Today we are going to answer another question from a reader. It’s timely for me that we examine her question because I’m trying to prepare freezer meals to use after I give birth later this summer.
Sharon asked the following:
“Hi, I have some friends that are having some health issues and would like to do some cooking for them. I am looking for some dishes that can either be made ahead of time and frozen or put together, frozen and cooked at a later date.”
Sharon, your friends are blessed to have you. Meals seem like such a simple thing, but in reality it is so helpful to have them provided for you when you are sick (or recovering from childbirth, grieving the loss of a loved one, etc.). Frozen meals are especially helpful because they can be pulled from the freezer and used whenever they are needed.
Let me share a few of my thoughts and then I hope that YOU will all chime in with your suggestions!
Casseroles are among my favorite freezer meals. Though there certainly are exceptions, most casseroles are hearty, affordable, and freeze well. Before preparing casseroles for the freezer, I like to review these basic tips that I originally shared before my first daughter was born:
(Click on the image to view and download a larger, printable version of the tips.)
Here are some casseroles that I’ve frozen in the past. They’ve all turned out just fine when reheated:
- Creamy Turkey Mushroom Spaghetti
- Easy Mexican Lasagna
- Italian Penne Bake
- Philly Cheesesteak Casserole
Soups, stews, and chilies also tend to freeze well, so they are great options. Another option to consider is freeze and dump dinners for the slow cooker. I just recently learned of this concept. It seems really neat! To make a freeze and dump dinner, you combine all of the raw ingredients for the dinner in a gallon baggie and freeze it. When you want to cook the dinner, you simply thaw it and dump it into a slow cooker where you cook it for several hours (the time and temperature setting vary based on the recipe). Where can you find freeze and dump dinner recipes? Here are some useful sources:
- Crockpot Freezer Cooking Parts 1-5 from Baked in the South
- From Your Freezer to Your Slow Cooker from 100 Days of Real Food
- The 10 Best Crockpot Freezer Meals on the Internet from The Krazy Coupon Lady
- 101 Freezable Slow Cooker Recipes from Once a Month Meals
I’d love to get some input from you! What are your favorite freezer meals? Where do you find good freezer meal recipes? What tips can you share on freezer cooking in general?
Shared at the following link parties:
Monday’s Musings, Titus 2 Tuesday, Tuesdays with a Twist, Tuesday Talk, Inspiration Spotlight, Share the Wealth, and The Art of Home-Making.
Thanks for sharing these tips and recipes!. Pinned it.
I’m glad you found them useful, Debbie!
lasagna, and chicken stew, chicken pot pie, leftover rice, pizza are some of my favorites to freeze
Hi Melanie,
These all sound good…especially the chicken pot pie! Thanks for sharing your suggestions!
Hi Shannon, I like the concept, especially the freeze and dump recipes for the slow cooker! I just haven’t gotten around to trying it yet but hopefully soon! 🙂 Thanks for sharing the Tips for Freezing Casseroles. Blessings, Janet
Hi Janet,
I’ve been assembling several of the freeze and dump dinners. We’ll soon see how they turn out!
I have a book called “Don’t Panic! Dinner’s in the Freezer” and it’s really useful. It gives you the recipe, but then also tells you how much you need to triple the recipe, or even x6 or x9 for some of them! If you do a lot of freezer cooking, I recommend it. There are some delicious recipes in there! =)
What a great concept for a book! I just looked it up on Amazon and it looks very helpful. Thanks for sharing about it!
That’s such a neat tip about some seasonings getting weaker after being frozen-I never would have guessed!
I’ve never done much in the way of freezer meals, but for the past couple months I’ve slowly been building a stockpile for postpartum. Since I usually make bigger batches of food for my husband and I anyway (I don’t really know how to cook for only two people haha), I’ve just been freezing lots of leftovers, so that we have small foil-wrapped packs of enchiladas, breakfast burritos, and a big bag of chili (and probably some other assorted foods that I’ve forgotten are in there!). Today I made a batch of lasagna roll-ups for dinner (I got the recipe off the Pioneer Woman’s website), so I put the extras in mini loaf pans for the freezer. Someday, when we’re in a place with more room, I’d love to get a bigger freezer to do more in the way of freezer meals year-round, because it really is handy!
Hi AnneMarie,
I’ve been building my stockpile by making extra for dinner, too. It’s the easiest way!
A large freezer is a must if you’ll be doing lots of freezer cooking. We purchased a larger one with part of our income tax return this year.
Seems like we are always running somewhere! So it’s Really nice to have things in the freezer for those busy days. Thanks for sharing your tips! We are sure to put them to good use over here!!
It is nice, isn’t it, Karen? It’s so much more affordable and nutritious than grabbing takeout.
When my family was younger and all living at home I made way more freezer meals. Now, it’s typically when I make enchiladas, lasagna and a few others. Great tips. Thanks for sharing at the Inspiration Spotlight party. Have a great week ahead. Pinned & shared.
Hi Theresa,
Enchiladas and lasagna both freeze so well and are easier to make in large batches. Thanks for sharing!