Freezer Friendly/Make Ahead Meals

So, this is something that I have been meaning to sit down and write out for a long time.  I have not done so because I knew that it would be very time consuming.  Every month, I take a day or 2 to prepare about 30 dinners, lots of lunches and lots of breakfasts to freeze ahead so that I don't have anymore cooking to do for A WHOLE MONTH! Hopefully by the end of this post, you will feel encouraged to do the same. Not only does it save you time, but it saves MONEY! :)

First Step:  Choose your recipes. 

Let Pinterest be your friend here... I looked up hundreds of recipes and have them saved under my "Freezer Friendly/Make Ahead Meals" file on Pinterest.  Each month I will try to update you with the meals that I have chosen for that month so that you will have more recipes along the way from my blog.  Here are the recipes that I chose for this month (follow the link).  Please note that I change up the recipes as my pantry sees fit. If I can save money substituting items that I already have, I will.  Some of these recipes you can double or triple depending on how many you want to make.  I think I ended up with around 40 blueberry muffins. :)

Breakfast Burritos
Sausage Pancake Muffins
Bacon Egg Cups - Use same freezer instructions as previous breakfast recipes
Blueberry Cinnamon Muffins - DELISH
Pizza Muffins
Corn Dog Muffins - a favorite for the kids
PB&J - No link, I just make pb&j's and cut/sealed them with my nifty pampered chef tool.  I made about 20/25, bagged them individually, put them in a freezer Hefty bag and then stuck them in the freezer.

Lasagna Cups

Taco Cupcakes

Chicken Salad - No link again.  I made this truly amazing chicken salad.. it didn't even make it to the freezer. Here is what you will need - Whole Chicken, cooked and shredded -- Half of a green apple, diced small -- Red Grapes, quartered, real bacon bits -- Mayo (as much as desired, I did not measure anything in this recipe -- a few squirts of dijon mustard, real bacon bits, celery salt, salt & pepper, dill seed.  I mixed all ingredients together, and voila!

Hawaiin Grilled Chicken - Mix all ingredients (including raw chicken) in a freezer hefty bag (do not use cheap brands, trust me) and then freeze.  Thaw when ready to prepare and then prepare as instructed.

Sweet & Sticky Chicken - not sure what ponzu sauce is.. I just used soy..

Sausage, Peppers & Potatoes

Buttermilk Herb Chicken - this link also features lots of other freezer friendly meals.

Taco Soup - Another family favorite

"Rigatoni Stuff" - This has no link. This was a meal my mom made for my sister and I that we loved.  It is so simple and a favorite for my kids as well.  All you do is cook & slice a pack of sweet italian sausage.  Mix it with Ragu - Super Chunky Mushroom Sauce (Big Jar).  Put in freezer bag and freeze.  When ready to prepare, thaw sauce for an hour or 2, boil noodles, mix noodles with sauce in casserole dish, top with mozzrella cheese and bake @ 400° for about 20-30 mins.  EASY PEASY & yummy!

Lasagna Soup

Cafe Rio Crockpot Chicken/Spaghetti Sauce - I make my own spaghetti sauce, but for those who want something new, there is one on here as well.

Spinach Stuffed Chicken w/ Bacon - YUMM!

Paleo Broccoli Chicken Bacon Alfredo

Garlic Ranch Chicken

Italian porkchops - Porkchops with italian dressing, in a freezer bag, freeze.  Thaw, cook at 375° for 20 or so minutes.

BBQ porkchops - Porkchops with bbq sauce.  Same as above.

Chicken Tortilla Soup - family favorite.  I don't do this one in the crockpot, it's too easy to thaw and then boil and warm. :)

I also made LOTS of sides using red potatoes and/or broccoli.  Get some lipton onion soup mix and follow the recipe on the side (but put the potatoes in a freezer bag before baking) for a great side!

Create A Grocery List

I made my own grocery list in excel, but here is a good worksheet for creating a grocery list:

Grocery List

Once you have created your grocery list, map out where you want to get your groceries and what/where you may have coupons for.  I try to save as much money as possible so I got the specials from Aldi, Food Lion, and Bi-Lo. I stuck to only what was on my list other than a few things here and there that had a REALLY good sale or I had a coupon for.

Start Cooking!

I always create the meals first that don't require cooking (which are mostly all the chicken/porkchop ones) So easy, just dump in a bag and then freeze. Then I do the breakfasts, then lunches, then dinners and sides.

Tips

Describe the meal & instructions on the bag so that your spouse will know how to prepare it as well.  

Stack your meals on a baking sheet when freezing.  This will keep them from forming around the wires in your freezer and getting stuck.  (Learned this the hard way). 

Involve your kids.  My 3 year old son wasn't much of a help, but my 7 year old daughter loved helping!  She sprinkled.. cheeses, toppings, etc.

Always set the bag up in some type of bowl.  This will help hold it open so you can pour in ingredients without a huge mess if you make a mistake. 

This is the amazing outcome:

 And this is the delicious spinach and bacon stuffed chicken with a side of roasted red potatoes that were seasoned with rosemary, thyme, oregano, salt & pepper and lemon juice.

I hope this helps anyone out there who was as lost as I was when first starting this! :)