Freezer Meals 101

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gluten free

African Thai Stew Freezer Meal

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I know this recipe sounds strange. The name alone is unusual. When I first discovered this combination of flavours in a Sandi Richard cookbook, I was skeptical too. But the tastes meld together into this beautiful autumn dish that soon won our whole family over. I’ve adapted the African Thai Stew recipe into a freezer meal that is just as flavourful.

freezer bag with many colours of cubed and chopped food on top, stew in blue bowl on bottom with text that reads "African Thai Stew freezer meal"This hearty stew has the most gorgeous fall colours. It is vegetarian, gluten free, and dairy free, making it a versatile meal for many types of diets.

Although this is a plant based meal, you won’t miss the meat. It has glorious blends of interesting flavours. Yes, I just called food “glorious”! Once you taste it, you’ll understand why I’m raving.

And being able to make this as a freezer meal and then cook it in the Crock Pot or on the stovetop enables you to easily make a healthy meal even when you’re in a rush.

African Thai Stew Recipe:

  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 large sweet potato, cubed
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 1/2 green pepper, diced
  • 2 tsp garlic, minced
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 19 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 19 oz. can chickpeas
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. curry powder
  • 2 tsp. fresh ginger
  • 1 tsp. ground coriander
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. lime juice

For cooking day: 

  • 3 Tbsp. peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • optional: cilantro

Assembly instructions:

  1. Put all ingredients in a large resealable bag and squish together.
  2. Seal. Remove excess air. Lay flat and freeze.

Stovetop Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Heat on stovetop in a large pot for 25 minutes.
  3. Stir in 3 Tbsp. peanut butter and if desired, 1⁄4 cup dried cranberries and cook for another few minutes.
  4. Top with cilantro if desired.

Slow Cooker Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Cook in the Crock Pot on low for 3-4 hours.
  3. Stir in the peanut butter and if you want, the dried cranberries, stir, and cook for another 10 minutes.
  4. Top with cilantro if desired.

This recipe is included in our Vegetarian Freezer Meal Plan. The menu plans include tried and true recipes, prep lists, shopping lists, and printable labels.

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African Thai Stew
Course: Main Course
Keyword: stew, vegetarian
Ingredients
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1 large sweet potato cubed
  • 2 celery stalks diced
  • 1/2 green pepper diced
  • 2 tsp garlic minced
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 19 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 19 oz. can chickpeas
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. curry powder
  • 2 tsp. fresh ginger
  • 1 tsp. ground coriander
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. lime juice
For cooking day:
  • 3 Tbsp. peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • optional: cilantro
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Put all ingredients in a large resealable bag and squish together.
  2. Seal. Remove excess air. Lay flat and freeze.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Heat on stovetop in a large pot for 25 minutes or in the Crock Pot on low for 4-5 hours.
  3. Stir in 3 Tbsp. peanut butter and if desired, 1⁄4 cup dried cranberries and cook for another few minutes.
  4. Top with cilantro if desired.

Check out these other plant based freezer meals:

Vegetarian Taco Soup

Black Bean and Corn Enchiladas

Chickpea and Vegetable Curry

Slow Cooker Ragu with Beef and Sausage

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This Ragu with beef and sausage can be made ahead and frozen. It’s full of powerful flavours. This is a hearty meal that includes both meat and vegetables. white Crock Pot with chunky sauce and a ladle lifting some up with text that reads "Slow Cooker Ragu with sausage and beef"This Ragu recipe makes a large amount. If you are cooking for 2 or for a small family, I would suggest splitting it into 2 freezer bags.

What is the difference between Ragu and a Bolognese sauce?

Ragu has more meat in it than Bolognese does and usually includes pork as well as beef. It also usually includes red wine and beef broth and sometimes has a small amount of heavy cream or milk in it as well.

Essentially, Ragu is more of a meat sauce with tomatoes while Bolognese is more of a tomato sauce with meat.

Ragu with Beef and Sausage Recipe:

  • 1 lb. ground beef, browned
  • 450 g ground Italian sausage, browned*
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 a zucchini, chopped
  • red pepper, diced
  • 2x 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1/4 cup red wine
  • 1 tsp. oregano
  • 1 tsp. basil
  • 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. pepper

optional:

  • basil and shredded Parmesan cheese for serving

*If you like things with a kick, you can use spicy Italian sausage.

Assembly instructions:

  1. Brown the ground beef and the sausage.
  2. Allow them to cool. Add them into a large resealable freezer bag.
  3. Chop the onion, zucchini, and red pepper. Mince the garlic.
  4. Add the chopped vegetables and all other ingredients to the bag. Squish to combine.
  5. Remove the extra air from the bag and seal before freezing.

Slow Cooker Cooking instructions:

  • Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
  • Dump the bag contents into the crock pot.
  • Cook on high for 2-4 hours.
  • Serve over noodles or rice.
  • If you want, you can sprinkle fresh basil and shredded Parmesan cheese on the plates before serving.

This recipe is gluten free and keto friendly. Of course, you’ll need to serve it over a pasta alternative such as spiralized vegetables for it to be fully gluten free and keto!

Print
Ragu with Beef and Sausage Recipe
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. ground beef browned
  • 450 g ground Italian sausage browned*
  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 zucchini chopped
  • red pepper diced
  • 2 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup red wine
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 tsp. oregano
  • 1 tsp. basil
  • 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. pepper
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Brown the ground beef and the sausage.
  2. Let them cool. Add them into a large resealable freezer bag.
  3. Chop the onion, zucchini, and red pepper. Mince the garlic.
  4. Add the chopped vegetables and all other ingredients to the bag. Squish to combine.
  5. Remove the extra air from the bag and seal before freezing.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
  2. Dump the bag contents into the crock pot.
  3. Cook on high for 2-4 hours.
  4. Serve over noodles or rice.
Recipe Notes

*If you like things with a kick, you can use spicy Italian sausage.

Some of our other recipes you may enjoy:

Italian Sausage Pasta Sauce 

Irresistible Chicken Pasta Bake 

Chicken Wild Rice Casserole

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This Chicken Wild Rice Casserole can be served immediately or it can be made ahead and frozen. It includes the carbs, the protein, and the vegetables, making it a full meal.

Enjoy this real food healthy freezer meal. This dish is certainly “fancy” enough to serve to company, but also make a nice weeknight family meal.

white baking dish with rice, carrots, celery, chicken in it. The text reads "Chicken Wild Rice Casserole"If you want to add some holiday flair to this meal to serve it at Thanksgiving or Christmas, stir in some dried cranberries after baking. It will add in some festive flavour as well as seasonal colour.

Chicken Wild Rice Casserole Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 5 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 5 celery stalks, sliced
  • 1 cup wild rice
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
  • 4 Tbsp. butter, melted
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
  • 4 Tbsp. flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • non-stick cooking spray

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
  2. Prepare the baking dish by spraying with cooking spray.
  3. Add the rice and broth into the prepped baking dish.
  4. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
  5. Bake at 350° for 1 hr and 15 minutes.
  6. Check on the rice and when it is almost done, add the melted butter into a small sauce pan. Heat on medium while you add the flour, salt, and poultry seasoning.
  7. Stir to mix. Cook for one minute. Then begin to slowly add the milk while whisking. This will form a thick and creamy sauce.
  8. Remove the baking dish of rice from the oven once it is done. Carefully remove the foil. Add the chicken and the sauce, stirring to combine all the ingredients.
  9. Return casserole dish to the oven. Increase the heat to 450° for 20-30 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink.
  10. Optional: Top with chopped fresh parsley.

Freezer cooking instructions:

  1. Prepare the dish as per the instructions above up until #9. After adding the chicken and sauce to the rice, cover the dish with two layers of aluminum foil. Freeze.
  2. Thaw. Bake in a preheated 450° oven for 30-40 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink.
  3. Optional: Top with chopped fresh parsley before serving.
Print
Chicken Wild Rice Casserole
Ingredients
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 5 carrots peeled and chopped
  • 5 celery stalks sliced
  • 1 cup wild rice
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 lb. chicken breasts boneless, skinless, cubed
  • 4 Tbsp. butter melted
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
  • 4 Tbsp. flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • non-stick cooking spray
  • fresh parsley optional
Instructions
Instructions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
  2. Prepare the baking dish by spraying with cooking spray.
  3. Add the rice and broth into the prepped baking dish.
  4. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
  5. Bake at 350° for 1 hr and 15 minutes.
  6. Check on the rice and when it is almost done, add the melted butter into a small sauce pan. Heat on medium while you add the flour, salt, and poultry seasoning.
  7. Stir to mix. Cook for one minute. Then begin to slowly add the milk while whisking. This will form a thick and creamy sauce.
  8. Remove the baking dish of rice from the oven once it is done. Carefully remove the foil. Add the chicken and the sauce, stirring to combine all thee ingredients.
  9. Return to the oven. Increase the heat to 450° for 20-30 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink.

  10. Top with fresh parsley before serving if desired.

Freezer cooking instructions:
  1. Prepare the dish as per the instructions above up until #9. After adding the chicken and sauce to the rice, cover the dish with two layers of aluminum foil. Freeze.
  2. Thaw. Bake in a preheated 450° oven for 30-40 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink.

  3. Top with fresh parsley before serving if desired.

Check out these other make ahead recipes:

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Bake

Beefy Rice Crock Pot Casserole

Pastitcio Baked Pasta

Buffalo Ranch Cauliflower and Broccoli Freezer Side Dish

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It is so nice to be able to pull a side dish out of the freezer. More and more, I’m finding that I am making sides when we do our freezer meal sessions. This Buffalo Ranch Cauliflower and Broccoli recipe is simple, yet handy to have.

This side dish is low carb, keto friendly, and gluten free. My husband is on a keto diet on and off, so I’m always on the lookout for keto recipes like our Lemon Mustard Chicken, Tequila Lime Shrimp, and Instant Pot Bone Broth. It’s nice to have these vegetables that can easily go with those meals.

roasted broccoli and cauliflower are on a blue plate with fish and white rice with text that reads "Buffalo Broccoli and Cauliflower make ahead side dish"

Even though this recipe uses hot sauce, the end result isn’t very spicy because it’s offset by the Ranch. This makes it a bit more kid-friendly…that is of course if you can get your kids to eat broccoli and cauliflower!

When our kids were younger, we called them “trees” and “winter trees”. That seems to go over a bit better. They actually seemed to want to eat their “mini trees”, well, until after that first bite anyway!

Buffalo Ranch Broccoli and Cauliflower Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 3 1/2 cups each cauliflower and broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
  • 2-3 Tbsp. Frank’s Red Hot sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp. dry Ranch dressing mix

Assembly instructions:

  1. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower and broccoli with the hot sauce, olive oil, and dry dressing mix.
  2. When the vegetables are well coated, spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze for about 45 minutes and then transfer them into a large resealable bag*. Remove the excess air and freeze.

*Pro tip: We like to buy the broccoli and cauliflower frozen in resealable bags from the store. That way, after we assemble this dish, we can put the vegetables back into those same bags, reseal, and store in the freezer. From the outside, it will just look like a bag of frozen broccoli and cauliflower, but it will already be seasoned and ready to cook. You can label it with a permanent marker if you want. I like reusing the bags because it creates less waste.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Place the frozen broccoli and cauliflower in a single layer on top.
  3. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip the vegetables over and place them back in the oven for another 20 minutes.
  4. Serve beside your favourite main dishes or as a potluck side dish.

What to serve the buffalo broccoli and cauliflower with:

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Buffalo Ranch Broccoli and Cauliflower
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
 
Course: Side Dish
Keyword: broccoli and cauliflower, buffalo cauliflower
Ingredients
  • 3 1/2 cups each cauliflower and broccoli florets fresh or frozen
  • 2-3 Tbsp. Frank's Red Hot sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp. dry Ranch dressing mix
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower and broccoli with the hot sauce, olive oil, and dry dressing mix.
  2. When the vegetables are well coated, spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze for about 45 minutes and then transfer them into a large resealable bag*. Remove the excess air and freeze.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Place the frozen broccoli and cauliflower in a single layer on top.
  3. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip the vegetables over and place them back in the oven for another 20 minutes.
  4. Serve beside your favourite main dishes or as a potluck side dish.
Recipe Notes

*Pro tip: We like to buy the broccoli and cauliflower frozen in resealable bags from the store. That way, after we assemble this dish, we can put the vegetables back into those same bags, reseal, and store in the freezer. From the outside, it will just look like a bag of frozen broccoli and cauliflower, but it will already be seasoned and ready to cook. You can label it with a permanent marker if you want. 

Check out these other make ahead side dishes:

Garlic Bread

Honey Maple Glazed Carrots

Rice Pilaf

Easy Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore {freezer meal}

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You won’t believe how easy this crock pot Chicken Cacciatore is! It has only 5 ingredients but it tastes so fresh and delicious. You can make it ahead as a freezer meal. Combining a freezer meal with the crock pot is a match made in heaven. Save time and money. Win-win!

Our family likes Italian flavours. I often make a different version of chicken cacciatore when I’m making my freezer meals, but that one is a bit more involved. It requires cubing the chicken and has more ingredients. When I’m in a hurry or wanting to make as many meals as possible as quickly as possible, I opt for this easy crock pot chicken cacciatore recipe instead.

large spoon scooping out a red sauce covered chicken breast from a slow cooker with text that reads "Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore" Chicken Cacciatore is traditionally served over pasta, but it can also be served over rice or polenta if you prefer or if you are on a keto or low carb diet.

Why is it called Chicken Cacciatore?

I have to admit that it is a unique name for a dish. The word “cacciatore” means hunter in Italian and apparently, it was hunters who first made this. It was likely made not with chicken in those early years, but with rabbit or other wild game they caught. This was back in the Renaissance so other meat would have been more commonly available.

Chicken cacciatore is sometimes mixed up with chicken parmesan. The easiest way to be able to tell the difference is that cheese is involved where chicken parmesan is referenced, whereas with cacciatore, there is no cheese.

Easy Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 3-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 24 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
  • 1 zucchini, coarsely chopped
  • 3/4 cup onion, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning

Assembly instructions:

  1. Place the chicken breasts in a large, resealable freezer bag.
  2. Dump the other ingredients in the bag.
  3. Remove excess air from the bag and seal. Freeze flat.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Dump bag contents into the slow cooker.
  3. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Ensure that chicken is cooked through before serving.
  4. Serve over your choice of pasta noodles. We usually use penne or rotini, but a long noodle is fine too.

You can throw this together so quickly that you might as well make more than one at a time. Just prop the bags open by folding the top over and setting them open on the counter. Line the bags up and then add the chicken to each one before dumping in the rest of the ingredients. This chicken dump recipe couldn’t be easier!

There is a lot of versatility with this recipe because you can use your choice of pasta sauce, swap out the chicken breasts for chicken thighs, and serve it on your favourite type of pasta.

This is such a family friendly dish. Between being able to make it ahead and just pull it out of the freezer and the fact that it cooks in the crock pot, it’s truly a stress free dinner. When we’re in a rush, we just keep this in the slow cooker and have the kids load a bit of pasta on their plate and then scoop the cacciatore right from the crock pot. You can can use whatever variety of pasta sauce you prefer. Experiment and see which you like best. We usually just go for a simple basil, but it’s also good with a pasta sauce with mushrooms or the spicy or chunky vegetables. Give a few of them a try and let me know which you liked best.

Print
Easy Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore
Prep Time
5 mins
 
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: chicken, chicken cacciatore
Ingredients
  • 3-5 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
  • 24 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
  • 1 zucchini coarsely chopped
  • 3/4 cup onion chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Place the chicken breasts in a large, resealable freezer bag.
  2. Dump the other ingredients in the bag.
  3. Remove excess air from the bag and seal. Freeze flat.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Dump bag contents into the slow cooker.

  3. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Ensure that chicken is cooked through before serving.

  4. Serve over your choice of pasta noodles.

You might also like these easy freezer meals:

Homemade Hamburger Helper

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Bake

Easy Chicken Marsala