How to make 8 Freezer Meals in 2 Hours is simple and you will have 8 dinner recipes that will be ready to throw in your crockpot. It took me only 2 hours from starting the process to cleaning up my whole kitchen. I love to make freezer meals to help save me time in prepping and preparing dinners for my family.
My three boys are constantly on the go with school and after school activities. My oldest son has now started weight lifting and conditioning after school three days a week for football. I have to pick him up at the local high school at 5pm and that is when I am usually getting started in the kitchen to make dinner. I decided to to some research and find freezer meals that sounded good for my family.
8 Freezer Meals in 2 Hours:
Crockpot Chicken Fajitas (I made 2 of these)
Crockpot Cilantro Lime Chicken
Crockpot Honey Rosemary Chicken
Crockpot Pear, Apple and Pork Dinner
Crockpot Cranberry Orange Chicken
Crockpot Bean Stew - Vegetarian
First of all invest in a good quality slow cooker. Our favorite is this programmable cook and carry 6qt oval slow cooker. By choosing these meals I did not have to pre-cook any of the meat or poultry in these freezer meal recipes. That is a huge time saver when prepping freezer meals! I started off my making a list of what I needed for each recipe.
Next I went to my kitchen and pulled out what I already had for each recipe. Then I made a shopping list of what I needed to get at the store. I had most of the spices and meat in my kitchen. So when I went to the store I mostly had to buy fruit, vegetables and freezer ziploc bags.
When I got home I arranged on the ingredients on my table. Got out my cutting boards and knifes. Put my apron on and started with labeling the ziploc bags first. I had each recipe pulled up on laptop and would write the instructions on the bag along with the date.
Next I started with a recipe and followed step by step the directions from the recipe and filled the bag. I would then move on to the next one. I just followed each recipe and then I laid the crockpot freezer meals flat in the freezer with the exception of the Crockpot Pear, Apple and Pork Dinner I stood the bag up.
That day when I wanted to cook them I would pull them out the night before and let thaw in the fridge overnight except for the Easy Crockpot Meatloaf. I put it in the slow cooker still frozen and cooked it, but you can do it either way.
By preparing these 8 Freezer Meals saved me so much time for the week and we had wonderful family dinner meals every night. No fuss in trying to get homework done and dinner on the table. This is perfect for expecting mothers or if you are preparing for surgery.
It really helps busy working Moms stay ahead of the game by prepping in advance and using your slow cooker you menu planning woes are over! Another great plan is this 20 Freezer Meals in 4 Hours Plan (with printable shopping list).
Check out this slow cooker conversion chart as it helps to figure out if you are adjusting the time.
Print the Grocery List for this freezer meal plan HERE!
We have a 20 Slow Cooker Freezer Meals in 4 Hours Plan too!
We have a 20 Healthy Freezer Meals For Your Slow Cooker in 3 Hours Plan too!
We have a 10 Crockpot Freezer Meals in 2 Hours Plan too!
We have our original 20 Freezer Meals in 4 Hours Plan (not all slow cooker meals).
New to Freezer Cooking? We have a Freezer Cooking 101 Series that you may enjoy!
Shelley is a boy mom, marine wife, and is blessed with an amazing family. She loves sharing recipes, travel reviews and tips that focus on helping busy families make memories.
Kathy H.
Love this and hope to be able to try it soon. Looks like some yummy recipes and would come in handy on those nights I don't know what to have or a busy day and supper ready.
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
You will love it Kathy!
Stephanie
I absolutely love freezer meals! These recipes look so easy to prepare with no hassle!
Nikki
Do you have a shopping list made for these meals? I have always wanted to try to prepare freezer meals but was always intimidated. I think I can do this.
Barbara
By any chance do you have a combined shopping this for this as you do for the 20 meals? I found that article first, but taking your suggestion, would like to give a first try with this 'smaller' set of meals...
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
Ask and you shall receive 🙂
https://www.stockpilingmoms.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/8-Freezer-Meals-In-2-Hours.pdf
Shannon
The shopping list says 1 whole chicken but not a single recipe calls for a whole chicken. Guess I'll have to fund another recipe for the chicken I bought. Lol
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
Here you go - https://www.stockpilingmoms.com/2013/10/slow-cooker-whole-chicken/
It can be used in this one - https://www.stockpilingmoms.com/2014/01/crockpot-cranberry-orange-chicken/
Theresa
Does that mean that we don't need the whole chicken at all? Or that we're supposed to use the meat from the whole chicken in addition to the 10 chicken breasts?
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
It is either or.
Maralea
Thank you for the great recipes and the tips for freezer meals! This will make my life so much easier 🙂
Jen
What size ziplock freezer bags do you use?
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
Gallon.
Jennifer
Hi, I just found your site and I love all the recipe's. I just have a question, these are just prepping right? I don't cook these meals yet until the day of? Is there any foods I can cook and freeze for later? I am a single full time working and full time going to school mom and i could use a little extra help with this process. Thank you ")
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
Right you are going to Prep and Freeze. Then you are going to pull out and thaw and cook. Enjoy!
Jennifer
Thank you very much, I just went grocery shopping and I am starting everything. You are a time saver! Thank you!
Bern
Silly silly question coming up. I don't own a crockpot *gasp*, because I absolutely love my pressure cooker. Do you have any idea if these would work great with pressure cookers? I feel like they would, but don't know if you've done it. The recipes look deelish, and my family would LOVE this.
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
I am gasping 🙂 I actually have a pressure cooker that I don't use (gasp) and that is a goal for me for 2015! I would suggest this site to adapt the recipes though. I have heard that 8 hours on low in a slow cooker takes 1 hour in a pressure cooker (for meat) but this site is a useful. http://www.hippressurecooking.com/pressure-cooking-times/
Patricialynn
Love all of these recipes!
TischaG
These recipes look yummy and I can't wait to try all of them. Can you please tell me how many servings I can get out of each dish? Thanks
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
4-5 servings each recipe.
Kelly
This might be a REALLY stupid question but I am new to this freezer meal/crockpot thing so please bear with me... 🙂 I made the chicken fajitas already and they were really good! But I had just bought the chicken at the grocery store so it was NOT frozen when I put everything into the freezer bag. I am going to make a few more of the chicken freezer meals soon but now all of my chicken is already frozen. I am thinking it is not a good idea to thaw the chicken and then refreeze, correct? So then should I just put the frozen chicken right in to the freezer bag with the other fresh ingredients? Or should I keep the chicken frozen separately in a different bag/etc until I am ready to put into the crockpot to cook? Sorry again if that is a really dumb question. 🙁 Thanks for any help you can give!!
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
Not dumb at all! Yes, do not thaw and refreeze. You can either put in frozen with the other items or keep it separate. Either way will work for you! Good luck!
Kelly
Thanks so much!!!! 🙂
Deb
I am a HUGE fan! I have been freezer cooking for several years. I think I got stuck in a stale rotation and needed some ideas. Last year, I looked for a crockpot breakfast recipe and found your great Christmas morning dish. I have made it/shared the recipe and taken it to 3 brunch potlucks. it is ALWAYS... a hit. I have substituted tater tots for the hash browns. I love how fast it goes together and when i put the lid on the CP.... i FEEL like a magician. 🙂
2 weeks ago.... I Googled "CP Meatloaf".... and found your recipe. It came out so perfectly! Later I realized that 2 of my favorite (most shared) recipes came from the same source.
This morning I spent 10 low-effort minutes making 11 lbs of meatloaf... while my husband made delicious breakfast burritos out of the leftovers from Christmas morning breakfast casserole.
Thank you for creating a single place to find answers to what most families see as mundane/drudgery. Thank you for helping me make it painless AND delicious. 🙂
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
Thank you so much! We are so glad you like the recipes!
Annet
Hi!
Great recipes thank you!
I bought all the ingredients on the list yesterday and started prepping today!
I bought 4 green bell peppers, but can only find one recipe where you use 2? Am I missing something? 🙂
Thank you!
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
Yay! We doubled the Chicken Fajita Meal (that is a family favorite so we always make (2) when we do this plan).
Annet
ah great!!! Thank you
Rebekah
Hello!
I love your freezer meals! They have made things so much easier. I have a question though: what if I forget to thaw the night before? Do i just adjust cooking time and increase it? I tend to forget to thaw the night before too much and need to set a reminder on my phone!
Thanks!
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
Don't worry - I have often forgotten that too 🙂 You can run under hot water and then proceed without concern.
Rebekah
Thanks so much!!
Keka
This sounds pretty wonderful. Can't wait to try it!
Jennifer
What are the meal portions?
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
These meals feed a family of 4/5 with no leftovers. Thanks!
Christopher
I can't wait to try this out. I am starting with the 8 meal plan and if it works out will try the bigger plans. My wife and I have been talking about this type of meal prep for a long time and I just spent the morning downloading and organizing all of the recipes and shopping lists. I usually cook but this will make the week much easier and i wont need to fire up the grill every night.
Tracy
Thank you for the recipes! I'm trying out the 8 meals this week. I have one question, though. It's just my son and I,so I was thinking about cutting the meals in half (then I'd have 16 meals!). Would the cooking times change? Thanks, again!
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
No, they wouldn't but use a smaller size crockpot. 🙂 I would suggest a 2.5 or 4 qt if you 1/2.
Chelsey
For the orange cranberry chicken, the recipe says "one pound of chicken or one whole chicken" but the grocery list just says one whole chicken... so I bought a 7 pound chicken. Is there anyway to still make this recipe work?
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
This would be a great recipe to use for the whole chicken - https://www.stockpilingmoms.com/2015/12/crockpot-2-ingredient-whole-chicken-recipe/ or https://www.stockpilingmoms.com/2013/10/slow-cooker-whole-chicken/ - We love both!
You can also use the Whole Chicken. Normally a whole chicken will render you 2 lbs cooked chicken off the bones so you can use this recipe with the whole chicken.
Maryann D.
I Pinned https://www.pinterest.com/pin/6966574404142156/
Crockpot Cranberry Orange Chicken
Sandy
can I pick and choose my own 10 meals and get a shopping list? i live with a picky eater
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
Not unless you make the shopping list 🙂
Nicole
I'm cooking for just two people, could I split each recipe into two separate bags? Or would it be best to just eat the leftovers later that week?
Thanks!
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
You can split them up just be sure to cook in a smaller slow cooker. We use a 6 qt so I would use a 4 qt. Enjoy!
Mary Fuemmeler
I made all of these 8 freezer meals for a family member after her first child was born. Since they are only a family of 3, we split all the meals in 2 bags. Do you recommend the same amount of cooking time or should they shorten it since there are smaller portions.
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
I would suggest you use a smaller crockpot at the same time. A 4 qt or smaller.
Tina
About how much did you spin $$$$$ on all of this?
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
$125
Kristen
How long do the meals keep in the freezer for?
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
2-3 months
Layne
Thanks for posting this! One thing to add - on your grocery list for all of these recipes, you didn't include "orange juice" anywhere on it for the orange cranberry chicken. Thankfully I have some at home but everyone might not!
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
Thanks for letting us know!
Nicole
Hi there - hopefully you will see this - but what do we need the whole chicken for? every recipe I looked at, it calls just for chicken breasts? Thanks so much for all of these by the way, I am a mom of twin 10 year old boys and expecting on September 5th with a girl, so these freezer ready meals will def keep me somewhat sane! 🙂
Lynn
What size freezer ziplocks do you use? I'm assuming they're gallons but I can't quite tell from the photos. Thanks!
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
Gallon 🙂
Sheila M
I prepped 5 of these meals tonight. Very excited to try them out this week! I would suggest removing the whole chicken from the shopping list as it is unneeded to complete the meals—10 chicken breasts and good to go! 👍
Olivia Gibbons
I have a few points I'd like to bring up after trying this:
You never included corn on your shopping list
I'm not sure which recipe the whole chicken was for so I ended up tripling the orange cranberry chicken recipe to match the weight. Even replacing 1 lb of chicken breasts with the whole chicken I still didnt have enough chicken breasts for all the recipes had to go buy more. Not sure if I was supposed to take apart the whole chicken you never mentioned that anywhere just kept saying chicken breast.
The portions of some recipes compared to some others is random. Some meal barely fed my family of 4 and barely filled the bottom of my crock pot where others fed my family 3+ nights and filled my crock pot to the rim.
The rosemary honey chicken is not good at all I followed recipe exactly. Feel like there should be more chicken added and wayyyy less rosemary. Was all I could taste that one went straight in the garbage and we ordered pizza.
On a final positive note though the fajitas are amazing
Melissa
I made the 4 hour 20 meal plan today! Took me a long time but its all packed away in my freezer and I feel pretty acomplished right now! Thanks so much!