And be sure to check my FAQ page if you have any other questions.
Like I mentioned in my post the other week, the last time I did a big cooking day, I had big ah-ha moment.
Although, I had a blast with Lauren, it was logistically very difficult to accomplish, between the juggling of cooking and childcare, the prep work, organization and scheduling, it can be overwhelming.
So this latest big cooking day, I did it by myself and only did slow cooker recipes.
Basically, all I was did was chop vegetables and assemble ingredients.
Even with doing it this way, it was still a 3 hour affair, but during this time I was able to finish all the cooking AND the cleaning. Most importantly my feet didn’t ache at the end like they normally do. I also didn’t have any sort of panic or anxiety leading up to the big cooking day like I normally do. HUGE.
I chopped all the vegetables with Penelope in her Learning Tower before nap (which was really fun, I went through all the colors of the vegetables with her and talked about rainbows and made it a fun learning experience).
Then I assembled everything during her nap (thank you Jesus, I can now skip a pump session here and there and can do other things at nap time than sit in front of a computer) and finished cleaning up after nap, again with her in her Learning Tower.
This time she played independently with a bowl of soapy water, she made a huge mess, but the rags I used to clean up her mess where the same rags I used to clean up my mess so it wasn’t that bad.
I just dumped the veggies into the gallon ziploc bags, then added the meat, then added the spices.
Once I was done and cleaned everything up, I felt like I had invented electricity! I thought I was such a genius for finally (it took me over a year, people) getting once a month cooking down to an efficient and easy art form.
I am telling you it will change your life! Give it a try and tell me how it went!
Here are my recipes. I use a ton of vegetables in each meal, because I don’t tend to eat a lot of veggies through out the day, so I try and get them all in at dinner. And Peter is more apt to eat veggies if they taste like barbecue or curry than as a plain side dish.
Healthy Mama BBQ Chicken
3 medium unpeeled sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, about 2 cups.
2 large green pepper, cut into strips or cubes, about 2 cups.
1 large red pepper, cut into strips or cubes, about 1 cup.
2 zucchini, chopped, about 2 cups.
2 cups chopped onion.
2 tablespoon quick cooking tapioca (or flour, or some other thickening agent).
2 pounds chicken thighs or drumsticks.
2 15-ounce can of tomato sauce.
4 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoon ground yellow mustard.
2 clove garlic, finely minced, about 2 tablespoons.
1 teaspoon salt
Dump everything into two, one gallon freezer bags, shake it up, seal, label and put in the freezer. Day of cooking, dump it into your slow cooker and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours, or low 6-8 hours, depending on your specific slow cooker.
Stephanie’s Goulash
3 cups chopped onions
2.5 cups coarsely chopped green bell peppers, about 2 cups.
4 large beets, peeled and diced, about 2 cups.
2 cups of baby carrots or diced carrots.
4 cloves garlic, minced.
2-3 pounds beef stew meat, cut into one inch cubes, or whole and you can cut it after it is cooked.
4, 6-ounce can tomato paste.
2 tablespoons of Hungarian paprika or regular paprika (I used regular)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups hot cooked noodles, do not add in freezer bag, cook separately, day of cooking.
1/2 dairy sour cream, do not add in freezer bag, use as garnish, day of cooking.
Dump everything into two gallon freezer bags, shake it up, seal, label and put in the freezer. EXCEPT the sour cream and noodles, the sour cream is for garnish after the meal is cooked. Cook the noodles separately, the day of cooking.
Day of cooking, dump it into your slow cooker and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours, or low 6-8 hours, depending on your specific slow cooker.
Chicken Curry
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons curry powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1.5-2 pounds chicken thighs, or breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces.
2 cups chopped peeled sweet potatoes.
2 cups baby carrots.
2 cup coarsely chopped mango. Or 2 cans of chopped mango.
1 cup chopped onion.
1 zucchini chopped, about one cup.
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 chicken bouillon, one per bag.
.5 cup raisins (for garnish)
.5 cup peanuts or cashews (for garnish)
Dump everything into two, one gallon freezer bags, shake it up, seal, label and put in the freeze.
To cook, take out of freezer and set on counter for about 30 minutes, then dump contents of bag into slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours.
Or on Facebook!
This seems so doable, and that is so exciting!!! I have wanted to try once a month cooking, but it is a daunting task! Question — does each of these recipes make enough for two meals for you? Could you give us a guesstimate on serving size? Thanks for sharing!!!
I know, it is exciting!!!
Each recipe made me two gallon bags full of food. Each bag gave me two dinners (for two adults and one toddler) and two to three lunches (just for me).
I did a large amount of prepping this past weekend and as a result have 8 bags of food in my freezer. I made the Terriyaki Chicken last night and was pretty disappointed. It all turned brown and so did not look appetizing at all. I think if I were to do it again, I would cut down on the Terriyaki sauce, and put the carrots in the last two hours and the pineapple in the last few minutes. I think because my family does not like mushy veges, when I do this again, I will not put the veges in the freezer bag. I am anxious to try the others though! And thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing so many recipes at the same place. I love Chicken Curry. I am gonna make it tonight.
-Slow Cooker
Ok, I'm drooling! These look awesome! Thanks for sharing. I have a question – do you cut up the chicken raw? I'm not a fan of touching raw chicken, but I guess if I make this all at once it wouldn't be so bad….
I find that if I freeze the meat about 15 minutes…cutting the raw meat is less of a sensory issue for me.
Quicker, easier, less messy.
That is a great tip, thanks!
I can’t stand touching raw meat so I bought a box of sterile latex gloves and keep them in the kitchen.
I do the same thing, Becki. And I always buy boneless breast. I cannot do bones. If I had to do bones, I would totally be a vegetarian.
I’ve been using disposable gloves for years. Great for not having to touch raw meat. Great for cleaning out a turkey. Plus, if you have small kids you can tear them off quicker than washing your hands when you have to go find out “what the fuss is all about”.
They are awesome! Really good recipes.
I know, I can't stand cutting up meat too. I am getting used to it though, it seems to get easier every time.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
I just HAD to comment — I discovered your blog yesterday via PrudentBaby and I am SO very thrilled that I did. I'm loving your take on motherhood and am a very excited new follower!
I am SO excited to be doing this tonight! What a great idea, especially when I rarely have a spare hand.
Let us know how it went, Erin!
re: cutting up raw chicken–For me, it's easier to do with kitchen shears
Yes, kitchen shears work best…especially if the chicken is a bit frozen….
Oh my goodness! This is fabulous!! Thank you so much for sharing this! These will make those crazy first weeks back to school (I'm a teacher so it's REALLY crazy around here!) less hectic. Ahhh…dinner will be served!
How long can you keep these in the freezer before you cook them?
what a great use of 3 hours! I've shared it here:
http://dollarstoremom.com/2011/07/make-slow-cooker-freezer-meals/
@KneKno…I will have to try that out, thank you!
@Shelly…so glad to hear that Shelley!
@Vanessa…I would think about 6 months. I usually use mine up before then, but that sounds about right!
Thanks so much Breanna!!
Wow, this is amazing! I have four kids, so I think a two gallon bag would make enough for one dinner for the 6 of us, and this sounds so perfect for recovering from vacation, surgery, baby-birthing, the first week of school, etc. Just genius, thank you so much.
Here is a thought. You can buy crockpot cooking bags. If you freeze meal in that, let thaw in crockpot while on low, then stretch out bag in crockpot. Cook desired time. Remove meal. Throw out bag and…..no clean up!!! LOVE IT. I have used these bags and they are GREAT.
You just saved my life. I've been hoarding food in my freezer because I have a husband and 3 kids, and I'm starting nursing school in less than a month. I've been cooking everything, but this idea is so much easier and will save me a ton of time! Thank you thank you thank you!!
How did the noodle one turn out? I can't imagine hot cooked noodles…frozen…then in a crockpot for 4 hours. I would think they would turn to mush!?
She explained at the bottom that you would cook the noodles and add the sour cream the day that you cook the meal in the crockpot.
OK this is the best idea yet!!!! Thanks for the ideas and if you have more recipes please share them!!!
Thanks
This seems awesome! So trying this and your recipes. This has gone semi viral on pinterest!
the recipe looks really amazing, I haven't tasted this yet, but I would like to try this recipe on my next adventure in my kitchen, thanks for the recipe,
can't wait to try these!
one question though,
for the bbq chicken recipe did you use orange sweet potatoes or white skin?
thanks!
looks like you used yams instead of sweet potatoes in the photos?
Oh this is so rad…I landed here via Pinterest. Thank you – I'll be trying this!
Great idea. I'm new to freezing and have one question, do you cook the meat prior to placing it in the freezer bag? Thanks!
This is great! I love my slow cooker, what a fabulous way to make your meals ahead. I will have to give this one a try.
Question: Do you add liquids to the slow cooker when you cook it?
@Sunshine, I always just eyeball portions so that sounds right, remember everything cooks down to less quantity in the slow cooker.
@MaryBeth, you are welcome!!
@ldsgoff, I never even heard of slow cooker bags, I will have to check that out. But wouldn't the chemicals from the plastic get into the food, when heated? Or am I missing something. I am tired!
@Kelly, so happy I could help! Good luck with nursing school.
@Tina..I cook the noodles separately, the day I have the meal in the slow cooker.
@penny renee…yes, more recipes coming soon!
@The Informal Matriarch…I know it is crazy! I need to get on Pinterest ASAP and check it out!
@toni…I use sweet potatoes…still a starch, but more nutrients and vitamins than a white potato.
Welcome Amanda, so glad you are here! Hope you stick around!
@Britni, yes that is exactly what I do. I make my own stock, and freeze it in 3 cups or 1 cup and then I throw it in frozen and it melts in the slow cooker.
Thanks again for all the comment love, I really appreciate it and so glad ya'll found this helpful. More recipes coming soon!
I have always shied away from meals that you had to "cook", freeze and then cook again. It always seemed like more work. But I love my slow cooker! And I love this idea!! Thanks for a great idea!!
Saw this on Pinterest! Look forward to giving it a go. Will let you know.
Follow up question to the stock… Do you add stock to the recipes and how much? You probably said somewhere and I just missed it! Thanks!!
I saw this on Pinterest and it looks SO good.I love my crock pot, so this is even more awesome! Yay! Post more recipes if you have them, please!!
I love this idea! I love cooking with my slow cooker and this would help make cooking so much easier for me.
One question: I want to try this with other recipes as well. If I wanted to make something that called for ground beef, would I fry it up and then freeze it or freeze it raw with everything else and let it cook in the slow cooker?
@Sunni…so happy to hear! Let me know how it goes for you.
@Laura…the liquid amounts should be in each recipe, but I will check right now.
@Jenn..welcome! please check out my archives, lots of good stuff here! And yes, more recipes coming soon!
@mommy2luke…I would put it in the bag raw. So far, none of my recipes need to be browned first.
Hi Stephanie
This is probably a dumb question, but it does not seem that you have any liquid in your recipes. Does the food dry roast in the slow cooker, or do you have to add some water? I do have a slow cooker that has never been used, so this would be a wonderful opportunity to try it out.
Regards
Yvonne
the goulash recipe calls for 1/2 sour cream. is that 1/2 cup or half a small container?
What a great idea! I'm expecting baby #3 and this will be perfect for right after he/she gets here. I found you on pinterest.
http://www.mamamusingsblog.blogspot.com
Oh, I am SO doing this to get ready for when the kids and husband go back to school and things get crazy! Love this idea!
@Yvonne…you are right. The recipes in this post have no liquid, but if you search my archives for my other slow cooker recipes, some of those call for stock.
@impchild…yes you are right, its a 1/2 cup. Thanks for the catch!
@Danielle, congrats on baby #3! Let us know how it goes for you. And so glad you found me!
@Mama Bub…so glad you like the idea!
I just found this via Pinterest and not only love the idea bu also your blog – breastfeeding, yoga … my kind of place!
Q: I have never frozen vegies like this because I have always heard you need to blanch them first. Have you ever heard that or is it an Australian old wives tale? This is so simple and wold really work for us!
Baby #4 is coming soon and this looks like a LIFESAVER!!! Found it on a friend's Pinterest and I'm STEALING it.
Could you use the slow roast bags to freezer the ingredients in then put the bag in the cooker?
I am a daycare provider and these recipes sounds amazing. I will defiently be trying these for quick and healthy lunches!
Oh this is great!!! I have been looking for meals that will be easy for me to prepare/make since I started back to school. This sounds like it will help SOOOO much! Thank you for sharing!
THANK YOU!!! This is pure brilliance! I'm about to enter the activity phase of life with 4 small ones. 3 in school and all 4 in after school activities and I was wondering how in the world I was ever going to get dinner ready. Now I can do the work when I have time and throw it in the crockpot in the morning and go, go, go. Seriously, thank you for sharing your brilliant idea.
Saw this on Pinterest and I love it! The blog is fantastic. Looking forward to investigating the site more.
I found you through Simply Frugal and I can't wait to try the recipes out. I think I'll invite a few friends over and make a party out of it.
@Yvette…I never blanch them and they turn out fine.
@Candace…congrats Candace! So glad it will help!
@Anonymous…someone else mentioned that, but I am not sure, I have never done it. I will have to look into them.
@Miranda….awesome!
@The Hill House…My pleasure!
@Pokeyann..Thank you!!! So glad it will be helpful.
@lionsmiles, so glad you are here!
@Gem…I have never heard of Simply Frugal, will have to check them out soon!
What a great idea! I'm a working mom, and the slow cooker is one of my best friends! I made these this weekend, and it was super easy. I nursed my son and let my husband do nightime, went to the store about 7,and by about 9:15 I had gotten all my groceries, and done a lot of my pre-chopping. Then today (saturday) while my son was taking his morning nap I put everything together and cleaned. Unbelievable to get it all together so quickly! Also, for everything except the chicken and spices, everything was about $60 (since it is summer, a lot of the veggies were on sale). So $60 for 6 meals is GREAT! I can't wait to see how it all comes out.
I have a quick question, though- are all the recipes doubled (and then you split it into the two ziplock bags?) For example, if it called for 1 zucchini, then that's 1/2 for each bag? I just wanted to double-check, especially with the spices, etc. ALso, you don't add any water or anything when you cook these? I know the veggies will release a lot of water, and just wanted to be sure.
THANKS!
So happy to hear that Kara!! Honestly, I mostly eye ball the vegetables and try to put as much as I can fit in the bag. And yes, I didn't put any water extra in these recipes. Thanks so much for sharing!
how much chicken bouillon in the chicken curry? do you add it before freezing or before cooking? thanks!
@brianandbethany…just one per bag. I added it to the bag before I froze it, because I just want to be able to dump the bag out into the slow cooker and turn it on and not use my brain at all!
I love this idea! As soon as the weather cools off, I'm trying it. Can't wait to see how it works out.
thanks for your response! just one more question – are you referring to the bouillon cube with the cup of water to give with it or a can of chicken bouillon? thanks again!
WOW WOW WOW
LOVE this!!
How much stock do you add for each meal? Also, for the BBQ, do you cut up the chicken or leave it as drumsticks? I couldn't tell from your picture!
LOVE the idea of no-cook freezer cooking, especially when you can just dump it all in the slow cooker!! please, please try to find more recipes!
p.s. found you from simply frugal also!
I made all three of these recipes last night and stuck them in the freeer. So excited to try them and to know that I have 6 meals just ready to go!
The chicken curry recipe looks fabulous!! Can't wait to try them all.
The chicken curry recipe looks GREAT! Can't wait to try them all!
Fantabulous!!!!!! Makes perfect sense. for busy moms. I'm going to make these for my busy daughter and her family. Yes I can do this. I love to cook and she doesn't have the time.. Check out our blog trying to drum up followers and we are having a contest>>>
It would help if you have the blog site DUH! desirable-junk.blogspot.com
Great idea! To clarify: meat is raw when frozen with veggies? And HOW MUCH liquid do you add at the time of starting the cooking?
Thanks!
Chris
A couple of years ago my daughter and I did a couple of Dream Dinners stints and it was so freaking expensive. This looks totally realistic and doable! I'm going to give this one a try once I get the kids back in school. Thanks!
PS: this is Heather from Blogstar.
@brianandbethany…I just used one cube, no extra liquid.
@Sheyenne…I just left the chicken as drumstick and legs. You could do this with breasts if you wanted to, but the chicken would end up shredded at the end. Which could be cool, you could make bbq chicken sandwiches!
@Delana B…I am coming up with new ones as we speak!! Coming soon!
Yay, Joyful Baker!! Isn't it the best feeling when you are all done?
@Mabel, I will have to check it out, thanks!
Hi Heather! What is Dream Dinners? I have never heard of that before?
You are a genius and my new hero! THANK you, and thank you again!
I got your site from pinterest and I am so excited to try it! All my veggies are cut and now I just have to assemble. Quick question, is the sour cream put into the bag as well, or it is just a garnish for the dish once it's done cooking? I'm about to have baby #2 and I am so grateful for this awesome idea that you've put on here! Thank you!
I have done this during my third trimester with my last five babies! A wonderful time saver!
I've thought of doing DreamDinners.com too, but I have to work around many food allergies with my oldest two daughters, and they can't promise that the meals will be cross-contamination free with so many people using the ingredients.
This way is far more affordable, and you can control what goes in it!
This is a BRILLIANT idea! We buy the freezer meal-in-a-bags sometimes for the convenience, but they are full of so much sodium we can't eat them too often. This will save so much time, thanks for the idea!
Holy amazing! Found you via Pinterest…and I'm SO glad I did! This is one of those "Duh, why didn't I think of that already?" moments! My goodness, how genius! Thanks!!
This is the best post i have come across today!!! great idea!!!
Wow I am a mom who travels a lot for work, this will ensure my family is not eating out every night, and eating healthy. Please post more anytime! Thanks so much and the slow cooker bags are wonderful but don't seal like ziplock but it looks like you could just dump the contents of the freezer bag into the slowcooker bag and then clean up is a breeze!
I'm definitely trying this!! Thanks for sharing your genius method
I tried the BBQ chicken one and it was delicious. I cooked half from fresh and I love knowing that the other half is in my freezer waiting to make my day easier sometime soon! Thanks for the recipes. Will it work with most crock pot recipes? I use mine a lot and it seems like we always have lots of leftovers, so I think I'll have to try freezing some of my usual recipes.
Hmm.. did you freeze your veggies without cooking them at all?
This looks awesome! However, I am a grad student who's busy but doesn't have a family to cook for–it's just me!
In regard to serving size, what would you recommend? I don't usually like eating something for days on end in a row, so could I split it up into smaller portions before freezing? And what would you recommend re: cooking times in that case?
@Chris, yes smaller freezer bag portions would be perfect. If you have a small slow cooker that would be good too, then less to clean up afterward. I am not sure on times, but I bet it would reduce the cooking time, so just try it out and keep your eye on it. Let me know how it goes.
Great idea… but many vegetables need to be blanched before freezing. This stops enzymes from breaking down the food. Freezing alone will not do this. Btw… you seem like an awesome mom.
I made all of these meals yesterday and froze them. It was such a great feeling knowing that I wouldn't have to slave away every day this week in the kitchen. Thank you for posting these recipes!
I put the Healthy Mama Barbecue in the crock pot this morning before church and came home to a hot, easy dinner.
I liked this meal. My husband does not like sweet potatoes but I do, so I cut the amount in half and added some red potatoes. I was glad I did because I did not like the sweet potatoes at all! They were too mushy and too overwhelmingly sweet. Next time I will only use red potatoes.
It seemed very runny even though I did not add any liquid. I was not expecting that. I used drumsticks but did not have enough chicken for my family of 5. I might use chicken breast next time.
I do not want to give the impression that this was not a good recipe. I enjoyed the flavors a lot! I also enjoyed the time I did NOT spend in the kitchen today. I spent it with my children instead. Yeah! I would probably give the recipe a 3.5 stars out of 5.
I think this is good recipe and I will definitely make it again. I have been converted to freezer crock pot cooking! Thank you!
I was just thinking I wanted some good crock pot recipes.
I found your blog via Pinterest. I'm going to do these tonight! Thanks!!! XOXO threemangoseeds.blogspot.com
@Jillian, someone else mentioned that too, I will have to look into it.
@Shanna, thanks for the feedback, yes they all tend to be mushy, type meals, so we always eat them with cous-cous or rice. I like it that way, but I could imagine that some would not like the texture. Eating soft, warm, soup like meals is supposed to be very healing and restorative according to Ayurveda.
@Clydia..so glad to hear, let me know how it goes!
YEAH!! I have 4 kids ages 6 down to age 1, homeschool, love to craft, sew, blog and did I mention I have 4 kids:) SO this is AWESOME!! Thanks so much Kristy from http://www.apronsandapples.blogspot.com I love your blog. I found it through pintrest and LOVE IT so I am following and just nominated it for a versatile Blog award! Come check it out (currently working on the post for the award!)THANKS AGAIN I will be featuring you and linking back for your great idea!
You may have addressed this but I did not read all of your comments. Do you cook the meat prior to freezing?
@apronsandapples, wow four kids!! thanks so much for being here.
@Jolene, no I don't cook it before freezing it.
I'm so excited about this! Thank you for sharing it. My girls (10 and
and I just finished all the prep and clean up in an hour and 20 minutes. Six meals for a family of 6 in that amount of time is just my style. With school and soccer starting along with two birthdays and an anniversary, we are sure to be using some of these this week.
Best idea EVER! I love my crockpot! And I love 'freezer cooking' this is so simple yet so smart! And almost any slowcooker recipe can be used! Awesome Awesome Awesome!!
Oh my THANKS SO MUCH!!! I have 2 toddlers and my hubby works TONS, so i am always wanting new & quick dinner ideas! These sound awesome and very doable! Will definately try these soon! Do you have any other ideas for the Curry? My hubby isnt a huge curry fan (and not sure about kiddos). thanks again! Are you going to be making any other GREAT recipe ideas soon?
I use my crockpot all the time but I've NEVER thought of this … You are amazing! I'm a mom of 2, wife, fitness instructor, & a sophmore nursing student (only 2 more semesters and I'll be a RN) … You & your website are my new bestfriend! I can't wait to get started (the semester starts on Thursday) so I'll be going to the grocery store tonight and do this tomorrow! WootWoot
Genius!! Thanks so much for the idea!
Ok…so I've been on the road for a while and before I try this, I want to make sure my measurements are right: 1 recipe makes 2 bags which EACH holds 2 meals…so 1 recipe makes 4 meals? And the meat goes in raw?
It's just myself and my husband and I'd like to break it down to 1 meal per bag so we can switch it up and not really have to deal with leftovers, kwim?
S/n: I also found your blog on Pintrest and I'm SO happy I did! I'm about to start working for the first time in years and with my hubby being in the military, dinner time was starting to worry me. But now its problem solved!
You are so welcome Liz and Valerie!
TamTam, Each recipe will give you two bags. So I would just play it by ear, just put in as much food as it looks like you and your husband would eat in one sitting. And yes, meat in raw. SO happy you found me too!
Has anyone tried the curry? And what did you think? My family didn't like it very much. I think it was the cumin and if I was to make it again I would leave out the cumin. I have put chicken on top of potatoes and carrots with curry on it and they love that, that is why I really think it was the cumin. Let me know what others of you thought!
@proudmomm We've tried them all now. I'd say the curry was my favorite. My husband's fav was the BBQ chicken. If I may make a suggestion on the goulash…do NOT put the noodles in the freezer bag! Cook them right before you are ready to serve and combine then. The noodles were just mush when we ate this dish. It tasted good though!
I'd make all these again. Thanks for sharing these recipes, Stephanie!
I just found your site through pinterest, and it looks amazing. Can't wait to start following. Question though… Are those 3 meals the total months worth of cooking? I'm just wondering how that lasts for a month or am I missing something? Thanks!!
I just found your site through pinterest, and it looks awesome. Can't wait to read up on it (during nap times). Question about your monthly cooking… do these 3 recipes provide dinners for a whole month? or am I missing some recipes. I'm just not sure how 3 recipes (6 dinners) translates into a month. Thanks!
LOVE THIS!
Just to make sure — is it ok to mix raw chicken with the veggies and all? I am so scared of raw chicken…
Thank you!
~Ivie
The recipe Stephanie's Goulash calls for 1/2 dairy sour cream. I would like to clarify that it is 1/2 cup of dairy sour cream?
So you know, just in case the other 100 or so posts didn't cover it, this is freaking genius. I am slow cooker blown away right now. I have this pinned on Pinterest, I linked back to you about it on my blog. How have I never thought of this before?!
@proudmomm…if you make it again without the cumin, let me know how it goes over.
@christy…yes, the noodles are to cook the day of separately. sorry!
@NewWifey08…this is actually about 2 or 3 weeks worth of food, if you were to eat it every day. But we eat out once a week at least, and have pizza once a week, so it lasts us about a month.
@Ivie Claudio…yes, as long as you put it immediately in the freezer. I am not health and safety expert, but it works fine for me.
@Energy Exchange Holistics, it can be either sour cream or fresh cream (creme fraishe or whatever the fancy stuff is called). But don't put the cream in the freezer bag, it is for mixing in the day you cook it, after it has cooked in the slow cooker
Oh, Jane, I am sucker for compliments, I will take all 100 of them! Thank you!
Found you through Pinterest! Made the BBQ chicken last night – delicious! Not too sweet & tons of saucy goodness to dip our biscuits in. Substituted yellow peppers for green, but other than that followed it to a 'T' (might add more chicken next time). Cooked half same day and froze the rest… What a great idea! Thanks!
I love you I love you I love you! Thank you so much. I am a very busy mom with work full time, school for me and a new baby I never can find enough time to eat dinner with my family. I mean I can make it but by time I finish I am rushing out the door for school. You are my hero! Thank you
Love this! I have done that exhausting bulk cooking so many times, and it's great, but oh the foot pain! I love the idea of crock potting it all, and will definitely be trying this soon. thanks!
For the BBQ chicken, do you divide up the sauces as well or put a whole 8 oz can in each bag? Also, do you use 2 gallon bags or 2 one gallon bags? Thanks so much for sharing with us!
I have 21 month old triplets this is going to help me so much!!! My hubby is in the Navy so e is gone quite often which leaves me as a single mama! Thanks for takingthe time to do this!! AWESOME!!!
So excited to try these! Thanks for sharing the recipes! Found it on pinterest
Great idea! My question is, I would have to leave it cooking for 10 hours on my work days, how would it be cooking on low for 2 extra hours?
Also I have 2, 4, 6 quart cooker, which one would you recommend for the portions you list?
@Lani…that is awesome. Thanks for sharing!
@Anonymous…Thanks for the love! Right back at ya!
@Shay…yes, my aching feet were the main inspiration!
@Smilin girl, I split the sauce up between the two bags. And I use 2, one gallon bags. But if you had a big family and big slow cooker, you could probably get away with putting it all in a bigger bag.
@larsonck23…OMG, you are my hero. Hope this helps you out tons.
@Activity Mom..thanks so much, glad you found me!
@Jeanie..I am not sure to be honest, my slow cooker will automatically switch to a warming level, once the 8 hours is over. I wonder if yours could do that too? The 4 or 6 quart is what I would do for these.
I made the healthy bbq chicken last night. The flavor was a bit bland and the dish was pretty soupy. I think next time I'll spice it up with some jalapenos. Do you think adding flour to it will thicken it up and not make it taste weird? Otherwise, I guess I'll just make rice or biscuits to go with it.
Tonight, we'll be trying out the goulash. I'm a little afraid though becuz I didn't realize I had to add sour cream later and not to the frozen ingredients. Doh!
@Zay, I am not sure. Maybe some cornstarch? I like it soupy and always serve it cous-cous or rice, or make a sloppy joe type sandwich out of it.
finally enjoyed the chicken curry – it's been our favorite of the frozen meals! next time I'll add a little extra water to make some more of the yummy sauce. we also added some sriracha sauce to the finish product to add a little flavor.
Hi Stephanie! I wanted to tell you how much I have enjoyed your make ahead crockpot freezer recipes. I used them this month as I have just gone back to school full time, and it has been a life saver for myself and my husband. I am wondering if you have experimented with any more? I have been doing a lot of research and not finding much. I have found a lot of, cook, freeze, then reheat meals…but not a lot of prep raw, freeze, and crockpot meals. I am thinking I will experiment. How did you go about coming up with those recipes? I am certain I can't just open up a crockpot recipe book and expect to be able to do it this way. Thanks!
Emily
I am going to ask the stupidest question ever, but I am nut about raw meat. Do you put the raw meat in with the veggies when freezing?
Glad to hear, Bethany! What is sriacha sauce??
@Emily, thanks so much for telling me! So glad to have been able to help you out. I am sure you could. I get a lot of my inspiration for my recipes from versions I see in a crock pot book. I look for ones that don't require several steps like browning meat or adding lots of ingredients at different times. But the more I do this, the more realize, EVERYTHING is freezable. So I just started picking out my favorite regular meals, and turned them into slow cooker meals and froze them!
@EmmaAva…it is not stupid! Several people have asked the same thing, I think it is fine, since it is going straight to the freezer and from the freezer straight to the crock pot…but do you know something I don't?? I am certainly not an expert.
What a fantastic idea!! My daughter is expecting her first child. I think I'll make up a bunch of these and stick them in her freezer. She'll really appreciate them with a newborn. Thanks!!
I did this two weeks ago, and I felt like I, too, had invented electricity, although the recipes and ideas were all yours. Thank you thank you thank you!!! The meals the past two weeks have been completely hassle free, and they taste GOOD!!
this is wonderful and certainly something I am going to try this fall! thank you! (found you through pinterest)
Awesome Idea, going to share this link on my Single Dads Page! https://www.facebook.com/singledadsinChrist
Thank you. I made a bunch this afternoon and couldn't be happier! I was directed to your site by another and well…I am glad. Thanks.
Hi Stephanie! I wanted to follow up with you about my comment above. I did just go ahead and pick some simple crockpot recipes, prepped and bagged the ingredients over the weekend, and made my first recipe today. It turned out really well. Thought you might want some new ones to try. Thanks again for your inspiration!
http://redicklife.blogspot.com/2011/09/freezer-to-crockpot-meals-part-ii.html
Sorry but I tried the Chicken Curry recipe and it wasn't very good.
The baby carrots didn't cook the zucchini was mushy the spices didn't mix in with everything could just be me and my cooking skill though.
I just love this idea of freezing stock pot meals in gallon bags. Such a fantastic way to squeeze lots of fresh veggies, healthy whole grains, and quality lean protein into one meal – especially for picky eaters (kids & hubbies). So easy for working mamas too – just put it in the crock pot in the morning & when you come back from work – dinner is ready. A frozen packaged grocery store dish like these would probably be fat & sodium laden with less than half of the nutrients (BAD!) so kudos to you for making your healthy, family-friendly version at home.
-Registered Dietitian
If I did the cooking for our family, this would be right up my alley! I love this idea. Thanks for sharing. I am wondering though about the risk of contamination storing uncooked vegetables with uncooked meat. Have you had an issue with this? I know the theory says not to store these items together in the fridge so I would think it would apply to the freezer. Really, though, I imagine it would get cooked off, right? Just wondering. I really don't have much to say about the cooking in our home so these matters intrigue me.
So smart! I'm doing this Monday.
Found you on Pinterest.
just to clarify, do i split the ingredients listed to use in 2, 1gallon bags? or do is what's listed what is used in 1 1gallon bag and i need to double for 2 bags? i'm just curious like the sour cream in the goulosh, do i use 1/4 cup in each bag, or 1/2 cup in each gallon bag??
Thanks for the post…found you via Pinterest. To make it especially easy I think I might grab several bags of frozen veggies and divide them up per recipe needs. All the chopping (and blanching) is already done!
@Jan…what a great mom you are!
@Jen…so glad to hear!!
@CaroleM…let me know how it goes when you do it.
@Brad…thank you so much!!
@Anna…sorry to hear that. Let me know if I can help in any way. The curry is one of my favorites.
@Beth, several other people have mentioned that, and I think it is ok, since it goes straight to the freezer, but if you hear of anything that contradicts that, let me know.
@Charli..awesome! Let me know how it goes.
@amypins…the recipes will fill two, 1 gallon bags. the sour cream is for garnish, after done cooking, so use as much as you want!
@SharonJoy…that is an excellent idea, thank you!!!
I'm super excited to find this post. I'm pregnant with our third and have two little guys at home (2yrs and 3½ years) so meals have become quite a challenge. I've been looking for prep-ahead & freeze slow cooker recipes but haven't found them anywhere yet. Yay for your post! I'll be working on these next weekend!
Thank you!!
Just found this from Pinterest. LOVE that none of the recipes call for canned Cream of Chicken/Mushroom/Grossness. Am adding you to my feed reader tonight!
I can't believe I haven't thought of doing this!!! This is genius! Will you be posting more recipes? Please?!
PS Found you on Pinterest.
love this idea! so great.
kathryn
http://www.thedragonsfairytail.blogspot.com
how do i know how much stock or liquid to add to the recipes…if any? i have been unsuccessful in finding this??
Awesome post I will use this. Those recipes sound really good too.
Via Pinterest
I am SO excited to try this! We are expecting baby number 2 in December and this will make the first few weeks SO much easier! One less thing for me to worry about once baby is here! THANK YOU!
I am going to do this with my mother so that we can get a little more variety. I'll do three recipes and she'll do three then we will swap bags (or just get together and prepare them and take one bag of each, sounds more fun this way and we can enjoy the conversation and maybe a margarita or two…) I can't stand too much repetition in my meals so this is the only way it'll work for me (since it's just me and each bag will be at least 3 meals) but it's an awesome idea. Thank you so much. I already do this with casseroles (you should see my freezer the day after cooking day.) And think I may try to see if I can implement it with stir-fry's too. wish me luck!
This is a great idea, I've done things like this before as well, I just have to say that when I got my vacuum sealer, the direction book said to never, ever, freeze raw onion and garlic. They are 2 things that can grow bacteria even while frozen. Be Safe
Stacy
Found you on pinterest. Love this idea, thank you!
Welcome to all the new readers from pinterest! So glad you are here.
@Stacy… I have never heard of that before, thanks for the tip! I will look more into that very soon!
Hey there, I am yet another person who found you on pinterest!
LOVED the idea of freezing meals for the crockpot, so I tried it and I have to say, I have never in my life eaten beets… but in your goulash recipe, they look and taste just like the carrots! Thanks so much for a new tasty recipe!:)
Well you can buy chopped onion in your freezer section though at the store so I would think it's okay to freeze onions.
Hi there! I also found you through pinterest
I am doing this today…so excited! With two little ones and a husband who travels, this is going to make my life so much easier!! Thank you!
Stephanie, thank you so much for this great idea and fantastic recipes. I plan to do this before the arrival of our second baby, however I just wanted to ask you what capacity slow cooker you have as don't they have to be at least half full to cook well? I'm going to go out and buy one this week!
Wow, not at all bad! And it is even easier than expected! ^^ Thanks, favourited the blog.
___
International Calls to Australia
For all those concerned about contamination when freezing veggies with uncooked meat and the one person who mentioned freezing onions and garlic and the other who mentioned blanching veggies:
There are guidelines IF you are planning to use the veggies WITHOUT cooking/heating to a high temperature. Slow cookers reach high enough temperature to cook the meat, and therefore kill any contaminates on the meat itself as well as any drips on the veggies.
The rules exist for the fridge because often you eat the veggies without cooking them fully (or at all). As far as onions, garlic, and other veggies being frozen- if you plan to use them RAW (or undercooked) they should be blanched first (dunked in boiling water for a few seconds) to kill off The onions you buy frozen in the store have been blanched prior to freezing since they can't be sure how you intend to use them.
These meals are all meant to be cooked- so no problems here, no blanching required.
I did the Barbecue chicken recipe last night, cooked 1 serving and froze the other, and we all *loved* it!! This one is totally going into my regular rotation! My husband would normally never eat zucchini or bell peppers, and not only did he eat everything in his bowl, he actually drank the remaining sauce! For us the 1 serving was just one meal for 2 adults plus bits for baby, since my husband is a big eater. And I used a full 15 oz can of tomato sauce and it worked just fine. Might add more chicken and sweet potatoes next time for a little extra food. Thank you so much for this recipe! I'll be trying the others soon!
quick question – you don't add any water or stock to the crock pot for any of these once you dump them in the crock pot?
LOVE this idea, would love even more to have a page of just recipes tried and tested by freezer –> slow cooker enthusiasts!
***So, here's my take on the veggies touches raw meat dilemma…
Just throw all your ingredients into bag(except meat of course), put meat wrapped in plastic wrap or smaller ziploc into main bag and VOILA! A reusable / washable gallon bag and no contamination worries if the meat is sealed well.
Keep on posting I love this concept of easy slow cooking without prepping each and every time. THANK YOU STEPHANIE.
I am a college student that works and goes to school full time. Leaving NO time to cook healthy meals my mom is going to come over and we'll get these together I absolutely love this idea and the fact that It's in a crock lot!
From a professional health inspector:
The freezing should prevent growth…I don't know of any harmful bacteria that will grow or produce a toxic if frozen, even on onions…if the final product reaches 165 f in a reasonable time it should kill any bugs…bacteria like botulism and staph produce toxins. Boiling takes care of that.
Found this on Pinterest. Thanks for sharing. Love the blog. Can't wait to try this!
This combines my 2 loves: crockpot cooking and freezer cooking!! Thanks so much for sharing. I'll be checking back for more . . .
Just found your blog! Love doing freezer meal but have been looking for freezer meals that are healthy! These meals look great and can't wait to try it! Thank you!
LOVE THIS IDEA! made a bunch of bags last week and we already ate 2!
just a question: for the curry when you say bullion do you mean bullion powder (or cubes) or liquid chicken stock?
thanks!
abby
hellooo… when you chop/freeze the vegetables, do you lose a lot of the flavor or get freezer burn on the veggies from freezing them?
I so love this idea, with me working part time and the Kids in sports/dance it feels like I am scrambling for ideas and this is perfect. One thing your first recipe the Healthy Mama bbq chicken could I substitute the drumsticks and thighs for chicken breasts? Well you probably could but what would you suggest whole, strips, cubes?
Brilliant! I did this today with seven other moms as aa play date. We each brought one or two things, chopped, and chatted. The kids all played and we each left with three bags of dinner!
Just found you via pinterest! I can't wait to try this, I've been looking for good crockpot recipes but ones that can be all made up in one day is even better! Thank you!
This is fantastic, I actually use a company in town that does something similar but you have to cook the meals step by step (which is still a huge help and I love the different meals available). Your system is even better b/c the crockpot cooks it and its probably much cheaper! I've been looking for something like this. Yay!
Hi, Stephanie. I have read explicit warnings in slow cooker cookbooks against using partially/frozen meats in slow cookers. I googled this link to post here:
re: FoodSafety
http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/safetysanitation/p/slowcooksafe.htm
"DON'T PUT FROZEN OR PARTIALLY THAWED MEAT OR POULTRY INTO A SLOW COOKER — they take longer to get to 165°F, and can also cool everything in the slow cooker. THAT'S LIKE BUILDING A BACTERIA PLAYGROUND."
This sounds great. I have done freezer meals in the past but mine have always been cooked first before placed in the freezer. Don't you need to blanch the veggies first or is there really a difference from raw state? Thanks for the recipes I can't wait to try them.
i found you via pinterest (like most everybody here!). this idea is great! in fact, i had these recipes in mind when i went grocery shopping today!
Oh my ! I found you on pinterest and start looking into my fridge and pantry and found some items on the list ….. I went to Aldi's and bought everything including 1 galon of milk , plastic bags and spent $56 the only thing I changed was the chicken thighs …I'm using chicken breast I already have the chicken curry going. I love the idea of doing all the work in 1 day.
Thanks for sharing !!!
I found this by Pinterest – I am heading to the store tomorrow to try all your recipes! I just bought a crockpot today so I am excited!!! YEAH!!! Thank you!
Brilliant! Thank you for the recipes!
Just a note about the raw meat–it's perfectly fine to put raw meat in the baggies, as long as it goes straight from freezer to cooking method (crockpot, stove, oven…anything really). What's NOT safe is for raw meat to be frozen, thawed and then cooked. {My hubby is ServSafe certified for his job, so I asked him what he thought}. So as long as the frozen raw meat doesn't get thawed until it's being cooked–nothing to worry about!
)
Fabulous idea! love it! Totally going to be trying this out! I love planning out my meals and just began using a three month meal plan (first time). Excited to get my kids in on this "culinary activity". Then, they can say they "cooked dinner"! Awesome.
Enjoyed your Healthy Mama Barbecue Chicken tonight… it was delicious and made SOO much! Easy, delicious and making my money go further… perfect! Thank you!
Yes, this will rival electricity for sure! Thank you for the great idea. I have done the veggies before but never thought of adding the meat too! SOme die-hards don't use any plastic, but glass to store their foods. DO you have any feelings about that?
@foodfunfamily…that is wonderful you cook with your kids, it is so important!
@Danielle C…yay!!
@Lore…everything I have read says that using plastic bags in the freezer is fine. It is the heating food up in plastic that is bad. One day I would love to use all glass just to be on the safe side. I would never use those slow cooker liner bags, though!!
I love that you put Welcome Pinners at the top, because that is how I found you
What a wonderful and precious site – great tips, but awesome example of daily teaching and loving of kids. xoxo Bev
I found your blog through Pinterest, and even though my boys are older (14 and 18) the idea of cooking a month of meals in advance is genius! With all the sports & after school activities my kids are involved in, I find I'm usually scrambling to get a healthy, home cooked dinner on the table. With these slow cooker recipes…problem solved! Thank you!! You've got a new follower…
@Cammi…yay! so glad to hear! welcome!
Wow – just found your post & blog via a facebook discussion! What a great idea! I can cope with chopping and bagging it all up
– Thank you!
Wow. Thanks so much for sharing your recipes! I just started freezer cooking and this is absolutely genius!!!! I also try to get the veggies in at dinner. I can tell these are delicious. CANNOT wait to try them!!! Thank you!!!!!!!!!!
Omgaaaaaaaa! bless you! So need this in my life right now. You just made me a superwoman:) I can do all things!!!!
Im gonna try some of these recipes. So excited to this!
Ok, I've always heard you're supposed to blanch vegetables prior to freezing them or their cells will burst and will be mushy. How do you get around that?
So I don't have to cook the chicken before I freeze it, right?
To clarify, I have chicken in the freezer. Can I thaw that, add the veggies, and then re-freeze it?
@Lissa…they do get kind of mushy, but I like them like that, easier to digest and one less step to do!
@Kristen Elizabeth…I would just make a separate bag of the ingredients other than meat. Then the day of cooking, just dump both bags into crock pot. You are not supposed to thaw and refreeze meat.
I just went out and bought everything to make the BBQ & Curry Chicken… but I have the following questions..
1. does the chicken for each recipe have to be skinless?
2. can I leave them whole or do they have to be cut for either recipe?
This is great!! Do you have any additional recipes? If you do could you email them to tiffany . wood @ live . com ?
We haven't even tried them yet– I'm typing while my husband is chopping!
But we'd love to do more of these recipes– have you tried any others?
With a 5 month old teething, cooking just doesn't happen unless we plan ahead like this!
How much liquid does each bad need for cooking? I see that this question has been asked several times and never directly answered. Thank you.
@Shannon…I don't think it matters. I have done skin on before and it is fine, but I think its a matter of personal preference. And you could leave them whole, people cook entire chickens in the slow cooker, so I don't see why not!
@Tiffany Wood…yes, I do! please check out my real food tab at the top of the blog.
@CrunchyMama..I hate teething with a passion, good luck!
@Emily…I answered it a couple of times, but with so many comments, I know its hard to read them all. If the recipe does not call for liquid or stock, it does not need it.
This is an amazing idea, and the recipes sound great! I may do this over the weekend. I love chopping veggies, but am not a fan of chopping meat (like you). Do you cook the meats before freezing or just chop them up?
In the Chicken curry how much chicken bouillon? I have the cubes.
Absolute genius!
I am doing a freeze ahead marathon this coming weekend, and I am making your healthy mama barbeque and curry recipes. My first time making crockpot freeze aheads, and I am so excited! Thanks so much for the ideas, you have inspired me
I loved this idea so much I ran out to the store the next day and stocked up on all the ingredients! But, in my haste forgot the freezer bags…haha, oops!
I chopped and bagged them all up at the end of last week. We have had the BBQ chicken and having the chicken curry tonight! These are FABULOUS and a life saver. It is so nice to just throw it in the crock pot and turn it on.
I dread cooking dinner each night and have been looking to change that view. In looking for ways to help my transition I stumbled upon your blog via Pinterest and you have inspired me!
Thank you!
I am learning to cook healthier from my family and surprisingly, am loving this new way of life! It has added an entirely new dimension to the way we take care of ourselves.
Found you through Pinterest. Definitely trying these recipes out and checking out your archives as well. Baseball season is right around the corner and this will make for some no-worry dinners for this momma of 4 boys on practice and game nights. <3
Love this idea. Is meat cooked or raw? Not sure i saw about that in your post. One tip is i mostly do double meals. One to eat one to freeze. Have done that for years
So do you cook the meat? then add?
Can you do this with any slow cooker recipe? I love this concept
Just found this via Pinterest… OMG love this, will give this a go to save time!
Thanks for sharing! I've stumbled this now to share with my followers!
Have a fantastic New Year!
x.o.x.o
@Elizabeth… you are so welcome!
@Courtney..so glad to hear you are trying to cook healthier, your family will thank you one day, I am sure.
@Gina H…oh my gosh, you have 4 boys? You are my hero.
@Eileen…the meat is frozen and then cooked the day of cooking.
@Rhonda…you assemble the raw meat and the veggies together, then freeze, then cook the day you choose.
@Unkown…essentially yes, as long the recipe doesn't call for browning ahead of time. And really any recipe can be converted too. I am realizing that most everything can be frozen and be cooked in a slow cooker.
@Brit Greek…thanks so much for sharing!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Every meal I have made from your recipes has been so delicious! You are amazing! Thanks for sharing such great meals and ideas for making busy mom life easier!
SO doing this. We're planning to CONCEIVE this fall so to find this now is… super valuable to say the LEAST.
Our deep freezer will be F-U-L-L like my belly soon enough.
This is PURE GENIUS!
Oh my gosh ~ once a month cooking is far to overwhelming for me, but as a nursing student, wife, and mom, and I can do this!
WOW, thank you so much for sharing!
I stumbled upon this via Pinterest!
Made the goulash tonight, and we really liked it even though my husband doesn't care for beets. Thanks for posting this. I came across it when I was looking for prep ahead meals. I love it even more for being a slow cooker recipe.
I needed some slow cooking inspiration- thanks!
Just curious on the goulash recipe- do you put the hot pasta in right before eating? I would think the pasta would get really mushy after being in a crock pot for 4-8 hours in the frozen mixture. Just wondering! Brilliant in it's simplicity and I love the rustic vegies as well!
I just wanted to comment on your fear of slow cooker bags. I was concerned too and checked out the website, here is what Reynolds says:
Are Reynolds Slow Cooker liners BPA-free?
Yes. Slow Cooker Liners are BPA-free and approved by the FDA for cooking.
We have been using them frequently, it is such a time saver! I look forward to trying your recipes and freezing technique. Thanks!
Just made these today! Thank you for sharing your recipes. I opted to put the meat, spices, and sauce for each recipe in it's own smaller bag and then put that bag down inside the gallon bag with the veggies. I don't think it would really hurt if the raw meat and veggies mixed but just wanted to be on the safe side.
Thanks again! And hope to see more from you.
Hi, I know I have read that you don't precook any meat before you put it in the freezer bag but I thought you were suppose to cook ground beef before you put it in a slowcooker.
Wow. This is brilliant. I love slow cooker recipes, but I haven't been using them enough lately. This is fantastic inspiration.
I also found you on Pinterest. I am a mother of 2, a postpartum doula, and I'm about to finish my last semester of nursing school. This idea will help me and my clients so much! Thank you!
you are a genius, I am going to try this and will report back. Thank you for sharing.
That you so much! I am past all of the baby talk but the food is GREAT!!! I just tried some of the recipies today for the first time and tomorrow I plan to do some more. Can't wait to just head to the freezer in the morning and have dinner when I get home! Hopefully this will cut down on the eating out and help with the Family weight loss goal. Keep sharing!
found u thru pinterest, u r an inspiration! Do b careful putting frozen raw meat in crock pot. Id only use smaller cut-up pieces not whole cuts like breast or thigh as u want them to become hot enough for long enough to cook thru & kill bacteria. Freezing slows growth of bacteria but does not kill. If possible, i cook on high fr @ least an hour 4 all recipes to get up to temp to kill bacteria. Can't wait to read more of ur blog. And try the recipes. If i only could b so organized, esp w a baby!
I'm really excited about this. Just a little confused. Re: the chicken curry recipe. What liquid do I add once I'm ready to cook?
Thanks for these great ideas! I look forward to using them!
I just spent a gratifying couple of hours putting the first two of these meals together and in the freezer. I'm looking forward to using one this week! Since I wasn't sure how to split one whole recipe between the two 1-gallon bags, I filled them up along the way, halvsies. Then for the spices/sauces (tomato paste for the one and tomato sauce for the other), I mixed it all together in one little bowl and split the mixture into the bags. I hope I haven't jipped one or the other on saucy goodness – but I'm so looking forward to this. . . Thank you for using whole, real foods in a crock pot without any processed crap!
Also, maybe the recipes should be updated. That would probably help. Like, it says 1 chicken buillon, but way down in the comments I saw someone ask how many, and the response was "1 per bag." I didn't think the entire recipe was doubled, so that shouldn't be either. And it says to cook the lasagna, then freeze it with everything, then cook again in the crock pot. It should say to cook it separately the day you are cooking everything else. There are SO many questions in the comments that it would be very helpful for the recipe to be more specific since it's not clear. =)
Ok, I will be the 217th to sing the praises of your ingenious idea! I can't tell you how excited I was to find the recipes and your ideas someone had posted on pinterest. I just got done, putting together the BBQ chicken, one bag to eat tomorrow and the other is frozen. Do you think the bag that's not frozen would take less time to cook? I am thinking I will check it after 6 hours on low. I can't wait to try it. I am thinking to get the picky younger ones to eat the Veggies, I might stick some of the cooked veggies in the blender to grind it up. Might thicken up the sauce and hide the veggies from plain sight.
A little about me…I am a full time working mom with 3 small kids and I have rheumatoid arthritis. I love to cook but it's getting increasingly harder to chop. It won't stop me though from trying healthy meals for my growing boys. I am an avid recipe collector and love to try new things and especially recipes for the slow cooker. While it took me 2 hours to get everything ready for just one of the recipes, I think it's still a huge timesaver and hopefully friendlier on my hands to chop once and get two meals. Keep up the great work, I look forward to trying more recipes. Thanks again!!
Steph – I found this on Pinterest, loved it and clicked to the site and it's YOU!!! What a small world. You have a new blog follower.
Katie
Wouldn't the noodles be mush?
I see snap peas in your picture, but none of the recipes call for them. Did you just add them to a recipe?
Why not double batches in slow cooker and freeze the rest. Nuke the frozen PRECOOKED meal…ready in 10 minutes. Much easier than having to cook every day.
Carol
You are my hero…enough said…
I thought it was unsafe to cook frozen raw meats in a slow cooker? I know that the slow cooker cookbooks I have read have said absolutely not to because the meats are at unsafe temperatures for far too long and harmful bacteria can grow.
Is it safe to put raw meat in the bag with the vegetables. I understand that it is all being cooked and tossed in crock pot while raw but I was wondering of the safety of it sitting in the bag waiting to be frozen and while defrosting with the veggies. Should you put the meat in a small ziplock and then place it in the bag with the veggies to avoid cross contamintation?
can this procedure done with stews and soups? I wanted to plan out means for a couple of winter soups. I just didn't know if freezing stock was okay. Thank you so much for this great idea! Makes things so much easier!
This is great!! Thanks – I can't wait to try!
This would also be great for church members who need to provide meals to new moms or someone having surgery!!! Thanks for the great ideas!!!!!!!!!!!!
Stephanie – the problem I seem to have run into is not enough liquid. I'm assuming the recipe for the BBQ Chicken is two meals worth?
Found this on Pinterest….LOVE the idea. I made all 3 today. Cooked the BBQ Chicken fresh. My one suggestion for those of you who might want to thicken it up….I used a slotted spoon to pull out the cooked vegies & pureed them. Served the chicken over a bed of couscous with the puree poured on top. My son (7) said "This tastes GGGOOOOD!" in reference to the sauce. Wow, now THAT is a compliment!
Thank you not only for sharing these great recipes/ideas, but also being so conscientious to reply & post comments, too.
If I am reading correctly I don’t add any liquid when I’m putting these into the crock pot? I just found you and made up the BBQ Chicken and the Goulosh recipes and put them into the freezer. Neither of those recipes called for any extra liquid. Also did I read that you did not put the noodles in the Goulosh before you froze it?
That is correct! I find that when the liquid from the meat and veggies defrosting is enough. But depending on the size of your slow cooker and type you may need more. So just watch it and see, add .5 cup of stock at a time, if you need more liquid.
And yes, I add noodles the day of cooking, not in the freezer bags.
Love this idea! My kids are older but doesn’t mean time is anymore available. Between my work, the kids’ practices,the kids’ homework, etc. life is busy and planning for dinner is tough. Thanks so much for this neat idea.
This is genious for anyone who is super busy and likes to eat healthy! I cook meals sunday evenings to take for lunches the following week… I am definatly going to try all of these
Thank you!
PLEASE oh PLEASE do NOT put raw meat with the veggies in the same bag. this is a MAJOR ISSUE with cross contamination. If youre really interested in making things ahead of time, you can do like i do, i put the meat separate into a ziplock bag that is large enough for just the meat, and have a “meat bag” and a corresponding “veggie bag” for one dish (keeping the meats in a separate part of the freezer, not touching other food packages, or in its own bin if you have a full freezer). Both I & my husband work in the health field and you are just asking for e.coli or salmonella poisoning, etc. by combining your ingredients this way. Many would probably ask why its bad if theyll end up in the same place, but its the cooling time & remaining together while raw that is the issue. the reason you can combine raw & other foods in a cooker or pan, and it be ok, is because of the small window of time in which the food takes to get to a food safe temp to cook (at least 165 degrees). I came to the site thru pinterest as i was really excited to see some new recipes, but im begging ALL of you to NOT combine these raw. if the meat was cooked through completely first, you should be ok, but raw meat should NEVER EVER touch other things, even those bound for the freezer.
thanks so much 
I am definitely trying these recipes! It sound wonderful, healthy and worth the time investment! Thank you so much!
I have made all the recipes from your site and LOVE them! Now how do I get MORE???!!!
Coming soon, promise! I even have an ebook in the works!!
Each of the recipes calls for putting it in 2 different bags. Do you cook the 2 bags together at once in the slow cooker or is each bag its own meal? Thanks!
Good question! No, you just put one bag in the slow cooker at a time.
Effing genius. I do a lot of freezer cooking (mostly doubling or tripling stuff I make and feeding the freezer – I’m not brave enough for true OAMC). I love my slow cooking, and I often make something in the slow cooker and THEN freeze a batch. Why, oh why, did it not occur to me to prep all the stuff and freeze it to then stick in the slow cooker at my convenience. Serious genius. You may have changed my life. =D
Hi – Would it be possible to UPDATE the recipes with all the questions that are asked an that you answered so all the details are in the recipe instead of reading through all the comments. That would be of great help (ex: questions about the stock, serving size, noodles, etc).
I have been finishing up that very thing! Life has been so busy lately, that I haven’t gotten to it sooner. It will be up very soon, promise!
I have a question. You said that each recipe goes into two ziploc bags. Do you double the recipe, or just divide it into two bags? I can’t wait to try this out this weekend
Just divide amongst two bags.
thanks
When you say “green pepper” and “red pepper” do you mean bell pepper?
Yes maam!
do you have calorie info available? these look
grate but i have to log every calorie i eat
I do not, but when I come out with my ecookbook, that is something I plan to have in it.
You have changed my life on this day. Now I can barely go into the kitchen, but actually feel good about it because dinner is ready! I LOVE being a stay-at-home mom, but didn’t realize the job came with so much domestic work. lol
For real.
What a fantastic idea! I always end up in a tizzy on slow cooker mornings trying to figure out what to pop in there that I actually have all the ingredients for. What a life-saver this will be! So excited to try these out! Thanks for sharing!
I know what you mean, I used to be the same way any time I tried to use the slow cooker.
What do you use for liquid??
If the recipe calls for it, I use stock. If not, the liquid from the frozen foods melting, seems to be enough for me.
I found your blog via Pinterest as well! Spent Sunday morning preparing 8 different freezer meals (doubled most) and have bbq chicken in the crockpot today. I have a 4 month old and just returned to work full time, so this will be a huge time saver in the evening! Look forward to more yummy freezer recipes!
Oh man, what a time of transition in your home! So glad I could be of help! And yes, more recipes coming soon.
Love these! I haven’t combined my love for freezer cooking and crock pot cooking together…yet! ::)
Can this be done with any slow cooker recipe or do I need to be careful with what I freeze?
There are some things that don’t freeze well, but in general you can adapt most slow cooker meals.
I just found this site on Pinterest. I am going to check this out. It is great to get the kids involved. My girls love to help me in the kitchen!!! I am a full time Mom, student, and athlete. I love that these are nutritious and fresh!! Thank you for sharing your recipes.
Thank -you!!!!!!!! I am mom to 3 kids & live in mom for 8 developementally disabeled adults. My baby is 10 months old now so things are getting better again, but my time is soo precious & I cook 3 meals every day. This is going to be sowonderful for me! I LOVE my slow cookers!! Waiting anxiously for more recipes!!!
I just found this via Pinterest and love it. I already make doubles or triples of other meals so I can freeze them in smaller portions like Lasagna, spaghetti sauce, casseroles so this will be another great and easy pull out dinner. Can’t wait to try them.
One question do you cut up the chicken thighs or throw them in whole?
Thanks!
Thanks SO much..My daughter is moving home and this will help so much with us eating meals together instead of our computers with our doors closed….Tonite I didnt follow a recipe per say I cut my finger so blood was getting on my pc
I bagged 2 veggies with stew meat…I think I made enough to feed the Jolly Green Giant..I forgot to add spices..I’ll do that when I put in crock pot….Does it matter which veggies go in 1st and does meat always go in last? Love your site..It gave me such inspiration..You Rock!
PS…I found a great way to use my laptop in kichen with it lying flat on counter (Im clumsy and eventually I will spill something on it…I have a wrought iron cookbook holder I bought a few yrs ago..Laptop lyes right on it like a book..It is supported well….Cant wait til my daughter and I eat the Beef Stew in a few weeks
Thanks for coming up with this Stephanie! I’m planning a prep day this Sunday and can’t wait! For what it’s worth, I think you hit the jackpot with this idea and am excited for you and your upcoming ebook! I really think it’s going to sell like crazy! However, I think you should work like mad to get a print version out ASAP, it’ll be huge!!! Good luck to you!
This is such a great idea. I was wondering if you blanche the veggies before you freeze them because I didn’t see that in the instructions. If you don’t blanche, how do the veggies turn out? I am concerned about changes in color, taste, and particularly texture since the enzymes in the veggies could decay the veggies if frozen without blanching.
I don’t blanche them, and they taste fine to me!
This is so terrific. I found you via Pinterest. I absolutely will be trying these! Thank you so much!
I found you via Pinterest and thank the god I did, I am a full time nursing student and I work part time at a hospital and cooking is the last thing on my mind. I want to eat healthier but there is no time, you are a life saver, I cant wait to do these!!! Thank you !!
Do you have the whole list of recipes that you do for the slow cooker only? I think if I could come up with 14, then you could just eat the same thing twice a month……
If you check out the Real Food tab at the top, there are several more recipes listed and more coming soon!
I’ve been working on a slow cooker demonstration and found your website. I have one recommendation for you. Food handling instructions for the slow cooker are pretty clear that food from the freezer or even partially defrosted food from the freezer should not go directly into the slow cooker. I’d advise you to change your defrost instructions to tell people to use the fridge as a defroster for 12-24 hours before they plop these recipes into the slow cooker. Thanks!
Hi, thanks so much for sharing your wisdom! I did a bunch of your slow cooker meals a few days ago and cooked up the first one for dinner tonight. We had Stephanies Goulash. My husband really liked it! My kids and I….well I find it a bit bland. I’m just wondering if anyone has any suggestions for more seasonings that would compliment this recipe to add a little more flavor other than just salt?
Hi Starla, you are not the first to say some of the recipes were bland. I cook like that because my husband does not like anything that is too spicy, he has a hard time digesting spicy foods. I am actually about to make all my original recipes again this week, so I can get more precise with amounts of spices. Usually, I am just winging it and not paying attention to how much I put in. Look for an update to the recipes soon.
I love this idea, but can you do the same for beef stew and vegetable soup?
After seeing so many slow cooker recipes out there lately I wasn’t sure how I was going to prep for the challenge and then I found your blog! *and I am so glad I did!!* I spent 2 hours today prepping and made 12 huge meals!! I put them all in gal. ziploc bags and can’t wait for all of our new dinner adventures! I even cooked a whole chicken in the crockpot tonight for the very first time in my life! (I didn’t want to go the raw chicken route & thought pulled chicken would just as well) Thank you so much for this post! I’m looking forward to more of your recipes.
On the chicken curry recipe, when you say “1 chicken bouillon,” do you mean you just added a bouillon cube to the bag, or that you made 1 cup of bouillon and added THAT to the bag?
I actually add the bouillon cube the day of cooking.
Thanks so much! I made the BBQ Chicken already, and my husband LOVED it. Score!
I’ve tried the chicken curry and the BBQ recipe. They were delish! I like the curry more than the BBQ, although my husband loved both. Will adding water to the curry make the sauce thicker or do I need to add more spices as well? I am going to try adding a bit more garlic to the BBQ to see if I like it better. It’s still delicious, though!
The curry tastes just like the japanese curry packets at the store!
In answer to some of the questions above, it IS ok to freeze raw meat and other ingredients together, as long as everything is being cooked together and reaches the proper cooking temperature for the meat, within the proper amount of time. So ordinarily, you would could cook vegetables to whatever temperature you wanted to, but if you are mixing them together with meat, everything needs to reach the temperature requirement for the type of meat you are cooking. Hopefully that makes sense! It is also generally considered unsafe to put frozen ingredients in a crock pot, although I know people do it. It is safer to thaw in the fridge over night and then add to the crock pot.
I found your website through Pinterest – great ideas! Thank you for sharing!! I bagged up the chicken curry and chicken BBQ this weekend. I put the chicken curry in the crockpot this morning, came home, smells great, but looks horrible
Just no liquid to keep it all from drying out. Now I did have to skip the mango do to my inability to chose a good one (had to throw out the one I bought it was bad) so I’m wondering if the mango cooks down to become the liquid? If that’s the case I need to get a mango to add to my other bag. You mentioned the liquid from the veggies was enough to make it liquidy, but for 8 hrs on low there needs to another source. Suggestions are very welcome! Thank you!
I think I know what went wrong, crockpot insert had a crack
and leaked all the juices out. Not to worry I have another crockpot, and have ordered a new insert.
I tried the Healthy Mama Barbecue Chicken last night and loved it! The only thing I did different was add yellow squash and omitted the tapioca (didn’t have any on hand). This is definitely one of my new favs. Thank you so much for sharing. Can’t wait to try some more.
Wonderful! Thank you so much! I patiently tried to read every comment but got about 2/3 through and just wanted to ask: Have you run across ANY kind of vegetable that you wouldn’t recommend freezing? Like cabbage or something?
This is going to help me so much. I’m a single mom of one just turning 16 and I foster another 16 yo daughter. This will be a great way for us all to get into the kitchen and work together. <3
Hi I just did the same thing and blogged about it a few days ago, then a friend pinned yours on Pinterest. Thanks for so many new meal ideas. I’m going to do another day of this type of preparation this weekend following some of your recipes.
Hi Stephanie,
I found your recipes on Pinterest! I wanted to know what the cooking time was for the recipes? I read through the blogs but didn’t find any instructions.
Hi Annette, they are at the bottom of each recipe. 4 hours on high, or 8 hours on low. But each slow cooker is different, so watch yours to be sure.
Thanks for the recipes! However, 2 of the 3 don’t have any liquid ingredients mentioned or listed. Can you please post them? Thanks!
I so wanted to like these, because it’s such a genius idea and I am a BIG fan of Crockpot cooking. But… I just didn’t.
Like another poster said, all of the recipes seemed so bland. I followed each recipe to a T, and each time I came home to the house smelling delicious, I was disappointed that the food didn’t taste as good as it smelled. I don’t ever add salt when I’m cooking anything, so I don’t think the lack of salt is the issue. Everything just tasted very blah — there was no real distinction between the flavors of the chicken and the sweet potatoes and the other veggies. I don’t usually have that issue with Crockpot cooking. That being said, my boyfriend and I ate all of it each time and never had any leftovers, but I don’t think I will be making these recipes again without making some major adjustments to the spices/seasonings. No disrespect intended. Thank you for a great idea!
Well, if you make any adjustments let me know.
I h ave to agree here. I was thinking it was just me andmy family. It smelled delish (BBQ chicken) it was a total waste of food. So bland and just plain yuck. I am reading these comment swith the hope of seeing what I was doing wrong but generally I am a good cook.
So sorry to hear that, I loved the BBQ chicken dish!
I just found your website thanks to Pintrest. LOVE IT, can’t wait to get to the store for supplies. Thanks for the idea, it will be great to finally be ahead of the game for once.
I am so excited to try these recipes! I do have a question about the BBQ Chicken. I know you split the can of sauce up between the two bags, but do you also split the tapioca and the spices? So there would only be 1/2 TBSP of it in each bag? Thanks
That is correct!
Don’t you love how people steal your ideas without even giving you credit? This woman even calls it Stephanie’s Goulash without acknowledging who Stephanie is… Had to bring it to your attention. Found her on Pinterest. Coincidentally, I am getting my shopping list ready for this week, and looked at both of your sites (yours, of course, I already know and stalk, er love!) ! Don’t think there’s any competition though, her site is not very nice!
forgot to leave the link to her site… http://melissafallistestkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/09/freezer-cooking-slow-cooker-meals.html
I know! I saw it yesterday on Pinterest and about lost my mind. I have commented a couple of times on her blog asking her to at least put a link to my site in her post, but no response yet. It is such bad blogging manners. Hopefully she is just new to blogging and just doesn’t no any better and will give me credit soon.
I found Melissa’s freezer crockpot meals on Pinterest. I went to her site, read her post, read the comments, and then clicked on one of the three links I found to your blog. Which led me directly to this page. I don’t know you or Melissa, but I think one reason she may not be responding to your request is because there are THREE links to your site in her post, and she gives you credit multiple times. Just saying.
BTW, I am excited to try recipies from both of you!
It only took her one day to respond, she put the links up today, hooray!
yay!
I’m also about to post my freezer cooking experience tonight, and I of course will give you lots of credit
I’m a changed girl!
Thanks, Jaima!
I made 3 meals yesterday during the football game. Had so much fun! (except now my fingers smell like onions!) I prepared the chicken curry, BBQ chicken and teriyaki chicken. Great use for that huge 10 lb. bag of chicken breasts from Costco.
I found your site through the one mentioned here – and she does give credit now, with a few links directly to your blog (which I intend on following now!)
Thank you!!!
Yes, I saw that she updated it today, hooray!
I can’t seem to see more than 3 recipes. What am I missing?
If you click the Real Food tab at the top of my blog, they are all there.
I LOVE your website!!! You have inspired me in so many ways…I’m not even a mother yet (or even in a relationship!) BUT I love this site from your recipes to your pregnancy stories (placenta included…lol) and want to say THANK you for sharing your stories with us all!
Can you reccommend a slow cooker, I will be trying it for the first time
I loved reading this and it provided much inspiration, thank you so much! One question: because everything is so nicely contained in bags, would it be possible to chuck the whole back (still zipped) in to the crock pot to make for easy cleaning afterwards?? Can zip-top bags hold up to that?
I’ve been poking around your blog for some time now and love it! Though I saw something where it mentioned Tallahassee? I live here! My husband and I are newly weds and looking to start out lives out as health consious as possible! So excited to keep following you
Hi Susanna! Love to have a local reader, welcome!
I did this the past weekend it was not hard or stressful like I tht it might be! I’m lookiking for more recipes to do it again. Each recipe gave me 2 gallon ziplock bags. I have the bbq chk in the crockpot rt now while I am at work. THANK YOU.
My sisters and I got together a few weeks ago and put together a bunch of recipes for freezing and then we each got some of every meal, it worked out GREAT! However, one of the meals I made was the Healthy Mama BBQ Chicken. Made it last night. The taste was just ok, and the veggies were pure mush. I won’t be making it again. Pulled it out of the freezer and let it sit for about 30-40 minutes, then dumped it in the crockpot on high for 4 hours. Then it sat on warm for about 20 minutes waiting for my husband to get home from work. Not sure if something was done wrong??
Yeah, the veggies do get mushy. I like them like that, but I also always serve the meal with rice or cous-cous to add in texture.
I spent the afternoon making 8 crockpot meals, 7 are in the freezer and 1 of the Healthy BBQ Chicken meals we had tonight. It was delicious, but the veggies were all mushy. I served it on wide egg noodles. Very yummy, and looking forward to trying the others. Wondering if you could add the veggies for the last hour, or if that might take away from the flavor.
I am not sure, try it and let me know!
I now have 7 crock pot meals in the freezer…so excited! I cooked one of the BBQ chicken recipes and it was delicious. I didn’t like that the veggies were very mushy, but I served it over egg noodles and it still tasted yummy.
That is exactly what I do. When the veggies are mushy like that, they are much easier to digest and won’t give you gas, so at least that is a plus!
Have you tried the slow cooker liner bags? Was wondering if it would work to put all ingredients in one of those bags, twist tie it shut, and then just throw that bag in the cooker straight from the freezer…. hmmm… must test their “freezer burn avoidance” ability….
Hey Stephanie,
I found you tonight through Pintrest, as many others have already said, I have enjoyed many of your blogs tonight. I am very impressed with you and how you live your life, you are quite inspiring to me. I plan to try some of your recipes, I have been looking for a way to get stated freezer cooking and your plan/recipes appears to be the perfect place to start. Thank you for sharing all this with us- your blood, sweat, tears, and recipes will help make us all better cooks. Thank you so much! I can’t wait to make some of these for my husband and young children.
Aw, thanks so much Lori. I love what I do, and I am thrilled that others feel connected to this blog. I am so glad you are here.
I am not sure if this was asked, but I am assuming nothing is cooked, everything in the freezer bags is uncooked while frozen, thawed, and then goes in to the slowcooker?
Wow! This is a great idea I am definitely gonna steal, and I don’t even have kids!!
I came across these through Pinterest and cant wait to try these. How many servings are in each recipe and how much are the servings? Thanks
It depends how big your family is. For us, a family of three it is dinner and lots of leftovers. I go over it more on the FAQ page.
Thank you so much for this idea, I have a two year old and 3 month old and this has saved me so much time and stress in the kitchen. Thank you thank you thank you !
Hi! just discovered this from pinterest and I love the idea. Although I like making my own recipes, how do you plan out your meals and grocery list so your not running back to the store all the time from stuff that you forgot. I love the idea of the once a month cooking, but actually doing it is difficult! Please any tips would help thank you!
Hi Shanda. I just always make time to sit down and really think about my grocery list. I go through all the recipes I plan to make and tally up the vegetables and amount of meat I need. And then go to the store with one big list. I am a pretty organized person, so for me, its just a matter of making the time to pull my thoughts together. I will think more about how I can translate my thought process a bit better and see if that helps anyone.
Hi! I am trying your BBQ Chicken today, its in the slow cooker as we speak!
Does it matter that I won’t be there to stir it during the day? I work about 45 mins from home so I stuck it in the slow cooker while it was still VERY frozen this morning and have it set on a timer to start cooking on low at about midday. My slow cooker is a little hotter than most so I think I will only need 6 hours to cook it. Fingers crossed I come home to an amazing meal!
Thanks for such great recipe ideas, this will save my sanity on days like today when I have a terrible cold and don’t want to cook after work. And congratulations on going world wide! – I’m from Australia
Thanks! So cool to have people all over the world read my blog. I only stir my slow cooker once. If you constantly stir it, it lets too much heat escape and it won’t cook properly. So no stirring should be just fine!
We had it for dinner last night and it was so yum! A bowl of it with a slice of buttered bread was perfect! I’m looking forward to trying some of your other recipes!
Thank you thank you!! I do a once a month freezer meal exchange with my neighbors and this will be perfect!! thanks again!!
This a great idea for people like me w fibromyalgia! I feel like a failure as a mother of 5 boys when I can’t cook supper! This way, on a day a feel good… I can load the freezer up & we can always have supper! Thanks for the idea!
So glad to hear that this has helped you!!
Thanks for this. I haven’t had a chance to read through the whole post. But I’m planning to do this, this week! I love my crock-pot! and I’ve just discovered the pressure cooker which is great too!
Tried your Healthy Mama BBQ Chicken and it was delicious. Thank You! I love how “saucy” it is, as it serves well with rice.