Healthy Freezer Meals

Last few weeks have been insane with the move, renovations and work travel. I admit, I turned into you with no plan for dinner whatsoever. Instant Pot saved the day many days! And now with 2 work trips this month I was forced to create healthy freezer meals for my family because Alex is busy renovating our beach house and taking care of the kids.

One day it took me 2 hours to assemble 5 freezer meals and that’s including taking photos for this post. Think about it – 2 hours and 5 dinners are taken care of. Totally worth it for new moms, working moms, any sane moms! Alex kept raving and raving about how easy and tasty each dinner was. He was truly blown away by how simpler it made his life. And last time I heard my husband rave like that was about his new truck.

Here is the deal – I will be adding more meals to this post as I make them. So check back often.:)

What Are Healthy Freezer Meals

• Dinners made with real food.
• No thawing before cooking necessary (unless meat containing recipes cooked in slow cooker).
• Cook in Instant Pot or Slow Cooker.

What Containers to Use for Healthy Freezer Meals

1. Gallon Size Ziploc Bags: Yes it’s true you can’t recycle them in your curbside blue box. Option 1: Wash, dry and re-use (ME!). Option 2: Collect and take directly to nearby recycling depot – they have a bin for them.
2. Plastic Containers: You will need large containers, preferably round shape to fit easy into Instant Pot or slow cooker. A good option since they are re-usable.
3. Glass Containers: These are heavy and pricey but another good option. Look for large round ones as well.

10 Steps to Do Fast Healthy Freezer Meal Prep

1. Pick 5 healthy freezer meal recipes from the list below: print or have laptop/phone/iPad handy.
2. Gather meat, vegetables, cans/sauce jars and grains on a counter (hold off spices); label gallon size Ziploc bags. 
3. Cut meat, peel vegetables, open cans. 
4. Fill each bag with meat first. 
5. Chop basic veggies like carrots, celery, onion, garlic, potato etc. for each recipe individually and place in each bag. 
6. Measure and add grains/beans/any dried ingredients. 
7. Add liquids – from cans and jars. 
8. Pull out spices, measure and add to each bag. 
9. Let out as much air as possible, seal tightly and freeze.

10 Important Tips for Cooking Healthy Freezer Meals

1. Pick your container keeping the size of your cooking vessel in mind – will it fit frozen?
2. Round shape rules with both slow cooker and Instant Pot. Use round containers or place filled bags in round bucket and freeze until shape forms.
3. Place frozen container in a sink/large bowl with hot water and let thaw for 5 minutes to help slide out easily. You can also let thaw longer and break frozen food into a few pieces if necessary.
4. If any spices left on the walls of container and recipe calls for water, rinse container with it and then add to your cooking vessel.
5. To cook healthy frozen meals, you need to own at least 6 quart or my absolute favourite 8 quart Instant Pot, or large slow cooker.
6. For all Instant Pot and vegetarian slow cooker meals cook from frozen.
7. If cooking recipe in Instant Pot and it contains anything tomato, make sure its on top – otherwise it will burn.
8. For slow cooker meals with meat, you have to thaw freezer meal in the fridge for 24 hours.
9. Use common sense as much as you can please. I used less meat for making 3 recipes below because all I had was a whole chicken.
10. Combine meals based on similar ingredients for faster meal prep. Below I will sort mine into meal prep #1, meal prep #2, meal prep #3 etc.

Quick Links to Recipes

1. Buffalo Chicken Chili

2. Green Lentil Curry

3. Butter Chicken

4. Lentil Soup

5. Chicken Wild Rice Soup

6. Stuffed Peppers

7. Coconut Crusted Chicken

8. Chicken Chickpea Stew

9. Vegetarian Quesadilla

10. Bean Mushroom Soup

Below I grouped recipes into meal prep #1, meal prep #2, meal prep #3 etc. exactly as I made them. I will add more recipes as I prepare more. Check back soon.:)

Meal Prep #1

#1 Buffalo Chicken Chili

Recipe

Click here for Buffalo Chicken Chili recipe.

Cooking Options

Slow cooker: Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before cooking. Cook on Low for 9 hours or on High for 5 hours.

Instant Pot: Cook from frozen for 30 minutes. Quick release.

Container Label

Instant Pot – 30 mins, QR OR Slow Cooker – Low 9 hrs, High 5 hrs. After: Shred chicken + 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles.

Please note this is large meal, so if you are cooking in anything other than 8 quart Instant Pot (I have one) then freeze in 2 bags or 2 containers. For 8 quart Instant Pot freeze the bag standing upright, then it fits and lid will close.

#2 Green Lentil Curry

Recipe

Click here for Green Lentil Curry recipe.

Cooking Options

Slow cooker: Cook from frozen with 3 cups of water on Low for 9 hours or on High for 5 hours.

Instant Pot: Cook from frozen with 3 cups of water for 25 minutes. Quick release.

Container Label

Instant Pot – 25 mins, QR OR Slow Cooker – Low 9 hrs, High 5 hrs. Before: Add 3 cups water.

#3 Butter Chicken

Recipe

Click here for Butter Chicken recipe.

Cooking Options

Slow cooker: Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before cooking. Cook on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours.

Instant Pot: Cook from frozen for 30 minutes. Quick release.

Container Label

Instant Pot – 30 mins, QR. After: 1/4 cup water + 3 tbsp cornstarch whisked. Saute until thick. OR Slow Cooker – Low 8 hrs, High 4 hrs

#4 Lentil Soup

Click here for Lentil Soup recipe.

Cooking Options

Slow cooker: Cook from frozen on Low for 10 hours or on High for 5 hours.

Instant Pot: Cook from frozen for 20 minutes. Quick release.

Container Label

Instant Pot – 20 mins, QR OR Slow Cooker – Low 10 hrs, High 5 hrs. Before: Add 10 (14) cups water. After: Add spinach, garlic.

#5 Healthy Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Click here for Healthy Chicken Wild Rice Soup recipe.

Cooking Options

Slow cooker: Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before cooking. Cook on Low for 10 hours or on High for 6 hours.

Instant Pot: Cook from frozen for 25 minutes. Quick release.

Container Label

Instant Pot – 25 mins, QR OR Slow Cooker – Low 10 hrs, High 6 hrs. Before: Add 9 cups water. After: Add 2 cups milk + blend a bit.

Meal Prep #2 (More Coming Soon)

#6 Stuffed Peppers

Recipe

Click here for Stuffed Peppers recipe.

Cooking Options

Slow Cooker: Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before cooking. Cook on Low for 6 hours or on High for 3 hours.

Instant Pot: Cook from frozen for 20 minutes. Quick release.

Container Label

Instant Pot – 20 mins, QR OR Slow Cooker – Low 6 hrs, High 3 hrs. Before – triver + 1 cup water + 15 oz can tomato sauce on top.

#7 Coconut Crusted Chicken Tenders

Click here for Coconut Crusted Chicken recipe.

Cooking Options

Oven: Bake from frozen at 425 degrees F for 30-35 minutes, possibly turning in the middle (depends on the oven – just keep an eye on them while chopping salad :)).

Container Label

Bake frozen at 425 for 30+ mins (maybe turn).

#8 Chicken Chickpea Stew

Click here for Chicken Chickpea Stew recipe.

Cooking Options

Slow cooker: Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before cooking. Cook on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours.

Instant Pot: Cook from frozen for 20 minutes. Quick release.

Container Label

Instant Pot – 20 mins, QR OR Slow Cooker – Low 8 hrs, High 4 hrs. Before: 2 cups water. After: 1/2 cup tahini, 1/2 cup parsley.

Please note this is large meal, so if you are cooking in anything other than 8 quart Instant Pot (I have one) then freeze in 2 bags or 2 containers. For 8 Quart Instant Pot freeze the bag standing upright, then it fits and lid will close.

#9 Vegetarian Quesadillas

Click here for Vegetarian Quesadillas recipe.

Cooking Options

Bake: Bake from frozen at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes.

Panini Press: Grill from frozen until ready.

Container Label

Bake – 25-30 at 350 F or Panini Press

#10 Bean Mushroom Soup

Click here for Bean Mushroom Soup recipe.

Cooking Options

Instant Pot: Cook from frozen for 15 minutes with canned beans or 30 minutes with dried beans. Quick release.

Slow cooker: Saute onion, garlic, carrots and celery, combine with other ingredients and cook from frozen with 8 cups of water (stock) for 4 hours on High or 6-8 hours on Low.

Container Label

Instant Pot – 15 (30) mins, QR OR Slow Cooker – Low 6-8 hrs, High 4 hrs. Before: 8 cups water. After: Add 2 tbsp olive oil, dill.

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