In about 45 minutes, you can stock your kitchen with 5 different healthy freezer meals that are ready and waiting for you when you need dinner FAST! These quick recipes only require about 5 minutes to prepare, making a week of meals simple and easy. Best of all, I have even included a free printable shopping list for a truly effortless experience!
Whether you're a fan of freezer meals or not, we can all agree that healthy 5-minute dinner recipes are like precious little gems, no? We're all busy, we're all juggling multiple commitments, and we're all happy to have a shortcut in the kitchen every now and then. There's just nothing better than arriving home from work to a meal that's already prepared and just waiting to be popped in the oven! No guilt about picking up fast food, no extra expense from ordering carryout, and no stress trying to figure out what to serve!
That's why I made it my mission to come up with 5 FAST, healthy freezer meals and share them on here with you. My goal was to select a variety of options (chicken, beef, pork, seafood, and vegetarian) that could all be prepared in less than 1 hour. I'm happy to report that I managed to make ALL of these dinners AND take all of the photos in about 45 minutes! That's BY FAR the fastest freezer meal prep I've ever done, and I'm so excited to share the delicious recipes with you today. If you're not trying to take a bunch of photos of your food for the blog, you can probably get all of these dinners made in about 30 minutes. I promise, it's not too good to be true!
I have taken it one step further to make this process as easy as possible for YOU. I put together a printable booklet that includes all 5 recipes, plus a consolidated shopping list. Take the list with you to the grocery store, and then use the printed recipes as you prepare your meals. Freezing/thawing instructions, serving suggestions, and nutritional information included! You can download the free printable guide below:
Here's the deal: even if you're not someone who wants to do meal prep on the weekend or spend an hour putting together 5 healthy freezer meals at one time, I strongly urge you to still download the booklet of recipes with the shopping list. Give the grocery list to your spouse and ask HIM to do the shopping (or even order your groceries online)! You will have a fully-stocked kitchen with all of the ingredients that you need to get 5 healthy, homemade dinners on the table that week. You don't have to make all of the meals at once -- just spend 5 MINUTES each evening throwing together supper and you'll have a very happy family! We all love 5-MINUTE DINNERS, right!?
5 Healthy Freezer Meals in Less Than 1 Hour
1. 4-Ingredient Baked Pesto Chicken
4-Ingredient Baked Pesto Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
- 4 thin-sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or 2 large breasts cut in half horizontally), about 16 ounces total
- ½ cup prepared pesto sauce
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Spread diced tomatoes on the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Place chicken on top of tomatoes. Spread about 2 tablespoons of pesto sauce on top of each piece of chicken. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella.
- Cover tightly with foil and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To Bake: Thaw chicken in refrigerator overnight. All to come to room temperature on the counter for about 30 minutes before baking.
- Remove the cover from the dish and bake the chicken (uncovered) at 350 degrees F for about 20-25 minutes (or until chicken is cooked through). The cooking time will depend on the size of your chicken breasts.
Notes
Nutrition
2. 2-Ingredient Marinated Salmon
2-Ingredient Marinated Salmon
Ingredients
- 4 (4-ounce) salmon fillets
- ½ cup Sesame Ginger salad dressing I used Newman’s Own brand
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Season salmon with salt and pepper. Place fish in a large zip-top freezer bag. Pour dressing into the bag, seal, and gently toss to coat. Place bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To Bake in the Oven: Thaw salmon in the refrigerator overnight. Allow fish to sit on the counter and come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking.
- Remove salmon from the bag and discard remaining marinade. Place salmon on a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
Notes
Nutrition
Do you want all of these healthy freezer meals in one easy printable document, plus the compiled grocery list? Don't forget to download your free PDF here:
3. Italian Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin
Italian Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ lb. pork tenderloin
Instructions
- Pat pork dry with a paper towel. Place inside a large zip-top bag or in a baking dish. Rub with olive oil. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Rub seasonings into the meat.
- Squeeze out all of the air and seal the bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- To Cook: Thaw pork overnight in the refrigerator. Allow meat to come to room temperature on the countertop for about 30 minutes before cooking.
- Place pork in a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Roast in a 450-degree oven for 20-25 minutes (or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of about 145 degrees). Be careful not to overcook the pork or it will dry out.
- Allow meat to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
- Note: This pork can also be cooked in the slow cooker on LOW for 4-6 hours.
Notes
Nutrition
4. Slow Cooker Cajun Beef Sandwiches
Slow Cooker Cajun Beef Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon Creole or Cajun seasoning such as Tony Chachere’s
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 lb. boneless beef chuck roast trimmed of excess fat
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can low-sodium beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- For Serving: whole wheat sandwich rolls or can serve over salad, vegetables, or rice instead
Instructions
- Season the roast on all sides with salt, Creole seasoning, and garlic powder. Rub seasonings into meat.
- Place roast in a large zip-top freezer bag. Pour broth and Worcestershire into the bag. Seal tightly and freeze until ready to use.
- To cook: Thaw bag in refrigerator overnight. Place contents of the bag into the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours, or on HIGH for 4-5 hours (until fork-tender). Remove roast to a cutting board and shred with two forks (or slice). Return to pot until ready to serve.
- For Serving: Pile shredded beef on top of sandwich rolls, or place on salad, steamed vegetables, brown rice, or cauliflower rice.
Nutrition
5. Vegetarian Enchiladas
Vegetarian Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 4 whole wheat tortillas
- 1 cup enchilada sauce
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 15 ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (can substitute with black beans or pinto beans, if preferred)
- ½ cup canned or frozen corn drained
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped cooked broccoli (I used a microwave pouch that I steamed according to package instructions and then allowed to cool to room temp)
- ⅓ cup salsa
Instructions
- Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Spread ½ of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of the dish.
- In a small bowl, combine beans, corn, onion, broccoli, ½ cup of the cheese, and salsa.
- Top each tortilla with about ¼ of the bean mixture. Roll up and place seam-side down in the baking dish. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup of cheese.
- Cover tightly with foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To cook: Thaw enchiladas in the refrigerator overnight. Allow dish to sit on the counter at room temp for about 30 minutes before baking.
- Bake in a 400-degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until heated through.
- If the enchiladas are still partially frozen, you might need to increase the baking time. You can keep the dish covered with foil to prevent the cheese from getting too crispy on top while they cook for a longer amount of time.
Nutrition
So there you have it! Five easy and healthy freezer meals that you can make this week -- in less than 1 hour! I want the process to be as simple as possible for you, so be sure to sign up for my email updates and get the free printable PDF with all 5 recipes, freezing and thawing instructions, serving suggestions, and a grocery list that you can bring with you to the store! Get it here:
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice
This is such a great idea, Blair! I always say I'm going to make more freezer meals, and then I never get around to it. But I really have no excuse with a 5 minute prep time! I absolutely love the recipes you've included! I've got to try that pesto chicken bake, sounds delicious!
Blair
This is definitely the easiest way to make freezer meals, Gayle! 🙂 Such a lifesaver!
Kendra
Trying the first two this week! Thanks Blair!!!
Blair
Yay! Enjoy, Kendra! 🙂
Kristy from Southern In Law
I need to make some of these for the nights when I work late and need Jesse to start dinner! So simple!
Blair
That's exactly right! They're perfect for that type of occasion! 🙂
Alison
Love these! Some great meal ideas here. Definitely going to try the herb-crusted tenderloin.
Blair
Thank you, Alison! We had the pork again recently and it was delicious!
Rachel
What foil dishes do you use to freeze? I find that if I cover with tinfoil they don't stack very well in my freezer. Help!
Blair
Hey, Rachel! I like to buy the foil dishes that come with a plastic lid. I've used different brands, but I think Reynold's is one of my regular go-to options. Some are definitely sturdier than others, but the ones with the lids seem to work best. I cover with a layer of plastic wrap and/or foil to keep it really air-tight and to prevent freezer burn, and then put the plastic lid over top.
Hope that helps! 🙂
Vickie D Smallwood
I needed this! Thanks
Blair
Great! You're welcome, Vickie!
amber
Hi there, thanks for making such great post. Would like to add that the ad's that take up all the pictures on the screen before reading feels very frustrating...lastly I wish this post would say how long these could last in the fridge (i'm assuming only a week)
Blair
Hi, Amber! Thanks for your feedback! To answer your question, these meals can be assembled and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months!????
Bobbie
Two thumbs up and 5 stars for the vegetarian enchiladas. I HATE to cook, but these were easy to put together and were delicious. I also made a batch to put in the freezer for a later date.
Blair
Wonderful! I'm so glad to hear that, Bobbie! Thank you. 🙂