This freezer to crock pot soup is nice and hearty, making it perfect for cold days. I also like that it is easy to adapt this spinach and sausage soup according to your preferences.

This ground sausage crock pot recipe is hearty and delicious. If you hate spinach or the texture of cooked spinach, you can substitute zucchini for the spinach. 

Spinach and Sausage Soup Recipe:

1 lb. ground Italian sausage (I prefer the spicy variety*)
24 oz. jar pasta sauce
19 oz. can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
10 oz. chopped spinach, fresh or frozen
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth

1 cup small pasta shells

Brown the ground sausage in a skillet. *If you can handle spicier food, I strongly suggest you use the spicy Italian sausage as it is so much tastier in this recipe.

Once the sausage has cooled, add it to a large resealable freezer bag. Pour in the pasta sauce, the drained white kidney beans, chopped spinach, chopped carrots, diced onion, minced garlic, and chicken broth. Remove excess air and seal.

Put the raw pasta in a medium resealable bag. Staple the bags together and freeze.

On cooking day, take the bag out of the freezer and thaw. Separate the bags and add the large bag to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Add the pasta in the last 20 minutes.

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Slow Cooker Sausage and Spinach Soup Freezer Meal

This hearty crock pot sausage and spinach soup is perfect for a winter day. 

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: soup

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground Italian sausage I prefer the spicy variety*
• 24 oz. jar pasta sauce
• 19 oz. can white kidney beans drained and rinsed
• 10 oz. chopped spinach fresh or frozen
• 4 carrots peeled and chopped
• 1 onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup small pasta shells

Instructions

1. Brown the ground sausage in a skillet. 

2. Once the sausage has cooled, add it to a large resealable freezer bag. Pour in the pasta sauce, the drained white kidney beans, chopped spinach, chopped carrots, diced onion, minced garlic, and chicken broth. Remove excess air and seal.
3. Put the raw pasta in a medium resealable bag. Staple the bags together and freeze.
4. On cooking day, take the bag out of the freezer and thaw. Separate the bags and add the large bag to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Add the pasta in the last 20 minutes.

You can change up this recipe by using different types of jarred pasta sauce and determining which is your favourite flavour combination. I prefer to use fresh spinach but you can try it with either and see what your preference is.

Looking for other freezer to crock pot meals? My slow cooker freezer meal plans include printable grocery lists and labels.

Crock Pot Tortellini Soup

Beef Dump Recipes

This tortellini soup recipe is so easy. It cooks in the crock pot. This soup can even be made ahead as a freezer meal. It is hearty enough for a complete dinner. You can customize and change up this recipe by adding different vegetable combinations. Start by using vegetables that you know your family likes and then change it up once they are in love with this soup!

Tortellini Soup Recipe:

Throw into a large crock pot:

• 1 chopped onion
• 1 900 mL tetrapak of chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
• 1 700 mL jar pasta sauce
• 3 cloves of minced garlic
• 3 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 2 cups water
• 3 cups frozen mixed veggies (I use an Italian blend that has carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, romano beans, lima beans, and red pepper, but any combination of mixed vegetables is fine)

Stir and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.

15 minutes before you are set to serve supper, add:

• 4-5 cups of fresh cheese tortellini

Simmer for 15 minutes and serve. This recipe feeds our entire family of 9 people and there’s usually enough for a leftover lunch for a few of us as well.

If you want, you can add some extra red pepper flakes and grated parmesan cheese on each bowl when serving. I like things spicy, so I add a lot of red pepper flakes.

If making the tortellini soup as a freezer meal, put all the ingredients except the tortellini in a large resealable bag, remove the excess air and freeze it flat. If you want to, you can add the tortellini into another resealable bag and staple the bags together so that everything you need is in one place. On the day of cooking, thaw and pour the ingredients into a crock pot. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours and stir 4-5 cups of tortellini into the crock pot 15 minutes before serving.

This tortellini soup is one of the recipes included in my Slow Cooker Freezer Meal Plans which have printable shopping lists, prep list, recipes, and printable labels. You will love having the guesswork taken out of dinner!

Check out some of our other delicious soup recipes:

Pinto Tortilla Soup

Freezer to Crock Pot Chicken Taco Soup

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Tortellini Soup Recipe

This tortellini soup recipe is so easy. It cooks in the crock pot. This soup can even be made ahead as a freezer meal. It is hearty enough for a complete dinner.

Ingredients

• 1 chopped onion
• 1 900  mL  tetrapak of chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
• 1 700  mL  jar pasta sauce
• 3 cloves of minced garlic
• 3 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 2 cups water
• 3 cups frozen mixed veggies I use an Italian blend that has carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, romano beans, lima beans, and red pepper, but any combination of mixed vegetables is fine

Instructions

1. Throw into a large crock pot.

2. Stir and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.
3. 15 minutes before you are set to serve supper, add:
4. 4-5 cups of fresh cheese tortellini
5. Simmer for 15 minutes and serve. This recipe feeds our entire family of 9 people and there's usually enough for a leftover lunch for a few of us as well.
6. If you want, you can add some extra red pepper flakes and grated parmesan cheese on each bowl when serving. I like things spicy, so I add a lot of red pepper flakes.

Recipe Notes

If making the tortellini soup as a freezer meal, put all the ingredients except the tortellini in a large resealable bag, remove the excess air and freeze it flat. If you want to, you can add the tortellini into another resealable bag and staple the bags together so that everything you need is in one place. On the day of cooking, thaw and pour the ingredients into a crock pot. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours and stir 4-5 cups of tortellini into the crock pot 15 minutes before serving.

This cheesy slow cooker hash brown casserole is perfect for potlucks or brunches. I especially like that I can  quickly make it the day before in the crock pot and then put it in the fridge overnight.

In the morning, I take it out of the fridge, plug it in and turn it on which frees me up to make the rest of the items for the brunch. We have a large family so I have developed a fair amount of easy breakfast recipes for large families or groups over the years and this one fits that perfectly.

I’ve actually been making this recipe since the 90s (yes, I am that old!) and it’s one of those tried and true ones that many of my friends now make too because every time I’ve brought it with me to a potluck, I get asked for the recipe. I had always made it in the oven but I was recently planning a brunch where I needed both my top and bottom oven for other dishes so I tried making it in the slow cooker. It worked wonderfully!

If you really want to save time, you can make this as a freezer meal (make several at one time) and put them in large resealable freezer bags. Take the air out before sealing and freeze flat. On the day you want to make this, thaw the bag. If you forget to take it out ahead of time, you can put the bag in a sink full of room temperature water for 20 minutes to thaw. Dump the bag contents into the crock pot to cook.

Slow Cooker Hash Brown Casserole Recipe:

1/2 cup butter, melted
10.5 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese*
pepper to taste
1 kg frozen hash browns

*Note: you can also try this recipe with a variety of other cheeses. I often use a combination of cheddar and jalapeño jack cheese to give it some extra kick.

In a large bowl, mix together the cream of mushroom soup, melted butter, onion, shredded cheese, and pepper. Once that is well combined, stir in the frozen hash browns.

Pour the entire mixture into a greased crock pot. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4 hours. I find that crock pots really vary in their cooking time so the time will depend on your particular crock pot. This recipe is pretty fail-proof though.

Serve this slow cooker hash brown casserole as a breakfast side dish. I like to top mine with hot sauce but that’s just a personal preference.

Breakfasts for Large Families

All in One Breakfast Casserole

Hash Brown Breakfast Nachos

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Slow Cooker Hash Brown Casserole Recipe

This cheesy slow cooker hash brown casserole is perfect for potlucks or brunches. I especially like that I can  quickly make it the day before in the crock pot and then put it in the fridge overnight.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter melted
• 10.5 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 large onion chopped
• 1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese*
• pepper to taste
• 1 kg frozen hash browns

Recipe Notes

If you really want to save time, you can make this as a freezer meal (make several at one time) and put them in large resealable freezer bags. Take the air out before sealing and freeze flat. On the day you want to make this, thaw the bag. If you forget to take it out ahead of time, you can put the bag in a sink full of room temperature water for 20 minutes to thaw. Dump the bag contents into the crock pot to cook. *Note: you can also try this recipe with a variety of other cheeses. I often use a combination of cheddar and jalapeño jack cheese to give it some extra kick.

This recipe takes the flavours of a cheeseburger and puts them inside a pie crust. What child wouldn’t love that?! I kind of think of it as the winter version of a hamburger.

Cheeseburger pie has everything you would expect in a burger and if you want to, you can even serve it with ketchup and a side of fries!

This recipe makes two cheeseburger pies. For our large family, that’s one meal. If you have a smaller family, you could easily freeze the second for another meal or use it for leftovers or lunches.

Cheeseburger Pie Recipe:

2x 9″ unbaked pie shells (I buy the frozen variety)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup onion, minced
1/2 cup milk
1/8 cup mustard
1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup bread crumbs
1 – 1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
2/3 cup tomato sauce
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
paprika

Prick the pie crusts several times with a fork. Bake at 450° for 5 minutes until golden. Cool.

In a medium to large bowl, mix eggs, milk, onions, seasonings, bread crumbs, and raw beef. Mix well. Spread beef mixture into the two pie shells. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

Remove the pies from the oven and speak the tomato sauce over the tops. Sprinkle with the grated cheese, garnish with paprika and put the pies back into the oven.

Bake an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Serve with a salad or fries (or both) on the side. My kids like to put ketchup on theirs.

If you’re not going to eat the second pie, you can either freeze it raw and cook it the day of serving or cook it with other one, freeze it afterwards and reheat on the day of serving.

Looking for other make-ahead ideas? Follow my Freezer Meals board on Pinterest and be sure to check out how you can make 10 meals in one hour.

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Cheeseburger Pie Recipe

This recipe takes the flavours of a cheeseburger and puts them inside a pie crust. What child wouldn't love that?! I kind of think of it as the winter version of a hamburger. Cheeseburger pie has everything you would expect in a burger and if you want to, you can even serve it with ketchup and a side of fries!

Ingredients

• 2 x 9" unbaked pie shells I buy the frozen variety
• 2 eggs slightly beaten
• 1/2 cup onion minced
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/8 cup mustard
• 1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1 - 1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
• 2/3 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• paprika

Instructions

1. Prick the pie crusts several times with a fork. Bake at 450° for 5 minutes until golden. Cool.
2. In a medium to large bowl, mix eggs, milk, onions, seasonings, bread crumbs, and raw beef. Mix well. Spread beef mixture into the two pie shells. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.
3. Remove the pies from the oven and speak the tomato sauce over the tops. Sprinkle with the grated cheese, garnish with paprika and put the pies back into the oven.
4. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese melts.
5. Serve with a salad or fries (or both) on the side. My kids like to put ketchup on theirs.

Recipe Notes

This recipe makes two cheeseburger pies. For our large family, that's one meal. If you have a smaller family, you could easily freeze the second for another meal or use it for leftovers or lunches. If you're not going to eat the second pie, you can either freeze it raw and cook it the day of serving or cook it with other one, freeze it afterwards and reheat on the day of serving.