These 30+ Healthy Make-Ahead Freezer Meals are perfect for meal prep! Stock up on these easy freezer-friendly recipes for busy weekdays.
Why you'll love these freezer meals
Here are a few reasons why you'll love these make ahead freezer meals:
- They're a life-saver after you've had a long day and need something quick and tasty!
- They'll help you save money and cut back on takeout as you'll have healthy meals on hand at a moment's notice.
- They're all made with fresh ingredients instead of the preservatives you'll find in store-bought options.
- Reheating is easy – all you have to do is pull a container out of the freezer and throw it in the microwave.
Tips on how to stock your freezer with make-ahead meals
Here are my top tips on stocking your freezer with healthy meals:
- Clear out your freezer. Go through your freezer and make sure to toss anything that's expired or has been freezer burned. Make note of any ingredients or meals that need to be used up soon and include them in your upcoming meal plans.
- Set some goals. Whether you're prepping before a baby's arrival or want some fresh meals to come home to after a vacation, think about how many meals you want to make and what's realistic with your schedule. Then you block out some time on a weekend to cook.
- Get organized. Make sure to have enough freezer-friendly containers and bags before you being cooking. Once you've prepared a meal, make sure to label the container with the recipe name and the date you're freezing it. Feel free to add any additional information on the label, too, like thawing and reheating instructions.
- Make dump dinners. One of my favourite ways to make freezer meals is to assemble all of your ingredients in a freezer bag and then dump and cook when ready to serve! Check out these healthy crockpot dump dinners for some inspiration.
- Freeze individual portions. I find freezing individual portions is far superior than freezing an entire meal. This allows you to thaw and reheat food easily as you need it while minimizing waste. Souper cubes are a great tool to help you portion out soups, stews, curries and pasta.
- Use your Instant Pot or slow cooker. The Instant Pot or slow cooker is a great way to make a large batch of a recipe in a hands-off way. Often, if I'm doing a big freezer prep session, I'll have one of these appliances going along with a rice cooker and my oven so I'm really efficient in the kitchen.
Freezer Breakfasts
Meal prepped breakfasts are a great way to start the day! These freezer-friendly breakfast recipes will make your mornings so much better. Keep your freezer stocked with a few options and you'll never be scrambling to find something to eat when you wake up.
5-Ingredient Pumpkin Protein Pancakes
Avocado Chocolate Zucchini Muffins {So Moist!}
Freezer-Friendly Turkey Sausage Breakfast Sandwich
Meal Prep Freezer Breakfast Burritos
Freezer-Friendly Mini Breakfast Pizzas
Baked Eggs 5 Ways {Meal Prep Breakfast!}
Green Protein Smoothie Freezer Packs via Fed & Fit
Blender Spinach Banana Muffins via JoyFoodSunshine
Mini Quiche 4 Ways via Culinary Hill
Healthy Baked Apple Banana Oat Cups via Naughty Nutrition
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Freezer Lunches
I absolutely love freezing lunches – they make the work week so much easier. One of my favourite meal prep tips is to freeze any leftovers you may have for lunches to eat a few weeks from now. That way, you won't get bored of eating the same thing every day! These recipes make delicious lunches but could also be used for dinners, too.
Freezer-Friendly Homemade Pizza Pockets
Crockpot Taco Soup {+Stovetop Instructions}
Super Easy Mini Vegetable Lasagna Cups
Chickpea Salad Wrap {with Sweet Potato and Avocado}
Easy Baked Turkey Meatballs {Freezer-Friendly}
Roasted Chicken Verde Taquitos via Give it Some Thyme
Roasted Poblano Chicken Burritos via Isabel Eats
Baked Chicken Taquitos via Isabel Eats
Thai Coconut Squash Soup via Salt & Lavender
Chickpea Butternut Squash Fajitas (Freezer) via Sweet Peas and Saffron
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Freezer Dinners
With a well-stocked freezer, you don't need to worry about resorting to takeout when you have no energy to cook after a long day at work or school. Simply grab a meal and reheat. If your freezer is a bit bare, I recommend making a double batch of these recipes so you can eat some portions fresh and freeze the rest for later.
Easiest Ever Crockpot Lasagna Recipe
Super Easy Mini Chicken Pot Pies
Sticky Sriracha Meatball Lettuce Wraps
Healthy Beef Stroganoff {One Pot + Extra Veggies}
One Pot Butternut Squash Chicken Curry
Freezer-Friendly Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
Instant Pot Chicken Pesto Pasta via Eating Instantly
7 Chicken Marinade Recipes You Can Freeze via Sweet Peas and Saffron
Weekday Ragù with Veggies via My Kitchen Love
Freezer Tortilla Chicken Strips via Sweet Peas and Saffron
Freezer Friendly Panko Breaded Chicken Breasts via Lisa’s Dinnertime Dish
Meal Prep Tools
- Get square glass meal prep bowls here for safe storage!
- Preserve your food (meatballs, marinated chicken, etc) with freezer bags.
- I love these mini foil containers for storing pieces of lasagnas, casseroles, etc.
- If you're looking to stock your freezer with grass-fed meat and poultry, look no further than Butcher Box – they're an awesome way to cut down on shopping time.
- My Vitamix blender helps me make a ton of tasty sauces and soups that I usually end up freezing, and they're also great for pureeing/chopping vegetables (I freeze a ton of chopped up carrots and celery for bolognese sauce for example).
- My rice cooker helps me cook rice and quinoa ahead of time so that all I have to do is add what I need to certain recipes as I go.
- **Get my full list of tools here**
Frequently Asked Questions
Making your own freezer meals from scratch is a great way to ensure you're eating healthy foods, even if it's a busy morning or weeknight. All of these recipes are made from whole ingredients and don't include any of the preservatives that store-bought frozen dinners do.
This round-up includes meals that you can cook first before you freeze, and options that you can freeze raw and then cook later. It all depends on which recipe you select!
Most of these meals will last in the freezer for up to three months. Anything past that and the texture and/or taste might not be the same.
Making sure that your meal freezes well is all about the storage! Freeze your food in airtight glass containers or freezer-friendly Ziploc bags and make sure there isn’t any air trapped inside to keep your food freshest the longest.
Reheating instructions vary for each recipe. For some freezer meals, you'll need to thaw the food in the fridge overnight before reheating or cooking, but for some, you'll be able to reheat or cook directly from frozen.
30+ Healthy Make-Ahead Freezer Meals
Ingredients
- 1 lb rigatoni pasta
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 lb chicken breasts, diced into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
- 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
- 1 650 mL jar marinara sauce
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 2 cup spinach, chopped
- 1 453g log fresh mozzarella
- 10 basil leaves, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Cook pasta to just before al dente, about 6-8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large saucepan over med-high heat. Add chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned. Add onions and garlic, sauteeing another 1-2 minutes or so until fragrant. Add in marinara sauce, sour cream, salt and pepper and chili flakes, then bring just to a boil, stirring well.
- Stir in red pepper and spinach, and then toss pasta in sauce mixture and remove from heat. Add pasta to a large greased 9×13 dish and then top with mozzarella cheese. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until cheese is melted and starts to brown.
- Remove from oven, garnish with basil leaves then serve and enjoy! You can freeze individual portions up to 3 months. To reheat, defrost in the microwave for 6-7 minutes or reheat in a 350 F oven for 20-30 minutes.
Comments & Reviews
Chris says
Wow I love these and can’t wait to try them thank you x
Kim | Give it Some Thyme says
What a delicious roundup of recipes! Can’t wait to check them all out! Thank you so much for including me!! 🙂