Enjoy a wholesome homemade supper -- even on your busiest weekdays -- by stocking your freezer with Crock Pot dinners! In just 45 minutes you can prepare 6 Healthy Slow Cooker Freezer Meals to keep on hand for those nights when you need them most! This is the ultimate way to simplify your life...and I've even included my free printable shopping list.
It's that time again! With Back to School season in full swing, I knew that I better prep ahead and stock my kitchen with plenty of healthy slow cooker freezer meals that I could turn to for those crazy evenings when I won't have time to cook.
Tips for Preparing 6 Healthy Slow Cooker Freezer Meals in Less than 1 Hour:
Are you familiar with Crock Pot freezer meals? Basically, all you do is toss some RAW ingredients into a large zip-top freezer bag, label it, and stick it in your freezer. When you’re ready to make your dinner, just thaw the bag in the refrigerator overnight and dump the contents into your slow cooker the next day.
Let the Crock Pot do the cooking and dinner will be waiting for you when your troops are hungry!
For this particular batch of freezer meals, I selected 3 healthy slow cooker freezer meals that I knew my family would love. When I pull together these menus, I make a point to choose recipes that use a variety of meats and that offer a nice variety of meals. For instance, you don’t want to end up making 6 chicken dinners (boring!) or 6 different soups.
I printed the recipes for my Healthy Slow Cooker Freezer Meals and prepared a shopping list based on DOUBLING each recipe. That way I get two separate dinners with about the same amount of prep time.
You can download a printable PDF of the complete grocery shopping list for 6 Healthy Slow Cooker Freezer Meals HERE.
When I returned from the grocery store, I didn’t even bother to put away the food. Instead, I labeled my zip-top freezer bags (with the name of the recipe, plus the cooking instructions), chopped my veggies, and tossed the appropriate ingredients into each bag.
I actually set my timer to see exactly how long it would take me to make all of these dinners and I was VERY pleasantly surprised to see that I was completely finished in 45 minutes (and that included a couple of interruptions from the little ones!). With a few more minutes of clean-up, my kitchen was spotless and my freezer was full in under 1 hour!
Here are the three meals that we will be enjoying in the coming weeks (and remember, I doubled each recipe for maximum efficiency!):
1. Slow Cooker Pork with Spiced Apples: A healthy slow cooker freezer meal that's perfect for a cool fall evening! Serve with a crusty loaf of bread and some steamed veggies for satisfying and nutritious dinner!
Slow Cooker Pork with Spiced Apples
Ingredients
- 1 2 lb. pork loin
- 4 large or 6 small apples I like a combination of Granny Smith and Golden Delicious, peeled and sliced
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (or coconut palm sugar)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Season pork liberally with salt and pepper (it's a big piece of meat, so make sure that you season it really well). Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Place pork in bottom of slow cooker. Top with apples, sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Cover and cook on LOW for about 6-8 hours. Remove pork from slow cooker. Slice the pork or shred with two forks. Serve with apples.
- FREEZER OPTION: Place sliced apples in a large zip-top bag. Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger and toss to coat. Season pork liberally with salt and pepper (it's a big piece of meat, so make sure that you season it really well). Place pork in the bag on top of the apples. Squeeze all of the air out of the bag, seal, and place in the freezer. When ready to cook, thaw the bag in the refrigerator overnight. Spray a slow cooker with nonstick spray. Dump contents of the bag into the slow cooker (pork should be on the bottom with most of the apples on top). Cover and cook on LOW for about 6-8 hours. Remove pork from slow cooker. Slice the pork or shred with two forks. Serve with apples.
Nutrition
2. Slow Cooker Korean Beef: One of our favorite healthy slow cooker freezer meals! I love to make lettuce wraps with this beef, but my boys think it's delicious rolled up in tortillas...taco style!
Slow Cooker Korean Beef
Ingredients
- 1 lb. extra lean ground beef 96 or 97% lean
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper omit for a mild dish
Instructions
- Whisk together all of the ingredients except for the beef.
- Place raw beef in slow cooker, breaking into chunks with a spoon or with your fingers. Pour sauce over the beef, toss, and cover. Cook on low for 3-4 hours.
- FREEZER OPTION: Place raw beef in a large zip-top bag and break apart into chunks with your fingers. Pour sauce over the beef, squeeze out the air from the bag, and freeze until ready to use. When ready to cook, thaw in refrigerator overnight. Then dump all of the ingredients into your slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 3-4 hours.
- Serve beef with sauce in lettuce wraps, over rice, or in tortillas. Garnish with sliced green onion and/or sesame seeds if desired.
Nutrition
3. Slow Cooker Chicken Pesto & Rice Soup: With veggies, protein, and grains included, this is the ultimate cozy and healthy slow cooker freezer meal!
Slow Cooker Chicken Pesto and Rice Soup
Ingredients
- ¾ lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 3 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes NOT drained
- 1 cup celery diced
- ½ cup diced onion
- ½ cup prepared pesto
- ½ cup uncooked long-grain brown rice
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Optional: Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.*
- Remove chicken, shred or dice the meat, and return to the slow cooker. Serve in individual bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese.
- FREEZER OPTION: Place all ingredients in a large zip-top bag. Squeeze all of the air out of the bag, seal, and place in the freezer until ready to use. When ready to cook, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Dump all of the ingredients from the bag into a 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.* Remove chicken, shred or dice the meat, and return to the slow cooker. Serve in individual bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
And that's it! I lay the bags flat to freeze them so that they don't take up too much space.
By doubling each of these delicious recipes, I've got 6 healthy slow cooker freezer meals ready to go in a very short amount of time!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice
I LOVE this Blair! I've never actually made freezer meals before, so I definitely need to start, especially since these are so easy! And this is such a time saver, too! I'm definitely trying that chicken pesto soup. Love this!
Blair
Thanks, Gayle! You gotta get on the freezer meal train. Total lifesavers! 🙂
Robyn @ Simply Fresh Dinners
Wow, Blair, what a great post! It never occurred to me to do freezer bags for the crock pot. I'm embarrassed to admit that I just started using a slow cooker this summer, lol. I am still a newbie but I truly appreciate the time saver especially for soups and stews.
Sharing all over! Love this!
PS...can I mention this post in my Fall ebook? It's all about meal planning for busy families 🙂
Blair
Thanks so much for your kind words, Robyn! Slow cooker meals can be kind of hit or miss in my opinion, but once you figure out what works it's SUCH a lifesaver! I would love if you shared it in your eBook! Thanks so much!
Kristy from Southern In Law
All of these meal ideas look delicious! Freezer meals are definitely a must for those crazy busy nights!
Blair
Thanks, Kristy!
kim
Do you think this can work with a 2lb pork tenderloin or would it end up being too dry? I ask since its on sale at my local store this week...
Blair
Hi, Kim! Yes, I do think it would work. It might be a bit dryer than the loin, but if you serve it with plenty of the sauce/apples it should be good to go! You might also need to keep an eye on the cooking time, since tenerloins are often longer and thinner than a loin. If it's not as thick, it will probably cook faster, so you might only need 2-3 hours in the pot. Hope that helps!
Nicolette
Hi Blaire,
This looks fantastic, i just have a question. When you say "cover and cook" do you mean cover the ingredients with water or liquid?
Nicolette
Blair
Hi, Nicolette! Nope, I just mean put the lid on the slow cooker. 🙂
Edileusa Madureira
I loved the recipe slow cooker korean beef, however, I was left with a doubt. Is not it necessary to add water to this recipe? If yes, how much?
Best regards,
Edileusa Madureira (from Brazil)
Blair
Hi! No, you don't need to add any water to the Korean Beef. The condensation from the pot will drip down as it cooks, adding plenty of liquid to the dish. Enjoy!
Brenda
Look delicious! I’m having trouble finding 97% lean ground beef for the Korean beef. Could I use 90% and cook it and drain the fat before adding to the crockpot?
Blair
Hi, Brenda! Yes -- that's a great solution! 🙂
Cathy
Blair, I live alone and will be living in an RV for a spell! These recipes are amazing because they are made ahead and frozen!! Thank you so much for your input!! Life can be a breeze!
Blair
Awesome! This is a perfect use for the freezer meals!
Tammy R
I’m confused about the pork recipe. It seems the apples in the shopping list were not doubled. Now I have 4+ lbs if pork and only 4 large apples. That’s not enough apples to double the recipe. Help! Please clarify...
Blair
Hi, Tammy! The recipe is for 1 meal, so you would need to double all of the ingredients to make two separate freezer meals. So the recipe calls for 1 2-lb. pork roast with 4 large or 6 small apples. If you're making two separate meals, you would need to double those ingredients and use 2 2-lb. pork roasts and 8 large or 12 small apples. Hope that helps to clarify!
Tammy
Ah thank you for your speedy reply. I did my shopping based on the pdf shopping list. The produce section needs correcting in order to double the pork recipe, as it states only 4-6 apples required. :
Emily Brunner
Do you by chance have any conversion times of using the instapot instead of a slow cooker? Thanks!!
Blair
Hi, Emily! I'm sorry, but I don't. I don't use the Instant Pot much at all, so I'm not the best person to ask. I would google similar recipes designed for the pressure cooker/IP and just use those times as a gauge. Sorry I can't offer anything specific since I haven't tested them myself. Hope you enjoy!