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Freezer Meal email landing page
Thank you for signing up for the Freezer Meals and Recipes email series. I hope you will be able to have your questions answered as well as to find some new family favourite recipes.
Converting Freezer Meal Recipes to Gluten Free Recipes
One of the ways that I have been able to manage my time with such a large family and still manage to have dinner on the table is to do most of my cooking in batches of freezer meals. When our son had to begin a gluten-free diet, I had to make changes to my usual freezer meal recipes to accommodate his new food sensitivities.
There are certain considerations to be aware of when converting a regular freezer meal recipe to a gluten-free one. I’m sure there are some that I have not considered here, but these are what works for me when making freezer meals for my family.
The most critical thing to know to be able to convert regular recipes into gluten-free recipes is how to read labels to find hidden gluten. Gluten can be called many things and it’s important to be able to identify it. Here is a list of ingredients to be on the lookout for if you are trying to avoid gluten.
Another thing to be aware of is that the consistency of gluten-free items can be very different than non-gluten-free, so for certain recipes, you will have to experiment.
For pasta, I prefer Tinkyada brand because it maintains its shape well and doesn’t seem to get as mushy like some other brands. The other trick I’ve found with pasta when it comes to gluten-free freezer meals is to either cook it to just under what you normally would before including it in the freezer meal or to leave it uncooked and attach it to the bag and then cook it normally and add it on the day you serve the meal.
When it comes to things such as tortillas, the gluten-free varieties don’t always hold up well to being in a freezer meal. I have yet to find a recipe that works for gluten-free burritos in the freezer. I have personally used Udi’s gluten-free tortillas in some of my freezer meals and had them turn out and have also used corn tortillas. I suggest you experiment to find what works best with each recipe.
When I make freezer meals, I generally plan ahead and make one or two month’s worth of meals. This is done over one or two days. I often do it in a small group or with a friend. Just a week ago, my friend Christie and I made 110 freezer meals (55 each) in just over two days. I have it down to a system! You first need to plan it out, then need to get everything prepared, and finally, execute it on what I call The Big Day. It’s a lot of work, but so worth it! I love not having to think about what I’m going to make for supper for the next few months!
There are some ingredients that seem to be very popular in freezer meal recipes. However, you need to be careful when avoiding gluten.
Ingredients to be cautious of for gluten-free diets:
Dry Onion Soup Mix
Most of the store-bought versions of this contain gluten. There are some versions that are gluten-free but you need to read the labels very carefully. At a bulk bin store near me, they carry a gluten-free dry onion soup mix. Alternatively, you can also make your own using a recipe such as this one.
Condensed Soups
There are condensed soups available to purchase such as Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup from Pacific Natural or Amy’s Organic Cream of Tomato. There are also recipes readily available online for making your own cream soups such as this one for cream of mushroom soup because gluten is usually found in most condensed soups.
Sauces
Some of the common sauces often called for in freezer meal recipes usually contain gluten. These include soy sauce and hoisin sauce. Be careful to choose a brand of soy sauce or hoisin sauce that does not contain gluten.
Seasonings
Many seasonings, especially seasoning blends contain gluten. A lot of my freezer meal recipes call for taco seasoning. Most taco seasonings contain gluten, but there is a tex mex seasoning blend that does not contain gluten. This can be substituted for taco seasoning without compromising flavor. Again, you can also make your own taco seasoning mix. This is my recipe for homemade gluten-free taco seasoning.
I buy many of my seasoning blends through Epicure Selections, as they have really wonderful spice blends and mixes and they are gluten-free. Many are also sodium-free which is a preference of mine because then I have control over how much salt I add to the dishes.
Gluten-Free Freezer Meal Plan
Our gluten-free freezer meal plan includes 5 of our tried and true recipes, shopping lists, prep lists, and printable labels.
Of course, for the fastest freezer meal recipes (enabling you to assemble 10 meals in just one hour), check out my Chicken Dump and Beef Dump Recipes. All of the recipes include gluten-free instructions.
A list of our gluten-free freezer meals:
- Slow-Cooker Mixed Bean Casserole
- 5 Chicken Dump Recipes
- 5 More Chicken Dump Recipes
- 5 Beef Dump Recipes
- Freezer to Crock Pot Chicken Taco Soup
- Gluten-Free Stuffed Peppers
- Crock Pot Pizza Casserole
- Better Than it Sounds Prune and Olive Chicken
- Freezer Vegetable Pesto Minestrone
- Sloppy Joes
- Spanish Rice Casserole
- Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas
- Beef and Corn Casserole
Sweet Potato & Black Bean Quesadillas (Gluten Free Freezer Meal Series)
These quesadillas are really, really good. It may sound like a strange combination of ingredients, but these are delicious! I make these in large batches so that I have 8 bags in the freezer ready to make for lunches. Any recipe that has my kids happily eating vegetables and beans is a winner in my book!
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
2 cups grated, peeled sweet potato or yam
19 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
sea salt to taste
Mix ingredients and put in 2 medium-sized resealable freezer bags. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze. You can instead put all of the mixtures in one large resealable bag but I prefer to freeze this recipe in smaller quantities so that I can take just one bag out as a lunch-sized meal for the kids and me.
Additional ingredients for the cooking day:
grated jalapeños jack or tex mex cheese
jalapeños (optional)
Udi’s gluten-free tortillas
On cooking day, thaw and then fry the mixture in a greased pan on medium heat for about 10 minutes.
Spread mixture on one side of tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese and if desired, add some sliced jalapeños. Fold over the other half of the tortillas.
Bake in 350* oven until cheese is melted. Serve with salsa or guacamole.
Special notes:
In the interest of full disclosure, the picture at the top is of a cheese and onion gluten-free quesadilla. I made sure to take a picture of the sweet potato and black bean mixture as I was cooking it up but then by the time I realized that I hadn’t taken a picture of the finished quesadilla, the kids had eaten them all up! So I quickly made up a simple quesadilla just for the picture and Einstein was more than happy to eat it.
This recipe is part of my 10 Days of Gluten-Free Freezer Meals series. You may also be interested in following my Gluten-Free Recipes or Freezer Meals Pinterest Boards.
Sweet potato and black bean quesadillas
Course:
Main Course
Keyword:
black bean, quesadillas, sweet potato
Servings: 6
: 351 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 med onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 2 cups sweet potato or yam peeled and grated
- 19 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- salt to taste
Additional ingredients for the day of cooking:
- jalapenos jack or tex mex cheese grated
- jalapenos optional
- Udi's gluten-free tortillas
Instructions
-
Mix ingredients together and place in 2 medium resealable freezer bags for a larger meal or in 1 large bag for smaller lunches
-
Remove excess air and freeze
On the day of cooking:
-
Thaw and fry mixture in a greased pan on medium heat for about 10 minutes
-
Spread mixture on one side of tortillas
-
Sprinkle with cheese and jalapenos, if desired
-
Fold over the other half of the tortillas
12 Days of Holiday Giveaways 2021
Last year, I started the 12 Days of Holiday Giveaways as a way to say thank you to you, my awesome readers and I’ve decided to continue the tradition this year. I hope that in this time of busyness (and sometimes stress), this can be something light and fun to give.
The most popular giveaway last year was on the day I entitled “My Favourite Things”. This year, I decided to make that the theme for every day. I can’t wait to share them with you!
My Favourite Things 2021
I’ve chosen 12 things that I love or are special to me in some way to share with you.
You can enter each day until midnight pacific time on December 12th. I’ll be adding one new prize each day.
Enter to win just one or all 12 and you can come back again each day until the contest closes.
Winners will be notified personally via email the day after the contest ends, so be sure to use an email where I can reach out. Good luck!
(Please Note: Some giveaways are open to anyone worldwide, while others are only open to those in the U.S. and Canada due to shipping. Please note that as you enter the various giveaways).
Another Gift for You
In addition, as a thank you, you can also save 30% off anything in my shop for the duration of the giveaway by using the coupon code HOLIDAY2021.
Day #1 – Click & Grow Smart Indoor Herb Garden (3 slot size)
I’ve had my Click & Grow Herb Garden for just over 2 years now and I love it! I’ve grown many things in mine (lettuce, wild mini strawberries, cilantro, dill, basil, chives, rosemary, and mint). With practise, I now have it down to a science of a rotation of the herbs we use the most.
When I first add the pods, I like to mix them up so I don’t know which is which. Then I have fun guessing what they are as they begin to grow. I’ll admit that I even sometimes talk to them in the morning!
“Oh hello my little cilantro!”
The things I love most about my herb garden:
- it’s a way to bring some life and greenery into my house, especially in these cold Canadian winters!
- it’s so easy to use (the grow lights are one a timer – all I need to do is add water when it gets low)
- adding fresh dill to perogies or potatoes, fresh basil to pastas, fresh mint to sparkling water or salads, fresh rosemary to gravy, chives to eggs and dips, cilantro to homemade guacamole or to top our dinners
Day #2 – You Are Special Today Celebration Plate
One of the best gifts we’ve ever received was a red plate. This plate says “You are Special Today” and it has become a treasured family tradition in our home.
We received this gift after bringing two of our kids home from Ethiopia twelve years ago. Since that time, our entire family has used it to celebrate each other.
You Are Special Today Red Plate
On birthdays, the birthday person has this plate set out for them at their birthday supper. We have also put it out to honour special days such as one of our kids getting their first job, getting their driver’s license, graduating, or even for facing hard things and overcoming.
The red plate symbolizes being cherished and being part of a family who is there to celebrate you in the good times and support you through the bad.
My hope is that the winner of the red plate giveaway uses it to start their own family tradition of making each member of the family feel seen and celebrated.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Day #3 – Cup of Té London Luxe Silver Starter Kit
I discovered Cup of Té last year during the holidays. The company was featured on Oprah’s Favourite Things last year and I was intrigued by their backstory and impressed by their founder so I ordered some of their tea to try.
I start every day with a mug of hot tea (with sugar), but I’m pretty picky about my tea. After trying many of their selections, London Calling is my favourite of theirs. I’ve chosen that as one of the teas I’m including in the giveaway.
Their founder, Taylor Lindsay-Noel was a former competitive gymnast who was paralyzed in an accident on the high bar. Her mission to find a new dream and to pursue that is very inspiring.
Cup of Té donates $1 from each starter kit to mental health initiatives. Mental health has been something that has dramatically shaped our family, so that is all the more reason for me to love this company!
What’s in the Luxe Silver Starter Kit?
- tea infuser
- luxe tin
- luxe spoon
- 100 g loose leaf London Calling tea
- 100 g loose leaf Cream of Earl Grey
Day #4 – Multiplication Pop It Math Fidget
Pop Its are a great fidget for kids or adults. If you’re not familiar with them, they are essentially a reusable, quiet version of bubble wrap!
What I like about this Multiplication Pop It is that it gives older kids an excuse to use a fidget in a practical way and still get the sensory benefits from it.
Sensory play is so important for older kids and teens, but isn’t always as easy to accomplish for that age group. That’s why this math fidget gets my vote this year as one of my favourite things.
Multiplication Pop It Math Fidget
Enter the giveaway below.
Day #5 – Bliss Collections Daily Planner Tear Off Pad
As a disorganized, wish-I-was-more-organized person who lives by lists, I love these Bliss Collections Daily Planner Tear Off Sheets. I use one for every weekday and in busy seasons, even use them for the weekend days as well.
By the end of each day, mine are a mess of additional notes, random thoughts, and being able to check things off the list! But that’s just evidence of how useful I find them.
Bliss Collections Daily Planner with 50 Undated 8.5 x 11 Tear-Off Sheets
What I love about them:
- the appointments clock where I can shade in not only the time of the appointments, but the driving time so that I can see at a glance how much time will realistically be left in the day
- the “must get done today” section which helps me prioritize
- a slot to add in what I’m grateful for to give me perspective
- meal plan section which helps me plan what I’m serving for dinners and remember to eat lunch!
- “today’s achievements” – this has helped shift my focus from how much I didn’t get done to what I was able to accomplish
Enter to win a set of your own below.
Day #6 – Lift As You Climb – The Story of Ella Baker
I love reading. I love books. I love my children. And I love inspiring, enlightening, world changing children’s books the very best!
Lift As You Climb, The Story of Ella Baker fits that criteria.
Lift as You Climb: The Story of Ella Baker
It was hard to pick a favourite book this year, but in honour of my youngest daughter who is fearlessly facing some adversities of her own this year and my wish for her right at this moment is to believe she can change the world. Plus, it’s a great anti-racism book for kids and that’s another topic close to my heart.
Day #7 – 24 piece Copper Box of Chocolates from Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut
My guilty pleasure is chocolate. I’m also going to admit that I’m a total chocolate snob. I buy these amazing quality chocolates, but in my defence, I only eat one or two every few days so that they last a long time.
Cococo, the company that makes this chocolate is a Canadian owned company that is Rainforest Alliance Certified™, certified sustainable, and fair trade.
Enter below to win a 24 piece Copper Box of Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut chocolates. Please note: Due to shipping considerations, this giveaway is only open to residents of Canada and the United States.
Day #8 – Holiday Guide to Sensory Overload PDF (3 Winners)
Now I know it may sound like I’m tooting my own horn to say that something I wrote is one of my favourite things of the year, but I’m really proud of this new resource that Heather and I wrote this year. 
I know how much the holidays used to be a struggle in our family and it warms my heart to know that those struggles led to something good…the ability to help other families avoid some of that same struggle.
Today, I’m giving away The Holiday Guide to Sensory Overload (PDF) to 3 winners. Enter below.
Day #9 – Hallmark Christmas Movie Watching Shirt
This time of year, my “guilty pleasure” is watching those super cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies. (If you like them too, you might enjoy our Christmas Movie Bingo).
Last year, I got myself a shirt to fully embrace this holiday tradition.
Hallmark Christmas Movie Watching Shirt
Enter below to win a shirt for yourself to wear while you snuggle under a blanket with a mug of hot cocoa and have a holiday movie marathon. (Due to shipping, today’s giveaway is only open to residents of Canada and the United States.)
Day #10 – Encouraging Mug
Since we’ve already established that I like to start my mornings with a nice cup of tea, I chose an inspirational mug as today’s giveaway. I have a collection of mugs, all with either a word or a phrase on them and I choose one each morning according to what I feel like I’m needing that day.
Let Your Faith Be Bigger Than Your Fear Mug
Enter to win a mug that will hopefully help you start the day with a bit of extra encouragement. (Due to shipping considerations, only residents of Canada and the United States are eligible for this prize.)
Day #11 – Discussion Napkins
I love, love, love these! They make a great hostess gift or you can keep them for yourself. Set out these cloth napkins, each of with a different discussion question on it and break the ice at your next family gathering or dinner party.
I’m someone who finds small talk torturous, so questions like these help move the conversation past the weather and into things of real substance. This builds or deepens relationships.
Enter below to win a set of Discussion Napkins. (Due to shipping considerations, today’s prize is only available for residents of the USA and Canada)
Day #12 – Freezer Meals 101 Membership Master Level ($97 value!)
Freezer meals save my sanity so they are of course one of my favourite things. The winner of today’s draw will win a Master Level Freezer Meals 101 Membership. The coolest part? The doors aren’t even open yet so the winner will be the first!
The membership includes things like being able to create your own customized meal plans with printable shopping lists and exclusive videos to help you take the stress out of dinner. This prize is open to anyone worldwide.
Interested in more information? Sign up to get an email when the membership community is open.
***Don’t forget that you can get 30% off EVERYTHING in our shop with the coupon code HOLIDAY2021 from now until the end of the giveaway!***
Thank you for being part of this year’s holiday giveaway! I hope this holiday season is filled with joy, hope, and love. ❤️
Ways to Spread Kindness During the Pandemic
The world has changed so much over the past few weeks. As this virus spreads, so do fear and uncertainty. Here are some ideas to help you spread kindness to others. Hard times are a wonderful opportunity to allow the best of humanity to shine. 
Communities are reacting in an attempt to protect their members. Yesterday, our community announced the closure of all schools, community centers, libraries, and large gatherings including church services. It’s a lot to take in.
There is a lot of panic and fear which is understandable. There have been reports of that fear causing toilet paper shortages, bare shelves as people hoard and stockpile, and even some of the worst of humanity emerging like the man buying out all the children’s thermometers in a city to take advantage of parents’ fears and sell them at exorbitant prices.
But there is also the opportunity during something like this for us to model for our kids how to serve others. I have seen beautiful stories. I have heard so many people offering help to others.
I hope that when we look back at these surreal times, we are able to remember the way the world came together to help and neighbours bonded as they cared for each other’s needs.
Ways to Spread Kindness:
- Make individually portioned freezer meals for seniors or those who are immunocompromised and shouldn’t go out. Soups, stews, and casseroles are all great ideas. *Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly before cooking and don’t cook for others if you believe you may have been exposed to the virus.
- Deliver groceries, medicine, and other necessities to seniors. Leave items on doorsteps for safety.
- Call those you know who are in isolation just to say hello and encourage them. Remember those who are extraverts or prone to depression as this time may be particularly hard on them.
- Shovel a neighbour’s driveway or mow their lawn.
- Offer child care for essential workers such as nurses, doctors, police officers, firefighters or single parents.
- Share or trade puzzles, board games, or books with another family. (be sure to wipe down anything before it comes into your house)
- Host virtual playdates and activities over Skype or other online platforms. You can do a simple activity together using common household items that everyone has on hand. This helps with boredom and isolation.
- Deliver pet food or offer dog walking to those on isolation with pets.
- Donate to the local food bank.
- Listen.
- Join an online community support group (there are many local ones on Facebook) to find the needs in your area.
- Be kind.
You can print off your own copy of the Ways to Spread Kindness poster to help remind you and your kids of ways to make the best of this time.
You may also be interested in reading:
How to Talk to Kids About the Pandemic
Your Complete Guide to School at Home
Easy Indoor Sensory Activities at Home
School at Home Sample Schedules