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Slow Cooker Spinach and Sausage Soup

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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. Spinach and Sausage Crock Pot soup freezer meal #freezermeal #spinachsausagesoup #slowcookersoup #freezertoslowcooker

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

close up of spinach and sausage soup with shell shaped pastaBrown 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.

bowl of spinach and sausage soup with bread on the side

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Slow Cooker Sausage and Spinach Soup Freezer Meal

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

Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: 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

  1. Brown the ground sausage in a skillet. 

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

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

On the day of cooking:

  1. 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.

collage of tortellini soup in a crock pot and topped with cheeseCrock Pot Tortellini Soup

collage of freezer bags filled with ten different meals for the freezer made with beefBeef Dump Recipes

 

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

Tater Tot Casserole with Ground Sausage

Tator Tot Casserole with ground sausage

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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.

Tater Tot Casserole with ground sausageOther 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.

Kid Favourite Mea: Tator Tot CasseroleTo 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.

beef and chicken dump recipes

Tator Tot Casserole with ground sausage
Print
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

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. Bake at 350° for one hour.

  4. 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:

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.