Dinner's Ready...for weeks!

I think we can all agree if dinner isn't prepped it is far too easy to make an excuse not to eat at home.  I'm trying to be better about cooking and prepping my meals ahead of time, so today I took a few hours (really less than 2), and prepped some freezer meals for the coming weeks! Also helps if you get together with friends, it makes the meal prep more fun and go by in no time.  Nancy and I got together today as she prepped her meals to have ready when her baby girl arrives in a month.  We had such success today we are definitely thinking of making it a regular thing and I have even heard of a "Freezer Meal Club", where 4-5 friends get together and everyone brings a copy of one dish for everyone so you walk away with 5 different meals!

I focused on a lot of Crockpot recipes and walked away with 7 different recipes and multiple batches! Especially since the recipes are meant for families I will have plenty to eat off of but I don't mind, it will make it last longer.  So I did a lot of Pinterest searching and narrowed down the recipes I wanted to try, made my grocery list, got all the ingredients and labeled my Ziploc bags with the recipe names and cooking instructions, all was set for our preparation today.  I did make one recipe that is not intended for the crockpot but still a great freezer meal.  On to the recipes!

Chicken Teriyaki (found on Mommy's Fabulous Finds obviously from a Pinterest search)
Ingredients
Large bag of baby carrots
Red Onion sliced into large chunks
2 cans (20 oz each) Crushed Pineapple (un-drained)
4 garlic cloves (I used 2 tsp. of minced garlic)
4-6 boneless chicken breasts
1 cup Teriyaki sauce

Directions
Split ingredients in half, place all ingredients in 2 resealable gallon Ziploc bags, mix together and zip closed.
When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge overnight.  Cook in crockpot on Low for 6-7 hours.
Serve over rice.
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Cilantro Lime Chicken (found on Six Sisters' Stuff)
Ingredients
1.5 lbs chicken breasts
Juice from 2 limes
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 (16 oz) bag frozen corn
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Place all ingredients in a resealable gallon Ziploc bag. Mix together and zip bag closed.
When ready to eat, remove from the freezer and thaw in the fridge for 24 hours.  Cook in the crockpot, on High for 4 hours, Low for 8 hours.
Serve with tortillas and toppings such as sour cream, guacamole, salsa, and cheese.
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Maple Dijon Glazed Chicken (found on Six Sisters' Stuff)
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts
1 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup Maple syrup
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions
Place all ingredients in a resealable gallon sized Ziploc bag.  Mix together and zip closed.
When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in the fridge for 24 hours.  Cook in the crockpot on high for 4 hours, low for 8.  Sprinkle with fresh or dried rosemary.
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BBQ Cranberry Chicken (found on Six Sisters' Stuff)
Ingredients
2 lbs chicken breasts
1/4 cup dried minced onion
1 (16 oz.) can whole cranberry sauce
1 cup barbeque sauce

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a resealable gallon size Ziploc bag and zip closed, air tight and freeze.
When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours.  Cook in the crockpot on High for 3-4 hours or Low for 6-7 hours.
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Honey Lime Chicken (found on Claire's Healthy Home)
Ingredients
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
6 chicken breasts

Directions
When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge overnight.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Can be served with baked sweet potatoes and vegetables.
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Creamy Ranch Pork Chops and Potatoes (found on Six Sisters' Stuff)
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs pork chops, boneless (about 4-6, thick sliced)
6-8 medium potatoes, chopped into large pieces
2 (10.75 oz each) cans Cream of Chicken soup
2 (1 oz each) dry Ranch dressing mix
1 cup milk (I used Almond milk)
Dried parsley to sprinkle on top (optional)

Directions
In a bowl mix together soups, milk and ranch dressing mixes and pour into a resealable gallon Ziploc bag. Combine all ingredients and zip closed.
When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook in the crockpot on High for 3-4 hours or Low for 6-7 hours.
Use the extra sauce in the crockpot as a gravy for the potatoes and pork chops. Sprinkle with dried parsley if you want.
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Pineapple Glazed Ham (found on Six Sisters' Stuff)
Ingredients
4 thick slices of ham, fully cooked
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple (do not drain)
2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard (optional)

Directions
Mix together brown sugar, pineapple and mustard in a resealable gallon-sized Ziploc bag.  Place ham slices inside bag and zip closed.
When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook in the Crockpot on High for 3 hours or Low for 5-6 hours.

Ziploc Bag Preparation (remember to write cooking instructions on each bag)

 

A little action shot of preparation

 

 

 

Meals prepped and ready to be stored in the freezer!

Eliminate a lot of stress about what's for dinner by setting aside a few hours on the weekend to get things ready for the weeks ahead!  Happy Meal Planning!