If you read my last post, you know how you can use the freezer to make some super uber quick meals. Let me share my ideas for how you can make larger, or fancier meals or some easy snacks with the help of your freezer too!

I always love to have some half prepped or half cooked meals in my freezer. Sometimes it’s just a matter of freezing your meat in a marinade so you can put it in the oven and forget about it. Sometimes its about cooking some meat and veg mixtures to make the meal easier to finish off.

Make ahead and freeze suggestions (these options require some cooking):

• Chili, just leave out the canned goods so you have room in your freezer bag.
• Shepherd’s pie meat layer (save the mashed potatoes for when you’re eating or serving the meal.)
• Chicken or turkey pot pie filling.
• Precook pork roasts for pulled pork. Save the pulling for when you warm it up for a meal. (Pro tip: make it in your instant pot to save time! 1hr vs 6-8 hrs!!)
• Spaghetti sauce! Find an easy recipe on Pinterest and make big batches of it ahead of time and freeze it in meal sized portions.
• Soup, any kind of soup! Portion it out ahead of time for those who enjoy it! Goes great with a sandwich!
• Cook up a big batch of pancakes, after they cool off put them in the freezer, then toast them up when you’re hungry. Deliciously toasty on the outside!
• Breakfast sandwiches! Cook the sausage or bacon, cook the egg, butter the english muffins then let it all cool. slap on a slice of cheese then wrap it up in foil. Pull it out of the freezer and heat it up to enjoy a delicious breakfast!

Assemble ahead and freeze (these options require some assembly but no actual cooking)

• Meatloaf
• Meatballs
• Burgers
• Portioned uncooked (maybe even diced) chicken breast (for those times you need to cook with raw chicken)
• Prep pizza with all your toppings. Before baking it put it in the freezer covered with tinfoil and saran wrap. (Don’t have time to make your own dough, use store bought dough or premade pizza crust)
• Guacamole! Make sure you add the lime or lemon juice to keep the green colour, but its great for a last minute snack or lunch of nachos, or tacos, or just having as chips and dip!
• Portioned smoothie kits (Pro tip: use your almost too ripe produce to fill your smoothie bags to lessen your food waste!)
• Another thing that is surprisingly easy to make is granola bars! I almost always have a bag of them in the freezer. It’s an easy snack for my husband at work, me at home running from kid to kid, the kids love them more than store bought! Even serve them as a snack when having coffee with a friend! (When we can go back to socializing!)
• In the summer, my kids love freezies. We got into the habit of getting yogurt tubes and sticking those in the freezer for a great treat!
• Make a double or triple batch of cookie dough, rather than baking them all, shape them into single cookie balls and toss them in the freezer. Cook them from frozen for that fresh baked cookie craving! (Don’t feel like making cookie dough? Buy store bought cookies and freeze those instead! If you love sweets, store bought butter tarts also freeze well!!)

Why not fill your freezer, so you can fill your bellies for the lock down. Stock up on some groceries so that you can limit the amount of times you need to go shopping! Then get out for a walk instead!

Enjoy filling your freezer! Feel free to share your great freezer meals!

Thanks for coming home!