Want to eat more all-natural food and less junk from a box?
Good!
This post is for you.
One of the most common questions I hear is, “How in the world do you find time to make all your meals from scratch?” My answer – which I cannot say enough is – BULK PREP & FREEZE!
It’s my #1 tip for always having healthy, all-natural food on hand and avoiding processed foods and drive-thrus. The busier I get the more important it is to me to have a fully stocked freezer for some grab-and-go options or quick weeknight meals. I try to dedicate at least one hour per week to make at least one “bulk prep and free” recipe to add to my freezer – just one hour per week can make a difference!
Not sure where to begin? Here are some of my favorite things to make and freeze. Pick one and get started today!
Muffins are one of my favorite things to have stocked in my freezer. They’re a great single-serving, grab-and-go option for breakfast in the morning or when you’re looking for a quick snack. I can pull a muffin out of my freezer in the morning, toss it in my bag, and it’s thawed and ready to eat in less than an hour. These muffins are vegetable-packed (a great way to use up the zucchini in your garden!) and are made with orange juice and apple juice which give this recipe a sweet, kid-pleasing flavor without using too much sugar!
2. Homemade Pancakes & Waffles
Pick your favorite homemade pancake and waffle recipe (or use an organic, all-natural mix for a shortcut), make up several batches at once and freeze them for easy-to-reheat breakfasts for weeks or even months to come! My trick for freezing pancakes and waffles without them sticking together is to lay them out in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze them that way for a couple of hours. Once the pancakes or waffles are frozen, toss them into a reusable freezer bag or container and they won’t stick together!
3. Black Bean Burgers
Recipe & Photo: The Curvy Carrot
These black bean burgers from The Curvy Carrot are one of my favorite things to have in our freezer for a grab-and-go lunch during my work week. I typically make up two batches at a time (8 burgers) and enjoy them on a bun or wrapped in a lettuce leaf, with cheese. They freeze, thaw, and reheat really well!
These Cranberry Nut Bars taste delicious and are a great grab-and-go snack or quick and easy side for a meal. Based on the ingredients in KIND bars, the ingredients are simple and healthy. Best of all, Kate prefers to eat these bars straight out of the freezer – no thawing necessary!
This slow cooker Chicken Taco Chili recipe is one of Kate’s favorites, which means I’ve always got some on hand! It’s incredibly simple to make and easy to customize with what your family likes. I make a double batch and freeze the extra in leftover glass salsa jars. It’s a great way to store smaller portions of chili for single-serving, grab & go lunches!
I started making these apple plum bars when my daughter, Kate, was just beginning to eat solid foods. They’re soft enough that they make a great finger food, and delicious enough that the adults don’t mind finishing up the leftovers–on the rare occasion that there are any!
(Pst: They’re also a great “treat” to serve when your little one is constipated!)
I love enjoying a green smooothie for breakfast, but with so many fresh ingredients they require a fair amount of peeling and chopping – something I rarely have time for in the mornings! My solution has been to bulk prep, freeze, and blend as needed, and it’s been working beautifully! You can ready more about my process in this post: A Month’s Worth of Green Smoothies – Only One Day of Prep! This technique works great for any of your favorite smoothie recipes. When you’re ready to enjoy, just toss your pre-bagged ingredients in your blender, add your liquid, blend, and enjoy – there’s no need to thaw!
8. Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Recipe & Photo: Our Family Eats
My family loves these homemade Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins from Our Family Eats! They’re my go-to recipe for bananas that have gotten overripe, as well as what I make for others when someone is sick, has a new baby, or to send in a care package. Kate loves that they have chocolate chips in them, and I love that they’re freeze and thaw so well!
9. Shredded Chicken
An absolute staple in our family’s freezer is a stockpile of pre-cooked, pre-shredded chicken, ready for anything! I buy whole organic chickens from Costco, roast them up in my slow-cooker, shred, and freeze in single-serving and dinner-sized portions in my freezer. With a freezer full of shredded chicken, I can whip up a quesadilla dinner in about 5 minutes! It’s also great for chicken enchiladas, chicken tacos, chicken wraps, chicken casseroles – your possibilities are endless!
10. Blueberry Protein Pancakes
A fun spin on traditional pancake recipes – these little blueberry nutrition bombs are made with oatmeal and cottage cheese to keep you feeling full and satisfied. I make several batches at a time, cool them, and pop them in the freezer. These pancakes have enough flavor that they don’t need any topping, but if you or your little one insists on a topping, consider trying plain or vanilla yogurt instead of syrup.
And there’s your look at 10 of my family’s favorite “bulk prep and freeze” recipes! What are some of yours?
Fun news! I’m today’s guest blogger over at QVC! Check out my delicious Kale & Feta Frittata recipe up now on the QVC Community’s In the Kitchen with David blog!
I love that these are all kid friendly meals and that you included breakfast and snack ideas too. I’m a big fan of crockpot freezer meals and menu planning to help feel less crazy after work!
Same here, Molly – I love using my crock pot. It’s such a time-saver! I’m so glad you found this post helpful!
Hi Dusty – Thanks for sharing the Chocolate Chip Banana Muffin love! These are all fantastic ideas.
As I’ve told you probably 1,083 times now – they’re such a hit with my family! Thanks again for sharing that great recipe with your fans, Susan!
I love your blog, especially your whole living tips as of late. My family does out best to staay out of the center aisles at the store and eat more clean meats, fruits and veggies. While freezing baby food for my daughter I learned that certain types of glsdd are not recommended for freezing, so you might consider checking that out. I know the ball coming jars are ok to freeze.
Thank you so much, Meg! I’ve also heard that about glass, but have never had a problem with my salsa jars. Freezer-safe jars are definitely the safest bet though – great point!
Ugh I’m on my phone… The ball canning glass jars are ok to freeze.
Oh yes, I knew what you meant, Meg. As far as autocorrects go, I’ve seen much worse, haha!
Love that you’re posting more!
Thanks Nicole! I love that you love it!
I’ve been wanting to freeze shredded chicken, but my husband says it gets too dried out if you reheat it. How do you freeze/thaw shredded chicken? Do you add some broth to the bag or anything?
Hmm…I haven’t noticed that problem on our end. Maybe because I use our frozen shredded chicken in dishes? (We don’t eat it plain.) I don’t add any broth. I just cook, bag, seal, and freeze. Have you tried making your chicken in the crock pot? That’s my method of cooking for the chicken I’m going to freeze and the crock pot gets it pretty moist. Maybe that will help? Good luck Megan!
Thank you so much for sharing these recipes and wonderful ideas…can’t wait to try them! So glad I discovered your blog!
Thank you so much, Natalie! I’m so glad you took the time to say hello, and I’m thrilled you like it here!
Thank you so much for sharing these recipes! I’ll be making that Chicken Taco Chili ASAP
Let me know what you think when you do, Jessica! It’s a family favorite around here – in fact, my daughter just had it for lunch earlier this week!
What a great post! I can’t wait to try some of these out. As a mom who works full-time outside of the home, I know the bulk prep & freeze would save my sanity during the week but I have not tried it yet!
Thank you so much, Amy! Yes, bulk prep and freezing is KEY! I don’t think I could make it through a work week without it. I’m so glad you found this post helpful!
Could you give more info about how you cook the chicken in the crockpot? Thanks
Of course, Jen! I’m actually about to do it again this week. I thaw my chicken in the fridge, slice up an onion into big chunks and put it in the bottom of my crock pot, set the chicken on top, season with salt and pepper or any spices I want, and cook on low for 8 hours. It’s super easy!
Do you use any liquid at all when you do this?
Hi Stephanie, which recipe are you referring to with your question?
Sorry, I was referring to the above comment about how you cook your chicken in a crockpot (for shredded chicken.)
Oh! I’m sorry Stephanie – I was reading your comment on the back end of my blog and it doesn’t show me that you were replying in regards to another comment. My mistake.
To answer your question, no I do not add any water to the chicken in the crock pot. It cooks in it’s own juices.
I love this helpful post. Can you do another one like this? I’m trying to learn more about freezer stock piling, saving money at the store, and not having to start from scratch every single night. Thank you. cc in va
me again…how do you remember what you have already in your freezer and what reminders do you have in place to make more taco soup, pancakes, etc? I put things in the freezer and then forget about them until they become questionable…if you know what I mean.
Hi cc – I’m so sorry I missed your comment! We generally eat up what we have in the freezer on a regular basis so I remember what’s in there and make a mental note when we’re getting low on something. One option for you could be do tape a sheet of paper t your freezer with a “freezer inventory” – a list of all the things you have in there so you can see it at a glance instead of digging through your freezer.
My family is all overweight, loves junk food and greasy anything. I want to add more healthy meals. Where do I start?
Hi Pam, I love your question so much because you ask, “Where do I start?” That’s exactly the right perspective to have. You need a START, not a drastic, dramatic health and nutrition overhaul that your family might commit to for a day or a week, but not long-term. I’m not a nutritionist – I’m just a busy mom trying to do the best I can to put good food in my family’s bellies – so take my advice for what you will. I’ve been getting questions like yours by the hundreds for the past couple of years now and have always struggled with the answer until more recently when I discovered Wildtree. The last thing I want is for this to sound like a sales pitch, so feel free to delete this comment from your inbox now if you’d like! But if you’re interested in learning more about how to prepare healthy, DELICIOUS, and nutritious meals in very little time and for not a lot of money, I’d love to work with you. You don’t need to host a party and have a bunch of people over or any of that. My focus is on helping real families (like yours!) make real and sustainable changes in their diets. My mission with Wildtree is for each family I work with to replace just ONE processed or greasy meal per week with a flavorful, all-natural, quick and easy Wildtree meal. That’s it. Just one. Because I truly believe that that’s how change happens – one step at a time. Please check out my website at http://www.allthingswildtree.com for more information. Please email me or respond to this comment if you have any additional questions. I’d love to learn more about you and your family and how I can help! Thanks, Pam!
Love the list! I’ve been wanting to try making and freezing black bean burgers for a while… Do you cook them just like in the recipe and then freeze, or do you freeze and then cook after? I’m not an ultra huge meat fan, and these would be great to pull out to have when my husband wants hamburgers!
Hi Kate, I cook them up just like in the recipe and then freeze and re-heat. Hope that helps!
Great post!! I just wish there were more savory dinner options, but these are a good start.