s important to store your soup on a flat surface until it’s frozen. If you have room in your freezer, try placing the bag on the floor of your freezer or on a flat shelf. You can also place the bag on top of a baking sheet to ensure it freezes completely flat.
Don’t forget to label the bag! Once the bag is frozen, it’s going to be difficult to tell what’s inside. That’s why it’s essential that you label each bag before you place it in the freezer. In addition to writing down the name of the recipe, it’s also a good idea to jot down the reheating instructions and the date you put the dish in the freezer. This will help you know which recipes need to be prepared first and how to prepare the recipe once it’s out of the freezer.

Lasagna Soup

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: lasagna soup, soup

Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef or ground Italian sausage browned
2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. basil
3 cloves garlic minced
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. fennel seed
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 onion diced
900 mL chicken or beef broth
30 oz. fire roasted tomatoes
5 oz. can tomato paste

For day of serving:

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup Ricotta cheese
5 lasagna noodles

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Brown the hamburger or ground sausage in a large skillet.
Allow the meat to cool, then combine it with the oregano, basil, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, bay leaves, fennel seed, nutmeg, onion, broth, tomatoes, and tomato paste in a large freezer bag.
Remove excess air from the bag and seal. Flatten the bag and store in the freezer until ready to eat.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Pour the ingredients into a large stovetop pot and cook over medium heat until boiling.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add broken lasagna noodles and cook until noodles are softened.
When ready to serve, spoon the soup into bowls and top each bowl with some ricotta and Parmesan cheese.

Some of our other popular make ahead soups:

Beef Stir Fry Freezer Packs

By Sharla

Stir fry is a great option when looking for quick and easy freezer meals. In addition to being made up of freezer-friendly components like meat and vegetables, there’s no cooking involved in your freezer meal prep! That makes this freezer stir fry one of my favourite quick and easy meal prep recipes. You only need a handful of simple ingredients to prepare this freezer meal, which makes it a great choice for a quick weeknight dinner. Simply toss the ingredients in a freezer bag, then thaw and reheat when you’re ready to cook. That’s all you need to do to create this simple make-ahead dinner!

How to Make Freezer Stir Fry Bags:

Ingredients:

pack of beef strips
1 cup frozen broccoli florets
1 cup sliced yellow and red peppers
½ cup sliced onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dry mustard powder
1/2 cup oyster sauce
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup water
salt and pepper

For day of cooking:

2 tsp. corn starch

Assembly instructions:

Place all ingredients except the corn starch in a large freezer bag
Remove excess air from the bag, seal, then place in the freezer.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw the frozen ingredients completely, then heat in a skillet over the stovetop.
While cooking, whisk in two teaspoons of cornstarch to thicken the sauce.
Serve over noodles or rice.

Does Stir Fry Freeze Well?

Stir fry is a great option for freezer meals because all the components of the recipe are freezer-friendly, including:

Meat: You can use beef or chicken in this stir fry recipe, making it a versatile way to complete your meal prep for the week. No matter what type of protein you use, simply slice the meat into thin strips and place them directly in the freezer bag. There’s no need to cook the meat before freezing it.
Vegetables: Using frozen vegetables is a great way to speed up the prep time of your stir fry. You can also add raw vegetables, like sliced peppers and onions, directly to your freezer bag before placing it in the freezer.
Sauce: Create a sauce and marinade for your stir fry by adding the stir fry sauce directly to the freezer bag before freezing. Simply combine all the ingredients of the sauce, then pour it in the bag and shake to cover the meat and vegetables evenly and completely before placing the bag in the freezer.

What is the Best Way to Freeze Stir Fry?

There are two different methods for freezing your stir fry, depending on the time you have to prepare your dinner. Try these tips for freezing your beef stir fry:

All in one freezer bag. The quickest way to prepare your stir fry for freezing is to simply dump it in a freezer bag, seal, and freeze. After you have all your ingredients prepped, just add everything to a freezer bag or freezer safe container. Toss until the ingredients are coated in sauce, then flatten the bag and place it in the freezer until frozen.

Par-freezing the ingredients. When freezing all the ingredients into one bag, you run the risk of the ingredients clumping and sticking together. That makes it difficult to cook and takes the ingredients longer to thaw. If you have a little extra time available to prep your stir fry, try par-freezing your ingredients before placing them in the freezer bag. Follow these steps to par-freeze your stir fry:

After chopping your vegetables and meat, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in the freezer until the ingredients are frozen.
Pour the frozen ingredients into a zip-top bag.
Combine the sauce ingredients in a smaller freezer bag. Seal the bag and add it to the larger bag with the frozen meat and veggies.
Press out all the air from the bag and flatten the ingredients, then store the bag in the freezer until you’re ready to cook.

Stir Fry Recipe Variations

Once you’ve made this simple recipe, you can change up the ingredients to suit your family’s tastes. Try these recipe variations to create a delicious dinner for your family:

Change up the meat. Beef stir fry is a great choice for dinner, but there are other meats you can include in your stir fry to change up the flavour. Try adding sliced chicken breast or frozen shrimp to your meal.
Add more veggies. There are a variety of other vegetables you can add to your stir fry to increase the servings and bulk up the meal. Try adding chopped celery, sliced carrots, frozen green beans, water chestnuts, or frozen corn.
Spice up the sauce. Up the flavour of your stir fry by adding some spiciness to the sauce. If your family likes spicy dishes, try mixing in some chopped jalapeño. Or for more subtle heat, mix in red pepper flakes or sriracha into the sauce.

Beef Freezer Stir Fry Bags

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: stir-fry

Ingredients

package beef strips
1 cup broccoli florets frozen
1 cup yellow and red peppers sliced
½ cup onion sliced
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dry mustard powder
1/2 cup oyster sauce
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup water
salt and pepper to taste

For day of cooking:

2 tsp. corn starch

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Place all ingredients except the corn starch in a large freezer bag
Remove excess air from the bag, seal, then place in the freezer.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw the frozen ingredients completely, then heat in a skillet over the stovetop.
While cooking, whisk in two teaspoons of cornstarch to thicken the sauce.
Serve over noodles or rice.

Check out these other simple skillet freezer meals:

Egg Roll in a Bowl (freezer meal)

By Sharla

Egg rolls are delicious dinner option. But they’re also time-consuming to prepare. What if you could enjoy all the flavours of an egg roll without all that hard work? This egg roll in a bowl recipe has that egg roll flavour you’re craving without all the rolling.

And the best part about this simple dinner idea is that it’s perfect for freezing! Follow these easy instructions for making your own freezer meal to help speed up your dinner prep.

Egg Roll in a Bowl Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. ground pork or ground Italian sausage, browned
1 cup onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz. bag coleslaw mix (I like the colourful one)
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1-2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. olive oil or vegetable oil

Assembly instructions:

Add the browned ground pork, diced onion, minced garlic, coleslaw mix, and shredded carrots to a large freezer bag.
Season with the onion powder, red pepper flakes, and ginger.
Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, and olive oil.
Remove excess air from the bag and seal it. Squeeze the bag a few times to mix the ingredients together, then place it flat in the freezer.

Cooking instructions:

Allow the ingredients to thaw completely.
Add the contents of the bag to a large skillet. Cook for 5-10 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly.
Serve with sliced green onions on the top, if desired.

Egg Roll Bowl Recipe Ideas

Once you have the basic egg roll bowl prepared, there are so many different ways you can enjoy it! Try one of these egg roll bowl recipe variations the next time you whip up this quick and easy freezer meal:

Serve over rice. Create even more servings for your dinner with the help of rice. Steam enough rice to make one serving for each member of your family, then top the rice with your egg roll bowl mixture.
Add more veggies. Another simple way to enhance your egg roll bowl is to add more vegetables the meal. Stir fry veggies, like broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, and zucchini all make great additions to your egg roll bowl.
Use different meat. You can easily swap out the ground pork for another meat depending on your family’s preferences. Ground meat, like beef or turkey, is a good choice because it’s quick and easy to cook in bulk. Or use shredded chicken in place of ground pork for a different variation on this easy dish.

Can You Freeze Egg Roll Filling?

You’ve probably seen egg rolls in the freezer section of your grocery store before, but have you ever wondered if you can freeze the filling of those egg rolls? All the ingredients inside your egg rolls are freezer-friendly, which means you can absolutely freeze egg roll filling! These simple tips will help you make your egg roll bowl ahead of time and store it in your freezer until you’re ready to enjoy it.

Egg Roll in a Bowl Tips:

Cook the meat before freezing. Adding raw meat to the veggies when you store your egg roll filling in the freezer will contaminate the other ingredients. That’s why it’s important to take the time to cook your meat before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. Brown your ground pork or sauté your chicken before freezing to ensure your egg roll filling is safe to eat when you take it out of the freezer.
Allow the meat to cool completely before mixing with other ingredients. After cooking your meat, it’s a good idea to allow it to cool before adding the veggies to the bag. Placing tender vegetables, like the cabbage in the coleslaw mix, in a freezer bag with hot meat will cause the cabbage to wilt.
Remove excess air to prevent freezer burn. Once you have all your ingredients added to your freezer bag, take a minute to press out as much extra air from the bag as possible. This will prevent freezer burn on the egg roll ingredients.
Freeze until ready to eat. You can store your egg roll in a bowl in the freezer for up to three months before you need to reheat and eat it.
Allow to thaw before cooking. For best results, it’s a good idea to let your egg roll filling thaw completely before cooking it. This will make it easier to cook the ingredients and ensure everything is cooked evenly. To thaw your egg roll filling, place it in the refrigerator 24 hours before you plan on cooking it.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator. After cooking your egg roll filling, you should store your leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Leftover egg roll bowl ingredients can be kept up to four days when refrigerated.

Some of our easy other skillet freezer meals:

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs. ground pork or ground Italian sausage browned
1 cup onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
16 oz. bag coleslaw mix
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1-2 tsp. ginger
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. olive oil or vegetable oil

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Add all ingredients to a large freezer bag.
Remove excess air. Seal and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Add bag contents to a large skillet. Cook for 5-10 minutes over medium heat.

Recipe Notes

If desired, sprinkle with some sliced green onions before serving.