Freezer meals are a way to add convenience and speedy prep time to busy weeknight dinners. They involve pre-assembling and/or pre-cooking ingredients so that the family can come to the table in record time. Freezer meals require some work on the front end, but the payoff comes in how quickly and easily you can serve dinner on a night when you otherwise might not have time to prepare a home-cooked meal.
Of course Aldi offers everything you need to make a variety of freezer meals. The following are a few of my family’s favorites.
1. Spaghetti Pie
(This recipe is featured on my other website, A Well Advised Life. You can read it here.)
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey, browned and drained (sometimes I use just 1/2 a lb. because I’m not a carnivore.)
- 1 jar spaghetti sauce
- 24 ounces cottage cheese
- 12-16 ounces cooked noodles
- 4 tbsp. butter
- 3 eggs
- 4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
- Shredded mozzarella cheese for the top
Directions:
Mix cooked pasta, eggs, butter, and Parmesan in a large pan (I usually mix it all in the Dutch oven I used to cook the noodles).
You have some choices about what sizes of pans or casserole dishes to prepare and freeze this dish in. You can use one 9×13 or larger metal or foil pan (I find that using a single traditional 9×13 pan that is only two or three inches deep sometimes results in sauce bubbling over in the oven, so I recommend using a deep 9×13 dish if possible), or you can use two 8×8 or 9×9 pans, or you can use three pie pans. However you divide the casserole, use freezer-safe containers, either metal or disposable foil.
Grease your container(s) and press down the pasta mixture in the container(s), dividing it according to how many pans you are using. Divide the cottage cheese if using multiple pans and spread it on top. Mix spaghetti sauce with beef and layer the mixture on top, dividing among multiple plans if applicable. Cover with foil, and write the name of the dish and date on the foil, then freeze.
When you’re ready to cook the spaghetti pie, allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge, and then bake covered with foil at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove the cover and sprinkle with mozzarella. Put back into the oven uncovered to melt the cheese, for about 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool 10-15 minutes before serving.
2. Slow Cooker Chili
(Read more about this recipe here on my other site, A Well Advised Life.)
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. ground turkey or ground beef, browned
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 can baked beans
- 1 can chili beans
- 1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies
- Tomato juice (optional; use as little or as much as you want)
- Optional toppings: chili powder, shredded cheese, Saltine crackers, diced fresh onions, cooked noodles
Directions:
Option 1: Brown ground turkey or ground beef in a skillet with diced onion. Place in a freezer-safe plastic container or large freezer bag and freeze. When ready to cook, dump frozen meat and onion in the slow cooker. Add canned baked beans, chili beans, diced tomatoes with green chilies, tomato juice (if desired), and chili powder (optional). Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.
Option 2: Brown ground turkey or ground beef in a skillet with diced onion. Place meat and onions in a large freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Add baked beans, chili beans, diced tomatoes and green chilies, and tomato juice (optional) to the container or bag. Sprinkle some chili powder in if desired. Place in the freezer. When ready to cook, thaw in the fridge overnight and dump into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. Alternatively, this can be dumped frozen into the slow cooker, and the cooking time can be upped to 6 to 8 hours, depending on your slow cooker.
Top cooked chili with crackers, chili powder, shredded cheese, and/or diced fresh onions. Add cooked noodles for chili mac if desired.
Alternatively, you can heat this chili on the stove top in a Dutch oven. Cook from thawed state for about 30 minutes or until heated through and bubbly.
3. Slow Cooker Taco Soup
(View this recipe here at A Well Advised Life.)
Ingredients:
- 1 onion, diced
- 1-2 cans black beans
- 1-2 cans whole kernel corn, undrained (or use a similar amount of frozen corn, about 2 to 3 cups)
- 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
- 1 lb. ground turkey or ground beef
- 1 envelope Ranch dressing mix
- 1 envelope taco seasoning
- Tomato juice (optional, depending on how thick you want your soup)
- Optional toppings: shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, Fritos-style chips, diced avocado, green onion, and/or sour cream
Directions:
Option 1: Brown the diced onion and ground turkey or ground beef in a skillet on the stove. Place meat in a freezer-safe plastic container or freezer bag and freeze. When ready to cook, place frozen meat in slow cooker and add all ingredients except for optional toppings. Cook on low heat for 4 to 6 hours until soup is warm. Top individual servings with shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, and other optional toppings.
Option 2: Brown the diced onion and ground turkey or ground beef in a skillet on the stove. Place meat in a freezer-safe plastic container or freezer bag, and add all other ingredients except for optional toppings. Place in the freezer. When ready to cook, thaw in the fridge overnight and dump into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. Alternatively, this can be dumped frozen into the slow cooker, and the cooking time can be upped to 6 to 8 hours, depending on your slow cooker. Top individual servings with shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, and other toppings if desired.
Alternatively, you can heat this taco soup on the stove top in a Dutch oven. Cook from thawed state for about 30 minutes or until heated through and bubbly.
What are your favorite freezer meals using all Aldi ingredients? Share them in the comments.
