Crockpot Freezer Meals to Make Life Simpler & More Delicious

Crockpot freezer meals are the best way for me to spend the least amount of time in the kitchen with the absolute best results for dinner!  We like to plan our meals to be kid friendly, healthy (most of the time anyway) and downright easy!  I like to make my crockpot freezer meals a week or two at a time, to minimize the amount of time I spend in the kitchen each week.  Any time I’m eating this way, my life seems so much simpler!  

 

 

Crockpot Freezer Meals 101

If you’re just stumbling upon the concept of cooking using Crockpot Freezer Meals, you may be feeling a little bit excited and over anxious to get this new way of cooking dinner started already.  I remember when I first realized, I could do all of my prep work for the week in one cooking session, I had high hopes that my life would improve for the better. 

And guess what? 

It did…..as long as I continued to use the Freezer to Slow Cooker Meal Plans on a regular basis. 

Once my old habits would creep back in, I’d suddenly feel like my life was back in chaos.  But, when I went back to the crockpot freezer meals again, ahhh, everything was great again.  

That got me thinking…it’s definitely time to help some other people figure this freezer meal cooking thing out.  It’s definitely not too difficult and I have a ton of recipes to share to make your lives easier.  

So, let’s get started, shall we?

Here’s the steps you’ll need to take to make sure you’re successful:

1.  Figure out how often you want to make freezer meals.  Do you want to do it once a week, twice a month, once a month?  Keep in mind, the larger time periods you prepare meals for, the more time you’ll be in the kitchen at once.  
2. Figure out what your family wants to eat.    
   • You can make a list of all the things your family eats and see if there’s a crockpot recipe for it. 
   • You can convert your own recipes to crockpot recipes if you want. 
   • Or you can just use my Freezer to Slow Cooker recipes that are listed on this page.  I even have a Freezer to Slow Cooker & Instant Pot meal plan subscription service to make it even easier for you.    
3. Make a list of all the recipes you plan to make and make out your shopping list.  
4. Order your groceries online at Walmart.com or other shopping service OR go shopping for them the day before you plan to cook, if possible.  
5. Cooking day!  You’ll want start by getting out enough freezer safe bags for the meals you plan to cook and labeling them with any instructions you want added, plus the name of the recipe.  
6. Next, you’ll look at all of your recipes and chop up all the vegetables before you move on to assembling everything.  
7. Then start the assembly.  If you decide to subscribe to my meal plan, I give you all of the steps that you need to follow in order to assemble your meals as quickly as possible.  

How Many Recipes Can you Make at Once?

I’ve done a whole month’s worth at once, but I find that it takes a lot out of me.  I prefer to get a friend together with me and do 1-2 weeks at once.  

How Long Should a Cooking Day Take?

When I do a week at a time, I can assemble everything for the freezer in an hour or two.  It’s amazing!  If I’m doing more, it may take up to 4 hours.  I used to cook the Once a Month Cooking way and it took me 2 full days with toddlers crawling around my ankles.  It was awful.  This way is soooo much better!  If you can set aside an hour or two each weekend to prepare for the week, you’ll be all set for having a less stress week!  

Keep in mind that you can double 6 or 7 recipes and it will go faster than making 14 separate recipes.  You just have to be OK with eating the same thing again in a week or two.  

Do You Have to Thaw the Crockpot Freezer Meals Before You Cook Them?

Technically, you should.  Does that mean that I’ve never thrown my meal in frozen?  No, absolutely not.  If I end up putting my meal in the slow cooker frozen, I will add an additional 1 hour onto the cooking time.  If I’m going to be home with it, I will do it on high for the first hour, just to defrost it faster so that it doesn’t sit at dangerous temperatures too long.  What I aim to do though is either defrost it in the microwave first, or set it in the fridge a day or two before I plan to serve it to get it defrosting quickly.  And yes, sometimes I even set it out on my counter the night before, especially if it’s a large chunk of meat that I know will take a while to defrost.  

Is There Anything I Can’t Freeze?

Typically we leave out any milk products and add them in at the end of the cooking cycle so that they don’t separate when cooking at high temperatures, making your dish look a little wonky. 

I also prefer not to freeze raw potatoes.  If any part of the potato is sticking out and not covered in liquid it will turn black or dark brown, looking inedible.  So, I just plan to add my potatoes on the day of cooking.  If it’s hash browns, tater tots or something along those lines, it’s perfectly OK to add them to the recipe.  

I also don’t usually freeze uncooked beans, as they could expand too much for the bag to be able to hold them.  

Do You Have Any Tips for Freezing Crockpot Freezer Meals?

Yes!  I definitely do.  I’ve had to learn through trial and error and if I can keep you from making a mistake, I’m happy to do so! 

First off, make sure you find something to prop up your bags with.  I like to use these Jokari bag stands.  I bought them on Amazon and they help me make sure that my bag stays open long enough to get if filled.  They are easy to fold down and store in a kitchen drawer until you need them again.  I have enough of these so that I can do 6 recipes at a time.  

 

Also, be sure you lay your bags as flat as possible when you freeze them so that they stack nicely on each other.  Do not shove it into a door of a freezer where it may sink through part of the door and get stuck.   (We still have one stuck in the freezer that I haven’t taken the time to get out yet).  You can always get them frozen and then move them elsewhere later if you need the space.  Doors are not a good place to start the freezing process!    

If you’re interested in learning more about the Freezer to Slow Cooker (& Instant Pot) Meal Plan Subscription, you can learn more about it here.  If you ever choose to subscribe, each weekly meal plan is delivered on Fridays and it has included with it:

• 6 Recipes
• Shopping List
• Freezer to Slow Cooker Assembly Instructions
• Printable labels
• Side Suggestions
• Side suggestion recipes, when needed
• Extra printable shopping list

 

Be sure to watch my video showing how I assembled a bunch of Crockpot Freezer Meals here:

 

 

and if Instant Pot Freezer Meals interest you, be sure to watch this video, too!  

 

 

72 Crockpot Freezer Meals to Make Life Easier!

1. Mexican Casserole
2. Beef Stroganoff
3. Chicken & Rice Casserole
4. Taco Soup (or leave out the corn and it’s chili)
5. Tater Tot Casserole
6. Chicken Tacos
7. Slow Cooker Pizza
8. Chicken Pot Pie
9. Pasta Fagiola
10. Meat Loaf
11. French Stew
12. Chicken & Dumplings
13. Slow Cooker Potato Soup
14. Roast, Potatoes & Carrots
15. BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
16. Italian Chicken
17. Montereys
18. Slow Cooker Pinto Beans
19. Pulled Pork
20. Easy Slow Cooker Chili
21. Macaroni & Cheese
22. Sweet & Sour Meatballs
23. Chicken & Noodle Soup
24. Sloppy Joes
25. Shepherd’s Pie
26. Mexican Beef Wraps
27. Beef & Veggie Soup
28. Crockpot Lasagna
29. Salsa Chicken
30. One Pot Italian Chicken Meal
31. Slow Cooker Honey Parmesan Pork Roast
32. Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup (ground beef version)
33. Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Stack
34. Marinara Chicken & Vegetables
35. New Orleans Red Beans & Rice
36. Easy Crockpot Meatballs (Spaghetti & Meatballs)
37. Chicken Cordon Bleu
38. Broccoli Cheese Soup
39. Smothered Steak
40. Hearty Western Casserole
41. Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore
42. Shredded Pork Soft Tacos
43. Salisbury Steak
44. Stuffed Pepper Soup
45. Chicken Ala King
46. Pizza Burgers
47. Crockpot Sausage and Peppers
48. Cheeseburger Soup
49. Chicken Ranch Pasta
50. White Chicken Chili
51. Beef Tips & Gravy
52. Santa Fe Chicken Packets
53. Steak Fajitas
54. Dr. Pepper Chicken
55. Philly Cheese Chicken Wraps
56. Pizza Meatloaf
57. Italian Beef Sliders
58. Chicken Cheddar Bacon Ranch Soup
59. Pork Adobo
60. Beef, Tomatoes & Noodles
61. BBQ Pork Chops
62. Chicken & Kielbasa
63. Chili Relleno Casserole
64. Lemon Pepper Turkey Breast
65. Creamy Chicken & Kale Soup
66. Sausage, Egg & Broccoli Breakfast Casserole
67. Mexican Chicken Nachos
68. Beef & Cheese Pasta
69. Herbed Roast and Gravy
70. Greek Chicken
71. Lasagna Soup
72. Kansas Swiss Steak

 

For more crockpot freezer meals, be sure to check out these recipes on other favorite blogs, too:

1. Mexican Chili with Cornbread Topping
2. Slow Cooker African-Inspired Peanut Stew 
3. Sticky Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
4. Crockpot Cheesy Garlic Chicken
5. 20 Crockpot Chicken Breast Recipes
6.