The BEST Make Ahead Freezer Meals

Make ahead freezer meals make weeknight dinner a breeze. Make them ahead in bulk, then store them away until you need a quick dinner on a busy night.

Simple Freezer Meal Prep

Several years ago, when we decided to make the move out of town, we gave up the convenience of grabbing a quick meal from a fast-food joint. We also don’t live near a grocery store, so we can’t quickly grab items we might need. It was then that meal planning, prepping, and storing became a must. 

I’m also concerned with how we eat our food. It’s important for us to sit together at the table as a family, and something we’ve made a priority. If we get home later in the evenings sitting at the table becomes difficult. 

Homework assignments and next day prep is getting done. Our family ends up scattered all around the house. A quick meal that’s ready to go helps us to still get our table time in.

Eating healthy is another factor that is important to us. While I’m not against junk food occasionally, I don’t like to eat it on a regular basis.

I’ve purchased pre-made frozen meals in the past, but I’ve never been impressed with the ingredients they contain. 

We have also tried meal kit delivery services in the past. I found that our family ate more than the food they provided. We also felt that it was a little more money than we wanted to spend.

 There are local venders in my area selling pre-made casseroles. They are delicious and convenient, but can also be expensive to feed us on a weekly basis.

So, I came up with a few ways to get healthy food on the table fast for us on busy nights. They are: 

• Plan ahead 
• Prep ahead 
• Have something ready to go in the freezer or fridge 

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Plan Ahead Meals

Planning ahead makes the biggest difference in how smooth your evening meal will go. I generally get groceries for the week on Sunday. I look at what we have in our pantry and make dinner plans from there. Keep it simple and make a note on your phone of the meals you planned for that week.

Also, If I know we’re going to have some really busy nights, I try to cook enough food to last two meals, or quickly make into another dish. My family doesn’t really enjoy leftovers, but it’s a great time saver during the week. 

I try to plan meals that take under thirty minutes to prepare and cook. I simply don’t have the time to spend in the kitchen with the evening’s other responsibilities. One-pot meals are another great option for simplicity and easy clean up.

My mom frequently used a crock pot to have dinner ready for us. I don’t use her beloved crock pot very often, but I’m a big fan of an instant pot for a quick weeknight meal.

Why You’ll Love Make Ahead Freezer Meals

Convenience: Imagine coming home after a long day and not having to cook from scratch. Just pop a freezer meal in the oven or microwave, and dinner’s ready! It’s like having your own fast food but homemade.

Saves Money: Buying ingredients in bulk or using what’s on sale can really help cut down on food costs. Plus, you’re less likely to eat out or order takeout when you have meals ready at home.

Less Food Waste: You use up ingredients that might go bad in the fridge otherwise. Freeze them into meals, and nothing goes to waste!

Healthier Choices: Freezer meals can be way healthier than fast food or restaurant meals because you control the ingredients. No hidden extra salt, sugar, or fats—just what you put in!

Cuts Down on Stress: Knowing there’s already food ready takes the pressure off meal planning every day. You can relax a bit more knowing dinner is already handled.

Saves Time: Spend a couple of hours on the weekend making freezer meals, and you’ll save loads of time during the week. Fewer nights of cooking means more time for whatever else you love doing.

Great for Busy Days: If you have a jam-packed day coming up, you don’t have to worry about dinner. Just pull a meal from the freezer, heat it up, and enjoy.

Perfect for Sharing: Freezer meals are great for when friends or family need a meal, too. Whether someone’s sick, just had a baby, or could just use some extra help, sharing a freezer meal is a thoughtful, easy way to help out.

Prep Ahead

Prep for the week takes place on Sunday evenings. I get things together for our school lunches, and prep for weeknight meals if possible. This makes getting a meal on the table so much easier. Chopping vegetables, and thawing anything that needs it is a great way to make weeknight dinners go smoothly.

Preparing a dish on Sunday, and putting it in the fridge until it’s needed is another great option. I look at our schedules and coordinate quick meals on busy nights. 

Make Freezer Meals Ahead

Having freezer meals is by far the best thing for a busy night. When I cook, I often make a double serving and put one in the freezer. This is an easy way to stock your freezer without much effort.

When you Know you’ll have a busy evening, thaw the dish the night before and it’s ready to heat when you arrive home. Some ovens even have a delayed timer that can be set to heat the meal while you’re away.  

Recently I shared some of my freezer meals on my social medial and I had several questions about them. I’ll share the recipes I made below. 

• Beef Chili 
• Taco Bake
• Maple dijon chicken (I use thighs instead of drumsticks)
• Cheesy taco chili mac
• Cheeseburger casserole 
• Chicken Fajita pasta 
• Chicken Broccoli Bake
• White bean Chicken enchiladas 
• Chicken parmesan lasagna 
• Lasagna -Modified from the above recipe. I added lean ground beef instead of chicken. Italian chicken sausage would also be delicious.
• Chicken Taco Chili

Start by getting all of the ingredients together. First, measure out ingredients and chop all of the vegetables. I use rotisserie chicken whenever possible, and shred it using the paddle attachment on a stand mixer. Next brown any meats that are going in the dishes. This makes assembly much easier. Assemble each dish, and let it cool completely before freezing.

The majority of my freezer meals are made in a 9×13 aluminum pan. First I wrap them with plastic wrap, then I wrap with tin foil to ensure they are sealed. I also use ziplock freezer bags. This is not my favorite storing method, but I don’t like my good glass dishes just sitting in the freeze out of use.

Be sure to label the dish with the name and cooking directions. I also add a note reminding myself to remove the plastic wrap before I cook it!

Recently I switched to using glass dishes for my freezer meals. They are more sturdy, and produce less waste than aluminum pans. I look for dishes that stack well in my freezer. Also, I try to avoid cooking on aluminum whenever possible.

These were made during the holiday break, and I was planning on having a healthy start to the year. I LOVE Skinnytaste recipes! I have several of her cookbooks, and she has a great one on meal prepping. Gina’s mindset about food is very similar to my own.

Soups and stews are great to freeze and have later. I tend to make more than we can eat, so I freeze the rest for another meal.

I bought the ingredients to make the above recipes at once, and prepared all of them in about 4 hours start to finish. They cost me an average of $13 dollars a meal which is pretty good for a family of six. 

I hope this helps you plan ahead, and eat more meals at home.

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