MAKE-AHEAD FREEZER MEALS

As we near the holidays, we know our days will get even busier, right?! Those days when you think, what in the world am I going to fix for dinner tonight when we are in such a rush with so much going on. And you really don’t want to go through the fast food drive thru again. :-/

I do love using my slow cooker – with all of these yummy ideas and these hearty slow-cooker soups, I frequently fill my crockpot in the morning to make things easier!

But then there are FREEZER MEALS, which make my busy days even easier! Why not prep and freeze some meals now, then during your busiest days you can just pull a meal out of the freezer with no extra work involved? Take some time now to make-ahead these freezer meals and you will be so, so glad you did later! 

Make-Ahead Freezer Meals

Chicken Parmesan Casserole |  by Rachel of Thriving Home

 Easy Taco Casserole | by Carrie of Eating on a Dime

Salsa Verde Crockpot Chicken | by Kelli of New Leaf Wellness

Chinese Beef and Broccoli | by Lina for Hip2Save

Parmesan Crusted Chicken Tenders | by Kristine of Kristine’s Kitchen

Slow Cooker Mexican Chili with Cornbread Topping | by Kelli of New Leaf Wellness

Crockpot Ranch Pork Chops | by Tara of Recipe Book and More

Italian Risotto | by Tricia of Once a Month Meals

Cheeseburger Casserole | by Corri of Femiology

You may want to get some foil pans like these to freeze your meals in. It’s nice sometimes to be able to just pitch it and not have to wash the pan. 🙂 And if you want to do smaller portions,  this size pan is a good option. Not one for foil pans? These pans are freezer safe and come in different size options.

For some recipes, you’ll need good quality gallon size Ziploc bags. A good quality storage bag will help to protect your food against freezer burn. Has anyone ever used these hands-free storage bag holders ? I came across these some time ago, and thought what a good idea to use these when you’re putting in all of your ingredients for freezer meals. Ingenious.

For the recipes that have you dump the freezer bag of ingredients into the crockpot, consider using these crockpot liners, for an easy cleanup. Who doesn’t like easy dinner cleanup, right?! 

I hope you try out some of these make-ahead freezer meals.  They are so good to have on hand and even make a thoughtful gift for a new mom, someone who is ill or just had surgery. If you have some recipes that are “freezer friendly” please share with us here!

Click the image for some great make-ahead breakfast recipes!

Want less stress in the kitchen during the holidays? Try these crockpot appetizers to simplify your holidays!