25 Crockpot and Oven Freezer Meals for $230... In 4 Hours!!!

Going into the kitchen renovation I knew I was going to have to do some planning ahead for easy meals options so we didn't end up eating out of a box or the drive-thru for the duration of the process.  We will pretty much be confined to using a crock pot or a small portable convection oven so the meal plan had to align with those options.  Then it dawned on me that a friend of mine (Thank you Mrs. Warnell) posted some links to some various crock pot and make ahead of time oven freezer meals which seemed like they would be perfect.

Another perfect use that I wish I would've done... make them for a new baby's arrival!  I made some freezer meals but nothing anywhere close to this.  It would be perfect for new moms with little ones!

I pulled my recipes from three sources (10 Easy Crockpot Freezer Meals, A Month of Freezer Meals in One Afternoon, and 40 Meals in 4 Hours Crockpot Slow Cooker Freezer Cooking) and basically picked out meals that seemed appealing to us and our tastes. 

The meals I chose from these sites (you will find the recipes and shopping list for these attached) include:

Update:  We have had to opportunity to try several of these meals now and most of them have been good.  I wouldn't say they are excellent though.  We much prefer a fresh, home cooked meal.  What I have found with the crockpot meals is they tend to get very watery after cooking (maybe from the moisture cooking out of the meat and veggies) so any of the recipes that originally called for a can of cream or mushroom or chicken I have been adding another can of soup when I get home.  

Oven Freezer Meals
Easy Cheeseburger Casserole (Good)
Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Bake (Good)
Basic Chicken Casserole (Good)

Crock Pot Freezer Meals
Potato Soup (So-So)
Fajitas (Good)
Enchilada Pasta  (Good)
Buffalo Chicken  (Good)
Chicken Tacos (Good)
Applesauce BBQ Chicken
Teriyaki Chicken (Yuck)
Balsamic Glazed Drumsticks  (So-So) 
Honey Garlic Chicken  (So-So)
Maple Dijon Chicken Thighs  (So-So)
Orange Chicken  (So-So)
Beef Tips and Gravy
Teriyaki Pork Chops
Pork Chops and Rice
Pork Carnitas

You can find all of the recipes here:  Recipes

And the grocery list can be found here:  Grocery List

As mentioned in the title I was able to get all of these ingredients for under $230.  There were only a very few items that I had on hand already.  To really save money plan a trip around when chicken breasts are on sale because you need alot of them or stock up ahead of time.  Meat is always the most costly item.  I have complete confidence with many of the thrifty grocery shoppers out there that they could probably do this for closer to $200.  I will be the first to admit I am not normally a grocery sale shopper but I did luck out that chicken breasts were on sale which probably saved.

Following some of the various tips from the websites I pulled from I did everything in steps that would hopefully make assembling the meals easier.  I decided to do all the oven freezer meals one day and the crock pot freezer meals the next day.

The first day I began by labeling all of the freezer bags and aluminum pan lids with the meal names, cooking instructions, and ingredients that needed to be added after cooking (cheeses, noodles, rice, fixings, etc.). 

Then it was time to dive in with the first batch: the 10 oven freezer meals.  I began by cooking my meat (browning the hamburger and boiling the chicken) and cooking the noodles.  Next, I assembled the three oven recipes and less than 2 hours later I had 10 meals to show for my work!

On day #2 I tackled all the crock pot meals that didn't require any pre-cooked items.  I used the food processor to chop all my onion (you need quite a few) and any extra onion I had left when I was done I froze for later use.  I chopped all the other veggies that were going to be needed (some diced and some needed to be larger chunks) and then tackled cutting the meat.  There really wasn't much  meat that need to be cut up first because most of the recipes called for placing whole chicken breasts in the bags.  If desired ,you could probably leave all the chicken breasts in tact and cut them up/shred them after cooking.

After the potato soup recipe I tackled all the chicken breast recipes and worked in batches down the recipe list depending on what kind of meat was needed.  I began each recipe by 1st placing the meat in the pre-labeled bags, any veggies the recipe called for, and then poured the remaining ingredients that I pre-mixed (things like broth, soups, seasonings) over the top.  Squeeze out the air and freeze the bag flat to save room.  Yet again, 2 hours later I had 15 more meals to add to the freezer!

All in all I spent right around 4 hours over 2 days and had 25 meals for us.  I plan on buying/making side dishes for them as needed.  We'll probably do a lot of steamed veggies and rice.

Other tips that will be helpful

• Make sure you have enough room in your freezer and it is organized
• Prep the meals in batches or groups with similar ingredients
• I will be the first to admit I am terrible about measuring stuff when I cook (baking is a different story and almost always a must that you measure) so I will say there was alot of eyeballing that went on when adding in seasonings, sauces, and other ingredients. It also goes much faster that way if you are comfortable cooking like that. 
• Don't be afraid to use a food processor if you have one like I mentioned for the chopping. I also opt to buy pre-minced garlic in a jar which saves time as well.
• If you realize during assembly that you forgot an ingredient during your shopping trip, write it on the freezer bag and add it later!

My cooking plan is to take each meal out of the freezer to thaw in the fridge about 24 hours prior to starting it.  I will update and adjust the cooking times if I find this doesn't work because I am sure many of the meals will still be partially frozen.  I will also update as we go as to whether or not our family enjoyed the meals and if I would cook them again.  

I am so anxious to try these but I am resisting the urge until we actually start tearing the kitchen apart.  I will absolutely be doing something similar again!  It was so easy and I am so excited about the prospect of not having to meal plan and grocery shop every 2 weeks like I do now.