25 Time Saving, Freezer-Friendly Recipes

I’ve been pulling dinner out of the freezer since Luke was born. A month before my due date, I started making dinner in double and triple batches. One would be for dinner that night and the rest got portioned, labeled, and frozen for a post-baby dinner. It has made feeding our family quite simple since Luke arrived.

This summer when Nate and I were at the pool until 4:30 or 5:00, having way too much fun to go home, I realized that meals in the freezer were a necessity. Yes, they’re a life saver when you have a new baby at home. But, they’re just as valuable for everyday life. Whether I’m out playing with my kids and am having too much fun to call it quits or I’ve got a hectic day with several appointments, a meal in the freezer is like having an extra set of hands. And who couldn’t use that?

I’ve got dinner thawing on my counter as I type this. We’ve got a plumber coming to look at my pot filler and I can’t make dinner while he’s got his stuff spread all over my kitchen. So, I’m going to pop Turkey, Mushroom, & Cheese Enchiladas (without the cheese!) in the oven and make some oven baked brown rice. I’ll steam some veggies and we’ll call it dinner.

All this to say that double and triple batch dinners are now a regular practice at my house.

I thought you might like an extra set of hands and a little more time, too, so here are some meals that will help you get started:

Gluten-Free Beef Recipes

• Meatballs from Simply Sugar and Gluten Free
• Sloppy Joes from Simply Sugar and Gluten Free
• “Texas Red” Chili from Tasty Eats at Home

Gluten-Free Chicken & Turkey Recipes

• Chicken Enchiladas from Celiac Family
• Chicken Marinade Two Ways from Simply Sugar and Gluten Free
• Herbed Chicken Sausage Patties from Daily Bites Blog
• Parmesan Chicken Nuggets from Celiac Family
• Turkey, Mushroom, & Cheese Enchiladas from Simply Sugar and Gluten Free

Gluten-Free Pork Recipes

• Butternut, Black Bean, and Smoked Pork Stew from Tasty Eats at Home
• Pulled Pork from Celiac Family
• Sausage, Kale, and Bean Soup from Kitchen Stewardship

Gluten-Free Vegan & Vegetarian Recipes

• 90-Minute Mole from No Gluten, No Problem
• Artichoke Squares from The Spicy RD Blog
• Black Bean Soup from Kitchen Stewardship
• Carrot Bisque from Spiced Curiosity
• Chewy Muesli Bars from The Healthy Apple
• Crispy Quinoa Bites from The Healthy Apple
• Curried Acorn Squash, Sweet Potato, and Apple Soup from Tasty Eats at Home
• Grain-Free, Bean-Free Vegan Pizza Crust from Diet, Dessert and Dogs
• Mediterranean Rice Casserole from Diet, Dessert and Dogs
• Savory Basil Green Pea Soup from Spiced Curiosity
• Seven Grain Dirty Rice and Beans from Diet, Dessert and Dogs
• Spicy Roasted Poblano and Corn Soup from Spiced Curiosity
• Quinoa Spinach Bake from The Healthy Apple
• Vegan Creamy Turnip and Spinach Soup from Spiced Curiosity
• Coconut Flour Pancakes from The Sugar-Free Fairy
• Vegan Powerhouse Kale Pesto from The Sugar-Free Fairy

Crock On! from Stacey Makes Cents has some amazing, frugal whole-food CrockPot recipes. Note that not all are gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar-free but they could be easily adapted.

Also, you’ll probably want to check out Better Than a Box from Kitchen Stewardship. This is another whole-foods ebook that is packed with recipes you can make from scratch that are, yep, better than what comes out of the box. There’s an easy Chicken, Rice & Green Beans recipe that could be frozen, among other tasty dishes. Again, this book isn’t exclusively sugar-, dairy-, and gluten-free but is a great resource for all home cooks.

Do you have a great freezer recipe? Leave a link in the comments so others can find it!