Perfect Freezer Meal Recipes For Busy Parents
Well Fall is officially here which means youth sports are underway. If you’re anything like my family, we have a practice or game nearly every night of the week. To prepare for the late night dinners, I found some delicious casserole recipes, made them ahead of time, and stored the casseroles in the freezer. If you’re looking for yummy dinner ideas that you can freeze check out the list below of Make Ahead Freezer Meals.
I started with a trip to Costco and got all of the ingredients I needed for every casserole you see below. While it was a lot to buy at one time, I was able to make over a months worth of dinner casseroles (By the way, I doubled all the recipes)! I simply pull a casserole out of the freezer in the morining, let it thaw all day and bake as soon as we get home from school. Check out this amazing list of freezer ready casseroles, perfect for family dinners on busy weeknights!
How To Make A Freezer Casserole
Before we get to the list of super awesome freezer meal ideas, let’s talk about how I make a freezer casserole. First, I try to find recipes that are super simple, you know ones that don’t have a ton of ingredients or steps. From there I basically mix all the ingredients together, throw them in a 9×11 aluminum baking dish, label with the cooking instructions and pop it in the freezer. Don’tbake until you’re ready to eat these casseroles! Yes, you will need to cook some meat and boil some noodles but overall the prep time on these yummy dinner recipes is minimal.
1. Cheesy Ham & Pea Casserole
A delicious combination of salty and cheesy, this easy dinner casserole is always a hit. Simply stir together some cubbed ham, peas, rice, and a couple of other ingredients and pop in the freezer for an easy dinner that even your picky easters will love.
Cheesy Ham & Pea Casserole Recipe
2. Cheeseburger Casserole
This simple dinner idea is perfect for busy parents of picky eaters. This casserole is a yummy combination of cheesy ground beef, noodles, and tomato soup. It reminds me of an upscale mac and cheese recipe.
Cheeseburger Casserole Recipe
3. Chicken Broccoli & Rice Casserole
This recipe is budget friendly, easy to make, and oh so delicious. Canned chicken makes prepping this dinner casserole even easier and it freezer so nicely. Your family will love this cheesy rice dinner idea so be sure to make extra.
Chicken Broccoli & Rice Casserole Recipe
4. Cauliflower Pizza Casserole
Looking for a low carb family dinner idea? Cauliflower pizza casserole is perfect! Make this recipe even easier with a bag of frozen cauliflower. Your family won’t even realize they are eating veggies with this healthy dinner recipe.
Cauliflower Pizza Casserole Recipe
5. Taco Spaghetti Casserole
This recipe is a yummy twist on a classic recipe. Who doesn’t love spaghetti and tacos. Combining these 2 comfort foods makes the best spaghetti casserole ever! Remember to under cook the noddles just slightly if you’re going to freeze this for later.
Taco Spaghetti Casserole Recipe
6. Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas
This enchilada recipe is superb. The creamy chicken filling is so easy to make and the sauce is so delish. I added some uncooked bell peppers on top of the tortillas (before the sauce) for some added nutritional value for my kids! You’re going to want to make this kids friendly meal over and over.
Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
7. Lazy Shephard’s Pie
A classic recipe made even easier with instant mashed potatoes and frozen veggies. All you have to do is cook the ground beef. I love to freeze this recipe because the potatoes come out even more crispy when baked from the freezer.
Lazy Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
8. Baked Tortellini
This may be the easiest freezer casserole to make ever! Just brown some ground beef and mix all the ingredients together. I like to cube the cream cheese on top of the noddles and it melts and combines in the oven. This recipe gives me seriously delicious Italian food restaurant vibes.
Baked Tortellini Casserole Recipe
9. Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole
Tater tots make everything better, right? Your kids are sure to love this delicious combination of cheesy ground beef, cream of mushroom soup and veggies. This casserole is perfect for picky eaters because you can substitute any vegetable of your liking. Your family is sure to ask for seconds.
Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
10. Easy Meatloaf
Take your meatloaf recipe up a notch with Stove Top Stuffing. This easy meatloaf recipe has just a few ingredients but the meatloaf is the best I’ve ever had. Make sure to pick up a few bread loaf aluminum pans for this recipe.
Easy Meatloaf Recipe
Helpful Tips For Make Ahead Freezer Meals
- Make sure to undercook any noddles or rice called for in these recipes. Otherwise when the casseroles are baked the noodles/rice will over cook and become soggy.
- There is no need to precook any of the veggies in this list of freezer casseroles. Dont worry everything will get nice and tender during the baking process.
- Some of these recipes call for you to melt cheese or cream cheese on the stove before adding to the casserole dish. I personally didn’t do this. Instead I added an even layer of cut up cheese or cream cheese on top of the other ingredients in the recipe. It all melts together when baked anyways and this will save you some prep time!
I love that these freezer dinners take the guess work out of “what’s for dinner tonight, mom?” And we dont have to stop for fast food because I didn’t plan ahead. Such a great way to make sure your kids get a healthy and filling dinner no matter how busy you are! These recipes really make the best freezer meal ideas ever.
