It’s back to school season, end of summer vacation season, and I’m-about-to-go-on-maternity-leave season!

Can you say FREEZER MEAL time?

As I started to do some research around freezer meals for my upcoming maternity leave, I was shocked at the lack of freezer meal recipe options that were exciting to me. The internet has many freezer meals, but not all of them are OMG-amazing.

Here’s what I consider freezer meals that I (or you!) would actually love:

• Freezer meals that are healthy – in other words, made with real food.
• Freezer meals with actual vegetables in them – maybe even some vegan and vegetarian options.
• Freezer meals with no-cook prep.
• Freezer meals with no advance thawing required.
• Freezer meals made with fun, bold, interesting flavors that we would actually be excited to eat. Like, it has to be at least as good as a takeout pizza, otherwise you know it’s game over.

So in my quest to be well prepared for healthy meals this fall, I decided to go through my own recipes on Pinch of Yum and see which ones could stand up to my Freezer Meal Test.

And good news! I found 12 recipes that are big on flavor and nutrition AND excellent as freezer meals! (Actually, I found about a bajillion, but I only had the time and energy to test 12. I’LL BE BACK THOUGH.)

So that list? All my research and notes and testing? That is what you’re getting today! All 12 recipes, ready to prep, freeze, and save your (and my) life.

Quick Links Within This Post:

• Printable Document with ALL 12 RECIPES
• Terms to Know
• SOUP RECIPES
• MEAT RECIPES
• BAKED RECIPES
• My Favorite Containers
• Freezer Meal Tips, Questions, and Other Notes

How To Use These Freezer Meal Recipes:

1: Print All The Recipes.

Click here to download the Freezer Meals List with all 12 freezer meal recipes.

Poof! Now you can make them ALL this weekend! Or make four this month, four next month, and four the following month. Or make just one at a time! However you wanna do it.

^ This is the exact document that I use religiously when doing freezer meal prep. It has all these recipes ready to go for ya! I find it extremely useful to have everything printed out in a consolidated format for grocery ordering, prepping, etc. I keep this in my kitchen and refer to it often, even if I’m only making a few of these at a time.

I am kind of obsessed with this document and I hope you find it as helpful as I do!

2: Just Shop Around.

Just use this post to browse! You can go to the actual recipe pages and print them individually, or go to the original posts and make the non-freezer versions, or copy and paste the recipe text from this post into your own meal planning document.

A few terms to know before you start:

• Mirepoix: a trio of chopped onions, carrots, and celery.
• Instant Pot: an electric pressure cooker.
• High pressure: the setting for the pressure cooker.
• Natural release: letting everything sit in the pressure cooker before opening the valve, rather than opening the valve immediately.

That’s it! Here we go.

Detox Lentil Soup Recipe

easy, no cook, vegan, gluten free, dairy free

serves 6

FREEZE TOGETHER:

• 2 cups chopped butternut squash, fresh or frozen
• 2 cups mirepoix, fresh or frozen
• 1-2 cups chopped potatoes, fresh or frozen
• 1 cup uncooked brown lentils
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence (or other spices you like)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
• 4-5 cups vegetable or chicken broth

ADD AFTER COOKING:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1-2 cups kale, finely chopped

INSTANT POT: From frozen, 15 minutes on high pressure + 10 minutes natural release.

SLOW COOKER: From frozen, 6 hours on high.

FINAL STEP: Stir in olive oil and kale. (If you made this in the Instant Pot, some of the vegetables should break down just enough to make the soup creamy! If you made this in the slow cooker, blend a little bit of the soup with the olive oil to make a creamy base.) Finish with a splash of lemon juice or red wine vinegar.

This recipe also has its own page. Click here to view!

Wild Rice Soup Recipe

easy, no cook, vegetarian

serves 6

FREEZE TOGETHER:

• 3 cups mirepoix, fresh or frozen
• 8 ounces mushrooms, fresh or frozen
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup uncooked wild rice (the REAL stuff, not a blend)
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning (or spices like sage, thyme, and rosemary)
• 1 lb. chicken breasts (optional)

ADD AFTER COOKING:

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk

INSTANT POT: From frozen, 30 minutes on high pressure + 10 minutes natural release.

SLOW COOKER: From frozen, 4 hours on high.

FINAL STEP: Melt butter, whisk in flour, whisk in milk until creamy and thick. Add to the soup. Add extra water to thin to desired consistency.

This recipe also has its own page. Click here to view!

Sweet POtato Peanut stew

easy, no cook, vegan, gluten free, dairy free

serves 6

FREEZE TOGETHER:

• 3 cups chopped sweet potatoes, fresh or frozen
• 2 jalapeños, minced
• half of an onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 14-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 14-ounce can coconut milk

AFTER COOKING:

• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
• 1-2 cups kale, chopped
• 1-2 cups water

INSTANT POT: From frozen, 8 minutes on high pressure + 10 minutes natural release.

SLOW COOKER: From frozen, 5-6 hours on high.

FINAL STEP: Stir in peanut butter, peanuts, and kale. Add water to thin to desired consistency.

This recipe also has its own page. Click here to view!

Beef Stew Recipe

easy, no cook, gluten free, dairy free

serves 6

FREEZE TOGETHER:

• 2 lbs. beef chuck, fat trimmed, cut in small-ish pieces
• 1 medium onion, sliced thinly
• 6 stalks celery, sliced diagonally
• 6 carrots, sliced diagonally
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 cans tomato juice (about 1 cup)

ADD AFTER COOKING:

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch in 2 tablespoons water

INSTANT POT: From frozen, 30 minutes on high pressure + 10 minutes natural release.

SLOW COOKER: From thawed, 5-6 hours on high.

FINAL STEP: After cooking in Instant Pot, turn on saute function. Add cornstarch slurry. Cook for a few minutes until slightly thickened. (If using a slow cooker, add cornstarch when it’s done and let thicken for 30 minutes.)

This recipe also has its own page. Click here to view!

Beef Ragu Recipe

easy, no cook, gluten free, dairy free, whole30

serves 6-8

FREEZE TOGETHER:

• 6 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 cup mirepoix, fresh or frozen
• 2 pounds flank steak or beef chuck, cut into 4 pieces
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 2 bay leaves

INSTANT POT: From frozen, 45 minutes on high pressure + 10 minutes natural release.

SLOW COOKER: From thawed, 6 hours on high.

FINAL STEP: Shred the meat and serve with pasta, baked potatoes, polenta, rice, cauliflower rice, gnocchi, zucchini noodles, etc.

This recipe also has its own page. Click here to view!

Chicken Tinga Recipe

easy, no cook, gluten free, dairy free, whole30

serves 8

BLEND:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• half of an onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 individual chipotles in adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 14-ounce can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt

FREEZE WITH:

• 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs

INSTANT POT: From frozen, 12-15 minutes on high pressure + 10 minutes natural release.

SLOW COOKER: From thawed, 4 hours on high.

FINAL STEP: Serve as tacos, or on a salad, or in a rice bowl, or in enchiladas…. limitless possibilities!

This recipe also has its own page. Click here to view!

Tandoori Coconut Chicken Recipe

easy, no cook, gluten free, dairy free, whole30 (minus the honey)

serves 8

FREEZER TOGETHER:

• 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 2 tablespoons garam masala
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 14-ounce can coconut milk

INSTANT POT: From frozen, 15 minutes on high pressure + 20 minutes natural release.

SLOW COOKER: From thawed, 4 hours on high.

FINAL STEP: Serve in rice bowls, with roasted vegetables, with cauliflower rice, or in fusion-style tacos or burritos.

This recipe also has its own page. Click here to view!

Korean BBQ Beef Recipe

easy, no cook, dairy free

serves 6

BLEND:

• 1 15-ounce can pears, drained
• a 2-inch knob of ginger
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

FREEZE WITH:

• 2 lbs beef chuck or top sirloin, cut into 4 pieces

INSTANT POT: From frozen, 45 minutes on high pressure + 10 minutes nature release.

SLOW COOKER: From thawed, 3-5 hours on high.

FINAL STEP: Serve in rice bowls or fusion-style burritos or tacos (MY FAVE) with kimchi, rice, slaw, spicy mayo, etc.

This recipe also has its own page. Click here to view!

Cauliflower Walnut “Taco Meat” Recipe

vegan, gluten free, dairy free, whole30

serves 6 (but this is my favorite, so I like to double or triple this recipe when I freeze it!)

PULSE IN A FOOD PROCESSOR:

• 3 cups cauliflower florets
• 2 cups whole walnuts
• 2 individual chipotles in adobo sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• optional: lime juice, onion or garlic powder, cayenne to taste

BAKE: 375 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Freeze for later!

FINAL STEP: Serve in tacos (yummy!), enchiladas, rice bowls, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, the usual.

This recipe also has its own page. Click here to view!

Lasagna Florentine Recipe

vegetarian

serves 6

SAUTE:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 ounces fresh spinach

MIX WITH:

• 1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
• 1 egg

LAYER WITH:

• 1 24-ounce jar of really good pasta sauce
• 10-12 uncooked lasagna noodles
• 2 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

BAKE: From frozen, bake at 425 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes, covered. Remove cover and bake for 10 minutes until bubbly and browned. Let stand for 15 minutes to firm up.

This recipe also has its own page. Click here to view!

Baked Chicken Meatballs Recipe

MIX AND ROLL:

• 1 pound ground chicken or turkey
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• black pepper to taste

BAKE: From frozen, bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

You can also bake them first (400 degrees, 20 minutes) so that you can keep them in the freezer fully cooked and ready to go.

FINAL STEP:  Serve with literally anything – personal fave includes some kind of pasta, red sauce, and a salad.

This recipe also has its own page. Click here to view!

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers Recipe

easy, no cook, vegetarian, gluten free

MIX FILLING:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
• 1 14-ounce can black beans, drained
• 1 14-ounce can refried beans
• 1 1/2 cups red enchilada sauce
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese

STUFF INTO:

• 6-8 large hollowed out fresh bell peppers

BAKE: From frozen, bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes, covered.

FINAL STEP: Finish by melting extra cheese on top. Serve with guac, sour cream, cilantro, hot sauce, etc.

This recipe also has its own page. Click here to view!

Best Containers For Freezer Meals:

Obviously plastic bags are the most common, but let’s be real – not everyone wants to use depressing plastic bags all the time (ME!!) so here my favorites along with a few pros and cons of each type of container.

These products are linked using affiliate (referral) links on Amazon.

Pyrex round 7-cup containers 

• Pros: Fits perfectly inside the Instant Pot or slow cooker! Pretty to look at. NO PLASTIC WASTE!
• Cons: More expensive. Takes up more space.

**These are my personal favorite!** I own 5 of them and use them all the time. I definitely can’t fit 12 of them in my freezer (nor did I want to BUY 12 of them!), but that’s fine by me since I only prep a few recipes (4-6) at a time.

Considerations: Many recipes will require leaving the liquids out in order to fit. The food expands a little bit as it freezes, so you want to leave a little space at the top. To loosen the frozen food before cooking, I just run the containers under hot water for a minute until loosened, and then dump them into the slow cooker or Instant Pot. Unlike freezer bags, the food will be frozen in a round shape so they fit straight into the Instant Pot like a dream! No plastic waste! No awkward square shaped frozen blocks of food! Wash and use for leftovers! Did I mention these are my favorite?

Click here to see the Pyrex 7-cup containers that I use.

Pyrex rectangular snapware 8-cup container

• Pros: Freezer, oven, and dishwasher safe. Pretty to look at. NO PLASTIC WASTE!
• Cons: More expensive. Takes up more space.

These are my second favorite. I own two of these which is just the right amount for the occasional pan of lasagna, enchiladas, stuffed peppers, or even snacks like energy bites. The snap closure is awesome for leftovers and look super pretty in the fridge.

I couldn’t find the exact Pyrex 8-cup snapware on Amazon (I bought mine at Target) but I this OXO version is almost identical!

Stainless steel containers

• Pros: Happy for the environment! Can use for other leftovers.
• Cons: Not huge. Can’t see into them – this is why I don’t use them.

Click here for the stainless steel food storage containers on Amazon.

Silicone bags

• Pros: Happy for the environment! Can use for other small-batch leftovers (perfect for energy bites or smoothies, for example). Visually nice to look at.
• Cons: Too small for most freezer meal recipes.

Click here for the silicone bags that I have!

Disposable plastic ziptop bags

• Pros: Convenient. Cheap. Easy to stack or squeeze or tuck into small freezer spaces.
• Cons: Bad for the environment and makes you sad thinking about ocean animals swimming in plastic every time you throw them away.

Disposable aluminum pans

• Pros: Convenient. Cheap. Works well if delivering meals to someone.
• Cons: Not environmentally friendly. Takes up a little more space in the freezer. Lids are always kinda awkward.

Freezer Meal Tips, Questions, and Other Notes

do you have to thaw your freezer meals first?

Can you even handle this? I don’t thaw my freezer recipes before cooking! *evil laugh* I just take them straight out of the freezer and put them in the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or oven.

The one exception is that I do thaw recipes first if I’m cooking meats in the slow cooker. It’s a food safety thing – it takes longer amount of time for the meat to heat up in the slow cooker, leaving the frozen meat in “the danger zone” for a potentially unsafe amount of time.

How long does it take to thaw frozen meats before cooking?

If you’re making meat in the slow cooker, I recommend thawing them in the fridge for 24 hours first.

If you’re using the Instant Pot / pressure cooker, you don’t need to thaw the meat first.

Can you put something straight from the freezer into the oven?

From a baking perspective – sure. From a shattering glass perspective – maybe?

When using my Pyrex bakeware, I put them straight from freezer to oven several times (wiping off the extra water or frost on the outside of the container first). It was fine. Nothing shattered.

That being said, I am hesitant to all-out recommend this because I know shattering does happen. I had a pan shatter on me a few years ago, completely unrelated to freezing, and it was kind of traumatic. And mostly I  just don’t want any of you coming back and leaving comments with reports of shattering glass dishes!

You can decide for yourself what you want to do.

Here’s what the internet says:

• From Pyrex (a little unclear)
• From America’s Test Kitchen (they say yes, it’s fine)
• From Cooks Illustrated (they say no, don’t do it)
• From the people of the internet (most say yes, it’s fine)

If you want to be 100% safe, here are a few alternative things you can do:

• Thaw your oven-bound recipes in advance.
• Use aluminum pans which will not shatter.
• Line your nice glass containers with parchment so you can pull your lasagnas out and transfer them into a room-temperature pan for baking.
• Buy one of these fun pans! They are specifically made to be “highly resistant to thermal shock.”

How do you avoid freezer burn on your freezer meals? 

In short, get all the air out of your storage containers.

I had some mild freezer burn on a few of my recipes because it’s hard to press out all the air when using a reusable container like a Pyrex bowl with a lid. To be honest, I didn’t think it was all that big of a deal. My belief on this is that the point when freezer burn really starts to become a bad-tasting problem is when it’s built up on stuff that’s been hanging out in your freezer for, like, months upon months. I wouldn’t worry too much about a little layer of frost on top of your soups in your Pyrex containers if they haven’t been sitting around forever.

But if it’s gonna bug you, plastic bags might be a better choice so you can really squeeze the air out.

Should you freeze the liquids with your freezer meals? 

I generally DO include the liquids (broth, water, tomato sauce, etc.) in my freezer containers just so they are COMPLETELY ready to go when I pull them out. But you don’t have to! If you’re making a recipe that’s got a ton of liquid and a) you’re out of space in your container, or b) you want to just add it when you go to cook everything, that’s fine, too. I’ve done it both ways.

Can you use vegetables in freezer meals? 

A lot of people say no, but I say yes!

All of these recipes have been tested using fresh AND frozen produce, including onions, carrots, celery, potatoes (!!), mushrooms, and squash. Personally, I didn’t notice a huge difference between fresh or frozen produce (possibly because most of the produce-forward recipes here are soups, and the texture of soup is very forgiving).

Some people swear that you should never use mushrooms or potatoes in freezer meals, but I did it, as did our tester, and neither of us had any issues. Lots of people say that your potatoes will turn black in the freezer, but neither I or our tester experienced that with russet potatoes OR sweet potatoes. The vegetables added great flavor, bulk, and nutrition, so I say yes! Use your veggies.

What can I say? I’m a rule breaker.

If you want to go with frozen produce, these are the frozen produce products I have used which save me a lot of time:

• Frozen potatoes (pre-cooked)
• Frozen mushrooms
• Frozen squash
• Frozen mirepoix*

*One thing to note about the frozen mirepoix is that it’s usually a little heavier on the onions, so I often add a little extra chopped carrots or celery (simply because I prefer less onion). If you love onions, you’re all good.

How do you make your freezer meal prep fast and easy?

• Use these recipes! They are very time-friendly.
• Buy pre-chopped fresh or frozen veggies, like mirepoix, garlic, squash, mushrooms, etc. This is a huge time-saver. Downside is that it generates more plastic waste and can be slightly more expensive, but it is EXTREMELY efficient!
• Skip the measuring cups and spoons. Just eyeball it. These recipes are pretty forgiving.
• Prep recipes that have overlapping ingredients on the same day. Shorter grocery list!
• Do anything that requires baking FIRST so that you can let it bake while you prep the other recipes (like the Chicken Meatballs or Walnut Taco Meat).
• Limit to one “time intensive” recipe each time you prep. For example, if I’m prepping the meatballs (which require mixing, rolling, and baking), I’ll probably skip the lasagna.
• Don’t do a gazillion at a time. I find that 4-6 per prep session is about the right amount – it usually takes me about an hour and a half.

Do you need an Instant Pot to make freezer meals?

Here’s the thing – if you love the convenience of freezer meals and are not always great at planning ahead (thawing, long cook times, etc.), then YES! I think you would really, really love an Instant Pot.

Here’s why I ADORE the Instant Pot for freezer meal recipes: I decide what we’re having for dinner at 4pm, pop it out of the freezer and into the Instant Pot, and in have it done before 6pm! That’s with no advance planning, thawing, etc. – plus, that’s all while spending that time doing other non-cooking stuff, like taking a shower, feeding a baby, or even walking the dog around the block. I highly recommend it if you want to take full advantage of the convenience of your freezer meals!

Click here to see the Instant Pot that I use – it has over 27,000 reviews on Amazon!

Are these healthy freezer meals?

I consider these freezer meals healthy because they are made with real food.

Real food = food that is minimally processed, or single ingredient foods. Vegetables, meats, legumes, and whole grains are examples of real food.

Healthy means something different to everyone. For some people, the plant-based recipes will be healthy. For some people, the low calorie recipes will be healthy. For some people, the high protein recipes will be healthy. We have a few of each of these options, but the thing I keep coming back to when putting these recipes together and determining whether or not they are “healthy” is the real food factor.

A few of these recipes use prepared sauces. For example – the lasagna uses jarred tomato sauce and the stuffed peppers use canned enchilada sauce. Normally prepared sauces would not be considered single ingredient real foods, but it is possible to find prepared sauces that are “clean” – meaning they don’t have added dyes, sugars, etc. You can always use your own tomato sauce and your own homemade enchilada sauce if you prefer. (I normally do prefer homemade sauces, but when prepping freezer meals, convenience and efficiency becomes a top priority and I regularly use the store-bought pasta or enchilada sauces.)

If you have a favorite freezer meal that you’d like to share, feel free to drop it in the comments! My hope is to continue to update this post with more great freezer recipes, and maybe you have one that needs to be featured!

And if you have a question or suggestion or tip or anything else related to freezer meals, LET’S TALK!

Happy freezer meal prepping, everyone!

The post 12 Healthy Freezer Meals (That You’ll Actually Love) appeared first on Pinch of Yum.