Freezer Meals

Slow Cooker Spinach and Sausage Soup

This freezer to crockpot 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 crockpot recipe is hearty and delicious. If you hate spinach or the texture of cooked spinach, you can substitute zucchini for the spinach.

Ingredients for the 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.

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: sausage, soup, spinach

Servings: 6

: 496 kcal

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

Brown the ground sausage in a skillet.
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 the day of cooking:

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 favorite flavor combination. I prefer to use fresh spinach but you can try it with either and see what your preference is.

Looking for more freezer to crockpot meals? My slow cooker freezer meal plans include printable grocery lists and labels.

Crock Pot Tortellini Soup

Beef Dump Recipes

For other Freezer meal dump recipes, check out this cookbook: Freezer Meals 101, Beef Dump Recipes

Sloppy Joes Freezer Meal Recipe

By Sharla Kostelyk

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There is something very cozy about Sloppy Joes, especially when served in the winter. It’s a meal that brings me back to my childhood and I assume will someday be one that brings my kids back to theirs! This sloppy joes recipe has that classic taste but in the convenience of a freezer meal.

This make-ahead sloppy joes recipe has a bit of zip in it from the chili sauce. These can be heated either in the slow cooker or on the stovetop.

There’s no reason that Sloppy Joes can’t be enjoyed by people who eat gluten-free if they are served on gluten-free buns. I’ve included gluten-free instructions in case. Of course, if you are not on a gluten-free diet, you can make this the same way and use your favorite buns.

You can double, triple, or quadruple this recipe and separate them into freezer bags to have Sloppy Joes on hand for busy days.

Where did Sloppy Joes get their name?

The “Joe” part of the Sloppy Joes is a bit of a mystery, but it’s easy to see where the “sloppy” part came from! Be sure to have napkins on hand. These are messy to eat, but that’s part of the fun!

Some say that the name derived from a cafe in Sioux City, Iowa with a cook named Joe who added tomato sauce to his loose meat sandwiches way back in the 1930s, while others insist that the name came from the famous Key West, Florida restaurant, Sloppy Joe’s Bar.

A smaller percentage of people insist that the name was born in Havana at Sloppy Joe’s Saloon. It’s hard to know for sure, but all agree that loose meat plus tomato sauce and sometimes other fillers served on a bun has earned the moniker “Sloppy Joes”. Based on an ad campaign from back in the 70s or 80s, they also became known by their nickname, the “Manwich”!

Sloppy Joes Freezer Meal Recipe:

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup onion, chopped finely
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped finely
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dry mustard powder
1/2 cup chili sauce
14 oz. can tomato sauce
2 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce*
2 tsp. lemon juice
buns for serving

*If you are making this sloppy joes recipe gluten-free, be sure to use a gluten-free Worcestershire sauce.

To put this meal together, brown the ground beef. Mix the ground beef and all the other ingredients in a bowl and put them into a large resealable freezer bag. Remove the excess air and seal. Lay flat and freeze.

On cooking day, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw. Cook in a crockpot for 2-3 hours on low or cook in a pot on the stovetop until heated through. Serve on regular or gluten-free buns, sliced in half.

Our family’s preference for gluten-free buns is Udi’s whole grain gluten-free hamburger buns. They are a great size and consistency for Sloppy Joes.

There are lots of ways you can dress up or personalize this family-favorite meal. You can add pickles to the buns or top with cheese. You can butter the buns or leave them plain. You can even top these with potato chips (yes, really!). However you choose to serve them, this is one recipe your kids are sure to enjoy.

Other Easy Family Recipes:

This recipe is included in our Kid-Friendly Freezer Meal Menu Plan. The other recipes are also kid-pleasers and the plan includes printable shopping lists, prep lists, and printable labels making it easy to fill your freezer with meals your family will actually eat.

3 from 1 vote

Freezer Friendly Sloppy Joes

Course: Main Course

Keyword: freezer meal, gluten free, sloppy joes

Servings: 6

: 304 kcal

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup onion chopped finely
2 garlic cloves minced
1/4 cup green pepper chopped finely
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dry mustard powder
1/2 cup chili sauce
14 oz. can tomato sauce
2 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce*
2 tsp. lemon juice
buns for serving

Instructions

To put this meal together, brown the ground beef.
Mix the ground beef and all the other ingredients in a bowl and put them into a large resealable freezer bag. Remove the excess air and seal. Lay flat and freeze.
On cooking day, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw. Cook in a crockpot for 2-3 hours on low or cook in a pot on the stovetop until heated through.
Serve on regular or gluten-free buns, sliced in half.

Recipe Notes

*If you are making this sloppy joes recipe gluten-free, be sure to use a gluten-free Worcestershire sauce and serve on gluten-free buns.

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Crock Pot Pizza Casserole Freezer Meal

By Sharla Kostelyk

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It’s always hard to get an appetizing picture of a crockpot supper and this was no exception, but this casserole is really a kid-pleaser! I often make a gluten-free version of it, so I will be including that in my instructions below. This crockpot pizza casserole is also a freezer meal, so it saves time all around.

Having freezer to crockpot recipes on hand saves me so much time and sanity. This is one of the regular meals in my rotation. When I make it, I make two or four of these recipes at a time. The recipe below is for one meal, but if you want to make several at a time to freeze, then multiply the ingredients accordingly.

I find that most kids (mine included) are willing to try anything with “pizza” in the name. This meal is super kid-friendly because it has pizza flavors combined with a home-cooked comfort food feel.

If your kids won’t eat mushrooms and green peppers, you can either leave them out, or you can get a little bit sneaky. If you choose to go the sneaky route, just blend the mushrooms and green peppers into the tomato sauce. They’ll never know the veggies are there, but you’ll know they are getting more nutrients!

Crock Pot Pizza Casserole Freezer Meal Recipe:

2 cups of cubed ham
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
10 oz. can chopped mushrooms (if your kids will eat mushrooms!)
28 oz. tomato sauce
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 cups small pasta

To make this into a freezer meal, mix all the ingredients except for the pasta in a large resealable freezer bag.

Place 2 cups of pasta in a medium-sized resealable freezer bag. Seal both bags and staple them together. Be sure to staple above the seal to avoid leaks. Lay flat in the freezer.

On the day you want to serve it, thaw and put the ingredients from the large bag into the crockpot and cook for 4 hours on low. Cook the pasta on the stovetop according to the package directions and drain. Stir the noodles into the casserole just before serving.

To make this gluten-free…

To make this gluten-free, ensure that you use gluten-free ham. Much of the ham sold in stores contains fillers that include gluten, so read the labels carefully. Use gluten-free pasta of course.

This recipe is very adaptable for those on gluten-free diets and we enjoy it just as much with the gluten-free pasta.

This freezer to crockpot pizza casserole is sure to become a meal that your family loves!

Pizza Casserole Variations:

This easy casserole recipe can be adapted based on your family’s tastes and preferences. Try these variations:

swap out the cubed ham for sliced pepperoni
use cooked ground sausage in place of the ham
replace the ham with browned ground beef
add a can of drained sliced black olives
put a Mexican twist on it by using a Tex Mex blend of cheese instead of the mozzarella and adding a splash of taco seasoning or taco sauce
make a Hawaiian pizza version by adding a can of drained pineapple tidbits in the last 10 minutes of cooking
make it cheesier by topping with extra grated cheese and some Parmesan

Other Kid-Friendly Recipes…

Pizza Casserole - from freezer to crock pot

Crockpot Pizza Casserole Freezer Meal Recipe

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: casserole, Pizza

Servings: 6

: 361 kcal

Ingredients

2 cups of cubed ham
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup onion finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
10 oz. can chopped mushrooms
28 oz. tomato sauce
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 cups small pasta

Instructions

To make this into a freezer meal, mix all the ingredients except for the pasta in a large resealable freezer bag.
Put 2 cups of pasta in a medium-sized resealable freezer bag.
Seal both and staple them together. Lay flat in the freezer.
On the day you want to serve it, thaw and put the ingredients from the large bag into the crockpot and cook for 4 hours on low.
Cook the pasta on the stovetop and stir the noodles into the casserole just before serving.

Recipe Notes

To make this gluten-free, ensure that you use gluten-free ham. Much of the ham sold in stores contain fillers that include gluten, so read the labels. Use gluten-free pasta.

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Crock Pot Tortellini Soup

By Sharla Kostelyk

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This tortellini soup recipe is so easy, not to mention that it conveniently cooks up in the crockpot. 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, which consequently allows you to change it up after they are in love with this soup!

Tortellini Soup Recipe:

Throw into a large crockpot:

1 onion, chopped
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 serving supper, you will need to 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.

For added flavor, you can further add some extra red pepper flakes and grated parmesan cheese to each bowl when serving. If you like things spicy, you can 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. Add the tortellini into another resealable bag and staple the bags together, so as to have everything you need in one place. On the day of cooking, thaw and pour the ingredients into a crockpot. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. Then, stir 4-5 cups of tortellini into the crockpot, 15 minutes before serving the soup.

This tortellini soup is one of the recipes included in my Slow Cooker Freezer Meal Plans which have printable shopping lists, prep lists, 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

Tortellini Soup Recipe

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

Course: Main Course, Soup

Keyword: soup, tortellini

Servings: 6

: 310 kcal

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

Throw into a large crockpot.
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.

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 crockpot. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours and stir 4-5 cups of tortellini into the crockpot 15 minutes before serving.

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Cheesy Slow Cooker Hash Brown Casserole

By Sharla Kostelyk

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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 crockpot 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 crockpot 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 crockpot. 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 crockpot. 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

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 crockpot and then put it in the fridge overnight.

Course: Main Course

Keyword: casserole, hash brown

: 679 kcal

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

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Cheeseburger Pie

By Sharla Kostelyk

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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.

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