This is by far the easiest freezer meal ever!  When you are ready to cook the chicken it just all gets dumped in the crockpot, no other prep work is necessary. But wait!  It does get better because this meal is only costs $5.60 to feed a family of four.   It saves money and time – AWESOME!

Lime Garlic Chicken (Freezer Meal) ~ makes 3 meals

• 5 lb skinless boneless Chicken Thighs
• 12 TBSP fresh lime juice (4 -6 limes)
• 4 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 6 cloves garlic
• 4 1/2 tsp thyme
• 6 TBSP unsalted butter
• pepper to taste
• 4 1/2 cups Rice

To prep each individual meal evenly divide the 5 lbs of chicken into 3 separate Ziploc bags.  Add the following ingredients in with each bag of chicken and seal the bag.

• 3 TBSP fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 tsp thyme
• 2 TBSP unsalted butter
• pepper to taste

Add 1 1/2 cups rice into a small Ziploc bag and seal.  Add chicken bag and rice to large Ziploc bag and label.

When ready to cook thaw in fridge, then cook chicken in crockpot for 6-8 hours on low.  Cook rice as directed.

Cost per meal $5.60  (prices my vary, the majority of my produce was bought at Grocery Outlet & the meat was purchased in a value pack at my local grocery store.)

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I have always wanted to try and set up a freezer meal day where I can stock up on dinners,  but I just never get around to it.  So I decided to adapt freezer meals into my busy schedule one or two days a week.   I will plan a dinner that is freezer friendly and multiply it by three.  I make one for the that evenings meal and the other two go in the freezer.  You can do the same and before you know it you have a freezer full of homemade options with very little effort at all.    Not to mention when you buy meat in a value pack you are able to make homemade meals for a fantastic price this recipe is $6.95 per meal (serves 4)

Ingredients: (this makes 3 meals)

• 4 lb of Chicken breasts
• 2 red peppers diced
• 2 onions diced
• 1 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 lime juiced
• 1 1/2 cup of vegetable broth
• 3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp cumin
• Chopped green onions and cilantro garnish.

In bowl mix peanut butter, lime juice, broth, soy sauce and cumin.

In Ziploc bag add 4 chicken breasts, onion and pepper,  pour broth/peanut mixture over chicken (2 cups).  Make sure all the chicken is nicely coated.  Seal bag.  Chop green onion and cilantro and place in a small Ziploc bag.  In new Ziploc bag add 1 1/2 cup rice.

Tip: To fill your large freezer bags easily fit them inside of a crock or canister.

Now add all three bags (chicken, onion/cilantro, and rice) into a large ziplock bag.  Label and seal

Cooking instructions:

Thaw in fridge and cook chicken in crockpot on low for 3-4 hours.

Cook rice as directed and garnish with cilantro and onions.

Cost per meal = $6.95 (serves 4)  Prices may vary, my chicken was bought in value pack.

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This is by far one of my favorite meals, and it is freezer friendly!  It is so light and healthy and tastes fantastic. All my boys just love it, the mango salsa is a nice sweet addition to the shrimp.  Plus, it’s priced great too at $8.30 per meal.

Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa – Freezer Meal (makes 3 meals)

4 large ripe mangoes, peeled pitted and diced (or to save time you can buy frozen chopped mangos)
1 1/2 red peppers diced
1/3 cup red onions
1/3 cup cilantro diced
2 small jalapeño peppers seeded and minced
6 TBSP fresh lime juice (2-3 limes)
3 TBSP lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
18 tortillas
large bag of jumbo shrimp (divided into 3 bags approx. 24 shrimp per bag)

Dice mangos, peppers, onions and cilantro add all ingredients in bowl, add salt, pepper, lemon and lime juice and toss, scoop 2 cups of salsa into small Ziploc bags and seal.

Add 24 large shimp into three Ziploc bag and seal. In another ziplock bags add 6 tortilla and seal.  Add all three bags (salsa, shrimp, and tortillas) into large Ziploc bag seal and label.

To make: Thaw in fridge, add olive oil to pan and sauté shrimp until done. Warm tortillas add shrimp and top with mango salsa.  Each package will make 6 tacos.

Cost per meal: $8.30 (prices may vary, my produce was bought at Grocery Outlet and the shrimp and tortillas were purchased at Costco)

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I have been stocking my freezer this summer so I am ready for the new school year and the busy schedules that will come with it.  Here is a freezer meal that even my picky eaters enjoy!   The best part about this meal is the homemade teriyaki sauce, it is yummy!  My cost per meal is $7.30.

Freezer Meal: Teriyaki Meatballs: (makes 3 meals)

• 2 lb Ground Beef
• 2 lb Ground Pork
• 1 cup Panko
• 4 egg yolks
• 4 green onions thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 TBSP freshly graded ginger
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp white pepper

Sesame seeds and chopped green onions to garnish (divide into 3 small bags)

• 4 1/2 cups rice of your choice (place 1 1/2 cup rice in each ziplock bag)

Homemade Teriyaki sauce

• 3 TBSP corn starch
• 3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 5 TBSP honey

For meatballs:   On a clean counter or large cutting board mix together the hamburger and pork with your hands.

Add the panko, garlic, graded ginger and pepper, work it throughout the meat with your hands.

Add egg yolk and onions work through until everything is combined.

Using the handy OXO Good Grips Medium Cookie Scoop, scoop up the meat and roll in your hands to form a ball.

Add meatballs to a cookie sheet and cook for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Allow to cool and divide into 3 ziplock bags.

For teriyaki Sauce:   In saucepan add all ingredients and boil.  Allow to cool and divide sauce into 3 ziplock bags.

You will have four bags for each meal  (Teriyaki sauce, rice, meatballs and onion/sesame bag.)   Place all four bags into one large ziplock bag label with directions.

When ready to serve, thaw overnight and cook meatballs for 15 minutes at 350 (or microwave for 4 minutes).  Cook rice as directed.  Warm sauce on stovetop.  Garnish with onion and sesame seeds.

Cost per meal for me was $7.30.  Your cost per meal may vary depending on price of meat purchased.  Check your local grocery store in quick sale area for extra savings.   I recommend going to asian market for panko, white pepper, soy sauce and rice for the best prices.

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My kids love pizza! I love the quick convenience of frozen pizzas, so I make a bunch ahead of time and add them to the freezer for later.   You can make ten pizzas for under $20 in no time.  You will love having these ready to go in the freezer when you need a quick meal.

Basic Pizza Dough Recipe (makes 10 personal sized pizzas):

• 6 cups flour
• 2 envelopes yeast
• 2 cup warm water
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoon salt

Desired Topping:  (It’s totally up to you but here are some ideas.)

italian seasoning
pepperoni
chicken
tomatoes
cheese
pizza or pasta sauce
pesto
mushroom
olives
peppers
and more

To preserve in freezer you will need:
plastic wrap
foil

First you will need to make a basic pizza crust.   Mix warm water and yeast together, then add to 3 cups of flour.
Next work in the rest of the flour as you knead the dough for about 8 minutes or until dough becomes elastic.  Form a ball and let rest in a covered bowl for 15 minutes.

After you’ve allowed the dough to rise a bit, divide into ten balls and then roll out your pizza dough.

Next add sauce, cheese, toppings and finish off with final layer of cheese.

To add these to your freezer for later, bake in a preheated oven at 450 for only 5 minutes.  The idea is to start to bake it but only until the dough is slightly cooked.  It will finish cooking when you bake it the second time when you take it out of the freezer.  This will ensure the crust will be nice and crispy when done.  I love the Aluminum Pizza Peel I picked up at Amazon.  It is a handy tool for making homemake pizzas.

Once you have cooked them for 5 minutes, let the pizza cool and then wrap the cooled pizza in plastic wrap, and then in foil.  The pizzas are ready for the freezer to bake at a later date.

When you are ready to bake the pizzas, take them out of the freezer and bake at 425 for 10 minutes.  Your family is going to love, having these homemade pizza ready to go in the freezer, for a quick and easy delicious meal.

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I’m always looking for good freezer meal ideas, and I absolutly love these Calzones.  I usually double the standard batch so I can have some for dinner and then have extras I can add to the freeze.   Once removed from the freezer they only take 2-3 minute to heat.  These are erfect for a quick meal, they even work for meals on the go.  These are a huge hit with my kids!

Homemade Calzone Pizza Dough: (makes 8 calzones)

4 Cups flour
2 teaspoons active-dry or instant yeast
1 1/2 Cup lukewarm water
2 teaspoons salt

Dissolve yeast into lukewarm water and then over flour and salt, adding a little at a time until you have a ball of dough.  Knead for about 8 minutes, cover and let rest for 30 minutes.  Divide dough into eight small balls and roll out to 7 inch circles.

Calzone filling:

There is not exact recipe to follow, you can make them with whatever you like.  Here are some ideas of fillings:  Pasta Sauce, Italian seasoning, Cheese: (Mozzarella, Parmesan,  Ricotta,  Goat), Meat  (Sausage, Pepperoni, Chicken, Ham),Veggies (Olives, Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Onions, Peppers, Spinach)

I recommend sticking to one meat and maybe two veggies,  with cheese and sauce.  If you go crazy with the meat and veggies it gets too big and is hard to seal.  You may end up loosing a lot of your cheese when you bake it.

Add the pasta sauce to half of the dough.  Sprinkle a little bit of Italian seasoning.

Add a small layer of cheese and your meat and veggies.

Finish off with a generous amount to cheese.

Fold in half and twist and seal the dough closed.  For a nice golden finish brush with olive oil.   Cut small slits in the top to vent.

Bake at  425 degrees for 30 minutes, turning pan half way through.    Let cool.   If adding to the freezer put into freezer bags or use a FoodSaver Vacuum Sealing System. To reheat, microwave for 2-3 minute on high.  Enjoy!

For other freezer meals ideas check out Fix, Freeze, Feast: The Delicious, Money-Saving Way to Feed Your Family.   I own this one and I love it!

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Here is a dish that can be made ahead of time and put in the freezer.  I love this dish and it’s so nice to be able to have pre-made meal in the freezer ready to go for busy nights.  This meal is so delicious!

Marinade:
6 Tablespoons honey
5 Tablespoons lime juice
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Enchiladas:
1 pound chicken, cooked and diced (breast or thighs)
8-10 flour tortillas
1 pound shredded Monterey Jack cheese
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream

This makes one dish for dinner, if you want to make an extra for the freezer you will need to double the recipe.

In Ziploc bag add all marinade ingredients, add chicken and shake.   Marinate in fridge for a minimum of 1/2 hour, longer for more flavor.

Add 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan.  Mix meat marinade and cheese in bowl (reserve 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top).

Fill the tortillas with chicken and cheese mixture.

Put rolled tortillas in 9×13 pan with enchilada sauce.

Combine enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade.   Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas.

Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until top is nice and brown.

Recipe found at Dinner on a Dime.

If you are looking for more freezer meal ideas, I highly recommend the book Fix, Freeze, Feast: The Delicious, Money-Saving Way to Feed Your Family, right now it’s only $2.99 for the Kindle edition. (Keep in mind Amazon prices can change at any time, the $2.99 price was valid when posted)

The post Honey & Lime Chicken Enchiladas (Great Freezer Meal) appeared first on Gather Lemons.

I really like to find recipes that fit with my busy life, often times when I find a recipe I like I will make two at the same time.  I will cook one for dinner that night and put another one in the freezer for later.  This is great, because when you know you are going to have a busy day you just have to pull your meal out of the freezer and dinner is nearly done.

Ingredients:

Makes two dinners (you can cut in half, if you only want to make one)

• 4 cups chicken breast, cooked and diced
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 6 green onions, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 3 small tomatoes
• 2-3 (8 oz.) blocks cream cheese, softened (not melted)
• 1 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes with chiles, undrained
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 3 cups salsa
• 40 large pasta shells

Cook pasta in boiling water until they are mostly cooked, you do not want to over cook them because it makes them harder to stuff.  They will finish cooking in the oven, so no worries.

To make the filling, mix diced chicken, drained black beans, green onions, diced peppers, and cumin into a  large mixing bowl and mix well.

In a different bowl, mix the cream cheese, chicken broth and undrained tomatoes with chiles, chopped tomatoes.   When it is all mixed well, pour over the chicken mixture and mix them well together.

You will need (2) 9×13 dishes to bake (and store one for later).   Spread 1 cup salsa in the bottom of each 9×13 baking pan.

Fill each of your cooked pasta shells with chicken mixture, placing them into the pan.   Continue until all shells are filled and added to the pans.

Once all the shells are complete, add the remaining 1 cup of salsa (1/2 cup per pan) and then sprinkle the shredded cheese on top.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.   It should be bubbly once it is done.

Bake one of the dishes and cover the extra one with foil and put in freezer.   Too cook at a later date, pull out 24 hours in advance and thaw in fridge,  Bake as directed above.

 Recipe slightly adapted from Busy-at-Home

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