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(Psst – these would all be especially good, healthy freezer meals for new moms as they adjust to life with their new baby!
Do a friend or sister a favor and stock her freezer for a couple of weeks in a super short time!)
Seriously is there anything better than quick, simple, and easy cheap dinner ideas that your family will love?
We highly recommend the one-touch freezer meals for your family’s favorite dinners made cheap, simple, and as quickly as possible!
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25+ Easy Freezer Meals For a Month!
If you couldn’t tell already, freezer meals are about as close as you can get to thinking of a meal, and *poof* it appears!
Freezer meals are perfect for EVERY family, whether you’re looking for:
make ahead freezer casseroles
freezer meals for new moms
freezer meals for two
pre-made meals you can pop in the slow cooker
healthy freezer meals on a budget
meals that freeze well and reheat well
- freezer meals for an instant pot
- freezer meals for picky eaters, or
- freezer meals for beginners
You get the picture.
Check out this list of 25+ easy freezer meals to give you enough ideas to fill a whole month, but with only needing to cook on ONE day!
*Do make sure to check your recipes for specific thawing instructions- you’ll either cook straight from frozen or need to thaw for up to 24 hours (shortened in a water bath, in some cases)!
Again we highly recommend the one-touch freezer meals for some incredible family favorite freezer meals!
Casseroles & One-Dish Wonders Freezer Meals
These are the types of meals you’d typically cook in the oven, in a casserole dish. Some of them could easily be converted to slow cooker recipes, so don’t let the names and categories fool you!
1. 20-Minute Tuscan Pasta Freezer Meal
You can’t ask for a better recipe than a 20-minute dish to make your meal prep as easy as can be!
To cook: Thaw 24 hours before cooking, or cook straight from frozen (with a slightly longer bake time).
2. Easy Individual Mini Meat Lasagnas
This recipe had to be included on this list because it’s perfect when you’re in need of freezer meals for one, or you can easily combine them into one larger pan to make a family-sized lasagna!
To cook: These are partially cooked before freezing. Bake straight from frozen for about an hour (adjust the timing as needed if you made a family-size pan).
Also, if you like it cheesy, add more shredded cheese and top with parmesan cheese when it comes out of the oven.
3. Freezer-Friendly Shepherd’s Pie
With kids in tow, you’ll always be thankful foreasy meals to freeze and reheat, like this simple casserole.A true budget meal, but also delicious and full of veggies!
To cook: Defrost 24 hours before baking to reheat.
4. Easy Taco Casserole
Taco Tuesday just got a whole lot easier!
All you need is a bag of chips to eat this like a dip, and you’ve really got a multi-functional, five-star freezer meal.
To cook: Thaw overnight in the fridge prior to reheating.
5. Undone Stuffed Pepper Casserole
A fun, freezer-friendly twist on a favorite recipe!
Frozen stuffed peppers always come out a little too soggy/watery, but this make-ahead freezer casserole solves that problem!
To cook: Thaw overnight in the fridge prior to reheating.
6. Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
Here’s one of the classic, homemade freezer meals we love!
There may be a couple of brands that have really cornered the market on frozen pot pies, but the taste is NOTHING compared to making chicken pot pie at home.
You can make these as individual sizes, or as a larger chicken casserole-type prep for a family-size meal! Make the filling in the crock pot while you’re at work to save even more time.
To cook: Bake straight from frozen in the oven! Takes about an hour or so per the individual pie recipe.
7. Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Manicotti
Having a delicious, “gourmet” meal more often for dinner really CAN be possible with a freezer meal like this.
Make this recipe in 2-4 times the size so you can serve one tray fresh and quickly and easily have 2-3 more trays to freeze for another night.
To cook: Bake straight from the freezer for an hour or so.
8. Chicken, Broccoli, Bacon, & Potato Bake
With a super easy prep, this is one of the perfect meals to freeze before the baby arrives, if you’re expecting and freezer stocking.
Use pans as large or small as you like, and size up the recipe to easily make a ton of meals in one sitting!
To cook: Thaw in the fridge before cooking. Bake for about 1 hour (until chicken is cooked).
9. Herb-Roasted Chicken & Vegetables
I love this prep – dump all the ingredients in a pan and freeze! So simple and so healthy.
To give it a little more tasty goodness for the kids, you can also sprinkle parmesan cheese over it- it works so well with the seasoning.
To cook: Thaw in the fridge before baking. Cook for 1 hour (until chicken is cooked through).
Slow Cooker & Instant Pot Easy Freezer Meals
These recipes are specifically created for the crock pot or instant pot cooking, so you can easily have dinner ready by the time you get home.
10. Freezer to Crock Pot Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
When it comes to crock pot freezer meals and kid-friendly taste, this recipe is a big winner!
Mix it up and add your own choice of veggies to customize it to your family’s tastes.
To cook: Thaw overnight in the fridge, then dump and go on low for about 8 hours.
11. Beef Stroganoff (Freezer Meal)
If you’re looking for a huge “yum” factor, then beef stroganoff is a great choice!
It’s a great choice if you’re looking for freezer meals on a budget, especially if you can buy the ingredients on sale to do the freezer meal prep.
Ground beef is also one of the less expensive meats and you can often find discounts or “buy one” deals on them with potatoes or other veggies.
To cook: Dump frozen (raw) ingredients straight from your freezer bag into a crock pot, no thawing required! Cook on low for about 4+ hours (until meat is fully cooked).
12. Slow Cooker Pork Chops with Apples and Sweet Potatoes
I love the recipes with raw ingredients in a bag that you can just put in the crock pot and, like magic, end up with dinner that night!
The prep work is SO fast- just chop and freeze.
To cook: Thaw overnight in the fridge, then dump into the crock pot and cook on low for about 8 hours.
13. Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas
Whether you serve this as a standalone meal, with a side, or wrapped in a tortilla shell, it’s sure to be a hit (and so easy to make)!
To cook: Place in the fridge the night before to thaw. Cook on low for 6ish hours (until chicken is cooked through).
Soups & StewsFreezer Meals
Whether it’s cooked fresh, in a crock pot, or frozen for later, you can’t deny that soups and stews are almost always nutritious, hearty meals that can satisfy a variety of palates.
But they can be time-consuming, making them a less-than-ideal weeknight recipe. These recipes will change that!
14. Crock Pot Beef Stew
Anything that can be bagged in one sitting and then just tossed in the slow cooker is high on my list of best meals.
This recipe should be high on the list of best freezer meals for new moms- easy to prep, full of good veggies and nutrition, and SO easy to cook when ready!
To cook: Put in the fridge the night before to thaw. Dump in and cook for 8 hours on low in the slow cooker!
15. Wild Rice Soup
The ideal soup to be used for a vegan and/or gluten-free freezer meal (just skip the chicken!) since you can easily reheat it in a crock pot OR instant pot to make your night as low-key or fast as needed!
To cook: Put frozen soup in an instant pot for about half an hour (high pressure) or a slow cooker for 4 hours on high.
16. Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
Homemade chicken soup is the best!
I don’t know about you, but when it comes to my health and happiness, there are few things that can beat a nice hot bowl of home-cooked noodles with just enough veggies thrown in for good measure.
This recipe takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish so even on those busy workdays or lazy weeknights- you still have time to make yourself feel better with a bowl of chicken noodle soup.
To cook:Just throw your soup back onto the stovetop for 10 minutes to reheat the dish.
Stir-fry & More
Stir-fry is a healthy and delicious go-to meal for us.
Some of these meals could be made into part of a stir-fry (like serving a chicken-only recipe over rice), or could act as a side dish for another main entree meal- it’s up to you!
17. Shrimp & Veggie Stir Fry Freezer Pack
Stir-fry is always a great choice if you’re looking for a healthy meal for your family, especially with this dump-and-cook freezer meal recipe!
You could easily switch up the ingredients to better suit your tastes if shrimp isn’t your thing.
To cook: Dump (from frozen) into a skillet or wok and cook through.
18. Chinese Beef and Broccoli
What’s a stir-fry recipe list without beef and broccoli?
This might be the best crock pot freezer meal, for how clean and simple it is! Eat as-is, or serve over white rice for a more filling meal!
I suggest you use low-sodium soy sauce to cut back on the salt a bit without cutting back on flavor.
To cook: Thaw before cooking. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. (You could alternatively use a skillet or wok for faster cooking time.)
19. Simple Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade
The thing I love most about these kinds of meat marinade recipes is how versatile they are!
You could use the cooked result for a sandwich, salad topper, served with a side – you name it!
With a little assembly now, and maybe cooking a side later, you’ll have a flavorful meal on the table with hardly any effort!
To cook: Thaw the night before in the fridge. Bake until cooked through!
20. Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Freezer Meal
Another marinade freezer meal recipe that can be used in so many different ways!
To cook: In crock pot from frozen – 6 hours on low. In crock pot from thawed – about 4 hours on low. Can also be cooked in the oven after thawing overnight!
21. Chicken Fried Rice
Use this recipe as a complete meal, or leave out the chicken to easily turn it into a side dish.
It’s an easy meal to call this a freezer meal for two, or scale it up to make it family-sized!
To cook: Fully cooked before freezing, so just thaw/reheat it and you’re good to go!
On-The-GoFreezer Meals
These are meals that you can easily wrap in a piece of foil and have your kids eat in the car on the way to/from practice or for you to eat the next day while you’re running errands during your lunch hour!
22. Ham and Cheese Stromboli
It’s rolled-up pizza. It’s a family-sized hot pocket. Whatever you want to call it, it’s AMAZING.
Making this is a cinch, but be warned you likely won’t have any leftovers for the next day, it’s so good!
To cook: Thaw uncooked, but assembled stromboli before baking.
23. Hawaiian Sweet Roll Sliders
For both size and easy prep, these little sandwiches make for easy meals to freeze and reheat- perfect for your kids’ lunchbox!
PB&J may be delicious classic, but mix things up with these yummy sliders!
To cook: Thaw in the fridge overnight, then bake for 20-25 minutes!
24. Philly Cheesesteak (Freezer Meal)
Who doesn’t love a delicious Philly cheesesteak sandwich? These are great on-the-go meal, since it’s not just tasty but has some healthy veggies built into them!
To cook: Dump (from frozen) into a skillet and cook through. Serve topped with cheddar cheese, cheese whiz, or whatever cheese you like on a warm roll.
25. Chicken Enchiladas
Who doesn’t love a good enchilada recipe?
This is one of thebest freezer meals for new moms because it’s 1) super easy to reheat and have ready, and 2) filling enough to help replace some of that lost energy from lack of sleep!
You can also change up the protein and use shredded chicken or pork or ground beef or chicken for different textures and flavors.
To cook: Thaw overnight, then bake per recipe instructions, 0r bake straight from frozen with extended cooking time.
Bonus Breakfast Freezer Meal Recipes
26. Green Protein Smoothie Freezer Pack
The ultimate on-the-go meal: smoothies.
You know that we love our smoothies, and the idea of putting bags of prepped smoothie ingredients right into the freezer to dump, blend, and go is pure genius!
To cook: No cooking required! Just dump, blend, and go.
27. Homemade Freezer Breakfast Sandwiches
Dinner isn’t the only meal that you can prep and freeze ahead of time!
Save money on store-bought or drive-thru breakfast sandwiches and make these delicious breakfast sandwiches for yourself instead!
To cook: Reheat straight from the freezer!
28. Frozen Mini Pancakes
Pancakes don’t have to wait for weekends anymore.
Yes, it’s possible to make “freezer meals breakfast,” and make your mornings that much easier (and yummier).
You can prep toppings ahead of time or use store bought stuff- our classics? White chocolate chips and creamy peanut butter (melted!), you’ve got to try it!
To cook: Reheat straight from the freezer, and enjoy!
29. Make Ahead Cinnamon Rolls
What’s life without a little dessert? Boring.
Make these amazing cinnamon rolls for your freezer, and you’ll be prepared with a quick-make dessert for a family gathering, or maybe just for fun next Tuesday!
To cook: Place frozen rolls in a baking dish, 2 inches apart on all sides. Thaw to room temp/doubled in size, and bake for 30 minutes! Yum!
30. Quick Breakfast Burritos
The best part about making breakfast burritos is that you don’t have to spend a lot of time in the morning fussing with them.
Pop one into your microwave, and they’re ready when it comes out.
This breakfast is the easiest for busy people like us. Plus, they taste great!
To cook:Wrap a single burrito in a damp paper towel and microwave for 3 minutes on 50% power.
FAQs
What are freezer meals?
Freezer meals are, simply put, meals that you do the grunt work of assembling ahead of time, typically to be cooked (or at least reheated) at a later date.
You can get them at the grocery store for quick meals on busy nights, but you can also prep them yourself for a cheaper, healthier alternative.
They can be as complete as a fully cooked lasagna, wrapped up for freezer storage.
Freezer meals can also be partially done as all raw ingredients for a recipe in one container to dump into your slow cooker on your way to work another day.
If you are looking for a plan for your freezer meals, check out this article we wrote on how a monthly meal planner can change your life.
Get instant access to our entire digital library of printable planners, tools, & monthly resources to help simplify and organize your entire life!
How long are freezer meals good for?
Generally speaking, your homemade freezer mealswill keep just fine for up to a few months (so make sure to label the date when you make them).
While it depends on the exact ingredients to know exactly how long it lasts, you’ll be fine going past the 2-3 months mark so long as it’s properly wrapped and stored.
You’ll only really run the risk of loss of quality/flavor after that if freezer burn starts to set in.
How do I store freezer meals?
There are a variety of ways to store your freezer meals, but some of the things you’ll want to consider are:
When I’m ready to cook this meal, will it easily fit into my cooking appliance/method of choice?
Using a round container means a frozen block will fit right into your instant pot without needing to try to thaw and re-shape.
Will it fit in my freezer?
Using a lot of differently shaped containers can make for a logistical nightmare.
Consider using gallon-size Ziploc bags that can easily be frozen flat and stacked for a tidy freezer.
Is this the last step before cooking?
While some meals should be frozen as raw ingredients and some can be fully cooked before freezing, you’ll want to make sure you’re making life as easy as possible for when you thaw/cook your freezer meals.
Fully prepping a lasagna, for example, is a lot easier to cook in a hurry than if you freeze separate containers of sauce/filling and have to cook the noodles to finish the meal.
In this example, you’d want to assemble your lasagna in an aluminum casserole dish (for example), to simply thaw and bake when you need it.
Did I leave space to expand?
The last thing you want is to put in work to make delicious freezer meals only to find anything expanded and burst in the freezer (things like soups, for example)!
Make sure you aren’t overfilling your containers, or you’ll not only have wasted time with your meal prep but now need to clean up your freezer, too.
Final Thoughts
With a little bit of planning, you can have dinner taken care of for the next few weeks with these easy freezer meals.
Have you ever tried cooking from frozen? It’s actually not as bad as it sounds!
Give some of these recipes a try and see how easy it is to have a home-cooked meal without all the fuss.
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