Freezer Meals

Cheeseburger Pie

This recipe takes the flavors 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 a 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 freeze it after cooking it 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.

Cheeseburger Pie Recipe

This recipe takes the flavors 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!

Course: Main Course

Keyword: cheeseburger, pie

Servings: 12 wedges

: 377 kcal

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

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

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 freeze it after cooking it and reheat on the day of serving.

No Bake Energy Bites with Flaxseed and Hemp Hearts

By Sharla Kostelyk

Kids are hungry little guys! I’m always on the hunt for healthy snack ideas because my kids seem to want to eat all day long. I love no-bake energy bites because they are healthy, my kids love them and I can make them ahead and freeze them and then pull them out as needed. They also transport well, so they are great for snacks and lunches on the go.

Energy bites are a fantastic way to “hide” healthier food that your kids normally wouldn’t be willing to eat. I treat the energy balls I make as a treat and therefore, my kids see them as a special food. They love them and ask for them often.

Since we have a large family, this recipe makes 45-50 energy bites. If you have a small family, you can either freeze the leftovers or half the recipe.

No-Bake Energy Bites Recipe:

2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup ground flax seed
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup hemp hearts
3 tsp. vanilla

Mix all the ingredients together in a medium to a large bowl. Put the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes to make them easier to shape.

Using a cookie dough scoop is the easiest way to shape the energy balls. It also ensures that they are approximately the same size which is important if you are feeding these to kids who notice if their brother or sister’s energy ball is bigger than theirs! (Am I the only one whose kids fight over things like that?!)

If it seems like they are too goopy, add more of the dry ingredients and if they don’t seem to hold together well enough, add more peanut butter and/or honey. This recipe is very forgiving and hard to mess up.

I store my no-bake energy bites in a sealed container and keep them in the freezer. That way, I can grab as many as we need them and they are always ready to go. I’ve even been known to tell the kids to grab a handful on our way out the door if we have an early morning appointment.

Oatmeal, peanut butter, honey, flaxseed, hemp hearts…why not have them for breakfast?!

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.

Freezer Granola

100 Gluten-Free Snack Ideas

No-Bake Energy Bites Recipe

Energy bites are a fantastic way to "hide" healthier food that your kids normally wouldn't be willing to eat. I treat the energy balls I make as a treat and therefore, my kids see them as a special food. They love them and ask for them often.

Course: Snack

Keyword: energy bites, no-bake

Servings: 14 1/2 cup

: 284 kcal

Ingredients

2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup ground flax seed
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup hemp hearts
3 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

Mix all the ingredients together in a medium to a large bowl. Put the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes to make them easier to shape.
Using a cookie dough scoop is the easiest way to shape the energy balls. It also ensures that they are approximately the same size which is important if you are feeding these to kids who notice if their brother or sister's energy ball is bigger than theirs! (Am I the only one whose kids fight over things like that?!)
If it seems like they are too goopy, add more of the dry ingredients and if they don't seem to hold together well enough, add more peanut butter and/or honey. This recipe is very forgiving and hard to mess up.

Recipe Notes

I love that energy balls can be customized easily. You can use whatever you happen to have in the kitchen or whatever your kids happen to like. You can add sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, raisins, white chocolate chips, nuts, chia seeds, agave, or whatever else you want to try. I store my no-bake energy bites in a sealed container and keep them in the freezer. That way, I can grab as many as we need them and they are always ready to go. I've even been known to tell the kids to grab a handful on our way out the door if we have an early morning appointment.

Tater Tot Casserole with Ground Sausage

By Sharla Kostelyk

I’ll be the first to admit that this tater tot casserole may not be the healthiest of our recipes, but it is by far the kids’ favorite. In fact, when I make it, I have to make two at a time and they both get eaten clean! It is one of the most requested meals for the kids’ birthday suppers and there are cries of joy whenever I announce that I am making it!

Even though it’s not the healthiest or well-balanced meal, it’s good to have some kid-pleaser recipes mixed into your menu plan.

Other than being a kid-pleaser, this recipe is also fool-proof. I’ve changed it up, substituted ingredients, cooked it for too long, cooked it for not long enough, and it’s never failed me.

Tator Tot Casserole Recipe:

150-200 g ground Italian sausage meat (I use the spicy variety to give it some kick)
1 kg bag of frozen tater tots
10.5 oz. can of cream of mushroom soup*
370 mL can of evaporated milk
dash of paprika
salt and pepper to taste

*If you are wanting to make this gluten-free, you will need to use gluten-free cream of mushroom soup and ensure that the tater tots are gluten-free (most brands are).

Brown the sausage meat and drain and pat with a paper towel to remove the grease. Place the ground sausage on the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish.

Place the frozen tater tots on top of the meat. In a bowl, mix the mushroom soup and evaporated milk and add the seasonings. Pour over top of the tater tots.

Bake at 350° for one hour.

To double this recipe, simply cook twice as much ground sausage and double to the rest of the ingredients but assemble them in two casserole dishes.

Tater Tot Casserole Freezer Meal Instructions:

I make this as a freezer meal so that I can make four or six at a time to always have it on hand for the kids. To make the tater tot casserole ahead, brown the sausage and place it in a medium-sized resealable bag. Mix the mushroom soup, condensed milk, and seasonings together in a bowl.

Place the frozen tater tots into a large resealable freezer bag. Pour the sauce over top. Take out as much air as you can and seal. Staple the bag of cooked ground sausage into the large bag and freeze.

On the day of cooking, thaw. Place the ground sausage at the bottom of a casserole dish. Top with the contents of the larger bag. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for one hour.

Looking for more make-ahead family-friendly meals? Check out our Chicken and Beef Dump Recipes.

Tater Tot Casserole Recipe

Other than being a kid-pleaser, this recipe is also fool-proof. I've changed it up, substituted ingredients, cooked it for too long, cooked it for not long enough, and it's never failed me.

Course: Main Course

Keyword: casserole, tater tot

Servings: 6

: 652 kcal

Ingredients

150-200 g ground Italian sausage meat I use the spicy variety to give it some kick
1 kg bag of frozen tater tots
10.5 oz. can of cream of mushroom soup* *If you are wanting to make this gluten-free, you will need to use gluten-free cream of mushroom soup and ensure that the tater tots are gluten-free (most brands are).
370 mL can of evaporated milk
dash of paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Brown the sausage meat and drain and pat with a paper towel to remove the grease. Place the ground sausage on the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish.
Place the frozen tater tots on top of the meat. In a bowl, mix the mushroom soup and evaporated milk and add the seasonings. Pour over top of the tater tots.
Bake at 350° for one hour.
To double this recipe, simply cook twice as much ground sausage and double the rest of the ingredients but assemble them in two casserole dishes.

Tater Tot Casserole Freezer Meal Instructions:

I make this as a freezer meal so that I can make four or six at a time to always have it on hand for the kids. To make the tater tot casserole ahead, brown the sausage and place it in a medium-sized resealable bag. Mix the mushroom soup, condensed milk, and seasonings together in a bowl.
Place the frozen tater tots into a large resealable freezer bag. Pour the sauce over top. Take out as much air as you can and seal. Staple the bag of cooked ground sausage into the large bag and freeze.
On the day of cooking, thaw. Place the ground sausage at the bottom of a casserole dish. Top with the contents of the larger bag. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for one hour.

Converting Freezer Meal Recipes to Gluten Free Recipes

By Sharla Kostelyk

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:

Beef Dump Recipes

By Sharla Kostelyk

Dump recipes are the easiest and fastest way to stock your freezer full of meals. I’ve been making them for about a decade and though the name may not sound that appealing, it speaks to how fast these really are to make. Most of my dump recipes can be cooked in the crockpot, saving even more time.

When I wrote about my Chicken Dump Recipes, the response from busy women (and men) everywhere was overwhelming! They loved the ease of the system, but the resounding feedback was: more recipes! I have been working since then to create a book of Beef Dump Recipes for you. It contains 6 meal plans of 5 recipes each which include shopping lists for each plan and printable labels for each recipe. These beef dump recipes are easy to throw together and perfect for freezing. Freezer meals make a lovely gift for friends who are going through an illness or loss or adding to their family through birth or adoption. By doubling these recipes, you are able to assemble ten meals in just one hour! (note that this does not include the time to brown the beef)

The key to successful beef dump meals is to have all your ingredients out before you start assembling. This will save you time and as a result, you won’t have to run out to the store to pick up a missing ingredient!

Steps to making Beef Dump Meals:

Brown the beef. This can be done the day before and kept in the fridge until you are ready to use it. If you like, season the beef with a bit of salt and pepper while browning.
Get out all ingredients.
Label resealable freezer bags (you can use a permanent marker or print labels to stick on) with the name and cooking instructions.
Prop the bottom of the bags flat and fold the top over, allowing them to stay open.
Add browned ground beef into each bag.
Once the meat is in all of the bags, dump the ingredients for the recipe into the bag.
When all the ingredients are in each bag, remove the excess air, seal the bags, lay flat, and freeze.

Below is a sample meal plan which uses ground beef for all of the recipes. Don’t forget to brown the beef before you start assembling. You can find the shopping list, labels, and other meal plans including those using other cuts of beef in the Beef Dump Recipes book.

Beef Hash

1 1/2 lbs. browned ground beef
500 grams frozen hash browns*
1 onion, finely chopped
3 Tbsp. dry onion soup mix**
1 cup beef broth
dash pepper

*This amount is the equivalent of half a 1 kg bag, so if you are making two of these recipes at once, buy one large bag and split it between the two meals. **I use an MSG-free, gluten-free dry onion soup mix.

Cooking instructions: Thaw. Bake at 350° for one hour, topping with grated cheese the last 10 minutes if desired or in the crockpot on low for 2-4 hours, topping with cheese the last 20 minutes if desired.

Taco Soup

1 1/2 lb. browned ground beef
1 onion, diced
2x 14 oz. cans chili style beans
1x 12 oz. can kernel corn, drained
1x 14 oz. can tomato sauce
14 oz. salsa
3/4 cup water
2 tsp. taco seasoning*

* store-bought taco seasoning can contain gluten, so I make my own.

Cooking instructions: Thaw. Heat in a large pot on stovetop on medium heat until the desired temperature or cook in the crockpot on low for 3-4 hours.

Sloppy Joes

1 1/2 lb. browned ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chili sauce
14 oz. can tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce*
2 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dry mustard
dash pepper

*Be sure to use gluten-free Worcestershire sauce if wanting this to be gluten-free.

Cooking instructions: Thaw. Heat in a pot on the stovetop over medium until desired heat is achieved or cook in slow cooker on low for 2-3 hours. Serve on bun halves.

Spaghetti Sauce

1 1/2 lbs. browned ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2x 14 oz. can tomato sauce
1x 5 1/2 oz. can tomato paste
14 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup water
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp. parsley
1 tsp. melted honey or sugar
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. salt
dash pepper

Cooking instructions: Thaw. Heat in a pot on the stovetop over medium until desired heat is achieved or cook in crockpot on low for 2-4 hours. Serve over pasta or gluten-free noodles.

Chili

1 1/2 lbs. browned ground beef
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
19 oz. can kidney beans with liquid
14 oz. can chili style beans with liquid
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
5 1/2 oz. can tomato paste
1 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. paprika
dash pepper
1 Tbsp. maple syrup (this is my secret ingredient!)

Cooking instructions: Thaw. Heat in a large pot over medium until the desired temperature is reached or cook in crockpot on low for 3-5 hours.

Additional Notes:

Provided that you plan the meals by common ingredients, it will save you even more money.
All recipes can be made gluten-free by following the notes indicated.
I heard from a reader who suggested using slow cooker liners. I had never heard of them, but it saves even more time because it eliminates the cleanup of the crockpot.
Don’t forget to check out the Chicken Dump Recipes for even more options!

To get the recipes listed here along with free printable labels and a shopping list, sign up for our emails.

Be sure to check out my Beef Dump Recipes book which includes 30 recipes divided into 5 plans plus one bonus recipe. Each plan comes with printable grocery lists and printable labels. Read the list of included recipes. You can also purchase both the Beef Dump Recipes and Chicken Dump Recipes together for more meal options and savings!

hamburger meat topped with melted cheese on a large spoon

Beef Hash

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

2 hrs

Course: Main Course

Keyword: beef, hash

Servings: 6

: 326 kcal

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs. browned ground beef
500 grams frozen hash browns*
1 onion finely chopped
3 Tbsp. dry onion soup mix**
1 cup beef broth
dash pepper
1 cup cheddar cheese shredded

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Add browned ground beef, frozen hash browns, onion, dry onion soup mix, beef broth, and pepper to a large resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air and seal.
Place the shredded cheese in a medium resealable freezer bag and seal. Staple the bags together above the seal and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw. Bake at 350° for one hour, topping with grated cheese the last 10 minutes if desired or in the crockpot on low for 2-4 hours, topping with cheese the last 20 minutes if desired.

Recipe Notes

bowl of soup with beef, corn, beans, and tomato

Taco Soup

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: soup, taco

Servings: 6

: 387 kcal

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb. browned ground beef
1 onion diced
2 cans 14 oz. chili style beans
1 can 12 oz. kernel corn drained
1 can 14 oz. tomato sauce
14 oz. salsa
3/4 cup water
2 tsp. taco seasoning*

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Place all ingredients in a large resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Heat in a large pot on stovetop on medium heat until the desired temperature or cook in the crockpot on low for 3-4 hours.

Recipe Notes

*store-bought taco seasoning can contain gluten, so I make my own.

Sloppy Joes

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Course: Main Course

Keyword: beef, sloppy joes

Servings: 6

: 304 kcal

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb. browned ground beef
1 onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 cup chili sauce
14 oz. tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce*
2 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dry mustard
dash pepper

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Add all ingredients to a large resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw. Heat in a pot on the stovetop over medium until desired heat is achieved or cook in slow-cooker on low for 2-3 hours. Serve on bun halves.

Recipe Notes

*Be sure to use gluten-free Worcestershire sauce if wanting this to be gluten-free.

Spaghetti Sauce

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: sauce, spaghetti

Servings: 6

: 264 kcal

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs. browned ground beef
1 onion chopped
1/2 green pepper chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
2 cans 14 oz. tomato sauce
1 can 5 1/2 oz. tomato paste
14 oz. diced tomatoes
1/4 cup water
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp. parsley
1 tsp. melted honey or sugar
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. salt
dash pepper

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Add all ingredients to a large resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Heat in a pot on the stovetop over medium until desired heat is achieved or cook in crockpot on low for 2-4 hours.
Serve over pasta or gluten-free noodles.

Chili

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Course: Main Course

Keyword: beef, chili

Servings: 6

: 235 kcal

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs. browned ground beef
1 onion chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
1 can 19 oz kidney beans with liquid
1 can 14 oz chili style beans with liquid
1 can 28 oz diced tomatoes
1 can 5 1/2 oz tomato paste
1 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. paprika
dash pepper
1 Tbsp. maple syrup (this is my secret ingredient!)

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

Add all ingredients to a large resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw.
Heat in a large pot over medium until the desired temperature is reached or cook in crockpot on low for 3-5 hours.

5 More Chicken Dump Recipes

By Sharla Kostelyk

Making freezer meals is always a productive use of my time, but it’s when I make chicken dump recipes that I feel the most accomplished because I am able to make so many meals in such a short period of time. I call them “dump recipes” because I dump all the ingredients into the bags, seal them up, freeze them, and then on the day I want to cook them, I take them out, thaw them, and then dump them into a baking dish or crockpot. They couldn’t be simpler.

These time-saving recipes are just a sample of the ones found in my ebook, Chicken Dump Recipes.

The last time I found myself with some spare time on my hands (with 7 kids, believe me, I rarely have extra time!), I decided to assemble twenty chicken dump meals. I put together 10 in the morning and 10 in the afternoon by doubling five recipes each time. In my morning session, I made Chicken Hurry, Caribbean Chicken, Lemon and Garlic Chicken, Sticky Chicken, and Cantonese Chicken.

Later that afternoon, I got ready to make the next ten meals by getting everything that I needed out. The key to successful chicken dump meals is having all your ingredients out before you start assembling. This saves time and frustration!

You can also purchase Chicken Dump Recipes which includes 25 recipes, printable grocery lists, and printable labels.

Before I get into the recipes and instructions, I thought I would address a concern that came up when I published the first set of chicken dump recipes. Because of the popularity of the recipes (more than 2 million people read that article in its first month!), there was a lot of discussion about them on social media and the biggest issue seemed to be with some of the recipes having sugar in them. When you read the recipes below, you will find that this second set also has some recipes that have ingredients that have sugar. I can’t help but laugh when I think of how people will react to one of these recipes calls for maple syrup! Here is my response to all the concern about the sugar included in some of the recipes:

It’s true that if you are on a sugar-free diet, these may not be the recipes for you. I want to make a difference for busy families, busy moms, busy women. I want to see people eating as a family around the kitchen table instead of eating on the run or eating fast food in a vehicle. When paired with a salad or vegetables as a side dish, these recipes (even the ones that contain sugar) are going to be healthier than eating fast food.

The moms who are cooking frozen pizzas or chicken nuggets and fries because it’s all that they have time for are the ones I am reaching out to with these recipes. By taking an hour on a Sunday afternoon or in an evening after the kids have gone to bed to prepare these meals, you can have healthier (note that I did not say the healthiest!) meals that your whole family can enjoy. The bulk of the work will be done already so that you can relax at the end of the day and actually have time to talk while you eat dinner together.

And since I’m still a recovering people-pleaser, I am working on trying out healthier dump-style recipes. I will be publishing ground beef dump recipes and healthier dump recipes in the coming months so watch for those!

Steps to making Chicken Dump Meals:

Get out all ingredients.
Label resealable freezer bags (you can use a permanent marker or print labels to stick on) with the name and cooking instructions.
Prop the bottom of the bags and fold over the top so that they will stay open.
Add chicken into each bag. You can use boneless, skinless thighs or breasts.
Once the chicken is in all of the bags, dump the ingredients for the recipe into the bag.
When all the ingredients are in each bag, remove the excess air, seal the bags, lay flat, and freeze.

Teriyaki Chicken

3-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/3 cup honey, melted
3 tbsp. soya sauce**
1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
1-2 garlic cloves, minced

Cooking instructions:

Thaw. Bake at 350° for an hour or in the crockpot on low for 4-6 hours. **if you are making these gluten-free, be sure to use gluten-free soya sauce.

Lemon Mustard Chicken

3-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. lemon pepper
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Cooking instructions:

Thaw. Bake at 350° for an hour, covered, uncover last ten minutes, or in the crockpot on low for 4-6 hours.

French Canadian Chicken

3-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 Tbsp. cider vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp. soya sauce**
3 tsp. freshly grated ginger
1 tsp. pepper

Cooking instructions:

Thaw. Bake in the crockpot on low for 4-6 hours or bake at 350° for an hour, covered, uncovering for the last 15 minutes. **if you are making these gluten-free, be sure to use gluten-free soya sauce.

Pepper Lime Chicken

3-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tsp. lime zest
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. olive oil

Cooking instructions:

Thaw. Bake at 350° for an hour, covered or in the crockpot on low for 4-6 hours.

Cindy’s Chicken

3-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
one bottle of Russian salad dressing (don’t use Creamy Russian dressing. If you can’t find this, you can substitute with Catalina dressing)
1 1/4 cups apricot jam
3 Tbsp. dry onion soup mix* *I use an MSG-free, gluten-free dry onion soup mix.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw. Bake at 350° for an hour, covered or in the crockpot on low for 4-6 hours.

Notes:

Each recipe listed is to make one bag. To make 2 bags, you will need to double both the chicken and the other ingredients.
The recipes work best with 3-5 chicken breasts or 8-10 thighs per bag. If you are adding a lot more or a lot less chicken, you may need to adjust the recipes accordingly.
If you plan the meals so that they have some common ingredients, it saves even more money.
All these recipes can be made gluten-free by following the notes indicated.
I heard from a reader who suggested using slow cooker liners. I had never heard of such a thing, but it sounds like a way to save even more time because it eliminates the cleanup of the crockpot.
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Teriyaki Chicken

Course: Main Course

Keyword: chicken, Teriyaki

Servings: 6

: 253 kcal

Ingredients

3-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/3 cup honey melted
3 tbsp. soya sauce**
1 tsp. fresh ginger grated
1-2 garlic cloves minced

Instructions

Thaw.
Bake at 350° for an hour or in the crockpot on low for 4-6 hours.
**if you are making these gluten-free, be sure to use gluten-free soya sauce.

Lemon Mustard Chicken

Course: Main Course

Keyword: chicken, lemon, mustard

Servings: 6

: 218 kcal

Ingredients

3-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. lemon pepper
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Instructions

Thaw.
Bake at 350° for an hour, covered, uncover last ten minutes, or in the crockpot on low for 4-6 hours.

French Canadian Chicken

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: French

Keyword: chicken

Servings: 6

: 268 kcal

Ingredients

3-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 Tbsp. cider vinegar
3 garlic cloves minced
3 Tbsp. soya sauce**
3 tsp. freshly grated ginger
1 tsp. pepper

Instructions

Thaw.
Bake in the crockpot on low for 4-6 hours or bake at 350° for an hour, covered, uncovering for the last 15 minutes.
**if you are making these gluten-free, be sure to use gluten-free soya sauce.

Pepper Lime Chicken

Course: Main Course

Keyword: chicken, lime, pepper

Servings: 6

: 206 kcal

Ingredients

3-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 garlic cloves minced
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tsp. lime zest
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. olive oil

Instructions

Thaw.
Bake at 350° for an hour, covered or in the crockpot on low for 4-6 hours.

Cindy's Chicken

Course: Main Course

Keyword: chicken

Servings: 6

: 367 kcal

Ingredients

3-5 chicken breasts or 8-10 thighs boneless, skinless
1 bottle Russian salad dressing (don't use Creamy Russian dressing. If you can't find this, you can substitute it with Catalina dressing)
1 1/4 cups apricot jam
3 Tbsp. dry onion soup mix*

Instructions

Thaw.
Bake at 350° for an hour, covered or in the crockpot on low for 4-6 hours.

Recipe Notes

*I use an MSG-free, gluten-free dry onion soup mix. Each recipe listed is to make one bag. To make 2 bags, you will need to double both the chicken and the other ingredients. The recipes work best with 3-5 chicken breasts or 8-10 thighs per bag. If you are adding a lot more or a lot less chicken, you may need to adjust the recipes accordingly. If you plan the meals so that they have some common ingredients, it saves even more money. All these recipes can be made gluten-free by following the notes indicated. I heard from a reader who suggested using slow cooker liners. I had never heard of such a thing, but it sounds like a way to save even more time because it eliminates the cleanup of the crockpot.