If you’re looking for an easy way to get homemade food on the table without spending hours in the kitchen every night, making your own freezer meals is definitely worth it! Hey there, friends. I know all too well the struggle of trying to get a healthy, home-cooked meal on the table every night. If you’re like me and have a hectic lifestyle with few hours in the day, you may wonder if freezer meals are worth it. Today, I’m here to answer that question!
What Are Freezer Meals?
A freezer meal is exactly what it sounds like—a meal that is prepared ahead of time and stored in the freezer for later use. All you have to do is pull it out of your freezer, thaw it, and cook it in the slow cooker or Instant Pot for an easy home-cooked meal.
We have a ton of great freezer meal recipes in our database. (Sign up to get full access to our recipe database and more!) Hearty meatballs, burritos, enchiladas, cheesy mac and cheese, the possibilities are endless.
How Do You Make Freezer Meals?
Want to learn how to freeze anything? The freezer is a busy person’s best friend! It offers a way to keep food fresh longer and also makes it easy to have freezer meals ready when you are in a rush. Freezing items properly will help you enjoy your food for months instead of wasting away in your fridge! Here is our guide on how to freeze anything, from flash freezing individual ingredients to full meals. Stock your freezer with these great ideas.
Are Freezer Meals Worth It?
In my opinion, absolutely! If you’re looking for a convenient and cost-effective way to enjoy homemade meals, then making your own freezer meals is definitely worth it. Making easy freezer meals are an efficient way to get healthy, tasty, homemade food on the table in no time.
Not only will they save you time on busy weeknights, but they also allow you to ensure that your family is eating healthy food without resorting to takeout or pre-packaged convenience foods. Plus, if you have leftovers from dinner one night, chances are those leftovers can easily be turned into another delicious meal with minimal effort.
What Are Some Tips For Making Freezer Meals?
My top tips for making successful freezer meals are:
- Label each container with the name of the dish and the date it was frozen; this will help prevent any confusion when deciding what to eat later on down the line! I recommend printing these labels on computer paper or water-resistant stickers and taping/attaching them to your bags PRIOR to meal prep.
- Make sure your airtight containers fit snugly together so no air can escape; this will help keep your food fresh longer and prevent any spoilage from occurring during storage. I recommend using good quality, gallon-sized freezer bags (not those flimsy sandwich bags!) They can lay flat in your freezer and take up less space than a bulky container. Just make sure that any bags used are made specifically for freezing, not just regular sandwich bags, which can easily rip when frozen solid!
- Be sure to cool down hot foods before storing them away; this will help keep bacteria from growing while your food is in the freezer.
- Consider investing in some smaller containers so that single servings can easily be taken out when needed; this will save time when reheating individual portions rather than having to thaw out whole dishes at once!
Final Thoughts—Are Freezer Meals Worth It?
Ultimately, if you’re looking for an easy way to get homemade food on the table without having too much effort (or time!) involved, then making your own freezer meals could be just what you need! With proper labeling and storage techniques as well as smaller portion sizes available when required—making these types of dishes ahead of time could be just what busy families need during hectic weeknights!
