Whole30 Freezer Meals

Fall was in the air today, I could feel it while I was writing. And those smells outside! It is crisp and clear again which sets the mood for imagining some crock pot meals on those autumn nights 😋. For some it is the “back to school feeling”, when life settles into a routine, but it also brings a season of busier days with less time to prepare for the evening meal.

Here is a list of ideas to help with those overloaded days. This takes a little planning and a shopping list, but once the ingredients are stashed in your kitchen, you just need a few hours to prepare some amazing meals for those days when time is precious! I have done this a few times in the past, and I actually thought there would be repeat recipes on this list because they were all so good. However, there is an endless supply of creative recipe ideas to sample, and many of them turned out great, which resulted in an all new list!

And here’s the other exciting thing - the majority of the food purchased was organic and the cost per meal still came in at an amazing amount. Buying in bulk and planning ahead can make a big difference! The groceries to make these five recipes was $128. There were 19 meals prepared, each serving 2 people with some leftovers, or a meal for 4 people. This put the cost per meal at $6.73, or about $1.70 per serving! It can be so discouraging to do comparisons of the cost of eating healthy with the cost of eating fast food! But with a little planning ahead, buying in bulk, and a few hours in the kitchen to prepare some meals in advance, you can beat that cost ratio!

All of these recipes have been adapted to Whole30, so here’s to your health! Pick one or pick them all, and enjoy!

ASIAN CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS

Perfect make ahead freezer meal that includes chicken thighs cut up with red pepper strips, covered with a marinade and placed in freezer bags. On the day of serving, chicken can be placed in the crock pot on low, stir fried, or cooked slowly in a heavy pot on the stove. You will need lettuce for wrapping and garnishes such as shredded carrot, chopped peanuts, cilantro, jicama sticks, etc. This recipe yields enough for 4 freezer bags, each containing servings for 4.

INGREDIENTS -

2-3 pounds chicken thighs, diced
1 red pepper, sliced thin
1 tsp garlic powder
4 Tbsp coconut aminos
2 Tbsp almond butter
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp olive oil
pepper to taste
1 tsp ginger, minced

Season the chicken meat with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and place in large bowl. Add sliced red pepper. Whisk together the remaining ingredients for the sauce and pour over the chicken and bell pepper. Divide amongst four freezer bags. This can be cooked in a crock pot on low, or on the stove top when you are ready to cook. Serve with lettuce wraps, and your choice of garnishes - shredded carrot, chopped peanuts, cilantro, water chestnuts, sprouts, and jicama sticks. Be creative - they are all so good!

PORK CHILI VERDE

Mix together all ingredients in a very large bowl. Divide amongst three gallon freezer bags and you have 3 meals that serve four people. On the day of serving this can be cooked in the crock pot for 4-6 hours, or on the stove top in a heavy pot. Serve over cauliflower rice and top with cilantro.

INGREDIENTS -

4 cups diced pork, about 1 - 2 inch cubes
1 cup diced onion
2 cups diced roasted green chilies
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup lightly chopped cilantro
1 cup beef broth
1 tsp each salt & pepper
1 Tbsp cumin
Toppings for serving - cilantro
Riced cauliflower to serve over, or not!

PALEO CHILI

Another easy meal, just combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and place in freezer bags. This was divided into four gallon freezer bags, each containing a meal for four.

INGREDIENTS -

2 pounds ground beef
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 - 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
2 - 15 oz cans tomato sauce
2 cups chopped onion
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 cup chopped carrot
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups cubed sweet potato
4 tsp cumin
1 tsp each salt and pepper
6 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp oregano
2 Tbsp basil

On the day of serving, place the contents of the bag in the crock pot and off you go! Have some garnishes on hand - avocado, cilantro, green onion, or if you are keto and including dairy throw on some cheese and sour cream! Enjoy!

PULLED PORK

This is so versatile, I love the things you can do with pulled pork! Wraps, tacos, taco salad, sandwiches, over cauliflower rice, add BBQ sauce, or just all by itself is perfect too. It is also very simple to make, one that tucks away easily in the freezer for one of those days, and it is always a crowd pleaser.

INGREDIENTS -

4-6 pound pork roast, cut into approximately 4” chunks

Dry rub - you can purchase a premade rub or combine the following -
3 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp garlic granules
2 Tbsp sea salt
1 Tbsp fresh ground pepper
3 tsp cumin
2 tsp onion powder

Cut the pork roast into sections and coat with the dry rub. Place in 2-3 freezer containers, depending on the size of your roast and the portions that you prefer.

On the day of serving, place in the crock pot 6-8 hours. Let cool and then “pull” or shred the pork, removing any unwanted fat.

CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP

So good and so easy. Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl and, depending on the size of the meal you want to create, divide amongst 3 gallon freezer bags. This provides a good meal for two with leftovers.

INGREDIENTS -

2 chicken breast, diced
2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped red or yellow bell pepper
1 cup chopped green chilies
2 Tbsp olive oil
14 oz can diced tomatoes, 2 cups fresh diced
7 oz can tomato sauce
3 cloves minced garlic
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp each salt and pepper