39 Healthy Crockpot Freezer Meal Prep Make Ahead Meals

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Crockpot freezer meal prep is an excellent way to batch your meal planning efforts.

Save time and money by keeping your freezer stalked with healthy meals. Pair them with a salad, made with any of these 45 Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes for a healthy meal that comes together quickly.

Check out this Guide to Batch Cooking for more tips.

Can I Freeze Crockpot Meals?

You can freeze crockpot meals. For the utmost safety, place cooked food into the freezer or fridge right away.

Unlike popular belief, you do not have to cool the food on the counter beforehand. Doing so allows for bacteria to grow.

How Long Are Crockpot Freezer Meals Good?

Freezing keeps food safe almost indefinitely.

However, quality will be lost over time. Here are some guidelines:

Casseroles: 2-3 months
Frozen dinners and entrees: 3-4 months
Cooked meat: 2-3 months
Cooked poultry: 4 months
Soups, stews, chili: 2-3 months

What Meals Can I Make to Freeze?

Any meal can be frozen. Good examples are casseroles, soups, stews, chili, pasta sauce, coconut based curries, shredded meats, ground taco meat.

However, there are some ingredients that do not freeze well and the texture or taste may be altered.

These include:

Mayonnaise
Cream sauce
Lettuce

How to Freeze Crockpot Freezer Meal Prep Meals

Can You Put Frozen Meat Into a Slow Cooker?

It is best practice to thaw frozen meat in the fridge before placing in the slow cooker.

This is because the slow increase in temperature leaves time for bacteria to grow.

Another risk is your slow cooker cracking from the vast temperature difference (I’ve had this happen more than once!)

Can You Put Ziploc Bags in a Crockpot?

I do not recommend putting plastic ziploc bags in the crockpot.

The chemicals in the plastic are not something you want being cooked along with your meal.

Do You Cook Freezer Meals Before Freezing?

You do not have to cook freezer meals before freezing. You can save them raw if they are of the dump and go variety.

Freezing raw can help maintain moisture in cooked meat.

However, there are ingredients that taste better when they are cooked beforehand such as onions, garlic, peppers, celery, etc.

Do You Have to Thaw Freezer Crockpot Meals?

You do not have to thaw freezer crockpot meals unless you are using raw meat and are concerned about the growth of bacteria during the slow heating process.

PIN me to you Slow Cooker Recipes board!

What Food Cannot Be Frozen?

Canned food and eggs in shells cannot be frozen. Most any other food can be frozen, although there are some foods that do not retain the best quality.

Once canned food is out of the can, it can be frozen.

Do Mashed Potatoes Freeze Well?

Mashed potatoes can be frozen and thawed for latter use.

Re-heat frozen or thawed mashed potatoes in a sauce pot over low heat, stirring to prevent sticking.

Can You Cook Frozen Chicken in a Crockpot?

Frozen raw chicken should be thawed prior to cooking in a crockpot to prevent bacterial growth.

Cooked frozen chicken can be cooked in a crockpot, although moisture loss may be a result. Be sure your recipe has plenty of moisture.

How Long Does it Take to Cook Frozen Chicken in a Slow Cooker?

If you are cooking chicken from frozen, you will need to cook it for 1.5 times as long as normal (50% longer).

Does Ground Beef Have to Be Browned Before Going in the Slow Cooker?

Ground beef does not have to be browned before going in the slow cooker but browning brings an added richness in flavour.

Browning is worth the time in my opinion.

What is the Best Container to Freeze Food In?

Air tight, sealed packaging is best. Any packaging is safe but quality could be lost due to moisture loss and freezer burn if packaging is permeable.

If you do not have freezer containers or bags, wrap in a couple layers of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil.

What is the Best Way to Freeze Cooked Food?

Freeze at peak quality.
Freeze at 0° F or lower for optimal vitamin, flavour and texture retention.
Freeze food as quickly as possible to maintain quality. If your freezer has a quick freeze shelf, use it.
Do not stack packages for freezing. Freeze separately for the fastest freezing time.

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