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Freezer Meals 101

Less time cooking, more time living

beef

Rustic Beef Stew Recipe for the Slow Cooker

By Sharla

This rustic beef stew recipe is simple and hearty. Having it made ahead in the freezer and ready to go in the crockpot® is the way to go! Rustic Beef Stew for the Slow Cooker #crockpotcooking #crockpotrecipes #freezermeals101 #freezercooking #freezertocrockpot #slowcookerrecipes #beefrecipesOnce this homemade beef stew has spent the day in the crockpot, it is fall-apart-tender.

This all-in-one meal takes the guesswork out of everything. It is easy, easy to put together and there’s no way to mess this recipe up. That is very good news for beginner cooks or those who haven’t had the best of luck in the kitchen. close up of rustic beef slow cooker stew in a bowlWith beef stew, you can do so many variations and put your own spin on it, but sometimes, it’s nice to go back to a simple classic beef stew recipe like this. This is just good old-fashioned comfort food.

Rustic Beef Stew Recipe:

  • 2 lb. beef stew meat
  • 3 carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 stalks of celery, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 2 Tbsp. seasoning salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper

For the day of cooking:

  • 4 potatoes, cubed* (peeled or not peeled, depending on your preference)

Assembly instructions:

  1. Dump all the ingredients (except the potatoes) into a large resealable freezer bag.
  2. Remove the excess air.
  3. Seal and freeze.

collage of rustic beef slow cooker stew in bowlsSlow Cooker Cooking Instructions:

  1. Take the bag of stew out of the freezer to thaw.
  2. Place the bag contents into the slow cooker along with the cubed potatoes.
  3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
  4. Serve immediately with bread or buns.

A note about the potatoes: *I find that the consistency of potatoes changes when they are frozen, so I prefer to add them on the day of cooking. For best results, I suggest you do the same.

This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and also suitable for a Paleo diet.

Find more freezer to crockpot recipes along with shopping lists, prep lists, and printable labels in our Slow Cooker Freezer Meal Plans. 

Check out some of our other hearty make-ahead recipes for the slow cooker:

Beefy Rice Slow Cooker Casserole close up of beefy rice slow cooker casseroleChicken Cacciatoreclose up of chicken cacciatore on pastaBeef Curry Freezer Meal close up of beef curry in a bowl

Print
Rustic Beef Stew Recipe
Course: Soup
Keyword: beef, stew
Servings: 6
Calories: 374 kcal
Ingredients
  • 2 lb. beef stew meat
  • 3 carrots peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 stalks of celery diced
  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 2 Tbsp. seasoning salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
For the day of cooking:
  • 4 potatoes cubed (peeled or not peeled, depending on your preference)
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Dump all the ingredients (except the potatoes) into a large resealable freezer bag.
  2. Remove the excess air.
  3. Seal and freeze.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Take the bag of stew out of the freezer to thaw.
  2. Place the bag contents into the slow cooker along with the cubed potatoes.
  3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Recipe Notes

Serve immediately with bread or buns.

Filed Under: Freezer Meal Recipes, Freezer to Crock Pot Tagged With: beef, gluten free, stew

Make Ahead Beef Dip Recipe

By Sharla

The flavors in this Beef Dip are so deep that you would never guess that it only uses 5 ingredients. The best part is that you can make it ahead and freeze it. It cooks in the crockpot®. Easy all around! Make Ahead Beef Dip #freezermeals101 #freezercooking #freezermeals #beefdip #easyrecipesThese are so fast to make that you can make several of them in minutes. Once they are in the freezer, they are perfect to pull out for a Sunday dinner.

Plop one in the slow cooker before you leave for church or your Sunday drive and come home to the house smelling A-MAZING!

This recipe was one of the many that we incorporated into our latest freezer cooking challenge where we chose all recipes with five ingredients or less. You can watch the results of that, including us assembling our beef dips in the video below. 

Beef Dip Recipe:

  • 4 lbs. beef chuck roast or beef rump roast
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 Tbsp. dry onion soup mix
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper

Place the beef roast in a large resealable freezer bag. Add the other ingredients and seal the bag before freezing.  close up of beef on a bun with beef dip on the sideOn the day you want to serve this, take it out of the freezer to thaw. Cook in the slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours. Slice and serve on buns, using the juices from the roast for dipping.

You can top the buns with garlic mayo. before adding the beef if you want. Dipping it in the au jus with the goopy garlic mayo just adds to the experience!

Make-Ahead Beef Dip is one of the recipes in our Beef Dump Recipes Cookbook. It includes shopping lists and printable labels, making freezer cooking so simple! 

You might also be interested in these make-ahead meals:

BBQ Pulled Pork Freezer Meal close up of pulled pork on a bun with sauce oozing out

Instant Pot Turkey Sloppy Joes Turkey Sloppy Joes on a bun with sides

Print
Beef Dip Recipe
Course: Main Course
Keyword: beef
Servings: 8
Calories: 317 kcal
Ingredients
  • 4 lbs. beef chuck roast or beef rump roast
  • 1-2 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 Tbsp. dry onion soup mix
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
Instructions
  1. Place the beef roast in a large resealable freezer bag. Add the other ingredients and seal the bag before freezing.  

  2. On the day you want to serve this, take it out of the freezer to thaw. Cook in the slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours. 
  3. Slice and serve on buns, using the juices from the roast for dipping.

Filed Under: Freezer Meal Recipes, Freezer to Crock Pot Tagged With: beef

Make Ahead Mexican Manicotti Bake

By Sharla

Our family loves Tex Mex type flavors. I’ve been making an Italian Manicotti freezer meal for years. I decided to experiment. I took the inspiration of the Tex Mex influence and created this Mexican Manicotti Bake. Mexican Manicotti Freezer Meal Bake #freezermeals101 #casserole #familyfriendly #forsupperThis little experiment really paid off! The taste is there. My family approved of this new version of manicotti.

I doubled the recipe to make one large casserole dish. We have a large family, so a single recipe wouldn’t be enough for all 9 of us. The recipe below makes one square dish.

Mexican Manicotti Bake Recipe:

  • 1 lb. ground beef, browned
  • 16 oz. can refried beans
  • 1 Tbsp. taco seasoning
  • 1/2 cup shredded tex mex cheese blend
  • 4 oz. cream cheese softened
  • 14 oz. tomato sauce
  • 4 oz. can green chilies
  • box manicotti noodles
  • shredded tex mex cheese blend for topping

Brown the ground beef. Mix together the cooked ground beef, refried beans, 1/2 cup tex mex cheese, softened cream cheese, 1/2 the tomato sauce, taco seasoning, and green chilies in a large bowl. collage of Mexican manicotti bake under foil and on a plateWith a small spoon or piping bag, fill the manicotti noodles with the mixture. Pour the rest of the tomato sauce over everything. Top with a sprinkling of shredded cheese.

Place in a square foil casserole dish. If you double it, use a large foil dish. Cover with two layers of aluminum foil. Freeze. close up of Mexican manicotti bake

Bake at 350° for one hour if thawed before putting in or one and a half hours if cooking from frozen.

Serve with a fresh garden salad.

You’ll also enjoy these freezer meal recipes:

Tex Mex Pasta Bake collage of tex mex pasta bake in freezer bag and on a plateSalsa Verde Chicken Tacos close up of Mexican salsa verde chicken tacos

Print
Mexican Manicotti Bake Recipe
Course: Main Course
Keyword: freezer meal, mexican manicotti
Servings: 6
Calories: 411 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. ground beef browned
  • 16 oz. can refried beans
  • 1 Tbsp. taco seasoning
  • 1/2 cup shredded tex mex cheese blend
  • 4 oz. cream cheese softened
  • 14 oz. tomato sauce
  • 4 oz. can green chilies
  • box manicotti noodles
  • shredded tex mex cheese blend for topping
Instructions
  1. Brown the ground beef. Mix together the cooked ground beef, refried beans, 1/2 cup tex mex cheese, softened cream cheese, 1/2 the tomato sauce, taco seasoning, and green chilies in a large bowl.

  2. With a small spoon or piping bag, fill the manicotti noodles with the mixture. Pour the rest of the tomato sauce over everything. Top with a sprinkling of shredded cheese. Place in a square foil casserole dish. Cover with two layers of aluminum foil. Freeze.

  3. Bake at 350° for one hour if thawed or one and a half hours if cooking from frozen.

Filed Under: Freezer Meal Recipes Tagged With: beef, manicotti, Mexican

Instant Pot Asian Beef Noodle Soup

By Sharla

One of my sons loves those instant noodle soups. As a mom, I don’t want him eating them often. I wanted to find a healthier alternative. This Instant Pot Asian Beef Noodle Soup recipe is exactly what I was looking for. Instant Pot Asian Beef Noodle Soup #instantpotrecipes #instantpot #freezermeals101 #makeaheadsoup #asiannoodlesoupBeing able to make this ahead and keep it in the freezer until cooking it quickly in the Instant Pot is so easy. Asian noodle soups just have an inherent comfort food quality to them.

Usually, a good broth takes many hours to meld the flavours and get to the desired depth. By using a pressure cooker, you can get the same depth of flavour in less than an hour.

Instant Pot Asian Beef Noodle Soup Recipe:

  • 2 lbs. stew meat
  • 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 3 cups chicken or beef broth
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp. ginger

For the cooking day:

  • 8 oz. long rice noodles

Add the diced onion, beef, mushrooms, broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, and ginger into a large resealable freezer bag. Squish to mix everything together. Take out the extra air from the bag, seal, and freeze.

On the day you want to serve the soup, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.

Set the Instant Pot to high pressure and set for 15 minutes.

Lock the lid and be sure the vent is closed.

Vent the pressure from the Instant Pot.

Add the noodles, making sure that they are completely submerged. Close and lock the lid on the Instant Pot, ensuring that the vent is closed. Set the Instant Pot to 2 minutes. collage of beef, rice noodles and Asian beef noodle soup in a bowlOnce the 2 minutes is up, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. Afterwards, open the vent to release the remaining pressure. close up of Asian beef noodle soup in a bowlIf you use gluten-free soy sauce and hoisin sauce, then this soup recipe is gluten-free.

You can top the soup with sesame seeds or sliced green onions to make it “extra fancy”.

Print
Instant Pot Asian Beef Noodle Soup Recipe
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: beef, noodle
Servings: 6
Calories: 401 kcal
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs. stew meat
  • 2 cups mushrooms sliced
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 3 cups chicken or beef broth
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp. ginger
For the cooking day:
  • 8 oz. long rice noodles
Instructions
  1. Add the diced onion, beef, mushrooms, broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, and ginger into a large resealable freezer bag. Squish to mix everything together. Take out the extra air from the bag, seal, and freeze.
  2. On the day you want to serve the soup, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
  3. Set the Instant Pot to high pressure and set for 15 minutes.
  4. Lock the lid and be sure the vent is closed.
  5. Vent the pressure from the Instant Pot.
  6. Add the noodles, making sure that they are completely submerged. Close and lock the lid on the Instant Pot, ensuring that the vent is closed. Set the Instant Pot to 2 minutes.
  7. Once the 2 minutes is up, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. Afterwards, open the vent to release the remaining pressure.

Check out these other make-ahead Instant Pot recipes:

Instant Pot Beef Taco Soup close up of beef taco soup in a bowl made from the Instant Pot

Instant Pot Italian Chicken and Veggies Italian Chicken and Veggies in the Instant Pot

Filed Under: Freezer Meal Instant Pot Recipes, Freezer Meal Recipes Tagged With: Asian, beef, noodle, soup

Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Beef Taco Soup

By Sharla

This colorful beef taco soup freezer meal can be cooked in the Instant Pot or slow cooker. It is so easy to throw together. Hearty soups are great for cold winter days or drizzly summer ones.

It’s nice to have a few bags of this soup in the freezer. It’s such a simple but filling meal and I always love a meal that has multiple cooking options.

Freezer to Crock Pot Beef Taco Soup #freezermeals101 #instantpot #crockpotBeef Taco Soup Recipe:

  • 1 cup ground beef, browned
  • 1/2 cup diced onion
  • 12 oz. can kernel corn
  • 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 14 oz. can pinto or black beans
  • 3 tsp. taco seasoning
  • salt, pepper
  • 1 cup water or beef broth*
Print
Beef Taco Soup
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: beef, soup, taco
Servings: 4
Calories: 395 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1 cup ground beef, browned
  • 1/2 cup diced onion
  • 12 oz canned kernel corn
  • 14 oz canned diced tomatoes
  • 14 oz canned pinto or black beans
  • 3 tsp taco seasoning
  • 1 cup water or beef broth
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Place all the ingredients into a large resealable freezer bag.

  2. Remove the excess air, seal, and freeze. 

Instant Pot® cooking instructions:
  1. Add the bag contents thawed or frozen into the Instant Pot. Add 1 cup water or beef broth. Saute for 5 minutes. Lock the cover into place and seal the steam nozzle. Choose the soup setting and set it for 10 minutes. Let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes before releasing any remaining pressure.

Slow Cooker Cooking Instructions:
  1. Take the bag out of the freezer and thaw. Add at least one cup of water or beef broth. Cook in the crock-pot on low for 4-5 hours.

You may also want to check out these delicious freezer meal soups:

Sausage and Zucchini Soup close up of sausage and zucchini soup Italian Wedding Soup close up of Italian wedding soup with meatballs and spinach

Corn Chowder with Bacon close up of corn chowder with bacon

Filed Under: Freezer Meal Instant Pot Recipes, Freezer Meal Recipes, Freezer to Crock Pot Tagged With: beef, soup, taco

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