Freezer Meals 101

Cheesy Crock Pot Jalapeño Corn Casserole

When planning your freezer meals for the month, you probably put a lot of focus on your main dishes. But adding a few freezer side dishes to your menu is a great way to include a flavourful addition to your meal. This cheesy jalapeño corn casserole can be reheated in the slow cooker, making it a great choice for your next make ahead meal.

Crock Pot Jalapeño Corn Casserole Recipe:

Ingredients:

28 oz. frozen corn
8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 jalapeño, finely diced
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt, pepper

Freezing instructions:

Add the frozen corn, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, jalapeño, butter, and heavy cream to a large freezer bag.
Remove excess air from the bag. Seal and freeze.

Serving instructions:

On day of cooking, dump all the ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on low for three to four hours, stirring partway through to combine all the ingredients.
Serve.

How Do You Melt Cream Cheese in the Crock Pot?

You might be wondering how this freezer side dish will come together if all the ingredients are simply dumped into the crock pot to reheat. Since the slow cooker will melt the cream cheese as it warms, there’s no need to pre-mix your ingredients before adding them to your crock pot.

To be sure your corn casserole is thoroughly mixed before you serve it, you can remove the lid from the slow cooker to stir the ingredients together halfway through the cook time. Otherwise, just allow the casserole to cook for the time specified in the recipe, then stir the ingredients together until they’re smooth before you’re ready to serve your side.

How Do You Cut a Jalapeño?

Dicing a spicy pepper can be tricky! And since this recipe uses a finely diced jalapeño, it’s probably a good idea to learn the best way to cut your pepper. Follow these simple tips to learn the right way to dice a jalapeño:

Wear gloves if you have sensitive skin. Plastic gloves are the best way to keep the pepper’s juice from getting on your skin, which could cause a reaction if your skin is sensitive to the pepper’s capsaicin.
Cut off the stem to remove the seeds. The seeds of the jalapeño are what give it it’s spice. So, if you want your jalapeño corn to be spicy, you can leave some seeds intact. Otherwise, start by cutting off the stem of the pepper, then slice the pepper in half lengthwise. Use your finger or a small spoon to scrape the seeds off each side and discard.
Slice, then dice the pepper. Once the seeds are removed, slice the pepper into thin strips. Line up all the strips together into a bunch and dice them into small cubes to add to your casserole.

Check out some of our other make ahead side dishes:

Crock Pot Jalapeño Corn Casserole

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: corn, corn casserole

Ingredients

28 oz. frozen corn
8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
1 jalapeño finely diced
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Freezing instructions:

Add the frozen corn, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, jalapeño, butter, and heavy cream to a large freezer bag.
Remove excess air from the bag. Seal and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

On day of cooking, dump all the ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on low for three to four hours, stirring partway through.
Serve.

Ham and Cheese Sliders Make Ahead Sandwiches

By Sharla

Ham and cheese sliders are a classic party snack that’s perfect for a variety of occasions. On top of being a delicious dinner idea, these mini sandwiches are perfect for youth group events, camping, and potlucks, too! But the best part about these delicious snacks is that you can make them ahead of time! These freezer-friendly sandwiches can be made up to six months in advance and stored in the freezer until you’re ready to enjoy them. We love bringing these bunwiches camping with us. In a pinch, you can even cook them on the grate on the fire.

In the video below, you can watch how these sliders are made as well as get other ideas for make ahead camping meals such as our individually wrapped hot beef sandwiches.

How to Make Ham and Cheese Sliders:

Ingredients:

dozen buns
12 slices deli ham
6 cheese slices (Swiss, cheddar, or marble)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1 Tbsp. honey
1/2 Tbsp. dried onion

Assembly Instructions:

Place the buns on a flat surface and slice the buns all together.
Put the bottom part of the buns in a 9×13 aluminum baking tray.
Layer ham and cheese on top of the buns, then place the top layer of buns over the cheese.
Mix up the dressing by combining the melted butter, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, poppy seeds, honey, and dried onion in a small bowl. Spread the dressing mixture over the top of the buns.
Cover the tray with two layers of aluminum foil and store in the freezer until you’re ready to eat.

Serving Instructions:

Allow the sandwiches to thaw completely.
Preheat the oven to 350° and place the covered baking dish directly in the oven.
Bake the sandwiches for 20 minutes, until the buns are toasted and the cheese is melted.
To enjoy, just pull the sandwiches apart out of the tray and serve them to your guests.

Can You Make Sandwiches Ahead of Time?

Sandwiches can easily be made ahead of time to help cut down on your prep work. It’s especially helpful to make sandwiches in advance if you’re preparing them for an event or party. There are two different ways you can store your pre-made sandwiches depending on how soon you plan on eating them. You can store your sandwiches or sliders in the:

Refrigerator. If you will be eating your sandwiches within the next day or two, storing them in the refrigerator is a good option. Sandwiches can be kept in the refrigerator for up to two days. Make sure to cover your sandwiches and keep them chilled until you’re ready to eat them. And if your sandwich will have condiments or fresh vegetables on them, it’s a good idea to leave those elements off until you’re ready to serve them to keep the bread and veggies from getting soggy in the fridge.
Freezer. For long-term storage, freezing your sandwiches is a good option. Frozen sandwiches can last up to six months. Like sandwiches stored in the refrigerator, it’s not a good idea to freeze fresh vegetables on your sandwich. But you can add sauce and condiments to your frozen sliders, if you want. Before reheating your sandwiches, make sure to allow them to thaw completely for even cooking.

What Cheese Goes Best with Ham?

There are a variety of delicious cheese options you can choose from when you’re preparing your own sliders at home. Swiss cheese seems to be a popular choice when pairing with ham, but there are a few other cheese varieties that work well on these mini sandwiches, including:

Mozzarella
Cheddar Jack
Colby Jack
Cheddar
Monterey Jack
Pepper Jack
American
Provolone

What Kind of Bread do You Use for Sliders?

While any type of mini bun works well for sliders, this recipe works best if you have a batch of buns that are connected inside the package. There are a few different options to choose from, depending on your flavour preferences, but the most popular option for making these ham and cheese sliders are:

Hawaiian rolls. These sweet rolls come in a pack of 12 mini rolls, which are all connected in one sheet. You can easily build and bake your sandwiches by simply slicing the entire loaf in half at once.
Dinner rolls. You can also find dinner rolls in the same type of package as Hawaiian rolls. If you don’t like the sweetness of traditional Hawaiian bread, dinner rolls are a great alternative for your sliders.
Slider buns. While traditional slider buns won’t have the same pull-apart effect that rolls have, they’re another option for making these sandwiches. To use slider buns, you’ll need to prepare each individual sandwich and place it in the tray. After that, you can spread the sauce over the top and prepare as stated in the recipe.

Can You Freeze Hawaiian roll sliders?

You can easily freeze sliders made with Hawaiian rolls and reheat them when you’re ready to enjoy them. Simply follow the instructions for freezing these delicious sandwiches. Make sure to give your sandwiches plenty of time to thaw in the refrigerator before you bake them. It usually takes several hours for the sliders to completely thaw.

Once the sandwiches are thawed, preheat your oven to 350° and bake until the buns are toasty and the cheese is melted.

Ham and Cheese Sliders

Course: Sandwich

Cuisine: American

Keyword: sandwich

Servings: 12 buns

Ingredients

12 buns
12 slices deli ham
6 cheese slices Swiss, cheddar, or marble
1/2 cup butter melted
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1 Tbsp. honey
1/2 Tbsp. dried onion

Instructions

Assembly Instructions:

Place the buns on a flat surface and slice the buns all together.
Put the bottom part of the buns in a 9x13 aluminum baking tray.
Layer ham and cheese on top of the buns, then place the top layer of buns over the cheese.
Mix the dressing by combining the melted butter, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, poppy seeds, honey, and dried onion in a small bowl.
Spread the dressing mixture over the top of the buns.
Cover the tray with two layers of aluminum foil and store in the freezer.

Serving Instructions:

Thaw.
Preheat the oven to 350° and place the covered baking dish directly in the oven.
Bake for 20 minutes, until the buns are toasted and the cheese is melted.
Pull the sandwiches apart out of the tray or slice and serve.

Check out these other meals that are great for making ahead to take camping or to potlucks:

Maple Cranberry Chicken Freezer Meal

By Sharla

With just a handful of ingredients and just a few minutes of your time, you can prepare a delicious freezer chicken recipe that everyone in the family will love. The combination of sweet maple syrup and tangy cranberries creates a flavourful sauce that pairs perfectly with poultry. Once you try this simple one-pot maple cranberry chicken, you’ll be sure to make a double batch the next time you prepare it.

Maple Cranberry Chicken Recipe:

Ingredients:

5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 green onions, sliced
5 large white mushrooms, sliced
½ cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon rosemary
2 cloves garlic, minced

For day of cooking:

¼ cup dried cranberries

Assembly instructions:

Place the green onions, white mushrooms, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, rosemary, and minced garlic in a large freezer bag. Pinch the top together and squish the bag to combine the ingredients.
Put the chicken breasts in the bag and seal. Be sure to remove all excess air.
Squeeze the bag again to coat the chicken in the sauce and seasonings.
Lay the bag flat and freeze.

Serving instructions:

Thaw the frozen ingredients completely.
Pour the chicken and sauce in a skillet and cook over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through.
Halfway through the cook time, add the dried cranberries and stir to combine.

How Do You Prepare Chicken for the Freezer?

Raw chicken is one of the easiest ingredients to prep for freezing! All you need to do is remove it from the package and transfer the chicken to a freezer bag. You can freeze your chicken plain or add a sauce or marinade to the bag to speed up prep time for dinner. Once you have the ingredients added to your freezer bag, make sure to squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing it. This will help prevent freezer burn while your chicken is in the freezer.

How Long Can You Keep Chicken in the Freezer Before Cooking?

If your chicken is frozen properly, you can keep it stored for several months. To ensure your chicken stays safe in the freezer, make sure it stays continuously frozen. Once the chicken is frozen, it can be stored for up to nine months.

How Do You Keep Chicken from Getting Freezer Burn?

Once you have your maple cranberry chicken prepared, you don’t want to ruin it with freezer burn! The key to keeping your chicken from getting freezer burn is to remove as much air as possible from the bag or container first. Then, make sure you maintain your freezer while your food is stored. In addition to keeping the freezer set to the proper temperature, it’s also important to clean the freezer out regularly. An overfilled freezer could cause issues with freezer burn down the road.

What to serve with Maple Cranberry Chicken:

Couscous Tabbouleh
Cilantro Corn
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
Roasted Red Skinned Potatoes with Rosemary
Crunchy Kale Parmesan Salad
Firehouse Green Beans with Bacon
Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes
Honey Glazed Maple Carrots
Rice
Peas

Maple Cranberry Chicken

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken, chicken dump

Ingredients

5 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
3 green onions sliced
5 large white mushrooms sliced
½ cup maple syrup
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/8 tsp. rosemary
2 cloves garlic minced

For day of cooking:

¼ cup dried cranberries

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Place the green onions, white mushrooms, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, rosemary, and minced garlic in a large freezer bag. Pinch the top together and squish the bag to combine the ingredients.
Put the chicken breasts in the bag and seal. Be sure to remove all excess air.
Squeeze the bag again to coat the chicken in the sauce and seasonings.
Lay the bag flat and freeze.

Serving instructions:

Thaw.
Pour the chicken and sauce in a skillet and cook over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through.
Halfway through the cook time, add the dried cranberries and stir to combine.

Cilantro Corn Make Ahead Side Dish

By Sharla

When you’re looking for dinner ideas you can turn into freezer meals, finding make ahead side dish recipes is a good idea. Often, we focus so much on freezing our entrées that we forget about what we’ll eat along with the main dish. With the help of this simple cilantro corn recipe, you can create a quick and easy frozen side dish to go with any dinner.

The beauty of this dish is that it can be served as a cold corn salad or a warm side. Simply thaw and serve or heat in a saucepan to prepare this delicious recipe two different ways.

This side dish goes so well with most of our Chicken Dump Recipes. Here, it’s pictured with our Citrus Chicken.

Can You Freeze Corn Salad?

This delicious make ahead side dish is a great option for freezer cooking! You can even use frozen corn to speed up the prepping process. Simply combine your frozen corn with seasoning, lime juice, onions, and fresh cilantro to turn this make ahead side into a delicious frozen corn salad.

This corn salad can be served cold or warm depending on your mood! When you’re ready to serve your frozen corn, all you have to do is thaw the ingredients and serve. Or heat the salad in a saucepan to create a warm side dish to go with your dinner.

How to Make Cilantro Corn:

Ingredients:

500 g frozen corn
½ cup minced purple onion
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp. grated lime zest
1/4 cup lime juice or juice from two limes
½ tsp. melted honey
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper

Assembly instructions:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
Pour the mixture in a medium freezer bag. Remove excess air from the bag, seal, then place in the freezer.

Serving instructions:

Thaw the frozen ingredients completely and serve cold.
Or heat the ingredients in a pot on the stovetop until warm.

Cilantro Corn Recipe Variations

This simple side dish can be adjusted in a variety of ways! Try these quick and easy variations to change up the recipe:

Spice it up. Add some spiciness to your cilantro corn with the help of diced jalapeño. Chop up some fresh peppers and add them to the mix to give the side a bit of kick.
Add some cheese. If you plan on serving this dish as a warm side, try mixing in some cheese to give it some creaminess. Cream cheese or Monterrey cheddar are both delicious options to add some cheesy flavour to your side.
Stir in bell peppers. Another simple addition to add to your cilantro corn salad is chopped bell pepper. The corn dish can be served cold or warm with the addition of chopped bell peppers.

Cilantro Corn

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: corn

Ingredients

500 g corn frozen
½ cup purple onion minced
¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
1 tsp. lime zest grated
1/4 cup lime juice or juice from two limes
½ tsp. honey melted
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
Pour the mixture in a medium freezer bag. Remove excess air from the bag, seal, then place in the freezer.

Serving instructions:

Thaw the frozen ingredients completely and serve cold or heat the ingredients in a pot on the stovetop until warm.

Southwest Breakfast Casserole (freezer friendly)

By Sharla

Coming up with make ahead breakfast ideas is a great way to provide your family with healthy meals without adding extra work to your busy mornings. This simple Southwest breakfast casserole is one of those easy recipes that will simplify your morning routine. Since this casserole is packed with flavour and made with hash browns, bacon, and eggs, it’s sure to be a hit with everyone in your family.

Our family is a big fan of breakfasts that can be made ahead like our Hash Brown Casserole, Cinnamon French Toast, and Scrambled Egg Bites.

How to Make Southwest Breakfast Casserole:

Ingredients:

500 g frozen cubed hash browns
1 ½ cups cooked diced bacon
¾ cup sour cream
1 ½ cups chunky salsa
6 large eggs
salt and pepper
1 ½ cups shredded Tex-Mex cheese

For Day of Cooking:

avocado slices
cilantro
diced tomato
sliced green onion

Assembly instructions:

Combine the hash browns, cooked bacon, and sour cream in a bowl. Spread the mixture into a freezer-safe, greased 9×13 baking dish.
Spoon the salsa evenly over the top of the hash brown mixture.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Pour the seasoned eggs over the salsa layer.
Top the casserole with an even layer of shredded cheese.
Wrap the dish tightly with plastic wrap, then cover with foil and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw the frozen casserole, then remove the foil and plastic wrap.
Place the foil back on top of the dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and cook for another 20 to 30 minutes.
Garnish with avocado, cilantro, diced tomato and sliced green onion before serving.

How Do You Know a Breakfast Casserole is Done?

There’s nothing worse than cutting into a breakfast casserole only to see that your eggs are still runny! If you’ve had this happen before, you’re probably wondering how to know when your casserole is done. A knife is the best way to check to see if the eggs in your casserole are done. Stick a thin-bladed knife into the center of the casserole dish. If the knife comes out clean, the casserole is done. But if you notice egg on your knife after you pull it out, your casserole needs to cook a little bit longer.

How Long Can Breakfast Casserole Be Frozen?

You can keep this make ahead breakfast in your freezer for up to three months before you need to cook it. To ensure you use your casserole before it expires, make sure to write the name of the dish and the date you prepared it on the foil before you place it in the freezer. It’s also a good idea to write the expiration date on top so you know when to heat it.

Once your casserole has been prepared, you can store leftovers in the refrigerator. Cover the dish or place the leftovers in an airtight container and keep them chilled for up to four days. Leftovers can be reheated in the oven or microwave.

Southwestern Breakfast Casserole Recipe Tips

This quick and easy recipe is perfect for a make ahead breakfast! And since it’s so simple to make, you can easily adjust the recipe to suit your family’s preferences. Try these recipe ideas as you’re preparing your breakfast bake:

Double the recipe to make two make ahead breakfasts at one time. Since this recipe uses a half a bag of diced hash browns, it’s more time efficient to prepare two casseroles at once. Simply double the amount of ingredients in the recipe, then prepare the breakfast casseroles in two separate dishes. You’ll end up with two delicious breakfasts in the amount of time it takes to make one!
Serve with tortillas. While this flavourful casserole is great on its own, you could also try serving it with tortillas for a fun way for your family to enjoy their breakfast. Heat the tortillas according to the package instructions, then let your family fill them with the casserole mixture to create their own breakfast burrito.
Try adding sausage. Bulk up this make ahead breakfast bake with the help of some ground pork sausage. Brown the sausage in a skillet and drain the grease from the pan, then mix the meat into the hash brown mixture to add some more meat and flavour to your breakfast.
Stir in some black beans. Another great way to increase the servings in your casserole is with the help of beans. Black beans add more protein and fiber to your breakfast, making them a great choice for bulking up the recipe. To add black beans to the breakfast dish, drain and rinse a can of beans and mix it into the casserole with the hash browns.
Spice it up with peppers. Does your family enjoy eating a spicy breakfast? Add some spice to your southwestern egg casserole with the help of some peppers. Diced green chilies are a simple choice for spicing up your dish. Or garnish your casserole with sliced jalapeño to add some fresh spiciness to your breakfast.

Southwest Breakfast Casserole

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: breakfast casserole

Ingredients

500 g frozen cubed hash browns
1 ½ cups bacon cooked and crumbled
¾ cup sour cream
1 ½ cups chunky salsa
6 large eggs
salt and pepper to taste
1 ½ cups Tex-Mex cheese shredded

For Day of Cooking:

avocado sliced or cubed
cilantro chopped
tomato diced
green onion sliced

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Combine the hash browns, cooked bacon, and sour cream in a bowl.
Spread the mixture into a freezer-safe, greased 9x13 baking dish.
Spoon the salsa evenly over the top of the hash brown mixture.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Pour the seasoned eggs over the salsa layer.
Top the casserole with shredded cheese.
Wrap the dish tightly with plastic wrap, then cover with foil and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw then remove the foil and plastic wrap.
Replace the foil on top of the dish and bake at 350° for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and cook for another 20 to 30 minutes.
Garnish with avocado, cilantro, diced tomato and sliced green onion.