Sweet September: Freezer Meals: Tips from a Newbie

Hi there!

Today I made my very first batch of freezer meals!! This is something I've wanted to do for a while now, because let's be honest....I DESPISE trying to figure out what to cook for dinner. After a long day at work, the last thing I want to do is come up with something to make!

I've seen so many lists of freezer meals on Pinterest, but I've never found a list that everything on it sounded simple and delicious! But this morning while I was writing my grocery list, and looking for meal inspirations, I found a list of EASY freezer meals! You can find the recipes and shopping list over at Passion for Savings!

The meals I made today are:
White Chicken Enchilada Bake
Baked Ziti Pasta
Cilantro Lime Chicken w/ Corn and Beans Tacos
Slow Cooker Chili
Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli

A couple of tips before you go shopping!
1. See what ingredients you already have!
2. (This is probably soooo obvious but for some reason it didn't come to mind for me! I just took the list that was on the website and didn't even think of the extras!) The grocery list on that website didn't include the items you'd need for the day you serve each meal, such as taco shells or rice. So make sure you add the items you'll need for sides/items that won't actually be frozen!

Once you're ready to start putting together your meals, lay out everything you'll need to prepare them! (Get out your measuring cups, spoons, knifes, cutting boards and any spices needed!) Cook all of your meat first, and chop all your veggies! Once that's done, you can just start throwing stuff into gallon size ziplock bags, or casserole pans-I used disposable tin foil dishes from Walmart!

Write cooking instructions on your container!

It only took me an hour and a half and cost me $50 for FIVE DINNERS! Woo! And these are good size meals that will serve 4-5 people, or for my house since it's just the two of us, each meal will be enough for 2-3 dinners! Now that these are all in my freezer, I don't have to worry about dinner for about 2 weeks! Just thaw them the night before and throw it in the crock pot, or in the oven! Easy peasy-just the way I like things!