Life gets busy, but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice a delicious home-cooked meal! With the recipes below, you can enjoy wholesome, flavorful dishes with minimal effort. In this blog post, we’re highlighting six mouthwatering make-ahead freezer meals: Low Country’s Best Chili, Easy Chicken Korma, Sweet and Sour Beef Stew, Spicy Italian Sausage Dinner, Spinach and Ricotta Lasagna, and Triple Chocolate Brownies. These recipes make it easy to fix, freeze, and forget until dinnertime rolls around!
Low Country’s Best Chili
Servings: 6 – Preparation time: 45 min – Cooking time: 6 h
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef, lean
- 2 medium-sized onions
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 red bell pepper
- ¼ cup pickled jalapenos
- 3 ¾ cups kidney beans (2 15-ounce cans)
- 3 ½ cups diced tomatoes (1 28-ounce can)
- 1 ¾ cups tomato sauce (1 14-ounce can)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ¼ cup chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
On the serving day
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- ¼ cup sliced scallions
- 1 cup sour cream
Directions
To Prepare for Freezing
- In a large frying pan, pour in the oil. Heat until it is bubbling.
- Wash, peel, and chop the onions.
- Wash, seed, and chop the bell pepper.
- Place the onions and bell pepper into the hot oil.
- Fry until the vegetables are soft, usually between 5 to 8 minutes.
- Mince the garlic, and add to the pan.
- Mix in the chili powder and cumin, and stir until all the ingredients are coated in the spices.
- Continue to cook for another minute.
- Once you can smell the spices, add the ground beef and the salt to the frying pan.
- Cook until the ground beef is brown, about 7 to 10 minutes.
- When cooked, remove from heat and cool completely.
- In a large bowl, mix together the diced tomatoes, with their juice, and tomato sauce.
- Drain and rinse the kidney beans. Add to the tomatoes.
- Chop the jalapenos and add to the tomatoes.
- Stir until the ingredients are blended thoroughly.
- Fold in the cooled beef mixture. Stir until the meat is coated.
- Transfer to a freezer bag.
- Seal and label the freezer bag with the name of the dish, the date you prepped the meal, the cooking time, and the heat setting.
- Freeze.
To Slow Cook
- Remove the bag from the freezer, and pour the ingredients into a slow cooker.
- Set the temperature to low, and allow to cook for 6 hours.
- If you like, garnish with the cheese, scallions, or sour cream.
- Serve warm.
Easy Chicken Korma
Servings: 6 – Prep time: 10 min – Cooking time: 6 h 15 min
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken breasts
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 1 onion
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon of coriander, ground
- ½ teaspoon red pepper
- ½ teaspoon cumin, ground
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- 1 ¾ cup diced tomatoes (1 14.5-ounce can)
- 2 cups cubed baking potatoes
On the serving day
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- Rice or noodles for serving
Directions
To Prepare for Freezing
- Remove the skin and bone from the chicken breast if you did not purchase it skinless and boneless.
- Chop into bite-sized pieces.
- Wash, peel, and chop the onion. Toss with the chicken cubes.
- Mince the ginger, and add it to the chicken mixture.
- Add the red pepper flakes, coriander, curry, and cumin. Mix well.
- Mince the garlic and add. Mix well.
- Place the chicken mixture into a freezer bag, and seal.
- Drain the tomatoes, and add to a bowl.
- Whisk in the salt.
- Wash and chop the potatoes. Add to the tomatoes, and mix well.
- Pour into a separate freezer bag and seal.
- Place both the chicken freezer bag and the potato freezer bag into a larger freezer bag.
- Seal and label the larger bag with the date you prepped the meal as well as the cooking time and heat setting.
- Freeze.
To Slow Cook
- To cook, take out of freezer.
- Pour the ingredients from both bags into a slow cooker.
- Set the slow cooker to low.
- Add in the cinnamon stick and the bay leaves.
- Cook for 6 hours or until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked.
- After it is cooked, turn off the slow cooker, and allow the chicken mixture to stand for 15 minutes.
- When the time has passed, add the yogurt, and mix well.
- Serve warm with your favorite noodle or rice.
Sweet and Sour Beef Stew
Servings: 6 – Preparation time: 15 min – Cooking time: 7 to 8 h
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds stewing beef (or a chuck steak or roast as an alternative)
- ½ cup beef broth
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ cup pineapple juice
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 large cooking onions
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 2 large tomatoes
- 2 ½ cups chunked and unsweetened pineapple
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon seasoned salt, msg free
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
On the serving day
- Rice or noodles for serving
Directions
To Prepare for Freezing
- In a large bowl, add the pineapple juice.
- Wash and peel the onions. Cut into wedges. Add to the pineapple juice.
- Add in all the spices.
- Pour in the beef broth.
- Finally, add 3 tablespoons of the red wine vinegar. Whisk until it is well blended.
- Cut the stewing beef into bite sized cubes. Place in the pineapple juice mixture.
- Stir until the meat is coated.
- Pour into a freezer bag and seal.
- Wash and seed the red and green bell peppers.
- Place in a bowl and toss with the brown sugar.
- Spoon into a second freezer bag and seal.
- In a small bowl, mix together the corn starch, soy sauce, and red wine vinegar. Place into a small freezer bag.
- Wash and cut the tomatoes into wedges.
- Add to the pineapple chunks in a bowl and mix.
- Transfer to a separate freezer bag.
- Place all the ingredient bags into a large freezer bag.
- Seal and label the freezer bag with name of the dish, the date you prepped the meal, the cooking time, and the heat setting.
- Freeze.
To Slow Cook
- Remove the ingredients from the freezer.
- Place the pepper bag, tomato-pineapple bag, and the cornstarch bag into the fridge to use later.
- Place the stewing beef mixture into the slow cooker.
- Set the slow cooker to low and allow the meat to cook for 6 to 6 ½ hours.
- Turn the temperature to high on the slow cooker.
- Fold in the green pepper mixture and the cornstarch mixture.
- Mix until it is well blended.
- Replace cover and cook for an additional hour.
- About 15 minutes before serving, stir in the tomato and pineapple mixture.
- Serve warm with rice, noodles or a favorite side dish.
Spicy Italian Sausage Dinner
Servings: 6 – Preparation time: 20 min – Cooking time: 8 h
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds hot Italian sausage (6 to 8 sausages)
- 1 large onion
- 2 bell peppers
- ¾ cup tomato paste
- 2 cups tomato sauce
On the serving day
- Noodles or buns or cooked rice for serving
Directions
To Prepare for Freezing
- Slice the Italian sausages into ½ inch slices.
- Place into a frying pan, and fry until the sausage is completely cooked.
- Drain and allow to cool completely.
- Wash and peel onion. Chop into fine pieces.
- Wash, seed, and chop the bell peppers.
- Place the onions and peppers into a bowl.
- Pour in the tomato paste and the tomato sauce.
- Mix thoroughly.
- Toss in the cooled sausages.
- Pour the ingredients into a large freezer bag.
- Seal and label the freezer bag with the name of the dish, the date you prepped the meal, the cooking time, and the heat setting.
- Freeze.
To Slow Cook
- Remove the package from the freezer, and place into a slow cooker.
- Set the temperature to low, and cook for 4 to 6 hours.
- Serve with noodles or on a bun as a sandwich.
Spinach and Ricotta Lasagna
Servings: 6 – Preparation time: 15 min – Cooking time: 4 h
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups fresh spinach
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese
- 6 lasagna noodles
Directions
To Prepare for Freezing
- Fill a saucepan with water, and bring to a boil on the stove.
- Wash the spinach, and place in the boiling water.
- Cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from water and drain.
- Press excess water out of the spinach by pressing it between two paper towels.
- Place in a large bowl.
- Once the spinach is cool, fold in the ricotta cheese.
- Add ½ cup of parmesan cheese. Mix until it is well blended.
- Spoon into a freezer bag and seal.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the water and the marinara sauce.
- Pour into a second freezer bag and seal.
- Shred the mozzarella cheese and place in a third freezer bag before sealing.
- Place all three bags into a large freezer bag.
- Seal and label the freezer bag with the name of the dish, the date you prepped the meal, the cooking time, and the heat setting.
- Freeze.
To Slow Cook
- Before cooking, remove the bag from the freezer, and thaw in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
- Once it is thawed, start by placing ¾ cup of the marinara sauce in the bottom of a slow cooker.
- Top that with 2 uncooked lasagna noodles. You may have to use more or break them to make them fit.
- Top the noodles with ¾ cup of the marinara mixture.
- Add half of the spinach mixture, and spread it across the marinara mixture.
- Cover the spinach with ½ cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Top with 2 more uncooked lasagna noodles.
- Top the noodles with ¾ cup of the marinara mixture.
- Add half of the spinach mixture and spread it across the marinara mixture.
- Cover the spinach with ½ cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Top with 2 final uncooked lasagna noodles.
- Cover the noodles with the remaining marinara mixture, and finish with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Turn the slow cooker to low, and cook for 4 hours.
- Serve warm.
Triple Chocolate Brownies
Servings: 8-10 – Preparation time: 10 min – Cooking time: 4 h
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup white sugar
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups dark chocolate pieces, melted
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 ½ cups milk chocolate or white chocolate chips
Directions
To Prepare for Freezing
- In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder, and ground ginger.
- In another bowl, combine the sugar, melted butter, melted chocolate, and eggs. Mix until smooth. Gradually incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry, stirring just until blended.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Transfer the batter to a large freezer bag or airtight container. Seal tightly and place in the freezer.
To Slow Cook
- Place the bag or container in a microwave and thaw on defrost setting.
- Transfer the batter to a lightly oiled slow cooker. Cook on low for 4 hours.
- Run a knife along the edge to loosen. Cut before serving warm.
***These recipes and more are found in Marie Adams’ Make Ahead Freezer Meals for the Slow Cooker: Fix, Freeze, Slow Cook. To get your own copy, click on the cover below or click here.
