Make these 10 easy freezer meals in 1 hour. Have cozy crockpot meals like Beef Ragu, Salsa Chicken, and Carnitas ready to dump in the crockpot and go.
Ever since I committed myself to doing more freezer cooking several years ago, I have realized THIS. IS. AWESOME!
- I absolutely LOVE opening the freezer to find beans and rice, already prepared for dinner.
- I LOVE sitting down to make a meal plan and write down a meal that I put in the freezer a few weeks ago.
- And I really, REALLY love when it’s time to make dinner and all I have to do is dump something into the crockpot or Instant Pot and turn it on!
Having a stash of easy crockpot meals in my freezer is totally rocking my world, but it wouldn’t happen if I didn’t have a plan to get those meals in the freezer in the first place!
The last time I did a freezer cooking session, I focused on breakfast. I dedicated just one hour to making EIGHT breakfasts.
I want to do another one-hour cooking session, but I want to focus on dump dinner freezer meals!
WHAT ARE FREEZER DUMP DINNERS?
Dump dinners are meals that, when you open the freezer container or bag, you simply “dump” it into a skillet (like this one) or slow cooker (I use this here) or Instant Pot (my favorite here) and you’re pretty much done.
I like to broaden these easy freezer meals to include meals that may need a simple side dish, like rice, baked potatoes, or tortillas. I usually skip the casseroles like lasagna simply because we don’t prefer them.
Even if my dump dinners aren’t 100% ready to go on their own, I can usually prepare side dishes ahead of time by cooking in bulk. It’s very normal for me to double or triple a recipe so that I can freeze several portions for future dinners.
That’s how I can still press the ‘easy button’ when I make a dump dinner recipe that needs a side dish – when I pull out my main meal to thaw, I pull out those ready-to-go side dishes too!
As I mentioned, the idea of having a dump dinner meal in the freezer isn’t good enough. You need a PLAN in order to prepare those freezer meal recipes now, so they’re ready when you need them later.
And that’s exactly what I’m sharing with you today: my one-hour freezer meals plan for dump dinner recipes!
THE BEST FREEZER MEALS FOR DUMP DINNERS
I’m pretty strict when it comes to which weeknight dinners I put in the freezer and which ones I don’t.
The best freezer meal recipes are:
- Easy. No ninja cooking skills required!
- Something my family already loves. That means favorite recipes loved by the husband and both kids!
- Affordable. They don’t have to be rice and beans cheap, but we can’t go all out lobster and prime rib here.
- Cook well from the freezer. No mushy texture or weird flavors. The best freezer meals still taste amazing even after being frozen and thawed.
- Use normal ingredients. If I can’t find something at my local grocery store, it’s not happening!
ONE HOUR SLOW COOKER FREEZER MEALS
Here are the five slow cooker freezer meals that we’ll be making:
- Beef Ragu
- Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
- The Best Slow Cooker Carnitas
- Homemade Cheeseburger Helper
- Sheet Pan Sausage, Peppers, Onions, and Mushrooms
We’re going to be making each recipe twice for a total of TEN dinners. Be sure to print the recipes before you begin!
SUPPLIES FOR EASY CROCKPOT MEALS
Grabbing all of your supplies first will help you prep your make ahead meals even faster.
- (10) one-gallon freezer bags
- (2) sandwich-sized freezer bags
- cutting board
- sharp knife
- liquid measuring cup
- dry measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- permanent marker
These baggie holders make my life easier. They hold sandwich, quart, and gallon-size bags open for you so you can fill the bags without worrying about making a mess everywhere. They’re optional but very helpful!
I also recommend having TWO cutting boards ready before you begin. We’ll be cutting both meat and vegetables, so having two available will prevent contamination and help us to keep a good cutting pace, too.
FREEZER MEALS RECIPES INGREDIENTS
Inside the FREE freezer meals plan, you’ll find a printable grocery list of the exact amounts you’ll need to make all of these make ahead freezer meals, but here’s what you can expect.
Produce:
- Bell peppers
- Carrots
- Cilantro
- Mushrooms
- Onions
Pantry:
- Black beans (canned or homemade)
- Garbanzo beans (canned or homemade)
- Chicken stock (carton or homemade broth)
- Olive oil
- Pasta (macaroni or shells; use gluten free if needed)
- Salsa verde (jarred or homemade)
- Salsa (jarred or homemade)
- Tomato sauce (canned or homemade pasta sauce)
- Crushed tomatoes
Meat:
- Chuck roasts
- Chicken pieces
- Ground beef*
- Italian sausages
- Pork shoulder/butt
*Note: If your local stores don’t carry high-quality chicken or pork or grass-fed ground beef, I recommend Butcher Box. You can read my honest review of their products here, and my post on how to make Butcher Box worth the cost!
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Dairy/Frozen:
- Cheddar cheese
- Frozen corn
Spices:
- Bay leaves
- Chili powder
- Cinnamon
- Coriander
- Cumin
- Garlic powder
- Italian seasoning
- Onion powder
- Oregano
- Pepper
- Red pepper flakes
- Salt
- Taco seasoning (make your own!)
- Thyme
Psst! If you’re going to add salt, I highly recommend Ava Jane’s Kitchen. You may think all salt is created equal, but unfortunately, 90% of the salt produced around the world contains microplastics (gross, right?). Ava Jane’s Kitchen is an exception. Their salt is 100% microplastic-free, and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a free 8oz. bag of sea salt (just pay shipping and handling!)
10 GOOD FREEZER MEALS IN 1 HOUR
Putting together a batch of good freezer meals doesn’t have to take all day. Here’s how I got these freezer meals ready to go in 1 hour!
- Chop the vegetables for The Very Best Slow Cooker Carnitas and place them in two storage bags. Measure all the seasonings into the bag and then add ½ cup of liquid. Squeeze the bags so that the spices and onions and liquid mix together. Place the pork roasts into the bags. Remove as much air as possible and set them aside for the freezer.
- Chop the vegetables for Slow Cooker Beef Ragu and place them in two storage bags. Measure all the seasonings into the bag and then add the crushed tomatoes. Place the chuck roasts into the bags. Remove as much air as possible and set them aside for the freezer.
- Chop the vegetables for Sheet Pan Sausage, Peppers, and Onions and place them in two storage bags. Measure all the seasonings in and then place the sausage links into the bags. Remove as much air as possible and set them aside for the freezer.
- Measure corn and beans for the Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken into two storage bags. Add the two salsas and squeeze the bags GENTLY so that everything mixes together. Place the chicken into the bags. Remove as much air as possible and set them aside for the freezer.
- Shred 3 cups of cheese and divide between two sandwich baggies. Measure the vegetables from the Homemade Cheeseburger Helper into two storage bags. Add all the seasonings, and then add the tomato sauce. Place the cooked ground beef into the bags. Remove as much air as possible and set them aside for the freezer. Set aside 16 oz. of pasta in your pantry for when you’re ready to make these meals!
Double-check that your bags are labeled and give yourself a pat on the back – you’re done!
I highly recommend laying the bags flat to freeze at first. If you have space to lay them out on a baking sheet, they’ll freeze more easily. Once they’re frozen through, you can stack them like books in the freezer. I’ve found that this is the best way to utilize freezer space!
HOW TO COOK CROCKPOT FREEZER MEALS
Three of these freezer meals are already set up to be crockpot meals. You’ll dump the ingredients into the slow cooker and cook as directed.
For the other two easy freezer meals, you have a couple of options.
- Sheet Pan Sausage, Peppers, Onions, and Mushrooms
- Homemade Cheeseburger Helper
- Cook in the slow cooker for 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low. Cook the pasta separately and stir it in at the end of the cooking time.
- Or you can dump the thawed ingredients from the freezer bag into a large skillet along with the pasta and cook it as directed (you may need additional broth to finish cooking the pasta).
FREEZER TO CROCKPOT MEALS FAQS
How long can you freeze crockpot meals for?
These healthy freezer meals can be in the freezer for up to 3 months, perfect for prepping ahead for a busy season!
What should I freeze meals in?
I usually use gallon-size resealable storage bags, but you can also make freezer meals in airtight containers. They’ll take up more space in the freezer. Since these are frozen uncooked, individual portions won’t be feasible for storage.
Is there anything you shouldn’t freezer meal prep?
Not all foods should be frozen if you want to maintain the food’s best texture. Some vegetables and fruits that contain high water content will lose their crispness while being in the freezer. But there are plenty of meals and ingredients you can freeze.
MORE FREEZER-FRIENDLY CROCKPOT MEALS
- Thai Pineapple Curry
- Tortilla Soup
- White Chicken Chili
- Instant Pot Chicken Detox Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Shawarma
READY TO MAKE THESE FREEZER MEALS IN 1 HOUR?
Download the free meal plan, complete with recipes and a printable shopping list.
I can’t wait to try these freezer “dump” recipes. I assume for the Cheeseburger Helper you brown the gr. beef before assembling in freezer bags for the freezer?
Hi Laura,
Yes, it’s generally recommended to brown ground beef before freezing it.
Hi. I don’t see crockpot directions for the hamburger helper or the sausage and peppers meals. I assume I can thaw out the bag of sausages and vege’s and just throw it in the oven. However, I’m not sure when to add the noodles or really how long to crockpot the hamburger helper.
Thanks. Autumn
Hello Autumn,
Tiffany says, “Hamburger helper is a one-pot meal and the sausages/peppers are a sheet pan meal. This particular post explains how to prep them for the freezer and then “dump” them to make dinner. I’m sorry for the confusion! You could put the sausage/pepper mix into the crockpot. If the sausages are precooked, two hours on high or four hours on low should do it. If they’re raw, I’d do 3-4 hours on high and 5-6 hours on low. Hamburger helper can also cook in the crock pot with similar times (3-4 hours on high and 5-6 hours on low). I’d make the noodles on the stove and add in at the end before serving.”.
Hi, is there any way you could include the amount per ingredient needed to make all of the recipes in your make ahead meal plan session so I know the quantity or amount I need to have of each as I plan and prepare for the session? Instead of “Paprika” it would be helpful to have it listed on the shopping list you’ve created as “4 T Paprika” so I know that if I only have 2 Tablespoons left in my jar at home I need to buy another jar at the grocery store because while I do have Paprika, without knowing the total amount needed for the session, I would soon discover that i didn’t have enough! I think that would prevent interruptions to the session and better preparations if you knew just how much to have total! Thanks!
Hi Lauren,
Thank you for your thoughts. We will take this into consideration and put in on our to-dos.:)
We love all of these meals in the Dump Dinner series Tiffany. The spice in the Best Carnita’s is interesting and different and the Beef Ragu fits my SO’s liking for a “man meal” . I took me longer than an hour to prep these meals however I can see that the next time, or maybe the time after that, I’ll get better at this prepping thing!
I have a funny story about the Beef Ragu and following directions! You state to take the frozen meal out the night before and thaw out in the fridge overnight and then plop it in the slow cooker the next morning. I thought I had done that until I found the bag of Beef Ragu still frozen solid in the freezer so I figured oh well, I’ll figure it out from here. But it didn’t want to come out of the frozen gallon sized bag so I sliced it open with scissors and guess what? It was just one big block of rock solid icy food that stood ram rod straight up in my crock pot LOL!! I laughed at myself. I covered it in foil, turned it on high and let it do it’s thing until it was “cooked” down enough to put the lid on and all turned out scrumpdillyitious 🙂
Thank you for sharing these meals and time savers – they truly are appreciated as well as yummy!
Hello Melissa,
We’re so happy to hear that you loved the recipes within the Dump Dinner Series! What a funny story! We’re so glad that the meal turned out great. Thank you so much for sharing.
Tried the beef ragu and salsa chicken – the whole family loved both of them! Thanks for sharing the great recipes!
You’re very welcome Angela!
I think you have the date wrong…you wrote you’ll be live in February! I’m guessing you’re not a time traveler, so just wanted to give you a heads up 😉
LOL – thanks Rachel!!
I no can’t find the links to the actual recipes. They are just in bold. Help please!
Hey Heather, I added more links so it should be easier to find the actual recipes in this post.
I do this as I make my regular dinners, after leftovers 1-2 times we freeze the rest and I feel like I have “money in the bank”! Last fall I made a turkey and made l lot of enchiladas and used corn tortillas, I don’t recommend that as it all turns to mush. I am not a big fan of tamales because they are mushy but if you like them then the corn tortillas probably won’t bother you.
I’ve found the same when I freeze corn tortillas, but flour works nicely! Another option is to not assemble the casserole before freezing, but freezing the filling. Then you can make an enchilada casserole later by just layering the filling with the tortillas. Plus it’s faster since you don’t have to roll them up!