Whether you are an expecting mom, make meals for loved ones, or just don’t know what to make for dinner, it’s always good to have a go-to freezer meal list in your back pocket. I came across the list below when I was pregnant with my second daughter several years ago. It was shared as an easy way to help moms out during the newborn stage by meal prepping before baby arrived. Thanks to this list, making dinner and feeding the family would be one less thing moms had to worry about. At the time, I knew I would be super tired and that I wouldn’t want to make dinner with a newborn and a toddler, so I used this list to freeze six meals in advance and throw in the crockpot when it was time.
Chicken Taco Chili
Ingredients:
1 onion chopped
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
8oz can tomato sauce
10oz frozen corn
2 can diced tomatoes with chiles
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
Directions: Combine all ingredients and write on bag: “Crockpot high 6 hours or low 10 hrs, shred chicken 30 minutes before serving, serve with cheese, sour cream, etc.”
Italian Sloppy Joes
Ingredients:
2 lb turkey Italian sausage with casings removed, browned
1 cup chopped onion
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 green peppers, chopped
2 red peppers, chopped
2 2/3 cup crushed tomatoes
1 tsp dried rosemary
salt and pepper to taste
Directions: Combine all ingredients and write on bag: “Crockpot low 4-6 hours, serve on buns with provolone.”
Honey Rosemary Chicken
Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
⅓ cup honey
⅓ cup olive oil
3 Tbsp rosemary
1 tsp salt
Directions: Combine all ingredients and write on bag: “Crockpot low 6-8 hours.”
Cilantro Lime Chicken
Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
Juice from 2 limes
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 bag frozen corn
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ red onion, chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper
Directions: Combine all ingredients and write on bag: “Crockpot low 8 hours, then shred.”
Hawaiian Chicken
Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
½ cup sugar
½ cup vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs soy sauce
½ can large pineapple chunks
½ cup pineapple juice (from can)
Directions: Combine all ingredients and write on bag: “Crockpot low 6-7 hours, shred and return to sauce.”
Lasagna Soup
Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey breast, browned
3 cups chicken broth
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp parsley
1 Tbsp basil
½ chopped onion
28 oz can diced tomato
2 cans tomato sauce
Salt and pepper
Directions: Combine all ingredients and write on bag: “Crockpot low 7-8 hours, add 2 cups dry pasta and 1 cup water 30 minutes before serving.”
Italian Beef Hoagies
Ingredients:
3 lb beef top round roast, trimmed
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp salt
4 tsp italian dressing mix
3 cups low sodium beef broth
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 bay leaf
2 red bell peppers, thin sliced
½ cup mild banana pepper rings (optional)
Directions: Combine all ingredients and write on bag: “Crockpot high 5-6 hours, remove bay leaf and shred, serve on hoagie rolls with provolone.”
Balsamic Pork Roast
Ingredients:
2 lb boneless pork shoulder roast
Salt, to taste
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp red pepper flakes
⅓ cup chicken broth
⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp honey
Directions: Combine all ingredients and write on bag: “Crockpot low 6-8 hours.”
Pulled Pork
Ingredients:
2.5 lb boneless pork loin roast
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp hickory liquid smoke
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup bbq sauce
Directions: Combine all ingredients and write on bag: “Crockpot high 6 hours, shred, return meat and ¾ cup cooking liquid for 1 hour, serve on buns with additional BBQ sauce if desired.”
Root Beer BBQ Chicken
Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken breast
8 oz root beer
18 oz bbq sauce
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
Salt and pepper
Directions: Combine all ingredients and write on bag: “Crockpot low 6-8 hours, serve on buns with additional BBQ sauce if desired.”
Salsa Verde Chicken
Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs chicken breast
¼ tsp garlic powder
⅛ tsp oregano
⅛ tsp cumin
⅛ tsp salt
16 oz salsa verde
Directions: Combine all ingredients and write on bag: “Crockpot low 4-6 hours, shred.”
I was not able to try all of the meals to be able to tell you if they are all good. These dinners are nothing fancy, and some maybe not super healthy, but when you can’t think of what to make for dinner or just don’t feel like cooking, this list can come in handy. These recipes can help you with the present dinner or the future dinner dilemma. It just takes about an afternoon to prep them all at once once you have all of the ingredients. You can choose to freeze them and cook later or to make the recipe for that particular day or week. I tailor some of these meals to my family’s likes and may change up some of the amounts of some of the ingredients, so please feel free to do the same.
Looking for more delicious crockpot recipes? I totally recommend following The Magical Slow Cooker. This page has some of the BEST crockpot recipes!
Do you have any go-to recipes or lists that you use for times like these?
