08/21/2023
Make Ahead Meals...
As our summers come to a close and we get busy with kids, school, work, evening sports events and meetings at school, we need to try to do a big freezer meal prep. All of these meals go into gallon sized ziplock bags that You can label and freeze flat in your freezer. The night before, you pull one out and put it in the refrigerator to thaw. Each one cooks in the crockpot so it’s very simple and doesn’t heat up the house or require you being in the kitchen when you don’t have the extra time. The initial investment for all the groceries is quite a bit but if you calculate it out per meal this is very reasonable for a large family, and much cheaper than eating out. The amount usually lasts us 6-7 weeks and dinner leftovers get used for lunches or the next night’s dinner. Hope this helps some others looking for budgeting in the kitchen!
**Sloppy Joes:
1 lb. Ground turkey or beef
1 onion diced
1 green pepper diced
1 15oz. Can tomato sauce
1 packet Sloppy Joe Seasoning
Add all ingredients to a freezer bag and seal. Mix the bag to incorporate ingredients. Cook in the slow cooker on HIGH 3-4 hours. Serve on buns or rolls.
**Sausage and Lentil Soup
2 packages of sausage or kielbasa, sliced
2 cups lentils
1 bag baby carrots
3-4 stalks of celery diced
1 onion diced
2-3 cloves garlic minced
1 15oz. Can diced tomatoes
1 T. Italian Seasoning
Add all ingredients to a freezer bag. Cook in the crockpot on HIGH 4-5 hours. Serve with bread or rolls.
**Hawaiian Meatballs
2 lbs. Frozen meatballs
1/4 cup Brown sugar
1/4 cup Soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder
1 jar sweet and sour sauce
1/2 red pepper diced
1/2 green pepper diced
1 onion diced
1 can pineapple chunks with juice
Add all ingredients to a freezer bag. Cook in the crockpot on LOW 6-8 hours. Serve over rice.
**Cilantro Lime Chicken
3-4 chicken breasts or thighs
Juice from 2-3 limes
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 small bunch cilantro chopped
1 bag frozen corn
1 onion chopped
1 can black beans with juic
Add all ingredients to a freezer bag. Cook in crockpot on LOW 6-8 hours. Shred chicken and serve over rice or in burritos.
**Broccoli Chicken Alfredo
3-4 chicken breasts or thighs cut into chunks or strips
1 jar Alfredo sauce
1 bag frozen broccoli or fresh chopped broccoli
Mix all ingredients in a freezer bag. Cook in a crockpot on LOW 6-8 hours. Serve over fettuccine noodles.
**Pepperoncini Pork Roast
2-3 lb boneless pork or beef roast
1 jar sliced pepperoncinis with juice
4 tablespoons butter
Add to freezer bag. Cook in crockpot on LOW 6-8 hours. Shred meat and serve over rice or potatoes. Leftover meat is really good in breakfast burritos!
**Chicken Fajitas
3-4 chicken breasts cut into strips.
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 pkg. Fajita seasoning
Add all ingredients to freezer bag. Cook in crockpot on LOW 6-8 hours. Serve over rice or in tortillas for fajitas.
**Chicken Cacciatore
3-4 chicken breasts or thighs
1 jar chunky veggie style spaghetti sauce
1 zucchini chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
Add all ingredients to freezer bag. Cook in crockpot on LOW 6-8 hours. Serve over rice.
**Teriyaki Chicken
3-4 chicken breasts cut into chunks
1 medium onion, sliced
1 can pineapple tidbits with juice
2-3 garlic cloves minced
1c. Teriyaki sauce
Mix all ingredients in a freezer bag. Cook in crockpot on LOW 6-8 hours. Serve over rice or noodles.
**Sausage and Peppers
2 packages sausage or kielbasa sliced
2 green bell peppers sliced
1 red bell pepper sliced
1 large onion diced
2-3 cloves garlic minced
1 15oz. Can Italian style diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons Italian Seasoning
Mix all ingredients in a freezer bag. Drizzle with olive oil and cook in crockpot on LOW 6-8 hours. Serve over noodles.
Don't forget each recipe is for a single bag. Double the amounts if you'd like 20 meals. Make meals that your family likes. The possibilities are endless.
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