When many people think freezer meals, they immediately think about those failed slow cooker meals that ended up as mush and give up on make ahead freezer meal prep.
Nooooo…. It doesn’t have to be like that!!!
I have the conversation almost weekly about how freezer meal prep is a weeknight saviour, and how I don’t even use my slow cooker – ever.
People are often shocked to hear that I do so much freezer meal prep and my slow cooker is in my basement collecting dust.
How am I filling my freezer to make my dinner (and lunch!) life so much easier – without a slow cooker?
Here are 4 ways I do freezer meal prep …. And don’t use a slow cooker!
Stove Top Meals
Just as the name says, these are meals that are cooked or warmed on the stove top. Some of the prep ahead stove top meals are cooked fully and frozen (taco meat), or sometimes I will cut chop, marinade things and freeze raw, then cook nice and quick on the stove top on a busy weeknight ( Fajita Kits).
Ideas for stove top freezer meals:
- Taco Meat - Here are 5 ways I use taco meat from my freezer.
- Fajita Kits (Steak or Chicken!)
- Asian Lettuce Wraps (don’t freeze lettuce!)
- Stir Fry Meals
- Sneaky veggie meat sauce for quick spaghetti. You can also pre make and freeze meatballs to toss in.
Foil Packs
This type of meal prep is essential for camping season with my family! But in the fall and winter months, I prep these bad boys and freeze them raw - then bake them when I get home from work. I wrote a whole post about all of my favourite foil pack recipes!
I use foil tins rather than foil packs most of the time as I find they don't leak as much. These are really great because you can usually assemble everything raw - making prep day fairly quick.
And really, what family member wouldn't want "taco in a bag foil packs" for dinner!
Instant Pot
If you haven’t heard of an Instant Pot yet (read this!), you are missing out. This is what I am now using to get my freezer meals on my weeknight dinner table almost hands free.
I do a ton of freer meal prep for my instant pot. One benefit of the Instant Pot is that you can cook from frozen when you forget to take out your dinner to thaw.
Related Post – How to Prep and Freeze Instant Pot Dinners.
My favourite prep ahead instant pot meals are:
Get more inspiration for Instant Pot Meal Prep on the Instant Pot section of the blog
Casseroles
A freezer meal prep classic for sure! I don’t do a ton of this type of prep because the prep on many of these types of dishes requires actual cooking on your prep day (think: cooking lasagna noodles, or browning beef) and I like to just chop and dump on my prep day. But, if you do have the extra time on prep day (which frees up weeknight time) then these are great options!
There are a couple of casseroles in my freezer - always. These are the go to's for my husband when I am not home.
- Veggie Lasagna Roll Ups
- Paleo Shepards Pie
- Pasta casseroles - all.of.them
So, there you have it. If you are not a fan of those "dump dinner" slow cooker meals, here are 4 other types of freezer meals to inspire you to get prepping!
Looking for even more inspiration? Come Join the Confessions of a Meal Plan Addict Facebook Community.
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