Wednesday I got a start on my make ahead/freezer meals for the coming season/holiday season.  I made 2 x lasagna, 2 x chili and when I was making my Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells, I was able to make 2 pans so I would have one to freeze.

This is the time of year I like to start getting a bunch of make ahead meals stocked up in my freezer.  I don’t do it for any particular reason, mostly because it’s nice to know that if there is a day I don’t feel like cooking, dinner is only a matter of defrosting something from the freezer and popping it in the oven. Make ahead or Freezer meals are also great to have on hand for the coming holiday season.  We all know how busy we get, especially come December and it’s nice knowing that dinner isn’t one of the things that can add stress to the holidays.  Or even knowing that having unexpected company show up and wondering what to feed them. Freezer meals can be cooked straight from the freezer in cases such as these but it obviously will take longer to reheat.

No matter what happens in a day, I like knowing I have the option of not cooking on any given day because I have a freezer full of precooked meals on hand to save the day.

Below I will share the recipes I like to use to make meals ahead of time to freeze. And here is the post Kim wrote about Make ahead meals when she was getting ready for my granddaughter to be born! Freezer Meals – Prepping for baby time!  and  Freezer Meals – Prepping for Baby Time! – PT. 2

Sandie

Here are the recipes for the first batch of freezer meals I made Wednesday.

Lasagna: https://ohyestheydid.ca/2017/04/13/my-lasagna-recipe/

Chili: https://ohyestheydid.ca/2018/02/14/chili-in-the-crock-pot/ (This is a crock pot recipe, so when it comes time to make it I only have to thaw it enough to get it into the crock pot bowl and then let the crock pot do it’s job)

Taco Shells:

Here are some of the recipes I plan on making in the next few weeks that I have found perfect for freezing.  Whether it is being reheated in the oven or dumped into the crock pot to cook, these recipes all work great as make ahead meals.

Shepherd’s Pie, taken from Kim’s post about making meals ahead of time for baby: https://ohyestheydid.ca/2018/04/17/freezer-meals-prepping-for-baby-time/

Beef Stew: https://ohyestheydid.ca/2018/02/22/hearty-beef-stew-in-the-crock-pot/

Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore: https://ohyestheydid.ca/2017/11/02/crock-pot-chicken-cacciatore/

Crock Pot Pulled Pork: https://ohyestheydid.ca/2018/08/24/crock-pot-pulled-pork/

Crock Pot Cowboy Beans: https://ohyestheydid.ca/2018/04/09/crock-pot-cowboy-beans/

Tater Tot Enchilada Casserole: https://ohyestheydid.ca/2018/01/29/tater-tot-enchilada-casserole/

Alfredo Chicken Stuffed Shells: https://ohyestheydid.ca/2018/09/04/alfredo-chicken-stuffed-shells/

Four Cheese Macaroni with Chicken, Bacon and Blue Cheese: https://ohyestheydid.ca/2018/05/10/four-cheese-macaroni-with-chicken-bacon-and-blue-cheese/

And of course our favourite comfort food…. Baked Macaroni: https://ohyestheydid.ca/2017/04/21/our-baked-macaroni/

There are so many different things I could rehash…meatloaf and cooked pork tenderloin are great to have in the freezer along with any number of pasta dishes.  For me, it is just the convenience of having meals ready in the freezer if the need arises!