Freezer Meals for Easy Kids Meals

1. Chicken Stock or Broth

Use homemade chicken stock or vegetable stock as a freezer meal starter for soup, casseroles, rice, sauces, and quick dinners.

Ingredients

• 1 roast chicken carcass or cooked chicken bones
• Chopped carrots
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1 to 2 celery leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• Water to cover

Directions

1. Place chicken, carrots, onion, celery leaves, and bay leaves in a large soup pot.
2. Cover with water and bring to a boil.
3. Lower heat and simmer for about 1 hour.
4. Drain broth into freezer-safe containers.
5. Cool, label, and freeze.

Freezer tip: Freeze in small containers so you can pull out only what you need for soup or sauces.

2. Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

This sauce can be made in a large batch and frozen in smaller portions for spaghetti, lasagna, pizza sauce, pasta bakes, and freezer dinners.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 pound beef
• 5 cups chopped tomatoes, blended
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 cup beef or vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Heat oil in a pan and sauté onion and garlic.
2. Stir in Italian seasoning and cayenne.
3. Add beef and cook until browned.
4. Add tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, stock, salt, and pepper to a crock pot or large soup pot.
5. Stir in the beef mixture.
6. Simmer at least 30 minutes, or cook in a crock pot 6 to 8 hours on low.
7. Cool completely, portion, label, and freeze.

3. Freezer Meatballs

Freeze meatballs before cooking or after cooking. Use them later for spaghetti, soup, meatball sandwiches, lunches, or quick dinners.

Ingredients

• 1 pound hamburger
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until well blended.
2. Form into small meatballs.
3. Place meatballs on a wax-paper-lined cookie sheet.
4. Freeze for about 30 minutes, or until firm.
5. Transfer to freezer bags, label, and freeze.

Use for: spaghetti, soup, meatball sandwiches, lunchbox meatballs, or sweet and sour meatballs.

4. Pizza Bites or Small Calzones

These freeze well and can be taken out individually for lunches, snacks, or quick dinners.

Ingredients

• Pizza dough, store bought or homemade
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut in cubes
• Slices of pepperoni or pepperoni chunks
• Ham chunks or ham cut in small pieces
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups pasta sauce

Directions

1. Roll pizza dough on a floured surface into a large rectangle.
2. Cut into approximately 4-inch squares.
3. Place pepperoni, ham, and a cheese cube on each square.
4. Wrap dough around the filling, fold sides in, roll up, and press together.
5. Brush with olive oil mixed with Italian seasoning.
6. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
7. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 to 18 minutes.
8. Serve with pasta sauce or cool and freeze.

5. Muffins and Quick Breads

Stock your freezer with homemade muffins and quick breads. They are useful for snacks, lunches, breakfast, and breakfast-for-dinner nights.

Freezer idea: Freeze muffins in single layers first, then store in freezer bags. Pull out one or two as needed.

See muffin recipes to try.

6. Double or Triple Soups

Soup is one of the easiest freezer meals. Double a pot and freeze portions for lunches or family dinners.

• Pizza soup recipe
• Chili recipe
• Minestrone soup
• More soup recipes

7. Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken enchiladas can be doubled or tripled. Freeze individual portions for lunches or freeze a full pan for an easy oven dinner.

Ingredients

• 4 cups shredded chicken
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1 to 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• Salt and pepper
• Tortillas

Directions

1. Mix cream of chicken soup and milk in a bowl.
2. Add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of sauce mixture to shredded chicken.
3. Stir in cream cheese, salsa, salt, and pepper.
4. Spoon chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla and roll up.
5. Place seam side down in a greased baking dish.
6. Pour remaining sauce over top and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
7. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.
8. Cool, portion, label, and freeze if making ahead.

Variation: Add 1 to 2 cups cooked rice to stretch the filling.

More enchilada recipes.

8. Sloppy Joes

Sloppy joe filling freezes well and can be reheated for sandwiches, baked potatoes, nachos, or quick family dinners.

See how to make sloppy joes for step-by-step directions.

9. Lasagna or Manicotti

Lasagna and manicotti can be doubled easily. Freeze individual portions for lunches or freeze a whole pan for a pop-in-the-oven meal.

See lasagna and manicotti recipes.

10. Chicken Roll Ups

Chicken roll ups freeze well for kids lunches or easy family dinners.

Ingredients

• Crescent dough, homemade or store bought
• 3 to 4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded cheese

Directions

1. Blend cooked chicken, cream cheese, shredded cheese, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
2. Roll crescent dough into a circle and cut into triangles, or unroll store-bought crescent dough.
3. Place chicken mixture on the wide end of each triangle.
4. Roll from the wide end down to the pointed end.
5. Place on a cookie sheet.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
7. Cool and flash freeze on a cookie sheet.
8. Place frozen roll ups in freezer bags, label, and freeze.