The Chaos and the Clutter

Gluten Free Freezer Meals

Sloppy Joes Freezer Meal Recipe

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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.

Old School Sloppy Joes freezer meal recipe that can also be made gluten free #freezermeals #sloppyjoes #makeaheadmeals

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.

collage of sloppy Joes

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.

close up of a sloppy JoesThere 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.

Kid Friendly Freezer Meal Menu Plan

3 from 1 vote
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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

  1. To put this meal together, brown the ground beef. 

  2. 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.

  3. 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. 

  4. 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.

Crock Pot Pizza Casserole Freezer Meal

Pizza Casserole - from freezer to crock pot

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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.

Crock Pot Freezer Meal Pizza Casserole...it's ugly but kids love it! #freezermeals #crockpotpizza #pizzacasseroleHaving 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.

collage of pizza casserole in the crockpot and in bowls

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.

close up of pizza casserole in a slow cooker

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…

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.

Kid Friendly Freezer Meal Menu Plan

Pizza Casserole - from freezer to crock pot
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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

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

  2. Put 2 cups of pasta in a medium-sized resealable freezer bag.

  3. Seal both and staple them together. Lay flat in the freezer.

  4. 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.

  5. 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. 

Converting Freezer Meal Recipes to Gluten Free Recipes

Tips for how to convert freezer meal recipes to gluten free

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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.

Tips for how to convert freezer meal recipes to gluten freeThe 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.

Gluten Free Freezer Meal Menu PlanOf 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.

beef and chicken dump recipes

Homemade Gluten Free Taco Seasoning

A list of our gluten-free freezer meals:

Beef Dump Recipes

Beef Dump Recipes…assemble 10 meals for your family in just one hour!

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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. Beef Dump Recipes. Assemble 10 meals in one hour that can go from the freezer to the crock pot and can be made gluten free.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:

  1. 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.
  2. Get out all ingredients.
  3. Label resealable freezer bags (you can use a permanent marker or print labels to stick on) with the name and cooking instructions.
  4.  Prop the bottom of the bags flat and fold the top over, allowing them to stay open.
  5. Add browned ground beef into each bag.
  6. Once the meat is in all of the bags, dump the ingredients for the recipe into the bag.
  7. When all the ingredients are in each bag, remove the excess air, seal the bags, lay flat, and freeze.

Beef Dump Recipes. Assemble 10 meals in one hour that can go from the freezer to the crock pot and can be made gluten free.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. Beef Dump square

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
Print
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:

  1. 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.

  2. Place the shredded cheese in a medium resealable freezer bag and seal. Staple the bags together above the seal and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

  1. 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

*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.

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

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

Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.

  2. 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.

Print
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:

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

Cooking instructions:

  1. 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.

Print
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:

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

Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.

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

  3. Serve over pasta or gluten-free noodles.

blue bowl with chili of ground beef and beans topped with a scoop of sour cream
Print
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:

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

Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.

  2. 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

More Chicken Dump Recipes - 10 more meals in an hour!

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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.

More Chicken Dump Recipes - 10 more meals in an hour!

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.

5 Chicken Dump Recipes 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! More Chicken Dump Recipes

Steps to making Chicken Dump Meals:

  1. Get out all ingredients.
  2. Label resealable freezer bags (you can use a permanent marker or print labels to stick on) with the name and cooking instructions.
  3.  Prop the bottom of the bags and fold over the top so that they will stay open.
  4. Add chicken into each bag. You can use boneless, skinless thighs or breasts.
  5. Once the chicken is in all of the bags, dump the ingredients for the recipe into the bag.
  6. 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.
  • Don’t forget to check out the first 5 Chicken Dump Recipes!

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

Buy my Chicken Dump Recipes book which includes 25 recipes divided into 5 plans. 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!

5 Chicken Dump Recipes
Print
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

  1. Thaw.

  2. 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.

Print
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

  1. Thaw.

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

More Chicken Dump Recipes
Print
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

  1. Thaw.

  2. 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.

More Chicken Dump Recipes
Print
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

  1. Thaw.

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

More Chicken Dump Recipes
Print
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

  1. Thaw.

  2. 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.

5 Chicken Dump Recipes

Chicken Dump Recipes - 10 meals in one hour!

By

Usually, when I make freezer meals, I make a variety of different things including casseroles and various meat and seafood dishes. This method works well when I have a lot of time and have prepared ahead of time. But when I just want to throw some meals together quickly and don’t want to spend hours planning and shopping for ingredients, I make chicken dump recipes. Most of them can be cooked in the crockpot which saves even more time!

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

Chicken Dump Recipes - 10 meals in one hour!Chicken dump recipes are fast to make and they often include ingredients that I already have in the house. They are perfect to make if I happen to find some spare time. These dump dinner recipes are perfect for freezing and make a wonderful gift for someone who has just had a baby, is experiencing an illness, or going through a hard time.

To get the recipes in this article along with free printable labels and full shopping lists, sign up here.

Last week, I had some appointments booked for Wednesday but then found out that my sitter for that day couldn’t make it. I had to cancel my appointments and found myself with sort of an extra day. I went on Tuesday and bought a lot of chicken and Wednesday made two sets of ten chicken meals. Since each session took me about an hour so, subsequently  I had 20 meals made in two hours!

In my morning chicken dump session, I made Chicken Hurry, Caribbean Chicken, Lemon and Garlic Chicken, Sticky Chicken, and Cantonese Chicken. I made two of each of the five recipes, therefore, I had ten meals in one hour. In the afternoon, I made Teriyaki Chicken, French Canadian Chicken, Cindy’s Chicken, Pepper Lime Chicken, and Lemon Mustard Chicken.

It is such a feeling of accomplishment to look in your freezer and see so many meals ready for busy weeknight dinners!

More Chicken Dump Recipes

For all of my chicken dump recipes, printable grocery lists, and printable labels, you can purchase my Chicken Dump Recipes. You can read more about it here.

You asked and it is now available! Beef Dump Recipes!

You also have the option to purchase all the chicken dump recipes and beef dump recipes together at a saving!

The key to successful chicken dump meals is having all your ingredients out before you start assembling. This saves time and aggravation!

Steps to making Chicken Dump Meals:

  1. Get out all ingredients.
  2. Label resealable freezer bags (you can use a permanent marker or print labels to stick on) with the name and cooking instructions.
  3.  Press the bottom of the bags to lay flat and then fold over the top in order to keep them open.
  4. Add chicken into each bag. You can use boneless, skinless thighs or breasts.
  5. After the chicken is in all of the bags then you dump the remaining ingredients into the bag.
  6. After all the ingredients are in each bag, you then remove the excess air, seal the bags, lay flat, and freeze.

5 Chicken Dump Recipes

Chicken Hurry

  • chicken
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 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 or in the crockpot on low for 4-6 hours.

Caribbean Chicken

  • chicken
  • 8 oz. can pineapple chunks with juice
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/3 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup raisins

Cooking instructions:

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

Lemon and Garlic Chicken

  • chicken
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 4 Tbsp. of olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
  • 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper

Cooking instructions:

Thaw. Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes or in the crockpot on low for 4-6 hours.

Sticky Chicken

  • chicken
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 Tbsp. soy sauce**
  • 3 Tbsp. peanut butter
  • 3 Tbsp. ketchup

Cooking instructions:

Thaw. Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes. **if you are making these gluten-free, be sure to use gluten-free soy sauce

Cantonese Chicken

  • chicken
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup melted honey
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce**
  • 2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Cooking instructions:

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

Notes:

  • The recipes work best with 3-5 chicken breasts or 8-10 thighs per bag. If you use a lot more or a lot less chicken, you will then need to adjust the recipes accordingly.
  • Plan the meals so that they have some common ingredients, which saves even more money, given that there is less waste.
  • All dump dinner recipes can be made gluten-free as long as you follow the notes indicated.
  • I heard from a reader who suggested using slow cooker liners. I had never heard of such a thing, however, given that it eliminates the cleanup of the crockpot, these are another time-saving strategy.
  • Don’t forget to check out the other chicken dump recipes for even more options!

To get the recipes in this article along with free printable labels and the shopping lists, simply sign up here.

Buy my Chicken Dump Recipes book which includes 25 recipes divided into 5 plans. 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!

spinach and baby tomatoes next to a bed of rice topped with chicken
Print
Chicken Hurry
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
 
Course: Main Course
Keyword: chicken
Servings: 6
: 255 kcal
Ingredients
  • chicken
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 3 Tbsp. dry onion soup mix*
Instructions
Assembly instructions:

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

Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.

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

Recipe Notes

*I use an MSG-free, gluten-free dry onion soup mix

5 Chicken Dump Recipes
Print
Caribbean Chicken
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
4 hrs
 
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Caribbean
Keyword: Caribbean, chicken
Servings: 6
: 295 kcal
Ingredients
  • chicken
  • 1 can 8 oz pineapple chunks with juice
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/3 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup raisins
Instructions
Assembly instructions:

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

Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.

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

Print
Lemon and Garlic Chicken
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
4 hrs
 
Course: Main Course
Keyword: chicken, garlic, lemon
Servings: 6
: 280 kcal
Ingredients
  • chicken
  • 2-3 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley chopped
  • 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
Instructions
Assembly instructions:

  1. Add the ingredients into a large resealable freezer bag. Remove the excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.

  2. Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes or in the crockpot on low for 4-6 hours.

two chicken breasts on top of a bed of rice
Print
Sticky Chicken
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
 
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Cantonese
Keyword: Cantonese, chicken
Servings: 6
: 264 kcal
Ingredients
  • chicken
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 Tbsp. soy sauce**
  • 3 Tbsp. peanut butter
  • 3 Tbsp. ketchup
Instructions
Assembly instructions:

  1. Add all ingredients to a large resealable (gallon sized) freezer bag. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.

  2. Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes. 

Recipe Notes

**if you are making these gluten-free, be sure to use gluten-free soy sauce

5 Chicken Dump Recipes
Print
Cantonese Chicken
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
 
Ingredients
  • chicken
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup melted honey
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce**
  • 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
Instructions
Assembly instructions:

  1. Place the chicken and other ingredients to a large resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.

  2. Bake at 350° for one hour or in the crock pot on low for 4-6 hours.