By Becky Hardin
Published Apr 4, 2020
These easy freezer meals are perfect for make ahead family dinners. Use these recipes, tips, and ideas to prepare homemade freezer-friendly meals for a month or more in advance. Just prep, freeze, reheat, and enjoy. These are a lifesaver for new moms!
Make AheadFreezer Meals
I’ve always been a big fan of freezer meals and make ahead meals. Being able to prepare food ahead of time, freeze it, and then reheat it when I need a quick family dinner on the table has been a lifesaver during busy times.
There are so many reasons to make meals ahead of time. Sometimes it’s nice to make something for friends or family that they can keep in the freezer until they need it. Sometimes you just don’t have the time to be making full dinners every night, or every week. Or maybe you just got on the meal prep trend and you need some recipe ideas .
These easy freezer meal ideas can help you prep for a month of dinners, or even longer as many recipes last for up to 3 months (or more) in the freezer. Make casseroles, soups, and even some healthy dinners to freeze and reheat. There are Crock Pot and Instant Pot recipes too, so you can make the meal prep or reheating process even easier.
This is a great time to use up your fresh foods and produce and make some freezer-friendly meals to save for later. These recipes will really come in handy for new moms, busy parents, and meal-preppers alike.
Freezer-Friendly Soup: Vegetable Soup
What You’ll Need
Here are a few tools and items that can help with preparing and storing your freezer meals:
- Freezer-friendly bags
- Durable food storage containers
- Cling wrap
- Slow cooker (great for preparing soups)
- Foil casserole pans
- Aluminum foil
Click ☝🏻 for your FREE Printable!
How to Freeze and StoreMeals
These are my top tips for turning regular recipes into freezer meals, and how to store make ahead meals in the freezer.
- Make easy to freeze meals . Casseroles, soups & chili, and baked dishes are really easy to make ahead and freeze.
- Freeze meals in individual portions . If you are preparing large portions for one or two people, portion out your food before freezing. This makes it easy to reheat food as needed. You don’t want to continuously reheat and refreeze food (it’s a hassle, plus it can cause contamination in some foods).
- Make freezer to oven casseroles. If you’re feeding a whole family, prepare casseroles and keep them in a dish, so they’re ready to go straight to the oven for reheating.
- Freeze recipes in freezer-friendly bags instead of rigid containers. You can freeze food flat (which helps it freeze and reheat more evenly), and it is easier to make room, arrange things, and keep your freezer organized.
- Don’t freeze foods while they’re still hot . Let them cool to room temperature, and/or place them in the fridge overnight before moving to the freezer.
- Portion, cut and chop up foods and ingredients the way you want to serve them. For example, chop and slice bananas and fruit, portion ground beef and meat into serving sizes. Otherwise you’ll end up with large amounts of frozen food that can’t be separated until reheated.
- Remove as much air as possible from bags and containers before sealing and freezing. This prevents freezer burn and helps food last longer.
- Label your containers so you can easily identify the food you want to reheat. Use a permanent marker and freezer tape to write recipe names on bags and containers. Otherwise you might end up with a lot of soups and casseroles that you can’t tell apart.
Freezer Casserole: Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping
92+ Easy Freezer-FriendlyMeals
These casseroles, soups, bakes, and other recipes can help you prepare freezer meals for a month or more in advance. Meal prep for a whole family and enjoy these easy make ahead meal ideas. You can even use your Crock Pot or Instant Pot to help make the meal prep or reheating even easier!
Freezer Casseroles
These casseroles are perfect to make and freeze ahead of time. They’re easy to make, easy to reheat, and they can feed a whole family!
Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
Mexican Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
Garlic Bread Pepperoni Pizza Casserole
Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole (Green Rice Casserole)
Swiss Chicken Bake (5 Ingredients!)
Frito Pie Casserole Recipe
King Ranch Chicken Casserole
Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping
Reuben Casserole
Chicken Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole
Tuna Noodle Casserole
Dorito Casserole
Taco Casserole
Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole
Sloppy Joe Casserole
Easy Freezer Meal: Italian Stuffed Shells
Make Ahead Pasta Meals
These classic Italian dishes and pastas are so comforting! Make these and freeze them for easy dinners later on.
Easy Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe
Italian Stuffed Shells
Baked Spaghetti
Baked Ziti without Ricotta
White Chicken Lasagna (Caprese Chicken Lasagna)
Stuffed Shells with Spinach
Beef Bolognese
Homemade Lasagna with Meat Sauce
4 Ingredient Pesto Baked Rigatoni Recipe
Cheesy Mexican Stuffed Shells
Beef Stroganoff
Ravioli Lasagna Bake
Freezer-Friendly: Best Ever Chili
Freezer-Friendly Soups & Chili
Soups and chilis are one of the best freezer meals. You can easily make these dishes in large batches, then freeze and save for months!
Creamy White Chicken Chili
Chicken Broth
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Cabbage Soup
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Beef Chili Recipe
Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Pie Crust Crackers
Easy Chili Recipe (6 Ingredients)
Pesto Chicken Tortellini Soup Recipe (VIDEO)
Sweet Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup
Turkey Chili
Taco Chicken Soup with Pantry Staples
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Crockpot Tuscan Chicken Soup
Easy Taco Soup Recipe
Mom’s Tomato Soup with Cheesy Crostini
White Bean Parmesan Soup
Hearty Vegetable Soup
Beef Stew with Red Wine
Buffalo Chicken Chili
Lasagna Soup
Sweet Potato Chili
Crockpot Freezer Meal: Spaghetti Casserole
Crockpot Freezer Meals
These recipes can be prepped in the slow cooker ahead of time, frozen for months, and then reheated in your crock pot to serve. Such an easy way to make freezer-friendly meals!
Crockpot Chili Recipe
Crockpot Lasagna
Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Healthy Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Crock Pot Spaghetti
Crockpot Stuffed Shells
Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
Crockpot Beef Stew Recipe
Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Crockpot Potato Soup
Crockpot Corned Beef and Cabbage
Crockpot Taco Meat
Meals to Freeze: Instant Pot Beef Stew
Instant Pot Freezer Meals
You can make all kinds of freezer-friendly meals with an Instant Pot, including soups, chilis, pastas, and more. Get your meals prepped and ready to freeze in a flash!
Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup
Instant Pot Spaghetti
Instant Pot Chili
Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
Instant Pot Pot Roast
Instant Pot Turkey Noodle Soup
Instant Pot Turkey White Bean Chili
Instant Pot Turkey Chili
Instant Pot Carnitas
Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup
Instant Pot Chili Mac Recipe (Pressure Cooker Chili)
Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana Recipe
Instant Pot Bruschetta Chicken Recipe
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe (5 Spice Beef Stew)
Instant Pot Chili Verde
Make Ahead Meal: Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
More Meals to Freeze
Just a few more super easy and delicious meal ideas you can make ahead and keep in the freezer.
Cottage Pie Recipe (Skillet and Cast Iron)
Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
Mozzarella Stuffed Meatloaf (Italian Meatloaf)
Chicken and Sweet Potato Enchiladas
Cozy Bacon Cheeseburger Pot Pie
Beef Enchiladas Supreme
Melt in Your Mouth Caesar Chicken
Homemade Sloppy Joes Recipe {From Scratch}
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Recipe with Okra Pilaf
Green Chicken Enchiladas
Chicken Couscous Recipe with Bacon and Corn (One Pot Chicken and Couscous)
Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers
Do you cook freezer meals before freezing?
This depends on the recipe and what you’re making. Check through the recipe you’re using to see if it mentions special freezing instructions and follow that.
If instructions aren’t included, here are some things to keep in mind before deciding to cook before or after freezing .
- Soups will usually be cooked and heated through before freezing.
- Casseroles are often best prepared and frozen BEFORE baking. However, if there’s no meat, you can usually get away with not cooking it first.
- If the recipe includes meat , you should cook the meat before freezing. So if ingredients are all combined before you place it in the freezer, make sure the meat has been cooked through.
- If you want freezer meals that just require reheating instead of cooking, you’ll want to make sure it’s been cooked before freezing.
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How to Reheat Freezer Meals
When you’re ready to reheat any of your freezer meals, it’s best to thaw them first. So if you plan a bit ahead, move the meals you want to eat into the fridge, and let them defrost for 24-48 hours. Then you can simply cook or reheat each one before serving.
Reheated foods (previously cooked) should generally be heated to an internal temp of 165F. If you are cooking an uncooked casserole/meal, follow the original recipe instructions.
If you don’t have time to thaw, you can defrost in the microwave, or just add some extra cooking time when heating in the oven. Make sure everything is cooked through before serving (the middle is usually the last to defrost).
What foods don’t freeze well?
There are a few ingredients that don’t freeze/reheat particularly well on their own. Cheese, cream and dairy, cooked rice or pasta…these are typically considered “bad for freezing”.
Luckily, any potential problems can be solved with some simple tweaks to the recipe. And I’ve generally found that when foods are cooked into a casserole or bake, the quality issues aren’t noticeable. Here are a few things you can do.
- Things like cheese and cream can be mixed into a recipe upon cooking/reheating. If a recipe calls for shredded cheese as a final layer, add it afterwards. If a soup calls for cream, stir it in as you reheat.
- Slightly undercook any rice or pasta (cook it al dente) so that it doesn’t get soggy when reheating.
- If it makes sense for the recipe, freeze it before cooking, and you can avoid those reheating issues.
How long do these freezer meals last?
Most freezer meals will keep for about 3 months. Any longer than that, and the quality starts to degrade quickly. I recommend eating within 2 months for the best quality!
Freezer Meal Idea: Mexican Tater Tot Casserole
I really hope these easy freezer meals can help you in the upcoming weeks and months. It’s always good to have some make ahead dinner recipes on hand no matter the circumstances, but I hope these can be extra useful for new moms, or anyone that needs a helping hand in the kitchen.
Make Ahead Meal Prep
Find more recipes, meal prep ideas, and cooking tips to help make meal time easy!
100+ Easy Meal Prep Ideas
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Essential Grocery List (How to stock your fridge and pantry)
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
