15 Freezer Meals to Make Before the Busy Back-to-School Season Starts
Prep them now and thank yourself later.
Whether you like it or not, back-to-school season is coming. Between the kids’ new schedules, all those after-school activities, and oh yeah, your actual job, it can be a lot to juggle. And then, of course, you still have to feed everyone dinner. What’s an overworked parent to do? Think ahead and make some back-to-school freezer meals now and thank yourself later! Meal prep is where it’s at.
Once you’ve got these back-to-school dinners in the freezer, all you have to do is let them defrost overnight in the refrigerator and then come home to reheat. Ree Drummond is a huge fan of freezer cooking, so she doesn’t have to worry every single day about what to feed a ranch full of people. Bonus: “When you have a freezer full of food, you can then fill your fridge with salad greens, spinach, and other veggies so you can make a big, healthy salad on the side,” she says. Smart!
You’ll find a lot of Ree’s favorite freezer meals on this list, including crowd-pleasing casseroles like her famous chicken spaghetti and freezer-friendly soups that are super fast to heat up. And because most foods can be frozen for a few months, you can enjoy these well into the fall. Between these back-to-school freezer meals and a few lazy dinner ideas, you’ll conquer the start of the school year with confidence!
Chicken Spaghetti
A Drummond family favorite! It’s full of chicken, cheese, and pasta, plus a few sneaky vegetables that the kids won’t even notice. You can use store-bought rotisserie chicken to save on prep time, too.
Get Ree’s Chicken Spaghetti recipe.
Dr Pepper Shredded Pork
Ree says this recipe “makes a ton and can be frozen in smaller batches to serve as is, or as a topping for tacos, nachos, etc.” In fact, you’ll find about 30 different ways to use leftover pulled pork, so you’ll never get bored.
Get Ree’s Dr Pepper Shredded Pork recipe.
Hamburger Soup
This soup is very forgiving, so you can use whatever you’ve got in the fridge. Switch up the veggies or even swap out the ground beef. It will last in the freezer up to three months.
Get Ree's Hamburger Soup recipe.
Zucchini Lasagna
Good news: Almost every type of lasagna you can think of is freezer-friendly. But if you’re making this in late summer, why not take advantage of the abundance of zucchini and make this veggie-forward version?
Get Ree’s Zucchini Lasagna recipe.
Turkey Quinoa Chili
Chili recipes are also, in general, very easy to make and freeze in advance. If you’re looking for something both healthy and hearty, look no further than this version with lean turkey and filling quinoa.
Get Ree’s Turkey Quinoa Chili recipe.
Mini Calzones
Who doesn’t love pockets of melty cheese? This is how Ree preps them: “Flash freeze them after you assemble them but before baking them. Then just bake them straight from the freezer when you need them and serve with marinara sauce.”
Get Ree’s Mini Calzones recipe.
Slow-Cooker Bolognese
Don’t spend hours over a stovetop. Let your slow cooker do the work for you! This hearty, meaty sauce makes enough for two pounds of pasta, so you’ll get multiple meals out of it, too.
Get Ree’s Slow-Cooker Bolognese recipe.
Chicken Pot Pie
One of Ree’s faves! “I freeze it in the unbaked state, then stick it in the oven straight out of the freezer. I often use disposable foil cake pans, which result in slightly smaller pot pies; one of my recipes can fill two pans.”
Get Ree’s Chicken Pot Pie recipe.
Vegetarian Enchilada Soup
Everything you love about enchiladas without all that folding! You can make everything ahead of time; just wait to add the toppings until serving so they stay fresh.
Get Ree’s Vegetarian Enchilada Soup recipe.
Sour Cream Noodle Bake
Ree promises “even the pickiest of eaters will love this one.” What’s not to love when there’s lots of cheese, beef, and pasta involved? Ree calls it “luscious and ooey gooey” even when reheated.
Get Ree’s Sour Cream Noodle Bake recipe.
Sloppy Joes
Ree calls these “exceedingly family friendly.” Here’s how she preps them for future meals: “I make big quantities of the mixture, then freeze it in smaller portions. Then just reheat, pile it on top of buns, and dig in!”
Get Ree’s Sloppy Joes recipe.
Hamburger Casserole
If everyone in your family enjoys “any sort of saucy, beefy, cheesy pasta, they'll positively love this hamburger casserole,” Ree says. To freeze it, shave a minute off the pasta cook time and wait to add the onion topping until you’re ready to reheat.
Get Ree's Hamburger Casserole recipe.
7-Can Soup
Ree asks, “What if I told you that you could throw together seven canned goods and make one of the best—not to mention easiest—soup recipes on the planet?” Well, she did it! And it freezes beautifully, too.
Get Ree’s 7-Can Soup recipe.
Shepherd’s Pie
This is a classic all-in-one meal. Ground beef, lots of veggies, and everyone’s favorite mashed potatoes are all layered together. Bake, let it cool to room temperature, then wrap in foil before you freeze.
Get the Shepherd’s Pie recipe.
Sunday Night Stew
You’ll thank yourself for making this on that first really chilly night of the season. “I swear, it gets better the longer it freezes,” Ree says. By the way, you can also freeze mashed potatoes in advance, too.
Get Ree’s Sunday Night Stew recipe.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Cauliflower Soup
Easy Foil Packet Recipes for a Grill or Campfire
The Pioneer Woman’s Favorite Sandwich
