Freezer Meals 101

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casserole

Ham and Potato Casserole (freezer meal)

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Looking for a way to use up leftover ham? This casserole works beautifully for that. It is a simple and inexpensive ham and potato casserole that’s very family friendly. And it can be made as a freezer meal. white plate with cheesy potato cubes topped with red ketchup. Text reads "Ham and Potato freezer meal casserole"Tossing this into a freezer bag is so quick. If you have a lot of leftover ham after Thanksgiving or Easter, you can make several of these casseroles to freeze. 

Using frozen hash browns is a much faster way to throw together a meal with potatoes and they work better in a freezer meal. This is a trick I also use in our Beef Hash.

Ham and Potato Casserole Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups frozen hash browns (cubes)
  • 1 1/2 cups cubed ham (I use black forest ham, but you can also use leftover ham from a holiday meal if you have it)
  • 1/2 cup onions, chopped
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 10 oz. can cream of chicken soup
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • salt and pepper to taste

Assembly instructions:

  1. Cube the ham. Chop the onions. Grate the cheese.
  2. Add all ingredients to a large resealable freezer bag. Squish to combine the ingredients well.
  3. Remove excess air and seal. Freeze.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.
  3. Dump the bag ingredients in. Bake at 375° for 50-55 minutes.

Most of my kids like to squeeze some ketchup on top of theirs. You can eat it plain, with ketchup, or with hot sauce. 

This is one of those recipes where you can’t really go wrong. You can change it up by adding a different type of cheese, topping with breading, or adding your favourite seasonings.

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Ham and Potato Casserole
Course: Main Course
Keyword: ham, potato
Servings: 4
Ingredients
  • 4 cups frozen hash browns cubes
  • 1 1/2 cups cubed ham
  • 1/2 cup onions chopped
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
  • 10 oz. can cream of chicken soup
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Cube the ham. Chop the onions. Grate the cheese.
  2. Add all ingredients to a large resealable freezer bag. Squish to combine the ingredients well.
  3. Remove excess air and seal. Freeze.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.
  3. Dump the bag ingredients in. Bake at 375° for 50-55 minutes.

You might want to try these other family friendly freezer meals:

Easy Beef Hash

Chicken Asparagus Bake

Cheesy Tater Tot Chicken Casserole

Stuffed Pepper Casserole (Freezer Meal)

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Visually, this is a beautiful dish. The bright colours of the peppers just pop. This stuffed pepper casserole also happens to be delicious. a white bowl in the corner has a yellow pepper, red pepper, and green onions. Nearby, a white casserole dish is filled with hamburger, rice, and green, yellow, and red pepper. The text reads "Stuffed Pepper Casserole freezer meal gluten free"Our family really likes these combinations of flavours as evidenced by our stuffed pepper soup, stuffed pepper skillet, and stuffed pepper recipes! As a mom, I like that these dishes represent an all in one, healthy meal I can serve my family.

Stuffed Pepper Casserole Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. lean ground beef, browned
  • 1/2 an onion, chopped
  • 1 cup Basmati rice, when measured uncooked
  • 1 tsp garlic, minced
  • 1 each red, orange, and yellow bell peppers, chopped into ½ inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained
  • 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper

Assembly instructions:

  1. Brown the ground beef. Chop the peppers and onion.
  2. Cook the rice according to the package directions. Allow the rice to cool.
  3. Add the ground beef, chopped onion, minced garlic, chopped peppers, shredded cheese, tomato paste, drained can of diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings to a large resealable freezer bag.
  4. Remove the excess air from the bag, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°.
  3. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
  4. Dump the contents of the freezer bag in the casserole dish and spread out evenly.
  5. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes.

This casserole is gluten free and hearty. It’s a nice all in one meal.

You might enjoy these other all in one recipes:

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Stuffed Pepper Casserole
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
 
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: casserole, stuffed pepper
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. lean ground beef browned
  • 1/2 onion chopped
  • 1 cup Basmati rice when measured uncooked
  • 1 tsp garlic minced
  • 1 each red, orange, and yellow bell peppers chopped into ½ inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes drained
  • 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Brown the ground beef. Chop the peppers and onion.
  2. Cook the rice according to the package directions. Allow the rice to cool.
  3. Add the ground beef, chopped onion, minced garlic, chopped peppers, shredded cheese, tomato paste, drained can of diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings to a large resealable freezer bag.
  4. Remove the excess air from the bag, seal, and freeze.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°.
  3. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
  4. Dump the contents of the freezer bag in the casserole dish and spread out evenly.
  5. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes.

Freezer Chicken Pot Pie Filling

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Chicken pot pie is one of my all time favourite comfort foods. For four years, I’ve been attempting to create a freezer chicken pot pie recipe. Every single attempt was a flop. Either the topping became too mushy or the sauce didn’t have the right texture once it was thawed and cooked. Then I decided to switch tactics.

The last time we made freezer meals, I took some of our leftover ingredients and made a chicken pot pie filling. I ensured that I wouldn’t have mushy topping or gross textured sauce by leaving those out. For the make ahead portion of this, I only included the filling. Make Ahead Chicken Pot Pie Filling #freezermeals101 #freezercooking #comfortfood #chickenrecipes #chickenpotpie #makeaheadmeals

It still saved a ton of time because all the chopping was done, the chicken was cooked, and the seasonings were there. On the day I served it, all I had to do was add a few ingredients to form the sauce, top with pre-made biscuits, and bake.

The best part is that it maintained its incredible flavour. It has the perfect crispness and the sauce was just right.If you’re a fan of good chicken pot pie, you’re going to love how much easier this is. It allows you to make it anytime by pulling the filling out of your freezer anytime the craving hits!

I recommend that you make several bags of freezer chicken pot pie filling at once. This saves even more time.

Make Ahead Chicken Pot Pie Filling:

  • 3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cooked and cubed
  • 10 mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 3/4 cup frozen peas
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. ground sage
  • 1/4 tsp. marjoram
  • 1/4 tsp. thyme

On the day of cooking:

  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 2 Tbsp. flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 340 g package Pillsbury Country Biscuits

Assembly instructions:

  1. Cook and cube chicken. Allow to cool.
  2. Chop onion and red pepper and slice the mushrooms.
  3. Add the chicken, onions, red peppers, mushrooms, and peas to a large resealable plastic bag. Add in the seasonings and give it a quick shake. Remove the excess air from the bag and seal before freezing. 

Cooking instructions:

  1. Take the filling out of the freezer to thaw. Dump the bag contents into a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook for 5 minutes.
  2. Add the butter and flour and stir. When well mixed in, slowly pour in the milk.
  3. Heat for another 3-5 minutes until sauce has thickened slightly.
  4. Transfer the chicken pot pie filling to an oven safe casserole dish.
  5. Top with the country biscuits.*
  6. Bake at 400° for 18-20 minutes and the biscuits are golden brown.

*I like to split the biscuits in half lengthwise so they are thinner and less doughy. I like more of a crispy texture, but if you prefer more of a dumpling texture, leave the biscuits whole when placing them on top.

Other freezer meals that may interest you:

Chicken Pasta Bake Tater Tot Pizza Casserole 

Chicken and Vegetable Casserole with Crispy Onion Topping 

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Chicken Pot Pie
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
18 mins
 
Course: Main Course
Keyword: chicken, chicken pot pie
Ingredients
  • 3 chicken breasts boneless and skinless, cooked and cubed
  • 10 mushrooms sliced
  • 1 red pepper chopped
  • 3/4 cup frozen peas
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. ground sage
  • 1/4 tsp. marjoram
  • 1/4 tsp. thyme
On the day of cooking:
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 2 Tbsp. flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 340 g package Pillsbury Country Biscuits
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Cook and cube chicken. Allow to cool.
  2. Chop onion and red pepper and slice the mushrooms.

  3. Add the chicken, onions, red peppers, mushrooms, and peas to a large resealable plastic bag. Add in the seasonings and give it a quick shake. Remove excess air from the bag, seal and freeze.

Cooking instructions:
  1. Take the filling out of the freezer to thaw. Dump the bag contents into a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook for 5 minutes.
  2. Add the butter and flour and stir. When well mixed in, slowly pour in the milk.
  3. Heat for another 3-5 minutes until sauce has thickened slightly.

  4. Transfer the chicken pot pie filling to a casserole dish.

  5. Top with the country biscuits.
  6. Bake at 400° for 18-20 minutes and the biscuits are golden brown.

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Bake

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This Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Bake is a great make ahead casserole for busy weeknights. I suggest you double the recipe. Serve one immediately and freeze the other for when you need it.Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Bake Freezer Meal #freezermeals101 #freezercooking #makeaheadmeals #casserolesThis recipe includes everything needed for a balanced meal. It’s so nice to be able to have supper all ready to go. Just pull it out of the freezer and put it in the oven and it’s ready to go.

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Bake Recipe:

  • 2-3 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cooked and cubed
  • 1 cup broccoli, steamed and coarsely chopped
  • 1 lb. penne pasta
  • 8 Tbsp. butter
  • 16 oz. heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup + ½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded, divided
  • 2 egg yolks

Assembly instructions:

  1. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the heavy cream.
  2. Whisk in egg yolk and 1 cup cheese.
  3. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside.
  4. Preheat oven to 350°.
  5. In a large pot, prepare pasta al dente as directed on the package.*
  6. Drain and put back in pot.
  7. Pour ½ of sauce over pasta and toss to coat.
  8. Gently mix in chicken and broccoli.
  9. Dump into a 9×13 pan and top with remaining Parmesan.
  10. Cover with two layers of tin foil.
  11. Freeze.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Bake for 30 minutes.*Note: If you’re making this ahead to freeze it, I suggest cooking the pasta to slightly underdone.
Print
Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Bake
Ingredients
  • 2-3 chicken breasts boneless, skinless, cooked and cubed
  • 1 cup broccoli steamed and coarsely chopped
  • 1 lb. penne pasta
  • 8 Tbsp. butter
  • 16 oz. heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup + ½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded, divided
  • 2 egg yolks
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the heavy cream.
  2. Whisk in egg yolk and 1 cup cheese.
  3. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside.
  4. Preheat oven to 350°.
  5. In a large pot, prepare pasta al dente as directed on the package.*
  6. Drain and put back in pot.
  7. Pour ½ of sauce over pasta and toss to coat.
  8. Gently mix in chicken and broccoli.
  9. Dump into a 9x13 pan and top with remaining Parmesan.
  10. Cover with two layers of tin foil.
  11. Freeze.
Cooking instructions:

  1. Remove from freezer. Thaw.

  2. Bake for 30 minutes.
Recipe Notes

*Note: If you're making this ahead to freeze it, I suggest cooking the pasta to slightly underdone.

Check out these other freezer meal casserole dishes:

Tater Tot Pizza Casserole Irresistible Chicken Pasta Bake Chicken and Vegetable Casserole with Crispy Onion Topping