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freezer meals

From Freezer to Crockpot (and Gluten Free!)

Save time and money with these recipes (+ they're gluten free!)

By Sharla Kostelyk

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Making freezer meals saves you money and using your crockpot saves time. Combine the two for the best savings of all!

Save time and money with these recipes (and they're gluten free!) #freezermeals #glutenfree

I’m a big fan of freezer meals. They save money, time and best of all, eliminate that daily quandary of figuring out what to make for supper. If you are new to making freezer meals, you can learn how to easily plan, prepare and execute making freezer meals for an entire month (or two) in just one day or for a week in just one hour (click this link —>Freezer Meals 101).

I’m also a fan of my crockpot. With 7 kids, anything that makes life easier is good in my books! It is so nice to come home after doing appointments all day to walk in the door to smell supper cooking.

Combining freezer meals and my crockpot is the ultimate in time management for me. When making freezer meals, I always make at least half of the recipes ones that are compatible with crockpot cooking.

If you are looking specifically for the meals to be gluten-free, I have a guide for converting freezer meal recipes to gluten-free freezer meals.

12 freezer meal recipes for the crockpot:

Crockpot Chicken Recipes:

Sweet and Sour Chicken (gluten-free) This freezer to crockpot meal from The Nourishing Home looks delectable!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Chicken Tacos (gluten-free if gluten-free taco seasoning is used or made) This recipe from Sidetracked Sarah is made even easier because she uses rotisserie chicken.

Chicken Tacos

Hawaiian Chicken (gluten-free if gluten-free soy sauce is used) This dump in a bag, freeze, thaw, and throw in the crockpot meal from Meet Penny is great for a busy day.

Hawaiian Chicken Crockpot Freezer Meal

Better Than It Sounds Prune and Olive Chicken (gluten-free)

Better Than it Sounds Prune & Olive Chicken - yes, really!Crockpot Soup Recipes:

Vegetable Pesto Minestrone (gluten-free) This minestrone soup has a very unique flavor from the pesto and from the wine. Delicious!

Vegetable Pesto Minestrone (Gluten Free Freezer Meal Series at The Chaos and The Clutter)Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup (gluten-free) This recipe from Meet Penny sounds delicious and is chock full of healthy ingredients.

Stuffed Bell Pepper SoupBeef Vegetable Soup from Sidetracked Sarah (gluten-free)

beef vegetable soup

Crockpot Beef Recipes:

Sloppy Joes (gluten-free) Sloppy Joes are such a comfort meal in our house, especially in wintertime.

Sloppy Joes (Gluten Free Freezer Meal Series at The Chaos and The Clutter)Mexican Casserole (gluten-free if gluten-free taco seasoning is used or made) This family meal is from Sidetracked Sarah and can go from the freezer to a skillet or to the crockpot.

Mexican CasseroleFrench Stew (gluten-free if gluten-free bread crumbs are substituted) Sidetracked Sarah’s husband loves this meal. Maybe yours will too!

French Stew

Other Freezer Meal Recipes:

Pork & Peppers Crock Pot Bag (gluten-free if gluten-free Worcestershire sauce is used) Another simple weeknight meal from Meet Penny.

Pork & Peppers Crock Pot Meal

Cuban Black Beans (gluten-free) This is an inexpensive family meal from Frugal Family Favourites.

Cuban Black BeansMake 10 meals in one hour using the system in my Chicken and Beef Dump Recipes books or try out my Gluten-Free Freezer Meal Menu Plan.

 

 

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Filed Under: Cooking in the Chaos, Freezer Meals, Gluten Free, Gluten Free Freezer Meals Tagged With: beef, chicken, crockpot, freezer meals, soup

Freezer Meal Recipes

By Sharla Kostelyk

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Making freezer meals has saved me thousands of dollars and countless hours, not to mention taking away the stress of having to think of what is for supper. Meanwhile, I have run out and won’t be making them again until September. Subsequently, trying to figure out every day what to make for supper and making sure I have all the ingredients give me an appreciation for the time I take to stock the freezer. 

Stock up with these ready-to-cook freezer meal recipes and take the stress out of mealtime. You will love not having to wonder what to make for dinner! #freezermeals #freezermealrecipes #makeahead

If you’ve never made freezer meals before, I have a step-by-step guide to making freezer meals that will walk you through everything you ever wanted to know about freezer meals.

Some of the recipes I use are specific to freezer meals. On the other hand, others are old family favorites that I have adapted into freezer meals.

Garden Taco Rice

(makes 2 meals or you can double this recipe to make 4)

Firstly, brown 2 lbs of ground beef. We use Yves Mexican Veggie Ground Round instead of beef.
Add 1 chopped onion.

When beef is browned, sprinkle in 4 tsp. of taco seasoning and 1 tsp. chili powder.

Stir in:

3 cups water
3 cups thinly sliced zucchini
2 cups corn
2 cans stewed tomatoes (I sometimes used the Mexican flavored ones)

Bring to a boil.  Stir in 3 cups uncooked minute rice. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 7 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Divide mixture between 2 large resealable freezer bags. Label with these instructions:

Thaw. Reheat in skillet or oven. Near the end of cooking time, sprinkle with cheese. Cover and let stand until cheese melts.

Print
Garden Taco Rice
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Keyword: rice, taco
Servings: 8
: 428 kcal
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs browned ground beef (or Yves Mexican Veggie Ground Round for a vegetarian version)
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 4 tsp taco seasoning
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 3 cups water
  • 3 cups zucchini sliced thinly
  • 2 cups corn
  • 2 cans tomatoes stewed
  • 3 cups rice uncooked
Instructions
  1. Brown the ground beef

  2. Add taco seasoning, chili powder, and onion

  3. Stir in water, zucchini, corn, and tomatoes, then bring to a boil

  4. Stir in 3 cups of uncooked minute rice and reduce heat to low

  5. Cover and simmer for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally

  6. Divide between 2 large resealable freezer bags

On the day of cooking:
  1. Thaw bag before reheating in a skillet or oven

  2. Near the end of the cooking time, sprinkle with cheese. Cover until cheese melts

Tante Gisele’s Chicken Fried Rice

(makes 2 large meals or you can double to make 4)

Make the kind of rice you prefer, keeping in mind that you need 8 cups of cooked rice.

Heat 5 Tbsp of vegetable oil in a wok or skillet. Add 3 cups of diced chicken breast. Cook the chicken until no longer pink.

Add:

2 cups diced onion
1 cup diced celery
2 cups diced carrots
2 small jars of sliced water chestnuts
2 cups frozen peas

Stir fry for a few minutes. After that, add the rice and 1/4 – 1/2 cup oil then fry.

Stir in 2 minced garlic cloves, 4 Tbsp oyster sauce, and 8 Tbsp soya sauce.

Divide into 2 large resealable freezer bags and label:

Thaw. Heat in a covered casserole in the oven.

Print
Tante Gisele's Chicken Fried Rice
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Keyword: chicken, rice
Servings: 8
: 778 kcal
Ingredients
  • 5 Tbsp. vegetable oil (to fry chicken in)
  • 3 cups chicken breast diced
  • 2 cups onion diced
  • 1 cup celery diced
  • 2 cups carrots diced
  • 2 jars water chestnuts sliced
  • 2 cups frozen peas
  • 1/4-1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 Tbsp. oyster sauce
  • 8 Tbsp. soya sauce
Instructions
  1. Make whatever rice you prefer, as long as you end up with 8 cups cooked

  2. Using the 5 Tbsp. of oil, fry the diced chicken breast in a skillet until no longer pink

  3. Add onion, celery, carrots, water chestnuts, and peas for a few minutes

  4. Add rice and remaining oil, fry

  5. Stir in garlic, oyster sauce, and soya sauce

  6. Divide into 2 large resealable freezer bags and remove excess air

On the day of cooking:
  1. Thaw the bag and heat in a covered casserole dish in the oven

Tante Gisele’s Chicken Fried Rice recipe is available in my Dinner in 20 Freezer Meal Menu Plan which includes printable shopping lists, prep list, recipes, and printable labels.

dinner-in-20-meal-plan-ad-template

Black Bean Soup

(makes 1 lunch-size meal or you can double or triple for more)

Run  1 1/2 cups of water and a 19 oz. can of black beans (with the liquid) through a blender. Add 2 Tbsp. VE dry salsa spice, 4 tsp. vegetable stock mix, and hot pepper sauce to taste.

Pour into a medium-sized resealable freezer bag and label with instructions:

Thaw. Bring to boil in a saucepan. Boil slowly uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring often. Serve topped with sour cream and grated jalapeno jack cheese.

Print
Black Bean Soup
Course: Soup
Keyword: black bean
Servings: 4
: 481 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1.5 cups water
  • 19 oz. canned black beans
  • 2 Tbsp. VE dry salsa spice
  • 4 Tsp. vegetable stock
  • hot pepper sauce, to taste
Instructions
  1. Blend ingredients together

  2. Pour into a medium-sized resealable freezer bag

On the day of cooking:
  1. Thaw bag and bring to a boil in a saucepan

  2. Boil slowly uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring often

  3. Serve topped with sour cream and grated jalapeno jack cheese

Our Other Favourite Freezer Meal Recipes:

Chicken Dump Recipes

Beef Dump Recipes

Sloppy Joes (gluten-free)

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Soup (gluten-free)

Beef and Corn Casserole (gluten-free)

Spanish Rice Casserole (gluten-free)

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Casserole (gluten-free)

Vegetable Pesto Minestrone (gluten-free)

Crock Pot Pizza Casserole

Stuffed Peppers (gluten-free)

Better Than It Sounds Prune and Olive Chicken (gluten-free)

Check out our Freezer Meal Menu Plans which come complete with printable shopping lists, prep lists, printable labels, and full recipes or our Chicken and Beef Dump recipe books.

Chicken and Beef Dump Recipes Bundle

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Filed Under: Cooking in the Chaos, Freezer Meals Tagged With: beans, chicken, freezer meals, rice, taco

Step-By-Step Guide to Freezer Meals (The Big Day)

By Sharla Kostelyk

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This is the third post in a step-by-step guide to show you what I have learned on my freezer meal-making journey. I have been making freezer meals for our family for over three years now.  It has saved me thousands of dollars! Not to mention the amount of brain space it has freed me up to not worry about what I am going to cook every day.  By spending one or two days cooking, our family can have enough meals to last between one and three months!  That is what I call a good use of my time!

In the first article of this step-by-step guide, I outlined what steps need to be taken in planning. In the second, I detailed what steps needed to be taken in preparation. In this article, I will take you step-by-step through the day you assemble your meals.

Step 10:

At each of your stations, put out the rest of the ingredients.  These will include refrigerated ingredients and the items you prepared in advance. This can include browned meat, cubed chicken, and chopped vegetables.

Step 11:  

If you are doing this in a group, assign one person to each station and get to work.  Making multiple batches of the same meal is hardly any extra work and at the end of the day, everyone has so many meals to take home to their families.  If you are doing this on your own, start at one station and work your way around.  Alternating between an easy to assemble dish and one that is more difficult, keeps your energy up, as the progress is encouraging.

Step 12:  

Freeze the meals.  Let out all excess air from the meals in bags to prevent freezer burn and lay them flat.  This will optimize your freezer space.  If you are doing this in a group, have everyone bring something to transport their meals home in. Cloth shopping bags, boxes, or even a laundry basket work well. Keeping the meals cold can be tricky the day of the assembly unless you live in a cold climate. Schedule your cook days for cold days and store the assembled meals in the boxes outside until people are ready to go home.

Step 13:  

Stand back and admire your work.  You just made a month’s worth of meals!  Last year, I did a two-day freezer meal marathon and ended up with enough meals to last over three months.

freezer meals in bags and foiled pans

 

(this is a picture of my actual freezer following a day of freezer meal assembly. There are 37 meals, plus four bags of homemade tomato sauce. This sauce can later be used on pizzas, soups, or on pasta…the end result is well worth the effort!)

By using this step-by-step guide for cooking, I am able to feed our family of 9 suppers very affordably. Costing between $8 and $10 a meal, it averages out to less than or a bit more than $1 per person.  (note…those calculations were before I started couponing, so you can further decrease the cost by saving with coupons)  I am also free of panic and worry about what to make for supper!

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Step by Step Guide to Making Freezer Meals (The Preparation)

By Sharla Kostelyk

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Freezer meals (also called “once a month” cooking), can save a tremendous amount of time, stress, and especially, money. That’s what the second part of this freezer meals guide is all about.

I have been making freezer meals for our family for over three years now.  It has saved me thousands of dollars, not to mention the amount of brain space it has freed up. I love to not have to worry about what I am going to make for supper every day.  By spending one or two days cooking, I am able to have enough meals to feed our family for between one and three months!  That is what I call a good use of my time!

In the first 4 steps of this freezer meals guide, I outlined Steps 1 – 4, including important money-saving information about planning your freezer meals.  In this second article of the guide, I will outline what steps to follow the day before the big day of meal assembly.

freezer meals in bags stacked on top of each other

Preparation Steps

Step 5:

Buy the groceries and containers needed. For most of my freezer meals, I use large freezer bags. However, some recipes such as lasagna need a foil tray.  Make note of this when writing your grocery lists and buy as many bags and containers as you will need.  For additional savings, cleaned-out yogurt containers and the like can also be used if well sealed.  I like to do my shopping at the warehouse store first.  That way, if there were any ingredients on that list that they did not have in stock, I can purchase them at the local grocery store.

In my community, you get 15% off your entire grocery bill on the first Tuesday of the month.  This is a huge saving!  Remember, I have already called ahead with my meat order so I also get 15% off that. Plus, I get whatever additional discount on the meat I was able to negotiate over the phone.

Step 6:

Label your bags and containers.  Using a permanent marker, write the name of the dish and the cooking instructions on the bags and containers.  By doing this before the cooking day, you will be able to save a lot of time and confusion on the day of your assembly.  Some people prefer to print up labels on the computer.  Some people also like to add the date so that they will know when the meals were made.  Alternately, you can print up a list and post it inside your freezer.

Step 7:

Fry up the ground beef or imitation ground beef, chop up the onions and other vegetables you will be using. This is when you also cube any chicken that needs to be cubed.

Step 8:

Set up your stations.  Set up stations around your kitchen or workspace. For those who have a small kitchen, perhaps a dining room table can also be used).  If you are doing this in a large group, you may wish to use a community or church kitchen.  At each station; place the photocopied recipe, non-perishable ingredients that you will need, spices called for, the labeled freezer bags or containers, and any equipment you will need such as mixing bowls, can openers, measuring cups, and spoons, and mixing spoons.

Step 9:

Get some sleep.  The big day is coming and you will need your rest!

Next week, the freezer meals guide will explain what to do on the actual day of making the freezer meals.

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Step by Step Guide to Making Freezer Meals (The Planning)

By Sharla Kostelyk

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Making freezer meals (sometimes referred to as “once a month cooking”), is a great way to not only save time and stress, but also money.

I have been making freezer meals for our family for over three years now.  It has saved me thousands of dollars! The amount of brain space it has freed up to not having to worry about what I am going to make for supper every day is awesome.  By spending one or two days cooking, I am able to have enough meals to feed our family for one to three months!  That is what I call a good use of my time!

As far as cost goes, by prepping three months of meals ahead of time, I am able to significantly lower our grocery budget.  I am able to feed 9 people for an average of $10 a meal!  That works out to $1.11 per person per supper.  In months when I carefully plan this, I am able to cut that to between $8-$9 per meal, working out to less than $1 per person.

***Note: I haven’t done a freezer meal day since I started couponing. I expect that the cost will now be much lower than that from now on!

You can cut the cost by getting together in a group to make the freezer meals. I do this about half the time, and it takes what can be mundane and makes it fun.

These first four steps should be done a week or so before you plan to make the freezer meals.

collage of freezer meals on plates

The Planning

Step 1:

Choosing the recipes.  I use a combination of sources for my recipes.  Some are family favorite recipes that I have adapted into a freezer meal or that I know will freeze well. I like to be sure that I choose recipes that I can whip up quickly and others that will provide my family with the best nutrition possible. I have now come up with such an arsenal of recipes that I offer here: freezer meals menu plans.

I choose a variety of meal types when planning, but also choose recipes that involve some similar preparation steps to cut down the time involved.  As an example, since Chili and Sloppy Joes both require browning the meat and chopping onions, I make them together.  If I am going to make Spanish Rice, I will also make several meals of Chicken Fried Rice as well.

I also select recipes that call for the same ingredients so that I can shop in bulk and save more money.  As an example, Tex Mex Casserole calls for adding cans of corn, so I will also make Corn Chowder to freeze.  That way, I can buy a case lot of corn and save money.

Step 2:

Photocopy your recipes.  These will later be used at your stations.  Stations will be explained later.

Step 3:

Make grocery lists.  If you have access to a warehouse store, you will want to make a list for that store as well. Make a list for your local grocery store to buy the items not stocked at the warehouse store. Make your grocery lists as you are writing out your recipe list.  As you are going through, make tally marks next to the ingredients as each recipe calls for them.  As an example, once you have onions on your list, every time a recipe calls for them, make tally marks to indicate how many you will need.  Doing these first two steps at the same time will allow you to plan more clearly.

Step 4:

Call ahead with your meat order.  Especially if you are doing this with a group of friends, you will need a large quantity of meat, and your local grocer may not have it in stock when you need it.  I call the meat department ahead and put in my meat order.  This saves time as well as when you are in the store, the order is ready for you.  Most meat departments are willing to give you a discount because you are ordering in bulk.  This step is very important.

My second article in this series will detail what needs to happen the day before the big day and then the last article will go through instructions for assembling your freezer meals.  By following this plan, you can save time, stress, and money when it comes to meal planning for your family.

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