Need some budget-friendly make ahead freezer meals? These 10 healthy dinner ideas are easy to make and freeze for busy nights when you don’t have time to cook.
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You can call it freezer cooking, meal prepping, or simply being smart in the kitchen. The truth is when you’re trying to save money and eat healthy, making food ahead of time will save your bacon.
When you have a few easy meals in the freezer, you don’t have to:
- rely on expensive convenience food
- hit the drive-thru on your way home because you have no idea what’s for dinner
- stop by the store real quick to pick up dinner – and end up buying a whole car’s worth of food because you’re hungry.
You don’t have to make freezer meals into an elaborate day-long event. Here are 10 easy, healthy, budget-friendly meals you can freeze or make ahead of time.
What are Some Good Meals to Freeze?
In my experience, the best meals to freeze are the meals you already eat. Rather than trying 10 different all-new recipes and packing them in your freezer, hoping everyone loves them – or at least tolerates them – why not try finding ways you can freeze the meals your family already loves?
Of course, I’m going to share with you some of our favorite recipes to freeze, but when you see things like our favorite lentil soup or our marinated chicken breast, think about your family’s favorite soup and chicken marinade, and try those!
What Dinners Can I Make and Freeze?
There are several kinds of ways to make and freeze dinners. You can cook the meal completely ahead of time and then freeze it. When it’s time to eat it, all you need to do is thaw and reheat.
The other way you can make a freeze meals is to simply prepare the raw elements ahead of time so the meal prep is simple and minimal – think, thaw it overnight, then toss it into the instant pot or slow cooker.
Instant Pot and slow cooker meals are ideal freezer meals. If your family doesn’t love one-pot meals, think about meals that have certain elements that take a long time to cook or that need the meat to thaw, but it keeps well in the freezer once it’s cooked (think tacos with homemade beans and ground meat, spaghetti and meatballs, or baked chicken and mashed potatoes.)
Bonus Tip:
When my kids were really little, I had dedicated meal prepping days where I intentionally cooked a bunch of food for the month ahead.
Now, I find it works better for me to simply make twice the amount of food I need for dinner, then freeze half of it for another night.
Use the method works for you and the season of life you are living.
What Freezer Meals Can I Make for $5?
You can make all of the meals I’m going to show you for under $5. Of course this depends on where you live and what exactly you buy (for example, organic meat vs. conventional). But every single meal here is budget-friendly and simple to make.
In addition to the list below, think about your own budget-friendly meals that you already make and how you could convert them to the freezer.
What Foods do not Freeze Well?
Many foods freeze well.
Many do not.
Here’s a quick list of some of the most common mistakenly frozen foods. For a more complete list of what not to freeze, go here.
- Pasta (it gets mushy; don’t cook them all the way through if you want to freeze them)
- Rice (same)
- Raw potatoes
10 Easy Healthy Budget-Friendly Freezer Meals
Need some budget-friendly make ahead freezer meals? These 10 healthy dinner ideas are easy to make and freeze for busy nights when you don’t have time to cook.
We use this filling (or really, anything we want!) to make simple. budget-friendly burritos that we can roll up and freeze in a gallon-size freezer bag. Add any kind of meat if you like, refried beans, or black beans. When you're ready to bake them, put them in a greased baking dish, cover it with foil, and bake at 400 F for 40 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes.
Season ground beef (or turkey or chicken) is so versatile and easy to stretch across multiple meals. Follow this recipe for simple, flavorful, seasoned ground beef, then pack it in 1-2 cup portions in freezer bags. Now it's ready to use in: pasta, tacos, burritos, nacho dip, chili, hamburger soup, and more.
This is my kids' favorite soup. We make it in big batches, and it's easy to pour into a container and freeze for easy family-friendly meals later.
Burrito bowls are an allergy-friendly, plant-based pantry meal that even help you reduce food waste (who doesn’t love taco leftovers?!). I make the meat and beans ahead of time for a simple meal that my family loves.
We love a good pot of potato soup, and I often freeze half of it for later. Lisa's recipe for potato and cauliflower chowder is just scrumptious (her recipes always are!).
We love white bean chili (chicken optional to help stretch the budget!), but traditional beef and bean chili is also delicious and freezes easily. Hearty meals like chili actually taste better when they are made in advance because the flavors meld and become more intense.
This is our other favorite soup recipe. It's loaded with vegetables, budget-friendly protein, and freezes very well. Just let it cool completely in the fridge, then pour it into a freezer bag or freezer-safe plastic container.
This easy, make-ahead chicken recipe goes with EVERYTHING (tacos, salads, soup, sandwiches, pasta, casseroles, etc.), uses any cut of chicken, and cooks in the oven, slow cooker, grill, or Instant Pot! After cooking, shred it then pack it in 1-2 cup portions in freezer bags.
9. Breakfast for Dinner
Sure, you can make some breakfasts for the freezer and use them in the mornings, but don't forget that breakfast for dinner is a lot of fun (and budget-friendly!) too.
These breakfasts all freeze well:
- Pancakes
- Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole
10. Marinated Chicken
This is one of the easiest ways to elevate plain chicken (thighs or breasts) for easy, flavorful meals. Simple place 2-4 pieces of chicken into a freezer bag, drizzle it with your favorite marinade (1-2 tbsp per piece of chicken), then seal the bag and pop it into the freezer.
For easy marinades, try Greek dressing or salsa!
When you're ready to cook it, place them in the crockpot or instant pot and follow your appliance's instructions for frozen chicken breast/thighs.
Freezer cooking and meal prepping can save you a lot of money – especially if you are trying to eat healthy on a budget! Try these recipes, tweak your family favorites, and start saving money, eating healthy, and filling your freezer with easy, budget-friendly dinners.
What’s your favorite freezer meal?
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