Easy + Delicious Freezer Meals
I talk a lot about meal planing and preparation since I really believe that it is vital to maintaining healthy diet. Life is busy and hectic, and most days there just isn’t enough time to pull together a whole-food, nutrient-dense meal from scratch. And while planning and prep are the norm for us, but there are still some weeks that end up crazy and hectic. That’s why we have a freezer and pantry stocked with things that will quickly transform into a meal. (More on that later.)
I typically freeze pre-cooked foods like ground beef or chili, but I recently decided to try a few freezer crockpot meals. So easy! I had a small window of time while my son was napping, and I threw together three meals as well as some marinated meats to freeze. Here are a few recipes to get you started:
Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry:
1.5lb chicken breast, diced
1/2 cup or so Coconut Secret Teryaki sauce
3 or so garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 package frozen onions OR 1 small onion, diced
1 package frozen carrots + broccoli
Place chicken in a freezer bag, then add sauce and toss to coat. Top with vegetables (except broccoli!) and lay flat to freeze. To cook, place in a slow cooker on low for 6 hours OR thaw overnight and sautee in a large pan. Add in the broccoli for the last 30 minutes of the slow cooker to keep all the nutrient. Crack in an egg to scramble for an authentic stir-fry! Add about 1/4 cup or so of extra sauce during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Serve with zoodles or cauli-rice.
Slow-cooker Sausage + Peppers + Onions:
1 12oz package of sausage, sliced (read ingredients!)
1 small can organic diced tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, diced (you can use more if you use a different flavor sausage)
1 bag frozen onions + peppers
OR
1 small onion + 2 small bell peppers (your choice of color)
Place all ingredients in a ziplock bag and freeze flat. Write on the bag: Cook on low for 6+ hours. The exact time will depend on your slow cooker and whether your sausage was pre-cooked. I used TJ garlic chicken sausage that was pre-cooked, so I plan to either put this in the slow cooker on low for about 4 hours or to just sauté together in a pan. Serve with sautéed greens or broccoli and cauli-rice or zoodles!
Maple-Dijon Pork Chops:
1lb thin-sliced pastured pork chops
2tsp organic dijon mustard
1/8-1/4 cup organic maple syrup (to taste, we like less)
21 Season Salute (or other all-purpose seasoning)
s+p
Mix all ingredients together in a freezer bag and freeze flat. Cook in a slow-cooker on low for 4-6 hours depending on the thickness of your pork.
Chicken + Vegetable Curry:
1-1&1/2lb organic chicken, diced
1 bag vegetables, your choice! (onion, bell pepper, zucchini, squash, snow peas)
1/2 small bell pepper (any color)
2 tsp curry powder
3 cloves garlic, smashed
s+p to taste
Optional: fresh spinach, slightly wilted
1 can organic coconut milk
Mix together in a freezer bag and freeze flat. Add about 1/2-1 cup organic chicken stock to a slow-cooker and cook on low for 6 hours. Add coconut milk during the last hour of cooking, and add wilted spinach during the last 15 minutes. Top with chopped cashews, green onions, and serve over zoodles or cauli-rice.
