In this article:
List of Freezer Meals
Grocery List
Recipes and Instructions
Bonus Freezer Ideas
With baby number three coming in just a few weeks, it was time to make some freezer meals. I have never made many before as it is such a daunting task to me, but my husband and I were able to put together 10 meals (with a few duplicates, there are seven different meals) in just 40 minutes!
The key to quick and easy freezer meals are crock pot meals that require no previous cooking. A genius idea that I can credit almost entirely to Taylor Cumbo https://www.instagram.com/tay.cumbo/ (all but one recipe is from Taylor). Another tip is to put an inventory list on your freezer so you can cross meals off as you go. My list here also includes directions for each meal, add ins for the day of, and simple side suggestions to go with each meal. I have also included a shopping list for all seven meals, although if you want to double any of them, it's not hard to do that either.
One final tip is to make sure you have crock pot liners available after you baby comes. Nothing will make you happier than a no prep meal AND no dishes!
Freezer Meal List
White Chicken Chili
Pulled BBQ Chicken
French Onion Chicken
Nacho Chicken
Honey Garlic Chicken
Potato Soup
Mississippi Chicken Sandwiches
I doubled Pulled BBQ Chicken and Honey Garlic Chicken because we tried and liked both of those. The others I have not tried, but I also doubled Mississippi Chicken Sandwiches because they looked like something my husband would really enjoy.
A printable shopping list for your convenience:
Printable Ingredient list and instructions. I will be putting this right on my freezer door along with my inventory list.
In addition to these meals, I also stocked my freezer with a few other things to make meals easier after the baby comes:
Shredded rotisserie chicken. I bought three of them and shredded all the meat off, splitting it up into quart freezer bags with two cups a piece. This got me seven bags of shredded chicken which will be so handy for throwing together a simple meal. I like to use rotisserie chicken on pizzas, to make chicken quesadillas, and to throw in casseroles to name a few ideas!
Ten pounds of browned hamburger. I bought a ten pound tube and cooked it all up in one day, splitting it between ten quart freezer bags. This will also be handy to have for casseroles, tacos, or some sandwich recipes.
Large bag of frozen meatballs. My kiddos LOVE meatball subs, so I figured I would keep some of these in stock. All I do it put some meatballs in a small crock pot, add in some pasta sauce, and heat up for a few hours. I stocked up on some pasta sauce in my pantry, so I will need to buy some sub buns and mozzarella cheese the week I decide to make these, and that's it! We like to broil the buns with butter and garlic salt and the mozzarella before topping with meatballs.
Two dozen breakfast sandwiches. Breakfast is the hardest for me to come up with newly postpartum. I usually end up just skipping it and eating too many snacks, so this time I am going to be prepared! I followed a tutorial for breakfast sandwiches, but you can always buy some premade too.
Breaded chicken bites and tenders. I'm a big fan of Slim Chickens sandwiches, so I will be duping those using the chicken tenders, buns, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and ranch. Breaded chicken bites are great for boneless "wings", just cook according to instructions and toss with your favorite wing sauce!
Snacks. I don't know about you, but that postpartum appetite is like no other for me! I made sure I stocked up on my favorite cookies and energy bites to get me through the first two months or so.
My freezer inventory list looks like this. I figured this would be the easiest way to keep track of everything, and I'll leave a pen next to it to cross things off as I remove them! Most meals, cookies, and energy bites can be frozen for three months, so I put expiration dates on those as well.
2 dozen energy bites (December 18)
2 dozen energy bites (December 18)
1 dozen energy bites (December 18)
2 dozen chocolate cookies (December 21)
2 dozen chocolate cookies (December 21)
2 dozen egg sandwiches (December 18)
Meatballs
Breaded Chicken Bites
Chicken Tenders
White Chicken Chili (December 25)
Pulled BBQ Chicken (December 25)
Pulled BBQ Chicken (December 25)
French Onion Chicken (December 25)
Nacho Chicken (December 25)
Honey Garlic Chicken (December 25)
Honey Garlic Chicken (December 25)
Potato Soup (December 25)
Mississippi Chicken Sandwiches (December 25)
Mississippi Chicken Sandwiches (December 25)
Browned Hamburger 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
2 Cups Rotisserie Chicken 1 2 3 4 5 6
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