Freezer Meals will Save You Money

Freezer Meals are a big part of my life. I’m not talking about the kind you buy at the grocery in a box. I’m talking about the kind you make ahead and stick in the freezer for a rainy day. Time and again it has saved us money.  Saved us from going out to eat adding unwanted calories and taking much needed dollars from our budget! It helps to have them on hand for my family, or for when I need to share a meal with a friend whose family could use a little support because they’ve had a new baby, or are suffering a hardship.

I preach over and over again that being prepared is a MUST to saving money and having some meals put away in your freezer is one way to do that. I just cannot get myself together enough to put on a “baking day” however. Lots of bloggers do it. Lots of MOMS do it. I just can’t. They are so organized and then well stocked. That’s not for me. I’m more of an “as you go” kind of girl. When I make a dish that is 9 x 13, I make 2 – 8″ dishes and freeze one. When I make a batch of blueberry muffins for breakfast, I double the batch and freeze half for later.

Another way to stock your freezer is to share the work load! My Mom’s Group is getting ready for a Freezer Meal Exchange this Friday. Its simple: If you have 10 people participating in the exchange, each person brings 10 of the same meal. Then everyone swaps.

By making multiple of the same meal you are utilizing your groceries (instead of buying a carton of sour cream to only use 1/4c…. you can use the entire thing) and your time.

In talking with various people recently it occurs to me that not everyone knows how to freeze a casserole….what freezes well and what doesn’t… and how to properly put a meal into the freezer.

First lets talk about HOW to freeze up a meal. Whether you are making meals for an exchange or just tossing an extra in the freezer there is a very simple way to preserve what you’ve made without spending money (and resources!) on tin foil toss-away pans.
Line a standard 8 x 8 pan with clear wrap (of the Saran variety). I lay two pieces in my pan, one going each direction so I get full coverage when I wrap the dish up, preventing unneeded exposure to the cold.


  • Put your meal into the pan as you would if you were going to put it in the oven.

  • Wrap the cooled meal and put it in the freezer for approximately 12 hours.

  • Pop the frozen meal out of the pan, wrap it tightly in foil and label with a permanent marker the dish and preparation instructions.

  • I like to stick the foil pack into a reusable freezer bag for extra protection. Mainly to keep the foil from getting ripped in the freezer, but it isn’t really necessary to keep the food properly packaged.

  • When you are ready to make your dish you have it in the shape of your pan. If you are doing a group exchange, everyone can have ease of preparation this way as well. And it all takes up less room in the freezer!

If you are freezing liquids like soups or sauces the best way to freeze and label them and take up as little room as possible in your freezer is to fill a freezer storage bag and lay it on a cookie sheet in your freezer so that it freezes flat. Then you can take it out and stack them wherever they fit.

Now, what freezes well:


  • Pastas and sauces freeze well.

  • Eggs are a cinch to freeze. If you find yourself with an abundance of eggs, you can freeze them in jars or bags my cracking and lightly beating them, then letting the air bubbles settle.

  • Breads…all kinds. Quick breads, english muffins, homemade bread, french bread, dinner rolls

  • Meats; both prepared and raw

  • Cheeses, butter, milk

What to be careful of:

  • If you freeze casseroles with lots of vegetables, you may want to freeze it before cooking it. If you are adding frozen vegetables (like spinach) to a recipe that you plan to freeze, make sure the vegetables are well drained before you add them, if you don’t your casserole will be watery and mushy when you thaw it.

    • Vegetables with a high water content (lettuce, peppers) will be mushy when they thaw.

This is what I have learned through trial and error (and a little research!). What is your experience with freezer meals? Share your tips and your tragedies with us in our online post or on ourFacebook Page!