Welcome back! Today is freezer meal day, and I am so excited because we’re making three delicious freezer meals that will give us six complete dinners. The goal? Get it all done in an hour or less. Freezer meals are such a lifesaver for busy weeks, and today we’ll use some pantry and freezer items to make cooking ahead super simple.
Meal Plan for Today
We’re making:
- Chili Cheese Tater Tot Casserole – A twist on a classic tater tot casserole, with extra crispy tater tots that we bake first to ensure they stay crispy after freezing and reheating.
- Sloppy Joe Biscuit Casserole – A hearty, comforting meal that combines Sloppy Joe meat with biscuit pieces and cheese.
- Honey Mustard Chicken Casserole – Chicken, noodles, and a creamy honey mustard sauce turned into a casserole for easy freezer meals.
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Step 1: Prep the Tater Tots
We start by preheating the oven to 425°F (because 400°F wasn’t quite enough last time) and spreading a whole package of tater tots on a parchment-lined sheet. Baking them first ensures that they’ll be crispy when we top the casserole after freezing.
Step 2: Cooking the Meat and Chicken
While the tater tots bake, I get two pounds of ground beef going in a large skillet. Instead of sautéing fresh onions, I use pre-chopped sautéed onion blocks, which saves time and cleanup.
For the honey mustard chicken casserole, I use canned chicken—it’s perfect for this type of freezer meal. I cook the chicken with noodles in broth, adding cream of mushroom soup, Dijon mustard, honey, and seasoning. The liquid will help cook the noodles while keeping everything creamy.
Step 3: Sloppy Joe Biscuit Casserole
For the Sloppy Joe casserole:
- I cook the ground beef with sautéed onions and seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Then I mix in ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar to create the Sloppy Joe flavor.
- Biscuit dough is made with flour, powdered milk, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter, then mixed into the Sloppy Joe meat to form a casserole-ready mixture.
- Cheese is added on top just before freezing for a melty, cheesy finish.
Step 4: Chili Cheese Tater Tot Casserole
For the chili:
- I combine canned chili beans, refried beans, tomato sauce, and Rotel, then lightly season with chili powder and cumin.
- To balance any vinegary flavor from canned tomatoes, I add a pinch of sugar.
- Cheese is mixed in, and then the crispy tater tots go on top along with a sprinkle of breadcrumbs (Panko works beautifully!) and a little extra salt.
Step 5: Assembling and Freezing
Once everything is cooked:
- I portion each casserole into six freezer-safe containers.
- Tater tots are placed on top of the chili casserole.
- Sloppy Joe biscuits and honey mustard chicken are portioned for easy grab-and-go dinners.
The entire process, including some prep at the start and a little cleanup, took about 1 hour to 1.5 hours. Normally, making these meals separately would take 45 minutes each, so doing everything at once saves a ton of time.
Tips for Freezer Meal Success
- Pre-cook toppings like tater tots to maintain texture after freezing and reheating.
- Use canned or pre-cooked ingredients like canned chicken or sautéed onions to save time.
- Mix in cheeses at the end before freezing to prevent them from becoming grainy or overcooked.
- Portion into individual containers for easy thawing and reheating.
- Label meals with date and name to keep track of what’s in the freezer.
Why Freezer Meals Are a Game-Changer
Doing all three meals at once gives six complete dinners, saving hours of cooking during the week. It’s especially helpful when working through a pantry challenge, as it allows you to use up ingredients and reduce waste.
These freezer meals are perfect for cold days, busy evenings, or whenever you need a comforting homemade dinner in minutes.
If you liked this freezer meal day, check out more 1-hour freezer meal videos on my channel for easy, convenient, and delicious meals that you can prep ahead.
And if you noticed my earrings in this video, you can find them in my Etsy shop—I just relaunched with some fun winter and Valentine’s Day designs!
