10 Crock-Pot Freezer Meals - Tips and Grocery List - Part 1 of 4

I've been a lover of the Crock-Pot since my early 20's but it's been since having my second kiddo that I started incorporating freezer cooking.  For our dinners I like to do a combination of a couple freezer meals during the workweek for the busy days and then quick cooking meals for the other weeknights.

It’s been a learning curve to learn what works best for us.  I’m hoping that sharing what I’ve learned over the years with my slow cooker can help you and your family get dinner on the table faster.  Not only that but enjoy what you're eating!  

Tips and Tricks

·       I’ve stopped laying meals flat to freeze like I used to. Freezing flat is an awesome tip for someone trying to make the most of limited space.  My problem has been that most of the meals are still frozen the next morning after being in the fridge overnight and it was a pain breaking them down to fit them in the Crock-Pot as I was trying to hurry out the door.

·       If I have “Cream of” something different than what is on the list just sitting in my pantry – I use mushroom, chicken and celery pretty interchangeably.

·       Speaking of “Cream of” – I always get low sodium options when they’re available.  (Especially the cream soups, beef or chicken broth, soy sauce, etc.)  Another way to help control sodium could be to make your own taco or ranch seasoning. 

·       Add the meat to the freezer bag last.  This will make sure it ends up in the Crock-Pot first and on the bottom of the other sauce ingredients.

·       They are some fancy green sticks you can buy that hold the bags open for you.  I haven’t tried them, but I do like to use a medium size mixing bowl to stand two bags in at once (generally two bags of the same recipe so it’s easy to divvy up.)

·       As a general rule – I don’t mix ingredients in a separate bowl before putting in the freezer bag.  I usually put the ingredients that would need to be mixed in the bag first – squish the bag to mix them and then add the meat and only squish a little bit so the bag doesn’t break.  (The exception to this might be the Scalloped Potatoes and Ham.  It might be easiest to do in a separate bowl to make sure the creamy goodness and cheese gets evenly distributed.)

·       Some people are firm believers that meals should be fully thawed before putting them in the Crock-Pot to make sure they are fully cooked.  I purposely don’t want them to be completely thawed (and have been known from time to time to go right from the freezer to the Crock-Pot) for a couple reasons:

o   Our frozen meals are meant for weekdays when we know it will be cooking for 11 hours (8 on low and 3 on warm.) 

o   We haven’t had a problem with meals not being cooked. They are sometimes borderline over-cooked.  If the meals are fully thawed before hitting the Crock-Pot they are over-cooked every time.

About these Recipes:

·       Where did the recipes come from?  In short – Pinterest posts that link to blogs focusing on freezer cooking multiple meals and from the stash of cookbooks I’ve accumulated. 

Some places I liked and have tried recipes:

o   www.newleafwellness.biz has “8 Crockpot Freezer Meals in 35 Minutes” and “31 Healthy Crockpot Freezer Meals”

o   www.thirtyhandmadedays.com for “19 Deliciously Healthy Crockpot Chicken Freezer Meals”

o   The good ‘ol classics Fix It and Forget It Big Cookbook and the Feasting with your Slow Cooker

o   I’m starting to enjoy reading the Fix Freeze and Feast book written by Veville and Tkacsik that takes a different twist on freezer cooking.  This cookbook doesn’t use the Crock-Pot.

·       Why so much meat?!  I tend to think about freezer cooking as getting the main part of the dish handled.  I also don't like the way a lot of vegetables stand up to the long cook time.  I like to throw a salad or warm up a veggie the night of the meal rather than eating mushy veggies. 

What do I look for in a recipe?

·       Rule Number 1: Recipes I think my kids and husband will like

·       The recipes also need to be those that can stand up to a long cooking period.  I'm generally shooting for a cook time of 8-10 hours realizing also that it'll still have a few more hours on warm before we get home.  

·       I’m not a fan of how fresh potatoes and some other veggies hold up after being frozen so I tend to steer clear of those recipes.  This usually means our side on the night of the meal is usually a side salad or some steamed veggies.

·       I pass on recipes including canned beans – I haven’t had luck with them holding up to being frozen and then spending the day hanging out in the Crock-Pot.  Totally personal preference.  (In the future I’m going to make a note on the bag and just add them to the Crock-Pot for the day of cooking.)

Grocery list to make each meal once: 

(Don't forget the gallon freezer bags and permanent marker if you don't have them on-hand.)

Meat

6 lbs chicken breasts

6 lbs beef stew meat

1 (3-4 lb) pork roast

1 ham steak, cubed

4 lbs of chicken breasts or pork roast (both are good - there are a couple recipes that give options)

Veggies/Produce Section

3 onions (1 sliced and 2 chopped)

1/2 tsp fresh minced ginger

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

Zest and juice of 1 orange

1 lb mushrooms, sliced

Condiments/Dressing/Miscellaneous

12 oz bottle hot sauce (I like Red's Hot Wing Sauce)

1 1/2 package of dry ranch dressing

1 package Zesty Italian dry dressing mix

2 packets dry onion soup mix

1 chicken taco seasoning packet (I used regular taco seasoning)

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoons minced garlic

1/2 cup hoisin sauce

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/2 cup olive oil

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/4 cup honey

1/2 teaspoon ground thyme

Dairy

4 oz cheddar cheese

1 package cream cheese, cubed

Canned Goods

1 can rotel

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of potato soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 cans beef broth

15oz can whole cranberry sauce

Frozen Foods

1 large bag of frozen potatoes

1 lb frozen green beans

Stay tuned for recipes to start tomorrow!

Thank you so much for stopping by.  Please share your tips and tricks that work well for your family!