Easy Weeknight Freezer Meal Ideas

When the weather is hot and the heat index is bordering on ridiculous, the last thing on your mind is a warm, cheesy noodle casserole. But summer can be the perfect time to squirrel away some freezer meals for those winter months. And if you live at Camelot Place Apartments in Saginaw, MI, you have the advantage of being near Aldi, Wal-Mart, Kroger, and other neighborhood markets.

Everyone can bake a lasagna and throw it in the freezer, but the real brilliance comes with a freezer meal that’s uncomplicated, doesn’t require a lot of prep work, and that you don’t have to thaw a day ahead of time.

A few Tips

If you’re freezing ingredients in a freezer bag, remember to press as much of the excess air out of the bag as you can before freezing it. This will help with storage, and also ensure your meal stays as fresh as possible.

Store raw meat in a separate bag or container from vegetables, and make sure you reach the appropriate temperature for cooked meats when you’re reheating. Avoid buying frozen meats if you plan to re-freeze them, and always let your cooked foods cool before freezing them to avoid contamination.

Forget to thaw your freezer meal? You can defrost it by placing the (sealed) dish in a sink full of warm water. If you don’t have 3 to 4 hours to slow cook your meal, you can always throw it in the oven for about an hour. Just make sure the internal temperature heats to at least 165 degrees.

Let’s get to those recipes!

With every item you add to your room, you’ll want to keep the colors in mind. Overall, solids will serve you best. Too many patterns to look at becomes visually distracting and overwhelming. You can introduce some patterns, but it’s smart to make sure the pattern you pick is at a small scale and has a subtle amount of detail. Color is also a great way to create a sense of extra space. Lighter colors make for a lighter feel, so white or cream will always be welcome along with any soft hues of beige, blue, and green. They’ll help you create an airy feel. Of course, an occasional pop of color is fine, but sticking to a strong base palette keeps your room feeling cohesive and roomy.

Pesto Tortellini Bake

This one has minimal ingredients and maximum flavor, and best of all it can go straight from the oven to the freezer. All you need is cheese tortellini, Alfredo sauce, garlic, pesto, and two kinds of cheese. To cook from frozen, just bake covered in foil for 50 minutes, and then an additional 10 minutes uncovered until browned and bubbly.

Cilantro Lime Chicken

This one goes straight from your freezer into your slow cooker or Instant Pot. Just remove it from the freezer to let thaw on the day you’re ready to cook it.

Turkey Meatball and Tortellini Soup

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Here’s another one that doesn’t require thawing ahead of time. All of your ingredients except the milk will go into your freezer kit, and you can add the milk (and a cup of shredded cheddar cheese if desired!) as you’re reheating it.

Teriyaki Chicken

This recipe does require thawing ahead of time, but the 10-minute prep time makes it an easy meal to prep and freeze. All of your ingredients will go into a freezer bag, and can then go straight into your slow cooker or Instant Pot after thawing.

Easy Taco Casserole

Simply prepare these ingredients in the casserole dish you plan to bake it in and after thawing, bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

The Best Freezer Chili

Slow cooker chili is one of the best comfort foods for a cold winter evening, so you’ll be giving yourself a high five when you pull this one out of the freezer. Set your slow cooker on low, or you can reheat it more quickly on the stovetop.

In addition to the convenient local grocery stores, Camelot Place also provides floor plans with plenty of space and storage in the kitchen for all of your meal prep adventures. If you’re looking for apartments for rent in Saginaw, MI, look no further than Camelot Place. Call (989) 623-4153 for a tour today.