The Big List of Paleo Freezer Meals

By Sharla

More and more people are turning to a Paleo diet. As a result, I often get asked for Paleo freezer meal recipes which is one of the reasons I came out with a Paleo freezer meal plan. I also wanted to share with you even more options for those who follow this diet.

Paleo recipes are ones that are dairy-free, grain-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, and soy-free. Paleo diets seem to vary considerably. These recipes are based around what the most widely accepted paleo foods seem to be.

If there is a particular ingredient that doesn’t fit with your Paleo diet, then please make adjustments accordingly.

Our Paleo Freezer Meals:

Many of our recipes are compliant with the Paleo diet. Being able to make these meals ahead makes life so much easier. Knowing that you can pull a meal out of the freezer even at the last minute means that you are less likely to cheat and eat fast food.

Keto KFC Style Chicken – Get the KFC flavours without the grease and gluten!

Beef Dip in the Crock Pot – Serve on Paleo buns.

Pork Chops Topped with Spiced Pears

Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

Lemon Garlic Chicken Dump Recipe – This can be thrown together so quickly!

Instant Pot Tomato Soup

Crock Pot Rustic Beef Stew

Lemon Mustard Chicken

Hearty Make Ahead Chili

Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos

Tequila Lime Shrimp

Crock Pot or Instant Pot Beef Taco Soup

Chickpea and Vegetable Curry

Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa (serve on lettuce wraps or in a bowl instead of tortillas)

Stuffed Pepper Soup (if you omit the rice)

Italian Wedding Soup (skip the pasta)

Instant Pot Bone Broth

Paleo Freezer Meals:

Make these Secret Superfood Meatballs from Health Starts in the Kitchen up ahead of time and freeze them in resealable bags so that you can pull out as many as you need to when you need them.

This Sweet Cocoa Chili from Craving 4 More can be made ahead and frozen.

The Chicken Nuggets from Against All Grain are sure to be a kid-pleaser!

The Shellfish Stock from The Domestic Man can be used on its own or as a base for other soups.

Put everything in the Garam Masala Chicken recipe at Life Made Full into a large resealable bag and freeze. On cooking day, thaw it and cook as outlined there.

Make freezer meals easy with the Paleo Meal Plan. It includes recipes, prep lists, printable shopping lists, and labels.

Perfect Meatball Soup from How We Flourish

Paleo Sweet Potato Chicken Soup from Grass Fed Girl

These Meatloaf Muffins from The Nourishing Home can be frozen and then taken out as lunches or full meals.

Paleo Freezer Meals for the Crock Pot:

Sweet Potato and Beef Chili from One Lovely Life

Pineapple Salsa Verde Chicken from Mangia Paleo – There are no freezer instructions included, but just throw all the ingredients in a large resealable bag and freeze and then on cooking day, thaw and heat as instructed.

Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs over at Ditch the Wheat – To make this paleo recipe into a freezer meal, brown the ribs as described in the first 3 steps of the recipe and then place the ribs and sauce in a large resealable bag, seal and freeze. On the day of cooking, thaw and cook as directed.

Slow Cooker Kalua Pork from A Girl Worth Saving – With the added bacon, this one sounds delicious!

To make this Slow Cooker Chai Tea Brisket from Strictly Delicious as a freezer meal, sear the brisket and place it in a resealable freezer bag with the other ingredients. On the day of cooking, take it out to thaw and cook it in the crock pot.

Slow Cooker Chicken Vegetable Soup at Multiply Delicious

Crock Pot Pork Chops with Apples and Onions from A Clean Bake

Crock Pot Salsa Beef at Get Inspired Everyday

Paleo Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken from Plaid and Paleo

You can also make bone broth in large batches to store in your freezer. Depending on the size of your family, you can divide them into medium sized freezer bags or large ones. It makes it easy to pull out as a healthy lunch or side dish. You can also use the bone broth as a base for other dishes.

You’ll be so glad to have these make-ahead meals ready to go. It makes those busy weeknights so much easier. It also takes the headache out of trying to come up with ideas of what to make for dinner.

Seafood Curry Pasta Freezer Meal

By Sharla

This seafood curry pasta recipe is one that I adapted into a freezer meal. It is so delicious. The flavours may not sound like they go together, but they create a beautiful medley.

Seafood Curry Pasta Recipe:

5 oz. (150 g) scallops
7 oz. (200 g) deveined large shrimp
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
6 mushrooms, sliced
3 Tbsp. sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 cup pineapple juice
10 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
370 mL can evaporated milk
350 g penne for day of serving

Method #1:

To begin assembling this meal, place the scallops and shrimp into a medium resealable bag and seal. It’s important to have these in a separate bag for two reasons. The first is that they require less cook time than the other ingredients and you don’t want to ruin this beautiful dish by having overcooked seafood in it. The second is because the acidity in the pineapple juice can begin to cook the seafood if it marinates together and that would be a culinary tragedy!

Place all the other ingredients except for the pasta in a large resealable bag and squish together to combine. Remove excess air and seal. Staple both bags together above the seal and freeze.

On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer. Thaw. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside. While the pasta is cooking, heat the large bag of ingredients in a skillet over medium heat for 7 minutes. Add the seafood to the skillet and heat until cooked through. Serve over the pasta.

Method #2:

If you prefer to have less to do on the day of cooking, you can also assemble this meal in a different way. Place the scallops and shrimp in a medium resealable bag and seal. Cook the pasta to slightly under what the package directions suggest. You don’t want it to become too mushy which is why you want the pasta slightly undercooked. Drain.

Mix the pasta and the other ingredients together and add them all to a large resealable bag. Seal. Staple the two bags together above the seal and freeze.

On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer. Thaw. Heat the main bag of ingredients in a large skillet over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring often. Add the scallops and shrimp to the pasta in the skillet and heat until cooked through.

Personally, I like to serve mine with red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese. This dish is chock full of flavour.

Seafood Curry Pasta Recipe

This seafood curry pasta recipe is one that I adapted into a freezer meal. It is so delicious. The flavours may not sound like they go together, but they create a beautiful medley.

Servings: 6

Calories: 921 kcal

Ingredients

5 oz. 150 g scallops
7 oz. 200 g deveined large shrimp
1/2 onion thinly sliced
6 mushrooms sliced
3 Tbsp. sun dried tomatoes in oil drained
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 cup pineapple juice
10 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
370 mL can evaporated milk
350 g penne for day of serving

Instructions

Method #1:

Place the scallops and shrimp into a medium resealable bag and seal.
It's important to have these in a separate bag for two reasons.
The first is that they require less cook time than the other ingredients and you don't want to ruin this beautiful dish by having overcooked seafood in it.
The second is because the acidity in the pineapple juice can begin to cook the seafood if it marinates together and that would be a culinary tragedy!
Place all the other ingredients except for the pasta in a large resealable bag.
Squish together to combine.
Remove excess air and seal.
Staple both bags together above the seal and freeze.
On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer.
Thaw.
Cook pasta according to package instructions.
Drain and set aside.
10. While the pasta is cooking, heat the large bag of ingredients in a skillet over medium heat for 7 minutes.
11. Add the seafood to the skillet and heat until cooked through.
12. Serve over the pasta.

Method #2 (shorter version):

Place the scallops and shrimp in a medium resealable bag and seal.
Cook the pasta to slightly under what the package directions suggest. You don't want it to become too mushy which is why you want the pasta slightly undercooked.
Drain.
Mix the pasta and the other ingredients together and add them all to a large resealable bag.
Seal.
Staple the two bags together above the seal and freeze.
On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer.
Thaw.
Heat the main bag of ingredients in a large skillet over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring often.
10. Add the scallops and shrimp to the pasta in the skillet and heat until cooked through.

Recipe Notes

Personally, I like to serve mine with red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese. This dish is chock full of flavour.

This Seafood Curry Pasta recipe is included in our More Family Favorites Freezer Meal Plan. The plan includes some of our other favorite recipes along with shopping lists and printable labels.

Sausage and Peppers Skillet Freezer Meal Chicken and Vegetable Casserole with Crispy Onion Topping

The Best Make Ahead Pancake Mini Muffins

By Sharla

These make ahead pancake mini muffins are wonderful to have in the freezer. My youngest daughter loves having some of these as an after school snack. The other kids prefer having them for breakfast, but no matter when they eat them, they are a hit!

I like to make these pancake mini muffins in large batches. This is why I usually double or triple the recipe. I bake them and whatever is left after the kids get their hands on them, goes into freezer bags and is frozen. That way, you have an ultra-fast breakfast ready whenever you need them.

The best thing about this pancake mini muffin recipe is how easy it is to customize them and create different variations.

Topping and filling suggestions for mini pancake muffins:

chocolate chips or white chocolate chips
blueberries
raspberries
strawberries
bananas
apple pie filling
coconut
brown sugar and cinnamon
cinnamon sugar
lemon juice and icing sugar
dried fruit
Nutella
syrup
jam or jelly
honey
sprinkles
nuts
sausage
bacon
turkey bacon
cheese
goat cheese and rosemary
ricotta and honey
peanut butter
peanut butter and banana
caramel
apple sauce
yogurt
lemon curd

Mini Pancake Muffin Recipe:

2 1/2 cups flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
dash of salt
1 3/4 cups buttermilk*
2 eggs
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
toppings or fillings of your choice

*If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, add 2 Tbsp. of vinegar or lemon juice to the milk. Stir and let it sit for a few minutes before including it in the recipe.

In a bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the buttermilk, eggs and melted butter. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and stir until just combined.

Grease mini muffin tins. Use a spoon or cookie dough scoop to fill the muffin tin compartments 2/3 of the way full. Add any toppings you wish at this point. For ours, I added chocolate chips to some, blueberries to some, coconut to some, and brown sugar and cinnamon to the others.

Bake in 400° oven for 10-12 minutes. Serve as they are or dip in syrup.

Once the pancake mini muffins are cooled, place them in a large resealable freezer bag. Remove the excess air and freeze. When you want to eat them, take out as many as you want and reheat in the microwave, being sure to reseal the bag well.

Some of my kids prefer to eat their mini pancake muffins cold, so experiment to find which you prefer. These are great for packing in school lunches, as snacks or for busy morning breakfasts.

To dip or not to dip:

I am half French Canadian. Traditional French Canadian food basically makes sugar a food group! Seriously, there’s Tarte au Sucre (which translates directly into Sugar Pie!), crepes with maple syrup and brown sugar, taffy, tourquettes (made by pouring boiling maple syrup over snow), and butter tarts.

So if you’re French Canadian and you have the option of adding brown sugar or syrup to something or preferably both (!), the answer is always yes.

Obviously, these are healthier without the extra sugar of dipping them in syrup, but I dip mine. The only mini pancakes I wouldn’t recommend dipping are the ones with more savoury toppings like goat cheese and rosemary.

Some of my kids are dippers while others prefer to eat these plain. Ultimately, the choice of whether to dip your little pancakes or not to is entirely up to you.

Mini Pancake Muffin Recipe

These make ahead pancake mini muffins are wonderful to have in the freezer.

Servings: 6

Calories: 309 kcal

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
dash of salt
1 3/4 cups buttermilk*
2 eggs
3 Tbsp. butter melted
toppings or fillings of your choice

Instructions

In a bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate bowl, mix together buttermilk, eggs and melted butter.
Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and stir until just combined.
Grease mini muffin tins.
Use a spoon or cookie dough scoop to fill the muffin tin compartments 2/3 of the way full.
Add any toppings you wish at this point.
Bake in 400° oven for 10-12 minutes.
Serve as they are or dip in syrup.
Once the pancake mini muffins are cooled, place them in a large resealable freezer bag.
Remove excess air and freeze.
When you want to eat them, take out as many as you want and reheat in the microwave, being sure to reseal the bag.

Recipe Notes

*If you don't have buttermilk on hand, add 2 Tbsp. of vinegar or lemon juice to the milk. Stir and let it sit for a few minutes before including it in the recipe.

Mini pancake muffin topping and filling suggestions: • chocolate chips or white chocolate chips • blueberries • raspberries • strawberries • bananas • apple pie filling • coconut • brown sugar and cinnamon • lemon juice and icing sugar • dried fruit • Nutella • syrup • jam or jelly • sprinkles • nuts • sausage • bacon • cheese • peanut butter • caramel • lemon curd

You can find other make ahead breakfast recipes as well as the printable shopping lists and labels in our Breakfast Freezer Meal Plan.

Make Ahead Freezer Smoothie Bags

Freezer Cinnamon French Toast

Chicken and Vegetable Casserole with Crispy Onion Topping

By Sharla

This chicken and vegetable casserole with crispy onion topping is a nice dish to have on hand. The chicken and rice are cooked ahead which means it only needs to be reheated, making it such a fast way to get supper on the table.

For this meal, you’ll want to prep the chicken and rice ahead of time to make the assembly go quickly. When I’m assembling freezer meals, I cook larger quantities of chicken by placing them on a baking sheet and putting them in a 350° oven for 45 minutes before cubing.

Chicken and Vegetable Casserole Recipe:

4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
5 cups of cooked rice
2 cans of condensed chicken or mushroom soup
1 cup chicken broth
750 g frozen mixed vegetables (I use a blend of carrots, peas and corn)
salt, pepper

3 cups crispy French’s onions
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Note that this recipe makes 3 meals. I usually double it so that it makes 6 meals.

Cook the chicken breasts. Cook the rice and allow to cool somewhat. Mix the cooked chicken, rice, condensed soup, chicken broth, frozen mixed vegetables, and seasoning together in a large bowl.

Divide the mixture equally into 3 large resealable freezer bags. Remove the excess air and seal.

Place 1 cup of French’s onions and 1 cup of shredded cheese into a medium resealable freezer bag and seal. Repeat this two more times. Staple one of the smaller bags onto each of the larger bags, being sure to staple above the seal and freeze.

On the day of cooking, take the chicken and vegetable casserole out of the freezer and thaw. Place the contents from the large bag into a greased casserole dish. Top it with the shredded cheese and crispy onions from the smaller bag. Cook in a 350° oven for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!

Sausage and Peppers Freezer Meal

Droolworthy BBQ Shredded Chicken Crock Pot Freezer Meal

Chicken and Vegetable Casserole with Crispy Onion Topping

This chicken and vegetable casserole with crispy onion topping is a nice dish to have on hand.

Servings: 8

Calories: 691 kcal

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts cooked and cubed
5 cups of cooked rice
2 cans of condensed chicken or mushroom soup
1 cup chicken broth
750 g frozen mixed vegetables I use a blend of carrots, peas and corn
salt pepper
3 cups crispy French's onions
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Cook the chicken breasts.
Cook the rice and allow to cool somewhat.
Mix the cooked chicken, rice, condensed soup, chicken broth, frozen mixed vegetables, and seasoning together in a large bowl.
Divide the mixture equally into 3 large resealable freezer bags.
Remove the excess air and seal.
Place 1 cup of French's onions and 1 cup of shredded cheese into a medium resealable freezer bag and seal.
Repeat this two more times.
Staple one of the smaller bags onto each of the larger bags, being sure to staple above the seal and freeze.
On the day of cooking, take the chicken and vegetable casserole out of the freezer and thaw.
Place the contents from the large bag into a greased casserole dish.
Top it with the shredded cheese and crispy onions from the smaller bag.
Cook in a 350° oven for 20-25 minutes.

Recipe Notes

Note that this recipe makes 3 meals. I usually double it so that it makes 6 meals. For this meal, you'll want to prep the chicken and rice ahead of time to make the assembly go quickly. When I'm assembling freezer meals, I cook larger quantities of chicken by placing them on a baking sheet and putting them in a 350° oven for 45 minutes before cubing.

Easy Asian Meatballs Freezer Meal

By Sharla

Freezer meals don’t get much simpler to assemble than these easy asian meatballs, especially if you are using pre-made meatballs. It can be cooked in the oven or in the crock pot.

You can make this recipe using meatballs you make yourself or using meatballs bought from the store. It’s great to have meatballs in the freezer for all kinds of reasons, so you may want to go ahead and make a huge batch and use some for this recipe and some for other recipes or to add to spaghetti or soups.

Easy Asian Meatballs Freezer Meal:

2 lbs. meatballs, pre-cooked
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. ground ginger*
1/2 cup green onions, diced

*If you prefer, you can substitute fresh ginger for the ground ginger.

To assemble this easy freezer meal, add the pre-cooked meatballs to a large resealable bag. Add the minced garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and green onions to the bag. Remove excess air, seal and freeze.

On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer. Thaw. Bake, covered at 375° for 20 minutes or cook on low in the slow cooker for 2-4 hours.

You can serve these meatballs with rice and vegetables or a salad. The sauce tastes really good as a gravy over the rice.

This recipe is perfect for busy weekdays when you have to be out the door quickly to get to soccer or piano or one of the dozens of other scheduled events that families have in the evenings.

Easy Asian Meatballs Freezer Meal

This recipe is perfect for busy weekdays when you have to be out the door quickly to get to soccer or piano or one of the dozens of other scheduled events that families have in the evenings.

Servings: 8

Calories: 253 kcal

Ingredients

2 lbs. meatballs pre-cooked
2 cloves garlic minced
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. ground ginger*
1/2 cup green onions diced

Instructions

Add the pre-cooked meatballs to a large resealable bag.
Add the minced garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and green onions to the bag.
Remove excess air, seal and freeze.
On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer.
Thaw.
Bake, covered at 375° for 20 minutes or cook on low in the slow cooker for 2-4 hours.

Recipe Notes

*If you prefer, you can substitute fresh ginger for the ground ginger.

You can serve these meatballs with rice and vegetables or a salad. The sauce tastes really good as a gravy over the rice.

This make ahead easy asian meatballs recipe is included in the Dinner in 20 Freezer Meal plan along with other recipes, shopping lists, prep lists, and printable labels.