12 Freezer to Crock Pot Meals

It was when I realized I had only eaten a total of around 5 pieces of meat all last semester that I knew something needed to change (not good for a busy and stressed girl that already has low iron). I devised a plan to put together freezer meals that I could stick in the crock pot to have dinner that night and heat up the other half the next night.

One day before the start of my semester I took my list of ingredients and went on a shopping trip. I spent a total somewhere around $55 dollars which includes most ingredients listed below (however I had to buy some gluten free products which equals more $$$ and chicken breast did NOT happen to be on sale). I admit I could have done better. I came home with my ingredients and it only took me about 2 hours of chopping and dicing to put everything together.


Notes:
1. I split all these recipes between 2 bags.
2. Seal, mix, lay flat, freeze.
3. Do NOT forget Ziploc Freezer bags and Sharpie!
4. Most of these I serve with rice or quinoa.


Here are the meals I made:

Cilantro Lime Chicken with Corn and Black Beans

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
Juice from 2 limes
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 (16 oz) bag frozen corn
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper to taste

Write on Bag:
Thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.

Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag.
2. Mix together and zip bag closed.




Honey Sesame Chicken

Ingredients:
4 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tablespoons water
1 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup ketchup without high fructose
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Sesame seeds for garnish

Write on Bag:
Cook on low 4-6 hours.
Remove chicken last hour and shred or cut into bite size pieces.
Garnish with sesame seeds and/or additional red pepper flakes if desired.

Directions:
1. Dissolve cornstarch and water in a gallon size freezer bag.
2. Add the remaining ingredients, except chicken and sesame seeds.
3. Seal and combine thoroughly by gently kneading ingredients.
4. Add chicken, seal and freeze until crocking day.




Hawaiian Chicken

Ingredients:
4 Chicken Breasts
1 can of pineapple chunks
1 red onion
2 Teaspoons of garlic
12-24 baby carrots or a couple handfuls of sliced carrots

Write on Bag:
Add 1/4 cup of Teriyaki sauce BEFORE cooking or preparing this freezer meal.
Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8 hours.

Directions:
1. Chop up your red onion and place in bag with FROZEN chicken breasts.
2. Add carrots, garlic and the entire can of pineapple chunks (juice and all).




Teriyaki Chicken

Ingredients:
Medium – Large bag of carrots
Red onion into large chunks
2 large cans pineapple (undrained)
4 garlic cloves
4 chicken breasts
1 cup teriyaki sauce

Write on Bag:
Add additional ¼ cup sauce to crook pot.
Cook low 6-7 hours.



Beef and Broccoli

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless beef chuck roast, sliced into thin strips
1 c beef broth
1/2 c soy sauce
1/3 c brown sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp sauce from the crock pot after being cooked
Fresh broccoli florets

Write on Bag:
Thaw slightly.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
In a cup, stir cornstarch and some sauce from the crock pot until smooth. Add to crock pot. Stir well to combine.
Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes on high (the sauce has to boil for it to thicken).




Southwest Chicken

Ingredients:
1 can of corn, drained
1 can of black beans, drained
1 16oz jar of salsa
4 chicken breasts

Write on the bag:
Add 1 (8oz) brick of cream cheese.
Cook on high for 6-7 hours and low for 7-8 hours.
Remove and shred the chicken 30 minutes before serving.
Cut up the cream cheese into chunks and add to the crock pot with the chicken.

Directions:
Add the corn, black beans, salsa, and chicken to the ziploc bag.

A well stocked freezer!


-Dani