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    $5 Dinners | Budget Recipes, Meal Plans, Freezer Meals

    Budget Recipes, Meal Plans, Freezer Meals and Cooking Tutorials for the Busy Home Chef

    Join Erin's 5-Ingredient Challenge in 2023

    The Official “Stock the Freezer” List

    July 24, 2009 by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom 41 Comments

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    Welcome to The Official “Stock the Freezer” List from $5 Dinners!!!

    Because of the many events occurring in my life (mainly expanding belly bump and upcoming release of my first cookbook), I have decided to “stock the freezer” for post-baby.  Baby is due to arrive in the middle of November…and my book is slated for release just after the new year.  Life will be a little insane for a few weeks, even months.  And I’ve got to be prepared!

    Baked Goods/Snacks

    Chocolate Whole Wheat Zucchini Muffins (Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures)
    Zucchini Pineapple Bread

    Fruit and Veggie Muffins…I’ll make the below muffins using this general recipe!
    Cranberry Apple Muffins
    Zucchini Carrot Muffins
    Blueberry Muffins
    Butternut Squash Cinnamon Muffins

    Breakfasts

    Baked Oatmeal
    Pumpkin Waffles
    Blueberry Pancakes – Hubs makes these!
    Homemade Bagels (Tammy’s Recipes)
    Chocolate Chip Raspberry Pancakes (Once a Month Mom)
    Homemade Granola Bars (Once a Month Mom)
    Homemade Granola with Almonds and Cranberries – Recipe coming soon!

    Main Dishes

    Freezer Ground Beef Mix – Cook up ground beef with onion and spices…freeze 3/4-1 lb. in baggies!
    Zucchini Soup Done x 2
    Taco Soup (Once a Month Mom)
    A1 Beef Stew
    Mexican UnStuffed Shells (Once a Month Mom)
    Chicken Parmigiana (Once a Month Mom)
    Zesty Slow Cooker BBQ (Once a Month Mom)
    Firecracker Salmon (Once a Month Mom)
    Taco Mac (Cooking During Stolen Moments)
    Sweet and Sour Chicken (Carrie’s Cooking)
    Beef and Bean Chimichangas (Carrie’s Cooking)
    Mini Pizza Crusts
    Chicken Taco Bake Done x 2

    Side Dishes

    Mashed Sweet Potatoes
    Corn Cobs – Freeze when on super sale
    Broccoli – Blanche and freeze when on super sale
    Green Beans from the Garden
    Rice with Garden Greens Done x 2
    Drop Biscuits from More with Less

    Canning

    Blueberry-Strawberry Jam
    Strawberry Syrup – Blend  4 parts strawberries to 1 part honey (4 cups strawberries with 1 cup honey)
    Applesauce – Recipe coming soon
    Salsa
    Spaghetti Sauce

    I wanted to give a big thanks to Tricia at Once A Month Mom for helping me compile this great list! She’s the freezer cooking expert and I’m so thankful she helped out with this!!!

    Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn commissions on qualifying purchases. Reviews, opinions are my own.
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    Filed Under: Baking, Freezer Recipes and Freezer Meal Plans, MyFreezEasy Freezer Meal Plans

    These meals are a LIFESAVER!

    Want a set of our best selling freezer meal bag holders?! You can now order them right here!

    Comments

    1. Mari says

      July 24, 2009 at 2:18 pm

      Have you ever frozen baked oatmeal before? I’ve thought about it (it is one of our favorite breakfasts) but was worried how it would turn out.

      Reply
    2. Catherine says

      July 24, 2009 at 2:27 pm

      One year my mom did all her Christmas baking in the fall and then all she had to do was pull bags of cookies out of the freezer when the season came around! It was great. Some cookies freeze better than others, but I know our family would go crazy without our Christmas cookies. 🙂

      Reply
      • Loretta says

        October 4, 2009 at 1:33 pm

        How about just freezing the cookie dough? That way the house still smells like fresh baked cookies all winter!

        Reply
    3. SavvySuzie says

      July 24, 2009 at 2:27 pm

      I am totally stealing your list to finish stocking up before my little bundle arrives 🙂 I’ve got about 3 weeks worth put away but no breakfasts, and I wanted to round things out! Hope you’re having an awesome BlogHer!

      Reply
    4. Andrea Lambert says

      July 24, 2009 at 2:46 pm

      Thanks so much I’m really excited. I’ve been thinking about cooking bigger portions and freezing for later dates, this is perfect!

      Reply
    5. Becca says

      July 24, 2009 at 4:34 pm

      Thanks for the list! I am due the week of New Years. I don’t have a book or anything to deal with, but after traveling for the Holidays and the great winter weather we get, I am planning on stocking up as well. I will do anything to make it so all I have to do is pull something out of the freezer and throw it in the oven/microwave.

      Reply
    6. Kristal says

      July 24, 2009 at 8:34 pm

      Hmm… I’ll have to look into these recipes. I love freezer meals

      Reply
    7. B says

      July 24, 2009 at 9:05 pm

      thank you for this! we are adopting our 2nd infant in just a few weeks so this will be sooo helpful to prepare.

      mari – i have frozen baked oatmeal before and it comes out tasting great still. i individually wrapped them in saran wrap and put them in ziploc bags. i’ve also frozen several pieces in plastic tupperware. you can defrost them in the fridge or throw them in the microwave (but not in the plastic, of course!).

      Reply
    8. Kristi says

      July 24, 2009 at 10:46 pm

      I’m eager to hear how you are freezing some of these things (like where in the cooking process you are freezing them!!). I love love love having a freezer stash!!!

      Reply
      • Erin says

        July 25, 2009 at 3:52 pm

        I’ll share the details as I make the meals! I plan on making them sporadically over the next couple of months!

        Reply
    9. Christina Baita says

      July 25, 2009 at 6:58 am

      This is awesome. What I’d like to know is what kind of freezer do you have? I would like to get a standing freezer for the basement but have no idea what kind is best.

      Also, how are you feeling?! I can already picture you when it’s time to cook for the baby. When mine was young, I used to cook everything and puree it to his age. That saved money and I knew exactly what he was eating. Michael has a great love for food now. Not too picky eventhough he has his phases too.

      Reply
      • Erin says

        July 25, 2009 at 3:51 pm

        I have a 7 cu ft. chest deep freezer. The perfect amount of space…especially for stocking up!

        Reply
    10. Barb says

      July 25, 2009 at 7:37 am

      Super list! Now that I’ve got my freezer I can work on stocking it up.

      Reply
    11. Jerilyn says

      July 25, 2009 at 12:48 pm

      I have to admit I’m super jealous. We don’t have freezer space for anything, so I will not have any meals pre made. (I did make a list of easy crock-pot meals that I will make). I think I just might have room for some breakfast burritos for breakfast and muffins for snack and since hubby gets off work at 3ish, he can help me with dinner.

      Reply
    12. Angela Litzinger says

      July 26, 2009 at 2:49 pm

      Man this is GREAT! I know you put this together for your family (congrats, by the way . We have 3 also and love the crazy fun – and the book? So awesome!), but thank you for sharing this with the rest of us too! What a blessing! I am going to work on converting it to gluten and dairy free for my family and get it into our freezer rotation. Thanks!

      Reply
    13. stevi says

      July 26, 2009 at 4:12 pm

      I am having trouble looking at the once a month mom website? Is it just me? Also I see the directions for the original process of cooking the food but what about if you freeze the meal? Do you just thaw it and bake with the original directions?

      Reply
    14. Becky Dell says

      July 27, 2009 at 9:42 am

      I know having my freezer stocked full of ready to go food made all the difference in the world last year while recovering for my surgery.

      Reply
    15. Poltzie says

      July 28, 2009 at 4:02 pm

      Wow, that list looks great! I would like to have most of that in my freezer just for the winter.
      I didn’t know that you could freeze corn on the cob? Do you cut it off first of just freeze the whole cob?

      Reply
    16. Mary says

      July 29, 2009 at 8:51 pm

      What a great idea! I’m going to try this, but I think I will have to wait until after hurricane season. I try not to have too much in my freezer during the summer anymore:(

      Reply
    17. Christy Zimms says

      July 31, 2009 at 2:02 pm

      I cannot access Once a month mom’s website. Could you please give me a contact email or let me know what I need to do to access it?

      Thanks. The list is awesome.

      Reply
    18. CheapAppetite says

      August 2, 2009 at 2:11 am

      Thanks for sharing the list. It’s very useful.

      Reply
    19. Nikki says

      August 6, 2009 at 12:40 pm

      Thanks for the list. I’m due Oct 1st and I’m trying to put together a freezer stash of my own. How far ahead did you start cooking? I don’t want anything to go to waste because of freezer burn…

      Reply
      • Erin says

        August 6, 2009 at 3:08 pm

        I haven’t started yet…probably mid September, early October!

        Reply
    20. Jennifer (Savor) says

      August 7, 2009 at 6:27 pm

      Hi Erin–this list looks great so I better get started on trying some. I just did a freezer staples article for bookieboo.com but it was not meals but the ingredients I keep in the freezer. So excited for your book and baby.

      Reply
    21. Jacqueline says

      August 9, 2009 at 6:21 pm

      I love your website. I am expecting our third child on September 13, a boy, we have a six & two year old daughters. I have a feeling he is going to arrive before his due date so I am going to use some of your stock up list recipes for our family. Good luck with your cookbook & new baby later this year.

      Reply
    22. Christina says

      August 11, 2009 at 12:45 pm

      I am having a baby in 2 weeks and I have a 7 year and a 22mth old. These freezer ideas sound great but I curious do you cook the whole meal , let it cool, then put it in Tupperware for the freezer? I have never done this. Please help. Also is there better tupperware/ or baggies to use than others?

      Reply
      • Erin says

        August 11, 2009 at 1:24 pm

        Some meals are cooked in disposable type serving dishes. Others are prepared and left raw and put into plastic baggies. Depends on the meal. Check out the links and instructions for the meals at http://www.onceamonthmom.com for more details.

        Reply
    23. Kari says

      August 11, 2009 at 10:53 pm

      Wow, out here in Cali we have Fresh Corn on the cob on sale for 4/ $1.00 We don’t have the deals like in the mid west. Erin, How do you freeze Corn, remove husk, clean it, then freeze? Thanks,

      Reply
    24. Christina says

      August 12, 2009 at 5:34 pm

      Thanks for all the help so far but I was looking at the recipe for sweet and sour chicken and I didn’t see at what part in the process do you freeze. Do you cook it all then divide in baggies then freeze?

      Reply
    25. Morgan says

      August 15, 2009 at 2:03 pm

      Girls! You HAVE to get to know CareCalendar.org. I just had my first baby a year ago and a friend set it up for me as her gift. I decided I’d like meals three nights a week (MWF), 6:30pm, with my address, and listed any food allergies. Once our baby arrived, my friend sent an email to everyone I thought might be interested in bringing us a meal, and we literally had food for over two months! It was perfect because everyone was more than happy to be able to serve, visit, and see the baby, I didn’t have to go to the grocery store for a looong time, and best of all, I didn’t have to coordinate the when/where/what at all! I was automatically sent an email every day of who was bringing what. Given I had a very painful recovery, this was the best gift I could have received!
      Set it up for any of your friends who need assistance of any kind: we did one for a girl in my church on bedrest (with two kiddos at home!). Its free. (though I give a $10 donation to the site whenever I use it).

      Reply
    26. JDaniel4's Mom says

      August 16, 2009 at 12:02 pm

      I wish I had been this organized. Your list is awesome.

      Reply
    27. Curvaliscious says

      August 19, 2009 at 5:24 am

      I am curious how you are planning on flash freezing the oatmeal into single servings?

      I looked on the once a month cooking site but didn’t see any mention of how to do that.

      Thanks!

      Reply
    28. Colleen says

      August 20, 2009 at 12:15 pm

      Thanks for this list! I’m expecting my second at the end of September and just bought a tiny 3.5 cubic foot freezer and am starting to stock up for after Tiny Baby’s arrival. The hot weather here has halted some of my cooking plans, but this list gives me lots more ideas for stuff to freeze! I am sooooooo glad I convinced myself & my husband that the freezer would be a good idea. I can see how much it will help us in the coming months.

      Reply
    29. Kim says

      August 25, 2009 at 5:57 pm

      Ok so then what do we do when we take it out of the freezer? None of the recipes state what to do later for re-heating. Sorry, Im new to ALL of this.

      Reply
    30. Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom says

      October 4, 2009 at 2:09 pm

      @Loretta,

      That is a fantastic idea! I think I’ll double up some dough this week and do just that! Thanks 🙂

      Erin

      Reply
    31. Deanna Murphy says

      October 13, 2009 at 1:20 pm

      I stocked up when my son was born in February. Below is a link to my family’s favorite recipe from Freezer Friendz:

      http://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/2008/10/creamy-bow-tie-pasta-with-chicken-and.html

      Reply
    32. Julie says

      October 31, 2009 at 10:42 am

      I really need to do this! I work for a retail online business, and from mid november to Christmas we are so busy that I am just dead when I get home! I’ll have to do a freezer inventory today and see what I can cook up to stock my freezer with.

      Reply
    33. Krystle says

      February 1, 2013 at 11:01 am

      I am trying to look for easy meals I can prep ahead of time. I love couponing.. so those meals have to go along with whatever is on sale at the time. Any help would be awesome! I do have picky eaters in my house… They wont eat beans, and some veggies are not an option.

      Reply
    34. Brandie says

      January 3, 2014 at 4:06 pm

      I was recommended this blog by way of my cousin.
      I am no longer certain whether or not this post is written by way of him as no one else realize such distinct about my problem.
      You are incredible! Thanks!

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Organization: The Love/Hate Relationship says:
      June 18, 2012 at 10:00 am

      […] release of her NEW cookbook! All of her recipes can be made for under $5!! I especially liked her Stock Your Freezer […]

      Reply
    2. Baby Prep – How to Stock Your Freezer Before Baby! says:
      July 11, 2013 at 10:10 am

      […] and in fact, found some of the things that other bloggers were doing much more helpful.  This site had a good list, and there were a few others.    What I tried to do was think of the things I […]

      Reply

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    I’m Erin Chase…

    Also known as the
    $5 Dinner Mom.

    I have a little problem. I cannot make a meal that costs more than $5.
    It’s a fun challenge,
    and my pocketbook
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