These easy freezer meals are perfect for those busy nights when you don’t have time to cook a nutritious family meal from scratch.
Take your meal planning to the next level with make-ahead freezer meals the whole family will love and top tips on how to freeze your pre-cooked dinners and easily reheat for when you’re ready to eat!
Make ahead freezer meals are a perfect way to get back more time when you need it most, by preparing meals ahead of time that you can enjoy later! Freezer cooking is one of our favourite ways to make busy weeks easier.
Getting Started With Freezer Cooking
Do you ever feel like life is too busy to put a great meal on the table? I get you! With 2 full-time blogs and a busy family, some days I like to cheat a little in our meal planning.
And by cheat, I mean save bucketloads of time by planning ahead!
The best way to get started is to consider the regular meals you already cook and which ones will make perfect freezer meals.
And set some time aside to do some bulk cooking.
We sometimes dedicate an afternoon to bulk freezer cooking and the result can be up to a month of meals in just a few hours. Imagine how much time is saved.
GET ORGANISED WITH YOUR MEAL PLANNING
Can I Freeze Any Meal?
While the idea of freezing anything you usually make sounds super simple, not every recipe is suitable for freezing.
It’s not necessarily going to cause health risks, but it may not taste as good after defrosting.
This is especially the case with anything that is typically crispy.
Fried food tends to end up soggy, as do salad and cucumber. Many dairy-based soups or sauces aren’t ideal either.
How To Store Freezer Meals
Ensure you have suitable freezer-safe containers to suit your meals.
We typically use reusable plastic containers that can be stacked easily in our freezer. These are convenient for us as it makes them suitable for reheating at work for my husband.
If you are limited on freezer space, using good-quality freezer bags with a ziplock are a perfect option. You can roll them flat and stack them easily in your freezer.
You can even store them in the door or in a magazine rack in your freezer for compact storage.
Larger freezer meals, such as casseroles or bakes can be frozen in foil containers, which can go directly in the oven (not the microwave) for reheating.
Thawing & Reheating Meals
- Remove your frozen uncooked meat from the freezer, placing on a dish with paper towel to catch any liquid.
- Defrost for approximately 24 hours in the refrigerator or thaw overnight before reheating.
- When defrosting pre-cooked meals, the same process is ideal to minimise the chance of cold spots in the middle of your reheated meal.
- To reheat your meal, transfer to a suitable oven dish and cook until bubbling/until heated through.
Breakfast Freezer Meals
Start the day off right with one of these easy and delicious breakfast freezer meals! They can be made ahead of time and reheated quickly, making them perfect for busy mornings.
Chicken Freezer Meals
Chicken is a versatile protein that can be used in a variety of freezer meals. These recipes will help you make the most of your chicken meals for future meal planning.
Beef Freezer Meals
Beef is another great protein to have on hand for quick and easy freezer meals. From mince to diced beef, there are so many easy make-ahead freezer meal options using beef.
Get my tips for cooking a month’s worth of meals in a single afternoon
Slow Cooker Freezer Meals
These slow cooker recipes can be cooked ahead of time and frozen and reheated when you need a quick and easy meal.
The best thing about slow cooker and crock pot recipes is that they tend to be really easy, taking under 10 minutes to prep making it a really easy way to fill the freezer gradually by running your slow cooker once or twice a week for delicious freezer meals.
Pork Freezer Meals
Pork is another great protein to have in the freezer for quick and easy meals. These recipes will help you make the most of filling your freezer with simple and delicious pork dinner recipes.
Vegan & Vegetarian Freezer Meals
Even if you’re not a vegetarian or vegan, having some vegetarian freezer meals on hand can be really helpful. They’re often lighter and healthier than meat-based meals, making them perfect for those days when you want something a little lighter.
Seafood Freezer Meals
Fish and seafood are great sources of lean protein and can be used in a variety of freezer meals. These are often great options for healthy freezer meals.
Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot Freezer Meals
The Instant Pot has become a kitchen staple for many people and it’s no wonder why! It’s a great way to cook meals quickly and easily. These freezer meal recipes can be made in the Instant Pot, making them even easier to throw together.
Freezer Casseroles & Stews
Casseroles and stews are great to have in the freezer because they’re usually very hearty and filling. These recipes can all be made ahead of time in bulk and frozen for later. You can often get several meals out of a large casserole or stew to space out over a couple of weeks too.
Freezer Pasta & Pizza Meals
Pasta and pizza are two of the most popular comfort foods and they’re also great for meal planning. These recipes can all be made ahead of time and frozen for later.
Freezer Curries
Curry is one of my favourite things to eat and it’s also great to make ahead and freeze. There are so many types of curry you can make ahead and they are perfect for cold winter nights too!
Freezer Soups
Making soup in advance is a great way to have a healthy and hearty meal on hand whenever you need it. These recipes can all be made ahead of time and frozen for later.
These delicious family means will help you get started with freezer cooking, giving you a selection of easy, family-friendly freezer meals to make ahead of time.
There is no end of options for easy freezer meals, as a way of making your meal planning work, no matter how busy your week is.
Need meal ideas for kids during school break? Check out these ideas for kid-friendly lunches for home.
Freezer cooking quick tips:
- Double up quantities of your favourite freezable meals – one to eat, one to freeze
- Experiment with cooking bulk meat & freezing in smaller portions for different meals
- Try freezing both pre-cooked & uncooked dump recipes to see which you prefer
- Have the right tools on hand for storing & labelling
- Label all your meals before freezing
- Allow meals to cool completely before freezing
To get started with meal planning, check out my complete guide and get the free printables.
Find more recipe ideas to try at home: