7 Easy Dump Crockpot Freezer Meals |

We’ve been preparing for our 4th little man to be here in a week or so, and finally got around to making time to do freezer meals. I always leave them towards the end of my to-do list because while very nice to have (my future self always thanks me), they aren’t a necessity.

With the other 3, I used some meals I got from Lambert’s Lately and we liked several of them, but many involve some cooking before hand. (one of our favorites from that list is the chicken florentine crescent roll)

At the beginning of the year I experimented with the Family Freezer Meals free meal plan as I was in my first trimester still and feeling pretty tired and also had a full plate of tutoring students and taking care of our little ones. The pros: super easy, all mostly non cook at all, also very healthy and dairy free (I’ve had to be dairy free for 2/3 of our boys). The cons: not all super flavorful, or just so-so meals- not my favorite ever.

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I tried something new and prepped 8 meals at once yesterday in 40 min. This week is especially busy with random appointments, Bible study, MOPS and several tutoring sessions so I thought it sounded like a good idea to have dinner already taken care of (and maybe we will be less attempted to run through the chickfila drive through or pick up pizza and save some ?, too). . . This free list (including shopping list) is from @thefamilyfreezer – she has so many good ideas!! . . As a busy mama of 3 preschool/toddler boys + one on the way, I, like so many of y’all love finding helpful time saving tips to make home life run more smoothly and minimize stress. . . When it comes to meal planning I feel like I’ve tried a little bit of all the things, most recently planning out meals for the month – I write them in pencil on an old school calendar- and then shop weekly for the meals. I keep all meals we like printed, in sheet protectors in a 3 ring binder organized by category so I don’t have to constantly touch my phone with dirty hands- . . But the idea of already having dinner prepared and being able to spend the dreaded 5 o’clock hour actually being fully present with my kids sounded so good, so I’m excited to try this new thing this week. I’ll keep you updated with our faves! . . What’s one time saving tip mom hack that has helped your family? I love to gather and share helpful info! . . “Look carefully then how you walk, not as the unwise but as wise making the most of your time…” Ephesians 5:15-16

A post shared by AshleyHughes| MamaNeedsaManual (@mamaneedsamanual) on Jan 13, 2020 at 11:26am PST

I chose a few from each this go around- mostly ones that we liked more than mediocre status (keeping the bar low here, lol) but that also wouldn’t require a ton of time to prep because let’s face it, this mama is tired (my body has grown 4 big boys in under 6 years so I think it’s just done). These aren’t going to win any culinary awards, but they will feed your family, we like them, and having dinner time taken care of during hectic times can make the whole family happier (and Mama way less stressed).

Crock Pot Honey Chicken (I honestly don’t know where I found this one, but have had it for maybe 7 years)

2-4 Chicken Breasts
3 Garlic Cloves
1 T dried Basil
1/2 c soy sauce
1/2 c ketchup
1/2 c honey
2 cups carrots (or any veggie of choice)

Pulled BBQ Chicken (from Lambert’s Lately with a tweak)

1 bottle of BBQ sauce
2 chicken breasts (I didn’t cook mine)
1/4 cup chicken broth (I add this the day of cooking)
I also like to add a little extra: mustard, ketchup, vinegar, worchestire sauce- just experiment with what you like

Mississippi Pot Roast (from my sweet college friend, Blaire- TexaFlora) This one could win an award and it is my favorite on this list.

1 chuck roast (3 ish pounds)
1 stick of salted butter
1 package of lipton onion soup mix
1 package of ranch dressing (or dip mix)
a handful of pepperonchini’s (with some of the juice)
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for browning
french onions for garnish

**This is the only one that involves a tad bit of prep** Dry roast with paper towel and rub salt and pepper on all sides. Heat oil in pot, then brown the roast on all sides (about 3 min per side). I then let it cool before placing it in a freezer bag. I added the stick of butter, 2 packet mixes and pepperonchinis + some juice. Thaw night before. Cook 8 hours on low, or you can use instant pot- I’ve cooked it about 20 min per pound of roast, but have had to cook it a bit more until it was fork tender). It’s great served on top of mashed potatoes with a side salad, green beans or broccoli.

Black Bean Chili (from Family Freezer)

2 cans black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
2 can tomato sauce (15 oz)
1/4 t garlic powder
1 T paprika
1 -2 T chili powder (depends on preferred taste- first time we made this it needed a little more spice)
1 T cumin
1.5 t oregano
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
1 t salt (I added this because it seemed like it needed it to me)
1 lb ground beef

Place all ingredients in freezer gallon ziplock bag. Seal and place in freezer. Thaw overnight in fridge. Empty contents into a slow cooker (preferably with a slow cooker liner for super easy clean up). Cook on low 8 hrs- I like to break a part ground beef as much as I can before cooking, but you can do it after as well. We like to serve with cornbread – you can find recipe on the dairy free post here: The Ultimate Survival Guide to Going Dairy (and *mostly* Soy Free) for Breastfeeding MSPI Mamas

Crockpot Meatballs in Sauce

this one is stupid easy and doesn’t really even count as a recipe, lol

1.5 lbs frozen meatballs (about 6 handfuls)
45 oz jarred pasta sauce

Place all ingredients in freezer gallon ziplock bag. Seal and place in freezer. Thaw overnight in fridge. Empty contents into a slow cooker (preferably with a slow cooker liner for super easy clean up). Cook on low 6-8 hrs. Serve on spaghetti with a side salad and some garlic bread- for easy nights, we love the frozen garlic knots, but we also love the homemade “almost famous breadsticks”, you can find a link in the dairy free post to them as well.

Hamburger Veggie Soup (from Family Freezer)

1 can corn
1 can green beans
14.5 oz diced tomatoes
1 small onion
2 t dried thyme
1 t dried rosemary
1 bay leaf
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 lb ground beef
I added a handful of chopped carrots (could also use shredded carrots)
4 cups beef broth (don’t need until day of)

This is great with Beer Bread (instagram post here) or Corn Bread (dairy free post)

Italian Chicken

1 small onion diced
5 oz baby spinach (Fresh)- about 2 big handfuls
2 cants tomato sauce
1 T brown sugar
2 T olive oil
1 T italian seasoning
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
2-3 chicken breasts

I also made a double batch of Lasagna a few weeks ago (this one is extra easy and SO good), so we have a lasagna in our fridge. And I doubled a batch of Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake, so we have that as well. I need to start doing this for all sorts of casserole type meals (Chicken spaghetti/tetrazini, King Ranch Chicken, Poppy Seed Chicken, Chicken Pot Pies)- the ideas are limitless. Just make two of whatever you’re making that night and freeze one for later in a disposable aluminum container. We’ve also made double batches of homemade pizza and frozen before cooking.

Some other ideas for easy meals:

White Chicken Chili (My all time favorite chili)- find link to recipe on instagram here . You could easily turn this into a crock pot freezer meal- just don’t add broth until day of and thaw night before like all the others say above.
Suzerains Easy Chicken: link here
Avocado Pasta: link here
Easy Crockpot Baked Potato Soup
Sheet Pan Salmon (my boys seriously devour this in minutes) here

If you’re prepping for just a busy season coming up or a new baby, congratulations!

Here are a few posts you may also find helpful:

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The Ultimate Guide to Solving your Baby’s Colic/Silent Reflux/Fussyness (from a Mom who’s been there 3 times)

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