Freezer Meals 101

Vegetarian Taco Soup

This plant based soup is packed full of flavour and so easy to make. Whether you are trying a plant based diet or just wanting to save money by doing Meatless Mondays, you’ll appreciate this Vegetarian Taco Soup recipe.

Savour the Mexican inspired flavours of tacos in this easy to make Vegetarian Taco Soup. Make it ahead as a freezer meal to pull out whenever you need a quick lunch or serve it with cornbread for a filling dinner.

This recipe uses a lot of pantry staples that you may already have on hand. It can be assembled in a matter of minutes which is why I like to double or triple the recipe and make many bags at once. That way, there is always some in the freezer.

Does taco soup freeze well?

This taco soup freezes beautifully before cooking or you can cook it first and then freeze to reheat. Either way, the flavours will remain the same. It can be stored in the freezer for 4-6 months.

If you’re planning to use the soup for lunches, it can be best to freeze it in smaller containers or medium sized freezer bags so that you can take out and reheat just what you need.

Vegetarian Taco Soup Recipe:

14 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
14 oz. can white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
12 oz. can kernel corn
1/2 onion, chopped
14 oz. can tomato sauce
4 oz. can diced chilies
2 Tbsp. taco seasoning
1 1/2 cups water

Assembly instructions:

Put all the ingredients in a large resealable bag. (If using smaller bags or containers, mix the ingredients in a giant bowl and divide evenly among bags or containers.)
Squish to combine. Remove excess air, seal and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Simmer soup in a large pot on the stovetop for 20 minutes or heat in the microwave.
Top with your choice of toppings.

Serving suggestion: Top with any combination of cilantro, diced avocado, tortilla chips, sour cream, and shredded cheese. This soup also pairs well with a side of cornbread.

Some of my kids prefer to eat this by scooping it up with tortilla chips (blue corn chips are a particular favourite!) rather than using a spoon. However you decide to eat it, it’s delicious!

This recipe is included in our Lunch Freezer Meal Plan. The menu plan includes recipes, prep lists, shopping lists, and printable labels.

Vegetarian Taco Soup

Ingredients

14 oz. can kidney beans rinsed and drained
14 oz. can white kidney beans rinsed and drained
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
12 oz. can kernel corn
1/2 onion chopped
14 oz. can tomato sauce
4 oz. can diced chilies
2 Tbsp. taco seasoning
1 1/2 cups water

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Put all the ingredients in a large resealable bag. Squish to combine. Remove excess air, seal and freeze.
If using smaller bags or containers, mix the ingredients in a giant bowl and divide evenly among bags or containers.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw. Simmer on the stovetop for 20 minutes or heat in the microwave.

Recipe Notes

Serving suggestion: Top with any combination of cilantro, diced avocado, tortilla chips, sour cream, and shredded cheese. This soup also pairs well with a side of cornbread.

Check out some of our other make ahead soups:

Hearty Sausage and Zucchini Soup

Beef Taco Soup

Spicy White Bean and Chicken Soup

Slow Cooker Ragu with Beef and Sausage

By Sharla

This Ragu with beef and sausage can be made ahead and frozen. It’s full of powerful flavours. This is a hearty meal that includes both meat and vegetables. This Ragu recipe makes a large amount. If you are cooking for 2 or for a small family, I would suggest splitting it into 2 freezer bags.

What is the difference between Ragu and a Bolognese sauce?

Ragu has more meat in it than Bolognese does and usually includes pork as well as beef. It also usually includes red wine and beef broth and sometimes has a small amount of heavy cream or milk in it as well.

Essentially, Ragu is more of a meat sauce with tomatoes while Bolognese is more of a tomato sauce with meat.

Ragu with Beef and Sausage Recipe:

1 lb. ground beef, browned
450 g ground Italian sausage, browned*
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 a zucchini, chopped
red pepper, diced
2x 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 cup beef broth
1/4 cup red wine
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

optional:

basil and shredded Parmesan cheese for serving

*If you like things with a kick, you can use spicy Italian sausage.

Assembly instructions:

Brown the ground beef and the sausage.
Allow them to cool. Add them into a large resealable freezer bag.
Chop the onion, zucchini, and red pepper. Mince the garlic.
Add the chopped vegetables and all other ingredients to the bag. Squish to combine.
Remove the extra air from the bag and seal before freezing.

Slow Cooker Cooking instructions:

Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
Dump the bag contents into the crock pot.
Cook on high for 2-4 hours.
Serve over noodles or rice.
If you want, you can sprinkle fresh basil and shredded Parmesan cheese on the plates before serving.

This recipe is gluten free and keto friendly. Of course, you’ll need to serve it over a pasta alternative such as spiralized vegetables for it to be fully gluten free and keto!

Ragu with Beef and Sausage Recipe

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef browned
450 g ground Italian sausage browned*
1 onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
1/2 zucchini chopped
red pepper diced
2 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes
1/4 cup red wine
1 cup beef broth
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Brown the ground beef and the sausage.
Let them cool. Add them into a large resealable freezer bag.
Chop the onion, zucchini, and red pepper. Mince the garlic.
Add the chopped vegetables and all other ingredients to the bag. Squish to combine.
Remove the extra air from the bag and seal before freezing.

Cooking instructions:

Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
Dump the bag contents into the crock pot.
Cook on high for 2-4 hours.
Serve over noodles or rice.

Recipe Notes

*If you like things with a kick, you can use spicy Italian sausage.

Some of our other recipes you may enjoy:

Italian Sausage Pasta Sauce

Irresistible Chicken Pasta Bake

Taco Sloppy Joes (freezer meal)

By Sharla

Looking for a recipe that’s familiar yet new? Taco Sloppy Joes combines two comfort foods to create your family’s next favourite meal.

Sloppy Joes is a meal that I’ve been eating since my childhood in the suburbs in Alberta, Canada. They remind me of wintery days when I could see big, fluffy snowflakes drifting down through our large square window in the kitchen.

And tacos? Well, aren’t tacos everyone’s favourite?!

My own kids like both tacos and sloppy joes, so I was pretty sure this meal would be a guaranteed winner. I was right.

Although we discovered after the first attempt that some of us preferred the texture with a toasted bun. The second time I made them and those of us who wanted to toasted our buns first, it was a glorious success!

Another great thing about this recipe is that everyone can customize it the way they want to by adding toppings of their choosing.

Taco Sloppy Joes Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. taco seasoning
1 cup salsa (I like to use the chunky kind)
1/4 cup water

For serving:

buns
optional toppings such as shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, etc.

Assembly instructions:

Brown the ground beef. Allow to cool slightly.
Place cooked ground beef, chopped onions, minced garlic, taco seasoning, salsa, and water in a large resealable freezer bag.
Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Stovetop cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Heat in a pot or skillet over medium heat until cooked through.
Serve on bun halves with taco toppings.

Slow cooker cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Cook in Crock Pot on low for 2-3 hours.
Serve on bun halves with taco toppings.

Note: I prefer the texture of this dish better if I toast the buns before adding the meat mixture, but it’s completely up to you.

Plant based option:

To make this plant based, use a veggie ground round beef substitute in place of the beef. My favourite one to use with this recipe is the Mexican ground round.

Taco Sloppy Joes Topping Suggestions:

shredded cheese (tex mex or taco blends work well)
shredded lettuce
diced tomato
sliced green onions
cubed avocado
salsa
hot sauce
black olives
sour cream
guacamole
cilantro

Taco Sloppy Joes

Ingredients

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
2 Tbsp. taco seasoning
1 cup salsa your favourite variety
1/4 cup water

For serving:

buns
optional toppings such as shredded cheese lettuce, tomatoes, etc.

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Brown the ground beef. Allow to cool slightly.
Place cooked ground beef, chopped onions, minced garlic, taco seasoning, salsa, and water in a large resealable freezer bag.
Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Stovetop cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Heat in a pot or skillet over medium heat until cooked through.
Serve on bun halves with taco toppings.

Slow cooker cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Cook in Crock Pot on low for 2-3 hours.
Serve on bun halves with taco toppings.

Recipe Notes

I prefer the texture of this dish better if I toast the buns, but it's completely up to you.

Check out these other make ahead meal options:

Ground Beef Stroganoff

Easy Cheesy Tater Tot Chicken Casserole

Instant Pot Turkey Sloppy Joes

Ground Beef Stroganoff Freezer Meal

By Sharla

Beef Stroganoff is a comfort food in our family. It’s one of the first meals I learned to make after I got married. My husband and I both had moms who cooked this when we were growing up, but they made it very differently. My original version was a blend of their recipes and from that, I later created this ground beef stroganoff freezer meal recipe. Our family loves this version of beef stroganoff. It’s a quick and easy meal to assemble and has that great hearty comforting taste. Beef stroganoff originates in Russia. We like the flavours of Eastern European comfort food such as our Cabbage Roll Casserole or Borscht.

I find it easiest when making freezer meals that call for ground beef to brown it in large batches ahead of time and then make many recipes all at once. This allows me to use time efficiently and get a lot done at once.

As with most freezer meals, it’s just as quick and easy once you’ve browned the beef and chopped the onions for this to make four of these recipes at once than it is to make one. When you open your freezer and see four meals made, you will feel so accomplished and glad that you quadrupled this recipe!I want to mention something about the mushrooms in this recipe. You can substitute a can of mushrooms for the fresh mushrooms, particularly if you’re making this as a freezer meal, but please don’t. Fresh mushrooms taste so much better in this recipe than canned does. Trust me on this!

What do you serve with Beef Stroganoff?

Beef Stroganoff is usually served over egg noodles. It can also be served on rice, regular pasta, gluten free pasta, or squash noodles. I always set out some extra sour cream when serving beef stroganoff so that those who want to can stir more in as desired. If you’re looking for some side dishes to pair beef stroganoff with, here are a few suggestions:

apple slaw
coleslaw
green salad
steamed green beans
roasted brussels sprouts

Ground Beef Stroganoff Recipe:

1 lb. ground beef, browned
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
10 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. parsley
dash pepper

Assembly instructions:

Add the ground beef to a large resealable bag.
Add all the other ingredients to the bag and squish them around to combine.
Remove excess air and seal. Lay flat and freeze.

Skillet cooking instructions:

On the day of cooking, thaw.
Heat the beef stroganoff in a skillet on medium until heated through.
Before serving, stir in another 1/4 cup of sour cream. This adds a bit of zip and freshness and livens the recipe up.
Serve over cooked egg noodles or stir the cooked egg noodles into the skillet when the stroganoff has finished heating.

Crock pot cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Empty the contents of the bag into the slow cooker and cook on low for 2-5 hours.
Before serving, stir in 1/4 cup of sour cream.
Serve over cooked egg noodles.

This Ground Beef Stroganoff recipe is included in our Family Favourites Freezer Meal Plan along with other recipes, printable shopping lists, prep lists, and printable labels.

Ground Beef Stroganoff Freezer Meal

As with most freezer meals, it's just as quick and easy once you've browned the beef and chopped the onions for this to make four of these recipes at once than it is to make one. When you open your freezer and see four meals made, you will feel so accomplished and glad that you quadrupled this recipe!

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef browned
1/2 cup onion chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1/4 cup mushrooms sliced
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
10 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. parsley
dash pepper

Instructions

To assemble this meal, add the ground beef to a large resealable bag.
Add all the other ingredients to the bag and squish them around to combine.
Remove excess air and seal.
Lay flat and freeze.
On the day of cooking, thaw and then cook in the slow cooker on low for 2-5 hours. If you prefer, you can instead heat the beef stroganoff in a skillet on medium until heated through.
Before serving, stir in another 1/4 cup of sour cream. This adds a bit of zip and freshness and livens the recipe up.

Recipe Notes

I want to mention something about the mushrooms in this recipe. You can substitute a can of mushrooms for the fresh mushrooms, particularly if you're making this as a freezer meal, but please don't. Fresh mushrooms taste so much better in this recipe than canned does. Trust me on this!

Whenever I make this, I cook up a package of egg noodles and stir the stroganoff through the drained noodles. If I'm heating this in a skillet on the stovetop, I add the noodles into the skillet towards the end of cooking the mixture.

If I'm making this in the Crock Pot, I stir the cooked egg noodles right into the Crock Pot towards the end of the Beef Stroganoff cooking time.

Check out these other make ahead recipes:

Tater Tot Casserole with Beef and Veggies

Homemade Hamburger Helper

Beefy Rice Crock Pot Casserole

Easy Make Ahead Desserts for a Crowd

By Sharla

When you’re hosting a large gathering, the more that you can do ahead, the better. Being able to just pull these make ahead desserts out of the freezer takes so much stress off the day of. These freezer desserts are great for serving at a party or for last minute guests.

It’s also nice to have a few of these in the freezer all the time for unexpected company. I love being able to pop something onto a plate to serve with tea. The guests can relax and enjoy a nice visit because you’re not rushing around the kitchen.