Freezer Meals 101

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muffins

Mexican Cornbread Muffins

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These Mexican cornbread muffins are a nutritious side dish that can even be made ahead and frozen. They’ve got such nice flavors. You can even add a bit of extra kick if you like.3 light yellow muffins next to a small red and yellow pepper on a white plate. Text reads "Mexican Cornbread Muffins" #freezermeals101 #cornbreadmuffins #mexicanfreezermeals #mexicancornbread #cornbread

Having make-ahead cornbread muffins available in your freezer ready to go means dinner just got easier. If you are looking for a more classic cornbread, you can check out our Southern Cornbread recipe.

Mexican Cornbread Muffins Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 15 oz. box of Cornbread Mix
  • 1 jalapeño, chopped*
  • red pepper, chopped
  • orange pepper, chopped
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1 cup Pepper Jack cheese, shredded

*If you prefer things less spicy, remove the seeds and membrane of the jalapeño.

Assembly Instructions:

  1. Start by putting the cornbread mix, egg, milk, and melted butter into a large mixing bowl.
  2. Whisk until smooth.
  3. Fold in the chopped vegetables and shredded cheese.
  4. Grease a muffin tin.
  5. Fill each muffin tin halfway.
  6. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes.
  7. Either serve warm or allow to cool (for best results, cool on a cooling rack) and place in a large resealable freezer bag. Remove the excess air and seal before freezing.

collage of steps to make Mexican cornbread muffins from bowl to plateReheating Instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. If you want to serve warm, place as many jalapeño cornbread muffins as you are planning to serve on a paper towel-lined plate. 
  3. Microwave until warm.

How do I serve cornbread muffins?

Serve your savory muffins as a side dish along with such main courses as:

Some people like to spread butter on their cornbread, so it’s a good idea to set some butter on the table to provide that option.close up of a Mexican cornbread muffin cut in half next to a full one leaning on a yellow sweet pepper

What’s the difference between cornbread and corn muffins?

Corn muffins are often made as a dessert as they are sweeter whereas cornbread muffins are intended as a side dish or a savory snack. Personally, I prefer savory to sweet. 

Print
Mexican Cornbread Muffins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: cornbread, muffins
Servings: 12
Calories: 273 kcal
Ingredients
  • 15 oz. box of Cornbread Mix
  • 1 jalapeño chopped*
  • red pepper chopped
  • orange pepper chopped
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup butter melted
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1 cup Pepper Jack cheese shredded
Instructions
Assembly Instructions:

  1. Start by putting the cornbread mix, egg, milk, and melted butter into a large mixing bowl.

  2. Whisk until smooth.

  3. Fold in the chopped vegetables and shredded cheese.

  4. Grease a muffin tin.
  5. Fill each muffin tin halfway.
  6. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes.

  7. Either serve warm or allow to cool and place in a large resealable freezer bag. Remove the excess air and seal before freezing.

Reheating Instructions:
  1. Thaw.

  2. If you want to serve warm, place as many jalapeño cornbread muffins as you are planning to serve on a paper towel-lined plate.

  3. Microwave until warm.
Recipe Notes

*If you prefer things less spicy, remove the seeds and membrane of the jalapeño.

Check out some of our other make-ahead side dishes:

Old Fashioned Southern Cornbreadclose up of old-fashioned southern corn bread with syrup being poured on it

Honey Maple Glazed Carrotsclose up of honey maple glazed carrots side dish

Make-Ahead Mac and Cheesea fork is lifting some creamy make-ahead mac and cheese from a dish

Cherry Muffins with Crunchy Topping

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I love grab-and-go breakfasts. For me, muffins totally count as breakfast as long as they have fruit in them! These cherry muffins can be used as a quick make-ahead breakfast or after-school snack.

It’s best to make these muffins when cherries are in season. We go for road trips each summer to British Columbia, Canada and they have the most delicious cherries sold at roadside stands. We usually come home with several bags of them. 7 muffins with text that reads "Cherry Muffins crispy topping" #freezermeals101 #cherrymuffins Muffins make good healthy school snacks. I prefer to send the kids homemade granola bars, corn dog mini muffins, English muffin pizzas, or other homemade snacks in their school lunch than store-bought ones. That way, I know exactly what ingredients they’re eating.

Cherry Muffins Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 3/4 cups white sugar
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/3 cup oil (canola or olive)
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup fresh cherries, pitted and chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. white sugar

collage of cherry muffins piled up and one with a bite taken out to see the cherry insideDirections:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°,
  2. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
  3. Stir together the flour, the first amount of sugar, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
  4. Add in the oil, milk, and egg. Stir together until well combined. Don’t worry about the occasional lump or small dry patch if it looks mostly combined.
  5. Gently fold in the cherries. Scoop the dough into cupcake liners until they are 2/3 of the way full.
  6. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. of sugar on top of each muffin for a crunchy topping.
  7. Bake the muffins for 20-24 minutes until golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

collage of steps to make cherry muffinsNote: You can substitute almond or soy milk for the milk in this recipe, so they can be made dairy-free.

This recipe doubles well. The cherry muffins can be frozen in large resealable freezer bags and taken out to eat when needed. Ensure that you seal the bag well each time and take out as much air as you can to prevent freezer burn.

Pro tip: If you don’t want any streaks of color in the muffin batter, coat the cherries in a dusting of flour before folding them in.close up of a cherry muffin with crispy topping and a bite taken out of it where you can see a cherry

Print
Cherry Muffins with Crispy Topping
Course: Dessert
Keyword: cherry, muffins
Servings: 12
Calories: 180 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 3/4 cups white sugar
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/3 cup oil canola or olive
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup fresh cherries pitted and chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. white sugar
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400°,
  2. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.

  3. Stir together the flour, the first amount of sugar, baking powder and salt until well combined.

  4. Add in the oil, milk and egg. Stir together until well combined. Don't worry about the occasional lump or small dry patch if it looks mostly combined.

  5. Gently fold in the cherries. Scoop the dough into cupcake liners until they are 2/3 of the way full.

  6. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. of sugar on top of each muffin for a crunchy topping.

  7. Bake the muffins for 20-24 minutes until golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Recipe Notes

You can substitute almond or soy milk for the milk in this recipe, so they can be made dairy-free.

You’ll love these tasty dessert recipes:

Caramel Stuffed White Chocolate Chip Cookiesclose up of caramel stuffed white chocolate chip cookies with the one on top broken in half and oozing with caramelEasy Chocolate Chip Cookiesclose up of a pile of chocolate chip cookiesMake Ahead Granola Barsclose up of granola bars with lots of chocolate chips on top

Make Ahead Everything Bagel Breakfast Muffins

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Busy weekday mornings don’t have to be so chaotic. Making these everything bagel breakfast muffins ahead allows you to grab one on your way out the door.at the top, a green bowl holds five muffins sprinkled with seasoning. There are images of the ingredients such as eggs, cream, shredded cheese, cream cheese, and bagel cubes and a whisk in a yellow bowl. The text reads "Everything Bagel Breakfast Muffins" #freezermeals101 #breakfastmuffins #everthingbagel #makeaheadbreakfast

They pack the flavors of the everything bagel into a breakfast muffin you can hold in one hand while you hold your coffee or phone in the other. This is the very definition of breakfast on the go.

Everything Bagel Breakfast Muffins Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 4-5 everything bagels, cut into cubes
  • 1 package of bacon sausage or 1 pound of ground sausage, browned until no longer pink
  • 2 cups of half and half
  • 10 large eggs
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. Everything Bagel Seasoning, divided
  • 4 oz. of cream cheese, diced
  • 4 oz. Swiss cheese, shredded
  • 4 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

collage of ingredients and making of everything bagel breakfast muffins

Assembly instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with oil.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the half and half and the eggs.
  3. Add in the salt, pepper, and 1 Tbsp. of the Everything Bagels Seasoning into the egg mixture. Set aside.
  4. Lay out all the other ingredients.
  5. Layer each muffin cup in this order: 3-4 bagel cubes, cooked sausage, 4-5 pieces of cream cheese, a sprinkle of the Swiss and cheddar cheeses.
  6. Pour the egg mixture to about halfway.
  7. Add 4-5 bagel cubes and a bit more sausage and sprinkle the remaining Everything Bagels Seasoning over each muffin.
  8. Place in the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until browned and the muffins are no longer soft in the middle. If you like your muffins more browned, you can place them under the broiler for 2-3 minutes in the end, but keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
  9. Remove from the oven and cool. Top with a sprinkle of the Everything Bagels seasoning.
  10. Take the muffins out of the pan and move them to a cooling rack. Once the muffins have cooled, transfer them to a large resealable freezer bag. Remove the excess air and freeze.

collage of everything bagel breakfast muffins on a cooling rack and served on a cloth napkin

Eating instructions:

  1. Take one muffin (or more) out of the bag. Be sure to take out the extra air before sealing the bag up again.
  2. Eat slightly frozen or reheat in the microwave.

Some other freezer breakfast recipes you may be interested in:

Taco Breakfast Cupspile of taco breakfast muffins

Cinnamon French Toastcollage of cinnamon breakfast french toast in the bag and on the baking sheet

Print
Everything Bagels Breakfast Muffins
Course: Breakfast
Keyword: cinnamon, french toast
Servings: 12
Calories: 407 kcal
Ingredients
  • 4-5 everything bagels cut into cubes
  • 1 package of bacon sausage or 1 pound of ground sausage browned until no longer pink
  • 2 cups half and half
  • 10 large eggs
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. Everything Bagels Seasoning divided
  • 4 oz. cream cheese diced
  • 4 oz. Swiss cheese shredded
  • 4 oz. cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
Assembly instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with oil.

  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the half and half and the eggs.

  3. Add in the salt, pepper, and 1 Tbsp. of the Everything Bagels Seasoning into the egg mixture. Set aside.

  4. Lay out all the other ingredients.

  5. Layer each muffin cup in this order: 3-4 bagel cubes, cooked sausage, 4-5 pieces of cream cheese, a sprinkle of the Swiss and cheddar cheeses.

  6. Pour the egg mixture to about halfway.

  7. Add 4-5 bagel cubes and a bit more sausage and sprinkle the remaining Everything Bagels Seasoning over each muffin.

  8. Place in the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until browned and the muffins are no longer soft in the middle. If you like your muffins more browned, you can place them under the broiler for 2-3 minutes in the end, but keep an eye on them so they don't burn.

  9. Remove from the oven and cool. Top with a sprinkle of the Everything Bagels seasoning.

  10. Take the muffins out of the pan and move them to a cooling rack. Once the muffins have cooled, transfer them to a large resealable freezer bag. Remove the excess air and freeze.

Eating instructions:

  1. Take a muffin (or more) out of the bag. Be sure to take out the extra air before sealing the bag up again.

  2. Eat slightly frozen or reheat in the microwave.

The Best Make Ahead Pancake Mini Muffins

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These make ahead pancake mini muffins are wonderful to have in the freezer. My youngest daughter loves having some of these as an after school snack. The other kids prefer having them for breakfast, but no matter when they eat them, they are a hit!

Make Ahead Breakfast Pancake Mini Muffins #freezermeals #breakfast

I like to make these pancake mini muffins in large batches. This is why I usually double or triple the recipe. I bake them and whatever is left after the kids get their hands on them, goes into freezer bags and is frozen. That way, you have an ultra-fast breakfast ready whenever you need them.

The best thing about this pancake mini muffin recipe is how easy it is to customize them and create different variations.

Topping and filling suggestions for mini pancake muffins:

  • chocolate chips or white chocolate chips
  • blueberries
  • raspberries
  • strawberries
  • bananas
  • apple pie filling
  • coconut
  • brown sugar and cinnamon
  • cinnamon sugar
  • lemon juice and icing sugar
  • dried fruit
  • Nutella
  • syrup
  • jam or jelly
  • honey
  • sprinkles
  • nuts
  • sausage
  • bacon
  • turkey bacon
  • cheese
  • goat cheese and rosemary
  • ricotta and honey
  • peanut butter
  • peanut butter and banana
  • caramel
  • apple sauce
  • yogurt
  • lemon curd

Mini Pancake Muffin Recipe:

  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • dash of salt
  • 1 3/4 cups buttermilk*
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 Tbsp. butter, melted
  • toppings or fillings of your choice

*If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, add 2 Tbsp. of vinegar or lemon juice to the milk. Stir and let it sit for a few minutes before including it in the recipe.

In a bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the buttermilk, eggs and melted butter. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and stir until just combined.

Grease mini muffin tins. Use a spoon or cookie dough scoop to fill the muffin tin compartments 2/3 of the way full. Add any toppings you wish at this point. For ours, I added chocolate chips to some, blueberries to some, coconut to some, and brown sugar and cinnamon to the others.

Bake in 400° oven for 10-12 minutes. Serve as they are or dip in syrup.

Once the pancake mini muffins are cooled, place them in a large resealable freezer bag. Remove the excess air and freeze. When you want to eat them, take out as many as you want and reheat in the microwave, being sure to reseal the bag well.

Some of my kids prefer to eat their mini pancake muffins cold, so experiment to find which you prefer. These are great for packing in school lunches, as snacks or for busy morning breakfasts.

To dip or not to dip:

I am half French Canadian. Traditional French Canadian food basically makes sugar a food group! Seriously, there’s Tarte au Sucre (which translates directly into Sugar Pie!), crepes with maple syrup and brown sugar, taffy, tourquettes (made by pouring boiling maple syrup over snow), and butter tarts.

So if you’re French Canadian and you have the option of adding brown sugar or syrup to something or preferably both (!), the answer is always yes.

Obviously, these are healthier without the extra sugar of dipping them in syrup, but I dip mine. The only mini pancakes I wouldn’t recommend dipping are the ones with more savoury toppings like goat cheese and rosemary.

Some of my kids are dippers while others prefer to eat these plain. Ultimately, the choice of whether to dip your little pancakes or not to is entirely up to you.

Print
Mini Pancake Muffin Recipe
These make ahead pancake mini muffins are wonderful to have in the freezer.
Servings: 6
Calories: 309 kcal
Ingredients
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • dash of salt
  • 1 3/4 cups buttermilk*
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 Tbsp. butter melted
  • toppings or fillings of your choice
Instructions
  1. In a bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  2. In a separate bowl, mix together buttermilk, eggs and melted butter.
  3. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and stir until just combined.
  4. Grease mini muffin tins.
  5. Use a spoon or cookie dough scoop to fill the muffin tin compartments 2/3 of the way full.
  6. Add any toppings you wish at this point.
  7. Bake in 400° oven for 10-12 minutes.
  8. Serve as they are or dip in syrup.
  9. Once the pancake mini muffins are cooled, place them in a large resealable freezer bag.

  10. Remove excess air and freeze.

  11. When you want to eat them, take out as many as you want and reheat in the microwave, being sure to reseal the bag.

Recipe Notes

*If you don't have buttermilk on hand, add 2 Tbsp. of vinegar or lemon juice to the milk. Stir and let it sit for a few minutes before including it in the recipe.

Mini pancake muffin topping and filling suggestions: • chocolate chips or white chocolate chips • blueberries • raspberries • strawberries • bananas • apple pie filling • coconut • brown sugar and cinnamon • lemon juice and icing sugar • dried fruit • Nutella • syrup • jam or jelly • sprinkles • nuts • sausage • bacon • cheese • peanut butter • caramel • lemon curd

You can find other make ahead breakfast recipes as well as the printable shopping lists and labels in our Breakfast Freezer Meal Plan.

Make Ahead Freezer Smoothie Bags

Freezer Cinnamon French Toast