Freezer Meals 101

Less time cooking, more time living

gluten free

Asian Rice Bowl Freezer Meal

By

Lunch doesn’t get more satisfying than an Asian Rice Bowl! This one is even better because it can be made ahead. Then it’s so quick to have it on your plate. Asian Rice Bowl #freezermeals101 #freezercooking #makeaheadmealsThis is so fast to make both when putting together the freezer meal and when cooking it that it just makes sense to make several at once time.

Asian Rice Bowl:

  • 1 cup snap peas
  • 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 2 Tbsp. green onions, sliced
  • 4 oz. sliced water chestnuts*
  • 1 tsp. ginger, minced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce (use gluten free if desired)
  • 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
  • 2 Tbsp. honey, melted
  • 1 tsp. Sriracha sauce
  • optional: can of baby corn, drained

*Cans of water chestnuts are 8 oz. which is a great excuse to double this recipe and make two bags in the same amount of time it would take you to make one!

Assembly instructions:

  1. Add all the ingredients to a large resealable freezer bag. Take out any excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw. Stir fry over medium-high heat in a large skillet for 5-7 minutes.
  2. Serve over rice.

If you like things spicy, you can add some extra Sriracha sauce when serving.

Print
Asian Rice Bowl
Ingredients
  • 1 cup snap peas
  • 2 carrots peeled and sliced
  • 2 Tbsp. green onions sliced
  • 4 oz. sliced water chestnuts*
  • 1 tsp. ginger minced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce use gluten free if desired
  • 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
  • 2 Tbsp. honey melted
  • 1 tsp. Sriracha sauce
  • optional: can of baby corn drained
Instructions
Assembly instructions:

  1. Add all the ingredients to a large resealable freezer bag. Remove the excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw. Stir fry in a large skillet for 5-7 minutes.
  2. Serve over rice.
Recipe Notes

*Cans of water chestnuts are 8 oz. which is a great excuse to double this recipe and make two bags in the same amount of time it would take you to make one!

Check out some of our other easy freezer meals:

Chicken in Mango Cream Sauce over Pasta 

Chickpea and Vegetable Curry Shrimp Stir Fry Pack for the Freezer 

Reggae Gumbo Freezer Meal

By

Reggae Gumbo is a hearty meal that makes an easy weeknight dinner. It can be made ahead and frozen and then cooked in a slow cooker or on the stovetop. It’s a versatile recipe with nice flavours.

Reggae Gumbo Freezer Meal #freezermeals101 #freezercooking #makeaheadmeals #gumboThis recipe is so hearty that it doesn’t need to be served with any side dishes. It’s a great all in one meal. The Caribbean flavours are a nice change without being too strong.

Reggae Gumbo Recipe:

  • 1 lb. pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 1 cup zucchini, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup onions, chopped
  • 1/2 cup celery, chopped
  • 2 tsp. garlic, minced
  • 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 5 1/2 oz. can tomato paste
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. ginger, minced or grated
  • 3/4 tsp. oregano
  • 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper

Assembly instructions:

  1. Cube the tenderloin.
  2. Cut up the vegetables.
  3. Place the meat, vegetables, and all other ingredients and seasonings in a large resealable freezer bag.
  4. Take out the excess air and seal. Freeze.

Cooking instructions (crock pot):

  1. Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
  2. Dump bag contents into a slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Cooking instructions (stovetop):

  1. Thaw.
  2. Place bag contents into a large pot. Bring to a slow boil. Reduce heat to mow and simmer for one to one and a half hours, stirring occasionally.

This is a gluten free recipe.

Print
Reggae Gumbo Recipe
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. pork tenderloin cut in 1 inch cubes
  • 2 cups mushrooms sliced
  • 2 cups sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
  • 1 cup zucchini coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup onions chopped
  • 1/2 cup celery chopped
  • 2 tsp. garlic minced
  • 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 5 1/2 oz. can tomato paste
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. ginger minced or grated
  • 3/4 tsp. oregano
  • 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Cube the tenderloin.
  2. Cut up the vegetables.
  3. Place the meat, vegetables, and all other ingredients and seasonings in a large resealable freezer bag.
  4. Take out the excess air and seal. Freeze.
Cooking instructions (crock pot):
  1. Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
  2. Dump bag contents into a slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Cooking instructions (stovetop):
  1. Thaw.
  2. Place bag contents into a large pot. Bring to a slow boil. Reduce heat to mow and simmer for one to one and a half hours, stirring occasionally.

You may also like these freezer cooking recipes:

Instant Pot Chicken Paprikash Stew 

Rustic Beef Stew BBQ Baked Beans 

Salsa Chicken Freezer Meal

By

It truly doesn’t get more simple than this salsa chicken recipe. Not only is this an easy freezer meal, it is tasty! You can customize it to your own tastes by the type of salsa you use.

Salsa Chicken Dump Freezer Meal #freezermeals101 #freezercooking #chickendumprecipe #easyfamilymealsAs with other dump recipes, it is just as fast to make several at a time as it is to make one. If you choose to make multiples, just set the bags up, put the chicken in each bag and then add the other ingredients.

If you want to kick things up a notch, use spicy salsa. You can also vary things by using a chunkier salsa or using a homemade one.

Salsa Chicken Recipe:

  • 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup salsa, your choice of mild, medium, or spicy
  • 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. dijon mustard

Assembly instructions:

  1. Place the chicken in a large resealable freezer bag or reusable silicone freezer bag.
  2. Toss the rest of the ingredients into the bag and squish to mix around.
  3. Take the air out of the bag and seal before freezing.

Oven cooking instructions:

  1. Take the bag out of the freezer. Thaw.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°. Bake in a casserole dish for 55 minutes.

Skillet cooking instructions:

  1. Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
  2. Cook in a skillet on medium-high heat for about 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside, flipping occasionally. 

What to serve with salsa chicken:

  • taco chips with guacamole
  • refried beans
  • rice
  • salad
  • corn

Check out these other chicken dump recipes:

Honey Sesame Chicken Dump Meal

Lemon Garlic Chicken Dump Mahjong Chicken Dump Recipe 

 

Print
Salsa Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup salsa your choice of mild, medium, or spicy
  • 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Place the chicken in a large resealable freezer bag or reusable silicone freezer bag.
  2. Toss the rest of the ingredients into the bag and squish to mix around.
  3. Take the air out of the bag and seal before freezing.
Oven cooking instructions:
  1. Take the bag out of the freezer. Thaw.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°. Bake in a casserole dish for 55 minutes.
Skillet cooking instructions:
  1. Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
  2. Cook in a skillet on medium-high heat for about 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside, flipping occasionally.

Pork Chops Topped with Spiced Pears

By

Serve these pork chops topped with spice pears to your kids and you’ll get no complaints. With ingredients like cinnamon and vanilla, it’s practically dessert for supper!

Make Ahead Spiced Pear Pork Chops #glutenfree #freezermeals101 #makeaheadmeals #familyfriendlyrecipes #easyfamilymeals #freezercookingThis meal can be made ahead and frozen. That makes for an easy supper midweek when you have a crazy busy schedule. No one will suspect how easy it was to cook.

This recipe requires slightly more prep than most of our freezer meal recipes do to make the sauce, but it’s worth it. I do recommend that because of this, you make several of this recipe at once. It takes just a minute or two more to cut more pears and the rest of the steps take the same amount of time whether you make one meal or four.

If you take that extra minute or two, you’ll be able to pull one of these out for supper every few weeks. It’s such a nice feeling knowing that there are meals ready to go in your freezer!

Pork Chops Topped with Spiced Pears Recipe:

  • 1 tsp. olive oil
  • 2 ripe pears, peeled and chopped
  • 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. paprika
  • 1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
  • 2 lbs. boneless center cut pork chops, 1/2 inch thick

For cooking:

  • 1 tsp. olive oil

Assembly instructions:

  1. Peel, de-seed, and chop the pears.
  2. Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.
  3. Add the prepared pears, 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon and the nutmeg.
  4. Cook, stirring and mashing the pears continuously, until the “sauce” is thick and the pears are tender. This will take about 7-9 minutes.
  5. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Allow to cool while you prepare the pork chops.
  6. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining cinnamon, salt, paprika and pepper.
  7. Rub the spice mixture over the pork.
  8. Place the pork in a large resealable freezer safe bag or a silicone reusable freezer bag. Seal.
  9. Place the spiced pear topping in a medium sized freezer bag and seal.
  10. Staple the medium bag to the one containing the pork chops. Be sure to staple above the seal to avoid leaks.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Take the bag duo out of the freezer to thaw.
  2. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork chops and cook them until well browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes on each side. Top with the sauce and cover for a minute to allow the sauce to warm.
  3. Serve. Sprinkle with a bit of parsley if desired.

This easy family recipe is gluten free and dairy free, making it versatile for many diets.

Suggested side dishes for pork chops:

Looking for other easy family freezer meals? Our Family Favourites Meal Plan includes recipes, shopping lists, and printable labels to take the guesswork out of dinners. 

Print
Pork Chops Topped with Spiced Pears Recipe
Prep Time
11 mins
Cook Time
13 mins
Total Time
24 mins
 
Course: Main Course
Keyword: pork chops
Ingredients
  • 1 tsp. olive oil
  • 2 ripe pears peeled and chopped
  • 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. paprika
  • 1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
  • 2 lbs. boneless center cut pork chops 1/2 inch thick
For cooking:
  • 1 tsp. olive oil
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Peel, de-seed, and chop the pears.
  2. Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.
  3. Add the prepared pears, 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon and the nutmeg.
  4. Cook, stirring and mashing the pears continuously, until the "sauce" is thick and the pears are tender. This will take about 7-9 minutes.
  5. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Allow to cool while you prepare the pork chops.
  6. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining cinnamon, salt, paprika and pepper.
  7. Rub the spice mixture over the pork.
  8. Place the pork in a large resealable freezer safe bag or a silicone reusable freezer bag. Seal.
  9. Place the spiced pear topping in a medium sized freezer bag and seal.
  10. Staple the medium bag to the one containing the pork chops. Be sure to staple above the seal to avoid leaks.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Take the bag duo out of the freezer to thaw.
  2. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork chops and cook them until well browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes on each side. Top with the sauce and cover for a minute to allow the sauce to warm.
  3. Serve.

Our other make ahead pork chop recipes:

Simple Marinated Pork Chops Apple Pork Chops 

Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken Poblano

By

No one will ever guess that this slow cooker spicy chicken poblano is actually a freezer meal! The flavours are fresh. There is a nice kick to it and the spiciness can be adjusted to your tastes.

Spicy Poblano Chicken in the Slow Cooker (no one will ever guess that it's a freezer meal!) #freezermeals101 #freezercooking #crockpotrecipes #makeaheadmeals #slowcookerrecipesThis recipe is keto friendly (low carb, no sugar) and gluten free if served on cauliflower rice. You can adjust the spiciness of this dish by the heat of the salsa you use and the cheese you choose to top it with.

Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken Poblano:

  • 3 lbs. chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
  • 2 poblano peppers, sliced lengthwise
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 14 oz. jar medium or spicy salsa
  • 1 lime
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded taco or tex mex cheese blend
  • dash of salt and pepper

For cooking day:

  • 1/3 cup water

Assembly instructions:

  1. Slice the poblano peppers in long slices.
  2. Place the chicken breasts in a large resealable freezer bag or a reusable silicone freezer bag. Take out any excess air and seal the bag.
  3. Add the pepper slices, juice of the lime, the minced garlic, the jar of salsa, and salt and pepper.
  4. Place the shredded cheese in a medium sized freezer bag, seal and staple it (above the seal) to the other bag. Freeze.

Slow Cooker cooking instructions:

  1. Take the poblano chicken meal out of the freezer to thaw.
  2. Dump the contents of the large bag (chicken and pepper mixture) into the crock pot.
  3. Add 1/3 cup water.
  4. Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 4-6 hours.
  5. Top with the shredded cheese and replace the lid for 10 minutes to allow cheese to melt.
  6. Serve over rice.

What is a poblano pepper?

When it’s dried, the poblano pepper is called an ancho chile. For this recipe, you’ll be using the fresh version of poblano peppers.

Poblano peppers are on the milder side on the Scoville scale that measures the spiciness of peppers. They range between a 1,000 Scoville heat units to 1,500. For contrast sake, jalapeño peppers rate between 2,500 to 10,000 Scoville heat units.

While the poblano pepper is considered quite mild, you can occasionally get one that’s quite hot. Like most peppers, there can be quite a range.

You can find other freezer to crock pot recipes in our Slow Cooker Freezer Meal Plans. You’ll not only get the recipes, but also shopping lists, prep lists, and printable labels to take the guesswork out of weeknight meals. 

Print
Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken Poblano
Course: Main Course
Ingredients
  • 3 lbs. chicken breasts boneless, skinless
  • 2 poblano peppers sliced lengthwise
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 14 oz. jar medium or spicy salsa
  • 1 lime
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded taco or tex mex cheese blend
  • dash of salt and pepper
For cooking day:
  • 1/3 cup water
  • fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Slice the poblano peppers in long slices.
  2. Place the chicken breasts in a large resealable freezer bag or a reusable silicone freezer bag. Take out any excess air and seal the bag.
  3. Add the pepper slices, juice of the lime, the minced garlic, the jar of salsa, and salt and pepper.
  4. Place the shredded cheese in a medium sized freezer bag, seal and staple it (above the seal) to the other bag. Freeze.
Slow Cooker cooking instructions:
  1. Take the poblano chicken meal out of the freezer to thaw.
  2. Dump the contents of the large bag (chicken and pepper mixture) into the crock pot.
  3. Add 1/3 cup water.
  4. Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 4-6 hours.
  5. Top with the shredded cheese and replace the lid for 10 minutes to allow cheese to melt.

  6. If desired, top with chopped fresh cilantro. Serve over rice.

Find other tasty make ahead crock pot meals:

Beefy Rice Slow Cooker Casserole Slow Cooker Beef Curry Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos