Freezer Meals 101

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Salsa Verde Fish Tacos (Freezer Meal)

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If you’re looking for a fresh tasting recipe that is super easy to make, these salsa verde fish tacos certainly fit the bill. These are great for summer. Bright tasting and not too spicy, unless of course you want to add some jalapeños or serrano peppers on top!
bowls of taco toppings, fillings and two filled tacos at the bottom. Text reads "Salsa Verde Fish Tacos"When I first tried fish tacos at a restaurant, I was hooked. But I assumed that it would have to be one of those “only eat at restaurants” dishes because I had no idea how to make them myself. two fish tacos with shredded carrots and lettuceOnce I realized how easy they were to make at home, I devised a few freezer friendly recipes so that I could make them ahead of time and pull them out when the craving struck rather than parting with my money at a restaurant.

The fish tacos with mango salsa are amazing, but require a bit more chopping and time. So I also devised this easy salsa verde recipe that literally takes just minutes to assemble and get in the freezer. It’s also so fast to fry up on the day you serve it.

Can this recipe be made with fish other than tilapia?

Yes! We have made this with cod, snapper, and tilapia. All are delicious. I usually decide which fish to use based on what’s on sale or what is the freshest. fish filets topped with green salsa on a frying pan

Salsa Verde Fish Tacos Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 3-4 tilapia filets
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 1/4 cup salsa verde
  • 1/2 cup crushed pineapple
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, minced

For serving:

  • hard or soft taco shells
  • taco toppings (see list of suggestions below)collage of photos of making fish tacos

Assembly instructions: 

  1. Place the fish in a large resealable freezer bag.
  2. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the salsa verde, crushed pineapple, minced garlic, and seasonings.
  3. Pour over the fish.
  4. Remove the excess air from the bag, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw. Bake in a 350° oven for 10-12 minutes or fry in a skillet on the stovetop until it easily flakes.
  2. Serve in taco shells with other toppings.

Fish taco topping suggestions:

  • lettuce
  • cabbage or coleslaw
  • diced tomatoes
  • sliced green onions or purple onions
  • mango or pineapple salsa
  • shredded carrots
  • salsa
  • pico de gallo
  • jalapeños or serrano peppers
  • cilantro
  • avocados or guacamole
  • Cotija cheese
  • black beans
  • corn
  • hot sauce
  • chipotle mayo
  • fresh lime wedges

plate of fish, cooked corn, flour tortillas, shredded carrots, refried beans, lettuce

two fish tacos with shredded carrots and lettuce
Print
Salsa Verde Fish Tacos
Prep Time
5 mins
 
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: fish tacos, make ahead fish tacos
Ingredients
  • 3-4 tilapia filets
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 1/4 cup salsa verde
  • 1/2 cup crushed pineapple
  • 1-2 cloves garlic minced
For serving:
  • hard or soft taco shells
  • taco toppings see list of suggestions in notes
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Place the fish in a large resealable freezer bag.
  2. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the salsa verde, crushed pineapple, minced garlic, and seasonings.
  3. Pour over the fish.
  4. Remove the excess air from the bag, seal, and freeze.
Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw. Bake in a 350° oven for 10-12 minutes or fry in a skillet until it flakes easily.

  2. Serve in taco shells with other toppings.
Recipe Notes

Fish taco topping suggestions:

lettuce, cabbage or coleslaw, diced tomatoes, sliced green onions or purple onions, mango or pineapple salsa, shredded carrots, salsa, pico de gallo, jalapeños or serrano, peppers, cilantro, avocados or guacamole, Cotija cheese, black beans, corn, hot sauce, chipotle mayo, fresh lime wedges

Other make ahead seafood recipes you might enjoy:

Baked Italian Chicken (Freezer Meal)

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Who doesn’t love a freezer meal that includes the protein AND the veggies?! This baked Italian chicken recipe has all that and more. It is especially delicious served over pasta.plastic bag with raw chicken and sauce on top. Pasta on plate with chicken and vegetables on it on bottom. Text reads "Baked Italian Chicken freezer meal" #freezermeals101 #chickendinner #bakedItalianchicken #chickenfreezermeal #Italianchicken #makeahead #makeaheadItalian Sometimes when you bake the chicken in the oven, it can dry out, but this recipe has a sauce, so the chicken stays nice and juicy. 

This dish can also be cooked in the Crock-Pot® (which I know then technically is no longer called “Baked” Italian Chicken, but it still tastes just as good. And the slow cooker option is nice for a day when you need to be out of the house and come back to dinner waiting. 

What I like best about this meal is that it includes some fresh-tasting vegetables as well as the chicken so I know my kids are getting a balanced meal and yet it’s so easy to throw together. Plus, when you serve it over pasta, it gets that homemade comfort food aspect down as well.freezer bag with Italian chicken, ready to be baked

Baked Italian Chicken Recipe:

  • 8-12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1 cup zucchini with peel, cubed
  • 1/2 cup onion, diced
  • 24 oz. jar pasta sauce

mushrooms, raw chicken, zucchini, onion, and a jar of pasta sauceAssembly instructions:

  1. Cut the zucchini and onion and slice the mushrooms. 
  2. Place the chicken thighs in a large resealable freezer bag.
  3. Add the seasoning, vegetables, brown sugar, and pasta sauce. 
  4. Remove all the air you can from the bag, seal it, and freeze.

Oven Cooking Instructions:

  1. Thaw. Put the contents of the bag in a casserole dish.
  2. Bake in the oven at 375° for 50 minutes.

pot holding red sauce and chunks of Italian chicken and vegetablesCrock Pot Cooking  Instructions:

  1. Thaw. Put the bag contents into the slow cooker.
  2. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Serve over pasta and sprinkle with shredded or shaved Parmesan cheese. If you are on a gluten-free diet, you can instead serve this over rice. You can also serve this with a side salad if you want more greens. collage of photos of a chicken, vegetable, and sauce dish served over pasta

Variations on this recipe:

  • Substitute 3-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts for the chicken thighs.
  • Add some crushed chili flakes either before cooking or when serving if you like to spice things up a bit. 
  • You can substitute a can of sliced mushrooms for the fresh mushrooms, but I really suggest you use fresh. It’s hardly any extra work to slice them up and it tastes so much fresher. 
  • Use whichever red pasta sauce is your favorite. By experimenting and trying different types of pasta sauce, you can change up the flavors of this meal. 

wide pasta noodles on a white plate topped with chicken, vegetables, and red sauce

Other chicken freezer meals:

pot holding red sauce and chunks of chicken and vegetables
Print
Baked Italian Chicken
Prep Time
7 mins
Cook Time
50 mins
 
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: baked chicken, chicken
Servings: 4
Calories: 428 kcal
Ingredients
  • 8-12 chicken thighs boneless and skinless
  • 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1 cup zucchini cubed with peel
  • 1/2 cup onion diced
  • 24 oz. jar pasta sauce
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Cut the zucchini and onion and slice the mushrooms.
  2. Place the chicken thighs in a large resealable freezer bag.
  3. Add the seasoning, vegetables, brown sugar, and pasta sauce.
  4. Remove all the air you can from the bag, seal it, and freeze.
Oven Cooking Instructions:
  1. Thaw. Put the contents of the bag in a casserole dish.
  2. Bake in the oven at 375° for 50 minutes.
Crock Pot Cooking  Instructions:
  1. Thaw. Put the bag contents into the slow cooker.
  2. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Recipe Notes

Serve over pasta and sprinkle with shredded or shaved Parmesan cheese.

Easy Cabbage Soup (freezer meal)

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Perfect for cold days, this make ahead cabbage soup is easy to make and has nice light flavours. You can freeze this cabbage soup before cooking it or after. Or of course, if you can’t wait to try it, you can cook it and eat it right away!

If you like, you can double the recipe to use up your whole head of cabbage and ensure that none goes to waste. Then, simply freeze in family sized portions or even single servings. blue bowl heaped with carrots, cabbage, and stewed tomatoes. Text reads "Cabbage Soup freezer meal" #freezermeals101 #easycabbagesoup #freezersoup #cabbagesoup Cabbage touts many health properties including being high in vitamin C, vitamin K, and improving digestion. Adding this easy soup to your diet is a simple way to eat healthier. It’s also budget conscious as this costs very little to make.

To make this soup vegetarian or even vegan, just use vegetable broth. The recipe is also dairy free and gluten free, so it’s appropriate for many types of diets.

For this recipe, you can use savoy, Napa, or green cabbage. blue bowl heaped with vegetables like carrots, cabbage, tomatoes

Can you freeze cabbage?

This seems to be a common question. I can see where the confusion comes in as lettuce does not freeze well at all and cabbage and lettuce look similar. Cabbage, however freezes beautifully. We use it in recipes such as our Cabbage Roll Casserole and this Cabbage Soup. 

If you want to freeze cabbage that isn’t in a recipe, cut the cabbage into wedges and pat dry. Place it in freezer bags, being sure to take out all the air you can before sealing. Freeze for up to 18 months. white bowl of soup with chunky vegetables next to two spoons

Cabbage Soup Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 1/2 head cabbage chopped in about 1 1/2″ chunks* 
  • 4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
  • 14 1/2 oz. can stewed tomatoes

Assembly instructions:

  1. Chop the vegetables.
  2. Place the vegetables and other ingredients into a large resealable freezer bag or silicone bag.
  3. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Place bag contents in a large stovetop pot. Heat over medium until it comes to a low boil.
  3. Turn down to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

*note: if you want to use up the whole head of cabbage, simply double the recipe and separate into two large freezer bags or into single serving containers

collage of photos showing the process of making cabbage soupThat’s it! It’s simple to make homemade cabbage soup ahead so that you can pull it out to cook on those cold dreary days that scream for soup.

What to serve with this soup:

Serve this soup on its own, with crackers, or with dinner rolls. 

You might also like these freezer soup recipes:

blue bowl heaped with vegetables like carrots, cabbage, tomatoes
Print
Cabbage Soup
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
 
Course: Soup
Keyword: cabbage, cabbage soup, soup
Servings: 6
Calories: 192 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1/2 onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 8 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 1/2 head cabbage chopped in 1 1/2" chunks
  • 4 medium carrots peeled and sliced
  • 2 stalks celery thinly sliced
  • 14 1/2 oz. can stewed tomatoes
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Chop the vegetables.

  2. Place the vegetables and other ingredients into a large resealable freezer bag or silicone bag.

  3. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.

  2. Place bag contents in a large stovetop pot. Heat over medium until it comes to a low boil.

  3. Turn down to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

Spanish Rice Casserole (freezer meal)

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I love it when a meal doesn’t need side dishes. This cheesy all-in-one Spanish Rice casserole freezer meal is so easy to make. Everything is cooked ahead so it can be on the table quickly. multi colored plate heaped with cheesy rice casserole. Text reads "Spanish Rice freezer meal" #freezermeals101 #spanishrice #makeahead #freezerrice #spanishsidesWe’ve been making this recipe for many years. It makes it into about every second freezer meal rotation because it’s just a solidly good recipe. And it’s on the table in 30 or 40 minutes so it’s great for busy weeknights. 

Spanish Rice Recipe:

  • 1 lb. ground beef, cooked
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups pasta sauce
  • 2 cups cooked white or brown rice, cooked and cooled
  • 1/2 cup onion, diced
  • 1/2 green pepper, diced
  • 2 1/4 oz. can sliced black olives (or half the can)
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

close up of Spanish rice casserole on a plate, topped with cheeseAssembly instructions:

  1. Brown the beef.
  2. Cook and cool the rice.
  3. Chop the vegetables.
  4. Place the grated cheddar cheese in a medium resealable bag.
  5. Put all the other ingredients in a large resealable bag and squish to mix together. Remove excess air and seal. Staple the bags together above the seal.
  6. Freeze.

freezer bag with ingredients for Spanish rice casserole insideCooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Put the contents of the large bag in a large casserole dish and top with cheese.
  3. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350°.

collage of Spanish rice casserole in a freezer bag, in a pot topped with cheese and being lifted with a spoon to serve

Variations of the Spanish Rice Casserole:

  • Use veggie ground round in place of the ground beef to make this meal vegetarian.
  • Omit the olives if you’re not a fan of black olives or add the full can if you can’t get enough.
  • Use red or orange peppers in place of the green peppers if you want a milder flavor. 
  • Serve with hot sauce if you like things spicy.
  • You can change up the flavors a bit by trying this recipe with different pasta sauces. Use whichever your favorites are.

close up of Spanish rice casserole in a pot topped with cheeseYou can find this easy freezer meal recipe in our Gluten Free Freezer Meal Menu Plan. It also contains other recipes, prep lists, shopping lists, and printable labels.

Print
Spanish Rice
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
 
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: casserole, rice, Spanish
Servings: 6
Calories: 570 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. ground beef cooked
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 cups pasta sauce
  • 2 cups (cooked) white or brown rice cooked and cooled
  • 1/2 cup onion diced
  • 1/2 green pepper diced
  • 2 1/4 oz. can sliced black olives or half the can
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Brown the beef.
  2. Cook and cool the rice.
  3. Chop the vegetables.

  4. Place the grated cheddar cheese in a medium resealable bag.

  5. Put all the other ingredients in a large resealable bag and squish to mix together. Remove excess air and seal. Staple the bags together above the seal.

  6. Freeze.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.

  2. Put the contents of the large bag in a large casserole dish and top with cheese.

  3. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350°.

Check out these other freezer meal casseroles:

Chicken Asparagus Casseroleclose up of chicken asparagus casserole with rice

Chicken Wild Rice Casseroleclose up of chicken and wild rice casserole with carrots and celery

Southern Style Ground Beef Casseroleclose up of southern-style ground beef casserole topped with cheese

 

Southern-Style Ground Beef Casserole (freezer meal)

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Not only is this southern-style ground beef casserole an all-in-one dish, but it’s also a freezer meal so this is about as easy as dinner gets! It includes ground beef and vegetables and if you want, you can top it with cheese.large pot filled with food topped with melted cheese and white ladle. Text reads "Southern Style Ground Beef Casserole" #freezermeals101 #southernstyle #beefcasserole #freezercasserole #makeahead I love a good all-in-one casserole. As a busy mom, it’s so nice for supper to be as easy as possible. One dish means fewer dishes! And I’m all about making clean-up as fast as possible.

Southern-Style Ground Beef Casserole Recipe:

  • 1 lb. browned ground beef
  • 1/2 cup onion, chopped
  • 3/4 cup green pepper, chopped
  • 15 oz. can kernel corn, drained
  • 14 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce*
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • optional: shredded cheese (cheddar or tex mex)

*Use gluten-free Worcestershire sauce if you want to make this gluten-free.

collage of southern-style beef casserole in a freezer bag, with a scoop in a skillet and on a plate with cheese on topAssembly Instructions:

  1. Brown ground beef. Cool slightly and then add to a large resealable freezer bag.
  2. Add the chopped onion, diced green pepper, corn, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings.
  3. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.
  4. If you want to serve with cheese, place shredded cheese in a medium freezer bag, seal, and staple above the seal to the larger bag.

southern-style beef casserole in a bowl, topped with cheeseStovetop Cooking Instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Heat in a pan until the desired temperature is reached. Cook on low in crockpot for 3-5 hours.
  3. If you want, you can top with shredded cheese before serving.

Crock Pot Cooking Instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Cook on low in Crock-Pot® for 3-5 hours.
  3. If desired, top with cheese before serving.

plate with southern-style beef casserole, topped with cheese and a serving bowl full besidesIf you want, you can set out salsa, hot sauce, Thai Sweet Chili sauce, or ketchup. Some of us like to eat this plain while others (ahem…my kids!) like to slather it in the sauce of their choosing.

Print
Southern Style Ground Beef Casserole
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: beef, casserole
Servings: 6
Calories: 214 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. ground beef browned
  • 1/2 cup onion chopped
  • 3/4 cup green pepper chopped
  • 15 oz. can kernel corn drained
  • 14 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • optional: shredded cheese cheddar or tex mex
Instructions
Assembly Instructions:

  1. Brown ground beef. Cool slightly and then add to a large resealable freezer bag.

  2. Add the chopped onion, diced green pepper, corn, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings.

  3. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

  4. If you want to serve with cheese, place shredded cheese in a medium freezer bag, seal, and staple above the seal to the larger bag.

Stovetop Cooking Instructions:
  1. Thaw.

  2. Heat in a pan until the desired temperature is reached. Cook on low in crockpot for 3-5 hours.

  3. If you want, you can top with shredded cheese before serving.

Crock Pot Cooking Instructions:
  1. Thaw.

  2. Cook on low in Crock-Pot for 3-5 hours.

  3. If desired, top with cheese before serving.

Check out some of our other make-ahead casseroles:

Chicken Cordon Bleu Slow Cooker Casserolechicken cordon bleu being lifted from a dish with lots of cheese stretching from it

Stuffed Pepper Casseroleclose up of stuffed pepper casserole in an oven-safe dish

Beefy Rice Casseroleclose up of a bowl of beefy rice casserole with tomatoes