Is freezer meal prep overwhelming at times? Don’t always have time or energy to make a bunch of meals to freeze? I get it! While I love a good freezer meal, and my future self always thanks my past self for doing it, I don’t always have the time or energy for prepping freezer meals.
A few years ago, I started buying all our meat in bulk. It’s so much cheaper that way, and then I don’t have to worry about buying more for a little while, which is a nice relief. Over the years, my method for storing all this meat has changed, and I have finally gotten into a groove that works great! And future Jane is always thankful to past Jane for taking a little extra time to freezer meal prep my meats.
However, if you aren’t a bulk shopper this is for you too! Even before I bulk bought meat, I still froze anything I wasn’t going to use right away. This way, nothing accidentally went bad in the fridge before we got to it. (Throwing away food physically pains me! haha!)
Stop Freezing Your Meat in The Store Packaging
First of all, this is a no-no because it just invites freezer burn into your life. That foam tray, loosely wrapped in thin plastic, leaves your ground beef vulnerable to freezer frost bite! Get that meat into a winter coat!
Second, storing meat in the store packaging forces you to thaw the entire package at one time. My mom always told me that you should’t re-freeze meat once you’ve thawed it. And she’s a queen, so I believe her. However, re-freezing (properly thawed in the fridge) meat isn’t necessarily unsafe, it can affect the quality of your meat. But you can do your own research on this.
Instead, Freezer Meal Prep Your Meat For Easier Meals Later
Although, this doesn’t require making a dozen meals to freeze, it does take a little extra time. (Not too much time, I promise!) But believe me it’s 100% worth it!
I store all my meat in individual portions (usually around 1lb but I don’t have a food scale so I’m estimating.) This way when I go to make a meal, I am only thawing out what I need. For chicken, I usually cook a few breasts in my instant pot and shred it before placing it in a zip bag and freezing it. I also like to dice some and store is already diced. This saves me time later when I am cooking a meal.
Another thing I *almost* always do, it make a meatloaf. That might sound weird, but my hands are already covered in meat, so why not? We love meatloaf, it freezes well, and it really isn’t hard to make. (I use the meatloaf seasoning packets and follow the recipe on the back. So it’s really just a toss it all in a bowl and mix thing!) And bonus! I have a meatloaf in my freezer whenever I don’t feel like cooking!
So, here’s what you need to do to get into the habit of freezer meal prepping your meats.
Figure out what type of prep works for your family.
For my family of five, 1lb bags of ground beef work perfectly. My local bulk grocery club has really large chicken breasts, so one breast per bag is usually good. If I need more than that for a meal I will just thaw more that one bag. Shredded chicken is great to have for soups, casseroles, etc. (Sometimes I pre cook it in my seasonings for my frequently used recipes for extra ease!) Finally, diced chicken is great for many things. And since I despise cutting meat, I only have to do it once instead of each time I cook!
If you know of a quick dump together meal your family loves, toss it together for the freezer, then one it done! For me, that’s meatloaf because I don’t have to brown or pre-cook anything.
Some other dump freezer meal ideas:
- Chicken Pot Pie Filling
- Chili – Chicken or Chili. Use the pre-made seasoning packets to make it even easier.
- Chicken Noodle Soup Base – Don’t add the noodles yet!
One other thing I like to do is pre-season some of my meat. Things like pork chops, tenderloins, roasts, hamburger patties, meatballs, etc. I think letting the seasoning sit longer on the meat makes it absorb all that flavor and its DELICIOUS to the max! Likewise, all my prep is done, and I just have to cook it!
Freezer meal prep your meat the same day you buy it.
Now, this isn’t a hard and fast rule. I try to prep my meat for the freezer the same day I purchase it. However, sometimes it has to wait for the next day when I have a chunk of time available to me. Just make sure you keep your meat in the freezer until you are ready to get it put away.
Word of warning: The longer you wait to do it, the more daunting it seems and the less motivation you have. It really is best to do it same day.
Listen to an audio book or some music to pass the time.
Like I mentioned before, freezer meal prepping your meat takes a little extra time than just tossing it in the freezer straight from the store. And while it doesn’t take an excessive amount of time, it’s nice to have something fun to distract you like an audio book or some music.
The first time you do this, it will take a little more time. And the more you do it, the faster it gets. If your spouse is willing to join you, enlist them to make it go even faster! If my husband is around, I always have him help me. On top of that, we get to chat, which is always fun!
Another bonus: When my hands are covered in meat slime, I have an excuse to tell my kids they have to wait a little bit until I’m done to do whatever it is they are requesting of me. Haha!
Tips For Freezer Meal Prepping Meats
- Use freezer zip bags store your meat – One day I will invest in a vacuum sealer for even better storage, but zip bags work well too! So, if you have a vacuum sealer, warm it up for a work out!
- Make sure you get as much air out of the bag as you can to prevent freezer burn.
- To maximize on storage space in your freezer, flatten your ground/ shredded/diced items with your hand after you’ve sealed it in the bag. (A little stress relieving too!)
- Whatever you cook ahead of time, make sure you give it time to cool before storing. This will also help prevent freezer burn.
- If you don’t already, start using a freezer inventory sheet to easily keep track of what’s in your freezer. (Get my free printable here!)
- Use a permanent marker to label your bags with the contents and the date you bagged it. This will make it easily identifiable to future use.
- You can also flash freeze items they won’t freeze together and then you could place like items together in one bag. However, this takes some extra time, and extra freezer space.
Do you have any tips to add? Do you have a freezer storage system that works for you? Let me know in the comments! I look forward to hearing your ideas!
And remember, you’re doing a great job!