Freezer meals are one of the easiest ways to simplify your weeknights, cut your grocery bill, and reduce food waste. Whether you're feeding a busy family or just trying to stay ahead on meal prep, having ready-to-heat meals in your freezer is a game-changer. I prefer to use the meals that I am already cooking and make extra portions for the freezer. My grocery budget is just $135/person per month and the meals that I put into my freezer come from this grocery budget. In this blog, you’ll learn how to batch cook entire meals, prepare proteins for quick dinners, and choose the best supplies for freezing food safely and effectively.
Batch Cooking Freezer Meals
When you want true convenience, there’s nothing better than pulling a fully prepared meal from your freezer. Batch cooking full meals allows you to do this. Being able to take a homemade dish from the freezer prevents you from relying on a drive-thru or takeout on a busy weeknight. It saves money on groceries and gives your family a much healthier option. I also prefer to not cook every night so on the nights that I cook, if I make extras for the freezer it means that there’s always something there that I can take out on nights late when I do not want to cook.
Easy Freezer Meal Ideas
Shepherd's Pie is the perfect comfort freezer meal. It freezes and reheats exceptionally well, thanks to its sturdy mashed potato layer. Simply prepare the filling and potatoes, assemble in a freezer-safe container, and freeze. When you’re ready to serve, bake straight from frozen until hot and bubbly. You can also freeze mashed potatoes on their own and I do that often to take out as an easy side dish.
Another one of my go-to freezer meals is chicken enchiladas. The last time I made enchiladas I ended up with 2 pans with full dinners for the freezer as well as some individually wrapped enchiladas for lunch portions. I use chicken in my enchiladas (here is my recipe) but you can also use beef, beans, or a mix of vegetables. Assemble the enchiladas, top with cheese and sauce, then freeze before baking. They’re ideal for busy nights when you want something flavorful and hands-off.
Soups and chilis that are made in large batches are another idea for a meal that you can freeze. I’ve found that broth based soups with no dairy freeze and reheat the best. I recently made a large pot of beef stew that I will portion out into servings to put in the freeze to enjoy on a cold, winter evening. I also make a butternut squash soup that I freeze every year.
Batch Cooking Proteins
If you prefer quicker meal prep instead of full meals, batch cooking proteins will save you tons of time during the week. These proteins can be added to salads, wraps, casseroles, pasta dishes, and so much more.
Taco meat was the first food that I started batch cooking because the smell of it made me queasy when I was pregnant. I would make several pounds at time and put it into meal sized portions in the freezer. This makes taco night incredibly easy and it also works for burrito bowls, nachos, and stuffed bell peppers. Here’s my tips for taco meat as well as information on the veggies that I sneak into it in order to stretch the meat servings and save even more money on groceries.
Cooked chicken is another thing that I try to always have in the freezer. There are so many meals that you can make with it and having it on hand drastically reduces the cooking time for dinner. In this blog I share some of my favorite meals to make with leftover (or frozen) chicken along with the recipes.
Supplies for Freezing
Having the right freezer-safe supplies makes your freezer meals last longer, stay fresh, and avoid freezer burn. Here are some of the best options for storing your batch-cooked meals and proteins:
Glass Containers
Glass containers are durable, reusable, and great for freezing full meals. They’re perfect for casseroles, pasta bakes, or large soups. You want to make sure that you always have a little bit of room for expansion when items freeze, so do not fill them too full.
- Large Glass Containers: Ideal for family-sized meals
- Single-Serving Containers: Great for lunches or individual portions
- Glass jars: Freezing soups or stews as well as stocks.
Souper Cubes
Souper Cubes are one of my favorite tools for freezing food in perfect portions. They’re silicone trays that allow you to freeze soups, sauces, broths, mashed potatoes, and even casseroles in measured blocks. They also offer ceramic options that you can use for cooking, freezing, and reheating all in one. If using the classic silicone trays, once the item is frozen, you can pop the cubes out and transfer them to a freezer bag for long-term storage.
Breakfast Freezer Meal Prep
I'm not a morning person, so meal prepping breakfast items is super helpful. Everything from protein pancakes to egg bites can be made ahead of time and put into the freezer. Having these items in the freezer makes it easy to have a healthy and nutritious breakfast without having to do all of the work. This blog has some of my best breakfast meal prep recipes and ideas.
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