When I think of freezer meals, I always think of making them for someone else, like a friend who just had a baby and needs easy-to-reheat dinners on hand. But honestly, freezer meals are something busy parents should be incorporating into our weekly rotations more often. Because if you’re already doing the work to cook, you may as well just double the amount and freeze half for later, no? These freezer meal recipes are perfect for doubling or tripling up and saving for those days you get home late or just can’t be bothered to cook again.
Easy Chinese Chicken & Sweet Corn Egg Drop Soup
When I’m sick, nothing sounds better than not having to cook and ordering egg drop soup from a local takeout place. The Stush Kitchen’s Chinese chicken and sweet corn soup sounds like the amped-up, better version of the classic, and it would be so nice to have in the back of the freezer for a sick day when you cannot fathom standing at the stove to make dinner.
Crockpot Pulled Barbecue Chicken
We shred chicken or break down a rotisserie chicken for meals all the time in my household, but it never occurred to me to make enough to freeze. You could totally leave it plain to add whatever sauce you want when you thaw it, or try Princess Pinky Girl’s barbecue chicken recipe (she has specific freezing instructions in her blog post).
Freezer Breakfast Sandwiches
Breakfast is often overlooked by the parents in my house as we hustle to feed our son, pack his lunch, and just get ourselves out the door on weekdays. Making something ahead, like these freezer breakfast sammies from All The Healthy Things, would be such a nice way of actually taking care of ourselves throughout the week.
Stuffed Pepper Casserole
Princess Pinky Girl’s stuffed pepper casserole gives you all the same great flavor of the classic dish, but in an easier-to-store shape than leaving the peppers whole. You only need about 15 minutes to prep everything before popping it into the oven, so why not make an extra for future you?
Thai Chicken Coconut Curry
Averie Cooks’ Thai chicken coconut curry recipe is a gem. It’s a one-skillet meal that takes 30 minutes start to finish. When the weeknight curry craving hits, it would be so nice to have a batch of this in the freezer ready to reheat instead of spending a million dollars on delivery.
Cabbage Rolls
If you’ve never made cabbage rolls before, Budget Bytes’ recipe is a great one to follow; cabbage is super affordable, so you also won’t go broke trying to make this recipe in bulk. Recipe writer Olena Osipov says this is her grandmother’s authentic Ukrainian recipe, so it’s the perfect intro to a new cuisine if you’ve never tasted it before.
Lasagna Roll-Ups
When I think of freezer meals, I think of lasagna. Damn Delicious’ lasagna roll-ups are portioned into meals for two, but you could package them in larger trays for a family dinner of course. Because sometimes you just want a cheesy pasta meal without all the work, OK?
Freezer Chicken Enchiladas
Enchiladas make everything better if you ask me, so knowing I have a pan full to fall back on when I can’t be bothered to cook sounds magical. Again, Damn Delicious breaks down how to make just the right amount and how long they’ll stay good for in the freezer.
Chicken & Rice Casserole
If a creamy, savory casserole sounds good, may I recommend this one from Feel Good Foodie? You can freeze this prior to baking or completely cooked. When you’re ready to eat it, let it thaw overnight and bake for 30 to warm it through before dishing it out.
Better-Than-Takeout Sticky Chicken
For when you want to order takeout but don’t have takeout money: Averie Cooks’ better-than-takeout sticky chicken. It can live in the freezer for up to four months — just reheat on the stovetop when you’re ready to enjoy alongside some noodles or rice.
Classic Beef Stew
If you had a whole ass day and just need something comforting, but you don’t have comfort meal time on a weeknight, you’ll be so thankful to have a batch of Budget Bytes’ beef stew in the freezer. This recipe takes its sweet time on the stovetop, but all that delicious, flavorful broth and tender meat is worth it in the end (especially if you get to eat it twice but do the work once).
Cheesy Beef & Pasta Casserole
For when you want comfort food and you want it now, I give you Averie Cooks’ cheesy beef and pasta casserole. It’s the hearty baked ziti you want at the end of a long day — just serve it up with some frozen garlic bread and a bagged salad mix and you’re golden, I say.
*Slams stockpot onto the stove.* Time to get to it, folks. Let’s load those freezers up in the name of self-care.
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