Guys! Welcome to our September Mini Freezer Stash!
I absolutely love how my life feels when I have stuff ready to go. Like a crockpot meal set for our busy ballet night, or wholesome homemade muffins to tuck in a lunchbox. Makes me feel like I’m just crushing it at life.
I really wanted this set to feel NOT overwhelming and actually useful.
This Mini Freezer Stash:
- Takes less than one hour
- Uses whole food ingredients
- Has recipes that we *actually* want to eat.
The format couldn’t be easier – you basically assemble stuff in bags and freeze it!
And the recipes this month are some of the top-rated fall faves!
- Pumpkin Muffins
- Butter Chicken
- Tortilla Soup
- Ricotta Meatballs
If you want, you can get the cute little recipe cards sent to you (free) via email – the form is right here below. I like to print the cards out and attach them to the bags!
I hope you find this as helpful as it’s been for me!
Makes 16-18 muffins
Blend:
- 14-oz. can pumpkin puree
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup maple syrup
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
Bake: 375° // 15-17 minutes
Freeze: Store muffins in an airtight container or bag in the freezer (or fridge). To reheat from frozen, microwave 45-60 seconds.
Things to Know:
- I bake these in a muffin tin lined with avocado oil.
2
Butter Chicken
Serves 4
(the picture above shows meatballs – you can make this with meatballs or just chicken thighs as directed below!)
Freeze Together:
- 1 red onion, roughly chopped
- 2 tsp. garlic paste
- 2 tsp. ginger paste
- 1/4 tsp. turmeric
- 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 tsp. garam masala
- 1/2 tsp. cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 14-oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
Cook With:
- 1 1/2 lbs. chicken thighs
Crockpot: Low // 8 hours
Instant Pot: High // 16 minutes
Stovetop: Simmer // 30 minutes
Final Step: Remove chicken from the sauce and shred into large chunks. Puree the sauce (I use an immersion blender). Add ½ cup heavy cream and 2 tbsp. butter to the sauce. Add chicken back in. Serve with rice, naan, and cilantro.
Things to Know:
- The chicken is listed separately to make it safe for crockpot cooking. You add the frozen portion above, plus a package of chicken thighs, to the crockpot (or whatever method you’re using).
- Chicken breasts also work.
- I thaw this by running the bag under warm water for a few minutes and breaking the mixture into chunks.
3
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Serves 6
Freeze Together:
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 jalapeño, minced
- 2 tsp. garlic paste
- 1 1/2 tsp. cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
- ¼ tsp. dried oregano
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
Cook With:
- 1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 3 cups chicken broth
Crockpot: Low // 8 hours
Instant Pot: High // 16 minutes
Stovetop: Simmer // 30 minutes
Final Step: Shred chicken. Add a 14-oz. can drained and rinsed pinto beans. Serve with tortilla strips, lime wedges, and sour cream!
Things To Know:
- Chicken is listed separately to make it safe for crockpot cooking. You add the frozen portion above, plus a package of chicken thighs and the broth, to the crockpot (or whatever method you’re using).
- Chicken breasts will also work.
- I thaw this by running the bag under warm water for a few minutes and breaking the mixture into chunks.
Serves 4-5
Mix, Roll, and Freeze:
Freeze on parchment-lined pan; divide into two bags
- 2 lb. ground turkey
- 1 cup full-fat ricotta cheese
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup panko
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
Instructions for one bag:
Bake: 400° // 30 minutes
Final Step: After baking, add 32-oz. of marinara sauce like Rao’s. Bake for 10 mins to warm. Mix 1/4 cup panko, 1/4 cup Parmesan, 2 tsp. olive oil, and parsley, sprinkle on meatballs, and broil until golden and crispy. Serve with pasta or garlic bread and a salad!
Things to Know:
- Freeze the meatballs on a parchment lined pan so they won’t stick together. Once frozen, transfer to a bag (or two).
- I bake these in a shallow Dutch oven or cast iron pan with a bit of oil. Then I can add the sauce directly to that same pan.
- The crispies on top are optional but make it more fun to eat!
If you love this mini freezer stash and want even more freezer meal life-savers, you can get a full packet of 22 dinner recipes right here!
Do you bake the meatballs from frozen or thaw first?
We bake them from frozen!
Im confused. Cant you freeze chicken?
I think the idea here is that you’re not cooking anything in advance- you’re letting the crockpot do the work. Raw chicken that’s been frozen can’t be put into the crockpot because it spends too much time in the food safety temp “danger zone”. You could cook the chicken first, but then there would be no point in putting it in the crockpot.
Hi! The reason Lindsay does not is because technically then you’re supposed to thaw for crockpot which takes forever. Frozen chicken is not supposed to go in crockpot for food safety, but you can proceed as you’d like.
Thank you!
Thank you for including the Instant Pot Option as that is my go to typically =)
I can’t’ wait to do a lot of this prep over the long weekend coming up.
Hi, thank you for sharing these. Would appreciate to see other recipes like that that are good for school and freezer meals, It is very challenging to find good recipes for crockpot. Really appreciate to see the different options for cooking
This is an amazing idea! More of these please!
I love these cute cards! Having the ingredients pre-chopped and measured in the freezer makes cooking feel so much more doable. Thank you, as always, for this great resource!
Agreed, I would also love more freeze-ingredients-and-throw-in-cooker recipes (or recipe adaptations)! The recipes in the freezer meal guide that Lindsay links to above were all we ate for 3+ months during a kitchen renovation; they’re a life-saving and special recipe category that I cherish having on hand! (That being said, I love all of your recipes, Lindsay! I’ve cooked most of them…).
Love this!! One hour freezer is sess is what busy moms need. Keep them coming. The GF and DF ones help us so much! I always tweak yours and they still work.
This is amazing! Thank you. Haven’t made any yet but I love all of your recipes & so does my family.
So awesome! Thank you!
The timing couldn’t have been more perfect for this to show up in my inbox! I’m having a small surgery this month and need to prepare some meals for our family during my recovery. These all look delicious and kid-friendly! Thanks for sharing such a great freezer friendly menu 🫶
Wishing you a restful recovery!
Oh my God this looks amazing and this really helps me out with meal prep for two teenage boys. Just put it in freezer and can’t wait till you do another freezer prep. Thank you.!