33 Easy Freezer Meal Recipes for Busy Weeknights
Whether I’ve had kids in school or in college, a husband working late or off early, a to-do list a mile long or just a couple errands to run, when dinnertime would roll around during the week, my life always seemed to be crazy. For all those busy weeknights, I liked to rely heavily on freezer meals.
They seriously saved my sanity {and my time and my money!!}. If I knew my week is going to be nuts, I’d walk to the freezer and make my menu for the week based solely off of what freezer meals I have in stock. Easiest menu ever!
My life has slowed down a bit over the last few years but if you’re looking for a way to cut down on the stress that comes with getting a meal on the table {because like it or not, we’ve all gotta eat!}, I highly suggest you whip up some of these meals and stock your freezer!
Here are my favorite 33 Easy Freezer Meal Recipes for Busy Weeknights.
Chicken Freezer Meals:
Sweet Chicken Chili with Bacon – I like to whip up a bunch of this meal in bulk because they make for a perfect warm, chunky chili on a cold winter day. Plus, bacon. So you know it’ll be good!
Chicken and Brown Rice Soup – This recipe makes {8} 1 gallon sized bags, so you’re fully prepared for a full season of sickness. Because what’s better than warm soup when you’re sick? Well, not having to slave over the stove to have it!
Sweet BBQ Applesauce Chicken – Have you ever cooked your chicken in applesauce? If not, you’re missing out! This recipe takes BBQ chicken to the next level. Plus, the applesauce doesn’t overpower the chicken or make it too sweet.
Teriyaki Chicken – I’ve combined two of my favorite things with this meal: freezer meals and crock pot meals. Pretty sure I hit the jackpot of genius ideas with this one. Freezer meals just got even easier {if that’s even possible}.
Curry Chicken with Brown Rice – We eat chicken curry almost every week. It’s one meal none of us ever tire of. I love my Chicken Curry Recipe, but sometimes it’s a little too time consuming for those busy nights. That’s when a freezer meal version of this comes in handy.
Chicken Broccoli Alfredo – Only 4 ingredients and yet this recipe is delicious. YUM-O-YUM! Sometimes simple really is best!
Maple Dijon Chicken – If you’re a fan of opposite food flavor combinations like salty & sweet, sweet and sour, etc. you’ll love the mustard & maple syrup combo in this recipe!
Chicken Cacciatori – When easy and healthy collide, you can be sure that recipe will land on my freezer meal list. This is a great recipe to use up all that fresh garden produce. Plus, you can enjoy it later in the year when the garden is frozen over.
Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken – We all love the Teriyaki Chicken freezer meal I shared above. This version switches things up a bit and makes it even better with pineapple and few other ingredients. It’s a hit around our dinner table.
Chicken Casserole with Mashed Potato Topping – The first time I whipped up this recipe, it was because I had some leftover mashed potatoes from the previous night’s dinner. We all loved it so much, I turned it into a freezer meal and now make it in bulk!
Chicken and Spinach Manicotti – This meal always seems a bit more sophisticated than some of the other freezer meals I make. I’ll even go so far as to say it tastes more sophisticated. Which is to say it tastes awesome. Holy taste buds explosion!
Hobo Chicken Chili – If you’re tired of the same old chili, this is a MUST make. I promise you’ll like it. Every last spoonful of it!
Cilantro Lime Chicken Crock Pot Meal – We always make a pot of rice in the rice cooker to go with this meal and everyone in our house sings its praises. Cilantro lime chicken, I love you!
Chicken Enchiladas – This is a freezer meal staple as well for us. I always make some enchiladas to freeze because they turn out great every time. I can open a can of black beans or cook up some quick rice for a full meal in a few extra minutes!
Chicken with Rice Pilaf – This is by far one of my husband’s favorite freezer meals I make. Lucky for him it makes a lot, so I divide it in half and make 2 freezer meals out of it.
33 Easy Freezer Meal Recipes for Busy Weeknights
Beef Freezer Meals:
Mini BBQ Meatloaves – Mrs. Hillbilly and I found a recipe for these tasty little mini meatloaves, and I’m so glad we did. They were a snap to prepare and a snap to freeze. They’ll certainly be a snap to pull out and cook on a busy night! Oh and did I mention they were delicious? We served them up with some mashed potatoes and veggies for complete nutritious and delicious meal!
Simple Meatloaf Recipe – Speaking of meatloaf, why not make a full loaf if the minis don’t sound like your thing. Here’s a traditional and tasty version of a classic!
Freezer Meals – Ground Beef Pot Pie – Even though I can practically make pot pies in my sleep, we were always a chicken or turkey pot pie family. Then I gave ground beef pot pies a try and they were a huge hit with the fam, so they are now on our permanent menu.
Freezer Meal Beef Stew – It’s a freezer meal staple for our family and it’s so simple and savory and hearty. everything a good stew should be!
Ground Beef Taco Casserole Freezer Meal – We have Mexican food night at least once a week around here and we all love it. I love it even more when all I have to do it pop this dish in the oven and I’m done.
Spaghetti Casserole – I don’t think I know of a single kid that doesn’t love spaghetti casserole. I used to be afraid to freeze it because I thought it would make the spaghetti noodles taste weird. Not the case at all. Tastes just as delicious as a freezer meal!
Gourmet Spinach Blue Cheese Burgers – I love having a supply of ready-made hamburgers in the freezer, but I hate the store bought ones. So I make these in bulk and freeze away.
Beef Enchilada Freezer Meal – I usually make 4 pans of this at once. It’s another one of my go-to recipes for our weekly Mexican food night. I love that all the work has been done. I also love this recipe because it requires so few ingredients. Plus, I always have them on hand. Not running to the store to pick up a missing ingredient is awesome!
Cheesy Beef Tortilla Casserole – This casserole is all of the best of tacos, rolled into one cheesy pot. And it gives a purpose to all those little chip crumbs at the bottom of the bag.
Simple Lasagna Recipe – I make this simple lasagna recipe every single time I buy ground beef in bulk. My family never gets tired of lasagna. Throw a quick salad together and a loaf of french bread on the table, ad you have the easiest complete meal!.
Easy Freezer Meal Meatballs – I like to serve these up with baked beans, but you can use them a million different ways. All the work is done, so just choose your sauce and create away.
Freezer Meal Sweet and Sour Meatballs – Speaking of meatballs, this is hands down my favorite way to prepare those meatballs from above. The sauce is amazing and these pair perfectly with some rice to complete the meal.
Penne with Marinara Sauce and Meatballs – Yet another recipe to use those meatballs up in or you can toss in some frozen meatballs and skip the meatball prep altogether!
Freezer Meal Sloppy Joes – I’ve been making this sloppy joe recipe for years because my whole fam loves it. Plus, it’s so much better than that crappity crap canned stuff. Turning it into a freezer meal just made sense!
Roadside Sliders – Whether you’re making roadside sliders for a crowd or just trying to fill up the freezer for a day when you don’t feel like doing any prep work, this recipe is about as simple as it gets.
Meatless Freezer Meals:
Simple Caprese Lasagna Roll-ups – This recipe turns traditional lasagna on its head. And your taste buds will thank you.
Spinach Lasagna Rolls – Spinach makes everything better. Or at least that’s my motto! I thought those Simple Caprese Lasagna Roll-ups above couldn’t get any better. But I went and added spinach and made them into a freezer meal. BAM. Greatest invention since sliced bread.
Black Bean and Pumpkin Chili – You know how you take a thing you love {chili} and add just one little ingredient {pumpkin} and it changes everything. Well that’s what happened with this recipe. Yum!
So there you have it! 33 Easy Freezer Meal Recipes for Busy Weeknights.
Still can’t get enough? Find even more Freezer Meal Recipes {including desserts} HERE.
Have a great weekend everyone, try and stay out of trouble. 😉
~Mavis
Jennifer Bouknight says
Love, love love this post. Dh and I are recent empty nesters and diabetic, so meal planning become a drudgery at best. I’ve spent so much time in the last few weeks looking for good recipes. I found a few here, but would love to know if anyone has any other sites that would cater to recipes without sugar/rice/potatoes. Didn’t mean to hijack, Mavis, but I know many of your readers are home cooks who could possibly help me get out of my rut. Thanks y’all!!
Rebecca in MD says
Hi Jennifer,
You might try searching on Keto freezer meals. Here is a link to 40 Keto freezer meals that are low in carbs and would fit well with your diabetic restrictions: https://www.intoxicatedonlife.com/40-delicious-make-ahead-keto-freezer-meals/
Jennifer says
Thank you!!
Brianna says
I often cook for a diabetic and I keep most of the same recipes we like and do modifications. Mostly adding more vegetables, swapping dairy for a lower fat variety, brown sugar for any sweetener and in a lesser amount, smaller and leaner protein portions, etc.
For instance with the lasagna spinach roll above, I would use mandolin sliced zucchini or squash for the lasagna noodle, lower fat cheeses and in a smaller amount/ratio to other ingredients, increase the spinach, and use my own homemade pasta sauce since the store bought stuff has a lot of sugar. I bake it the same.
I have not been a fan of many of the diabetic recipes out there, there have been tons of duds for me. So I just modify what I know we like and will get eaten. I look at a recipe not as an instruction to be followed exactly, but as a suggestion. I first look at the ingredients and carbs, then I decide what I can modify or swap and recalculate the carbs before I start cooking. Spices are also my best friend as it can make a dish go from bland to amazing. A poached pear or baked apple for dessert can be boring and you don’t want to smother it in sugar or fat, so add some nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, or vanilla and it will taste wonderful without all of the extra sugar and fat.
Linda Kalbler says
I really like these meals but my 3 freezers are full. I have been pressure canning a lot. Are any of the soups and stews canned friendly.i really enjoy reading your blog. .
Kate says
SOOO many good ideas in one post! Thank you for inspiration and motivation to get cookin’!