Once A Month Meals

2-n-1 Fall Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Meal Plan

Tricia — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 12:40:31 +0000

10 Easy to Assemble Slow Cooker OR Instant Pot Recipes that Double to Make 20 Freezer Meals.

Put these together in roughly 2 hours!

2 Meal Plans. The Same Recipes. 2 Different Cooking Methods. You Decide!

Or you can mix and match recipes from each as a member! *

See Instant Pot Meal plan » See Slow Cooker Meal plan

How To Cook This Meal Plan (and Fast!)

Receive access to ALL the cooking documents for these meal plans by becoming a Once A Month Meals Member today!*

With a membership*, your meal plan comes with:

A Grocery Shopping List organized by category for faster and easier shopping.
Prep Instructions to help you prepare all your ingredients ahead of time.
Step-by-step Cooking Day Instructions for fast and efficient freezer cooking.
Individual Recipe Cards with detailed cooking and freezing instructions.
Printable Labels for your freezer bags with thawing and reheating instructions.
A Thaw Sheet for a full list of your meal plan’s defrosting or reheating instructions.
See a sample of our cooking documents here!

Adjust the Serving Size!

You can also adjust this meal plan to whatever serving size you need! Freezer Cook for 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10 and more (as well as anything in-between!)

*Paid memberships receive the resources listed here. All membership levels allow you the opportunity to access recipes and build meal plans but resources are only available to paid members.

The post 2-n-1 Fall Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Meal Plan appeared first on Once A Month Meals.

How to: Make Your Own Pumpkin Puree

Tricia — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 12:37:00 +0000

With all of the delicious pumpkin recipes floating around during the fall months, you will want to have a good stash of pumpkin puree. But who says it has to come from a can? It is simple and inexpensive to cook and puree seasonal pumpkins from your local market or pumpkin patch.

Follow the instructions below to make your own pumpkin puree.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Cut the pumpkin in half, (or fourths if using a large pumpkin) trimming off the stem.

3. Use a spoon to scrape out seeds and guts.

4. Prick the flesh of the pumpkin with a fork. Place in a large baking dish with about a 1/4 inch of water in the bottom. (You can season with salt, pepper, or cinnamon if desired.)

5. Roast for 45 minutes to an hour or until the pumpkin is fork-tender when pierced.

6. Allow to cool, and peel off the skin or scoop out the pumpkin flesh.

7. Puree using a food processor or blender, or mash with a potato masher for a chunkier texture.

8. Portion into freezer bags or containers and freeze.

9. Use in your favorite pumpkin recipes.

You may also want to check out this post: How to Bake a Pumpkin

The post How to: Make Your Own Pumpkin Puree appeared first on Once A Month Meals.

Top Pumpkin Recipes for National Pumpkin Day

Tricia — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 12:36:21 +0000

October 26th has been deemed National Pumpkin Day, and across the nation, pumpkin lovers unite to celebrate the love of this favorite fall flavor. We will get you started with our top pumpkin recipes for soups, muffins, meals, and even treats for your doggie! We have recipes of all types for all types of diets. So sit back, sip a Pumpkin Spice Latte, and enjoy all our fabulous fall pumpkin offerings!

Breakfasts

Lunches

Main Dishes

Pumpkin Chorizo Pizza
Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Cream Sauce ( Instant Pot Version )
Pumpkin Black Bean Tamale Bake ( Instant Pot Version )
Pumpkin Sloppy Joes ( Instant Pot Version )
Creamy Paleo Pumpkin Pasta with Chicken ( Instant Pot Version )
Diet Pork and Pumpkin ( Instant Pot Version )
Pumpkin Coconut Black Beans and Rice ( Instant Pot Version )
Better than the Freezer Aisle: Kashi Mayan Harvest Bake (use your pumpkin seeds!)

Desserts, Snacks, and Drinks

Extras

Did you know that you can use our Recipe Roundup posts as inspiration to create your own seasonal meal plan using your Membership? Start with one of your favorite fall meal plans or one of the meal plans below and then customize with your favorite fall flavors, seasonal produce, or sale items – like canned pumpkin or check out our blog post on making it yourself!

The post Top Pumpkin Recipes for National Pumpkin Day appeared first on Once A Month Meals.

2-n-1 Honey Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Meal Plan

Tricia — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 12:32:36 +0000

5 Dump and Go Honey Recipes that Double to Make 10 Meals for the Slow Cooker or the Instant Pot! (Put these together in less than 1 hour!)

Put these honey inspired meals together in under 1 hour! That is 10 meals, already prepared, assembled in 6 minutes per meal, straight into your freezer that last anywhere from 6-8 months. Trust us. This is worth both your time and money!

2 Meal Plans. The Same Honey Inspired Recipes. 2 Different Cooking Methods. You Decide!

Both meal plans include the same set of recipes, and you prepare and assemble them in the exact same ways. However, they have different methods of cooking. Any one recipe can be made in either the Slow Cooker or the Instant Pot. You choose! See the full meal plans below!

See Instant POT Meal plan » See Slow Cooker Meal plan»

Honey Recipes Include:

Honey Bourbon Chicken (Slow Cooker Version | Instant Pot Version)
Honey Pork Chops (Slow Cooker Version | Instant Pot Version)
Nutmeg Nanny Honey Glazed Chicken Thighs (Slow Cooker Version | Instant Pot Version)
Honey Apple Pork Loin (Slow Cooker Version | Instant Pot Version)
Honey Garlic Chicken and Rice (Slow Cooker Version | Instant Pot Version)

*Within each meal plan you will make 2 of each to maximize your time, money and ingredients! So when you’re done, you’ll have 10 honey inspired meals ready for dinner at a moments notice!

How To Cook This Meal Plan (and Fast!)

Receive access to ALL the cooking documents for these meal plans by becoming a Once A Month Meals Member today!*

With a membership*, your meal plan comes with:

A Grocery Shopping List organized by category for faster and easier shopping.
Prep Instructions to help you prepare all your ingredients ahead of time.
Step-by-step Cooking Day Instructions for fast and efficient freezer cooking.
Individual Recipe Cards with detailed cooking and freezing instructions.
Printable Labels for your freezer bags with thawing and reheating instructions.
A Thaw Sheet for a full list of your menu’s defrosting or reheating instructions.
*See a sample of our cooking documents here!

Adjust the Serving Size!

You can also adjust this meal plan to whatever serving size you need! Freezer Cook for 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10 and more (as well as anything in-between!)

*See more about the different levels of membership here.

Build meal plans for FREE!

Create a no-credit-card-needed OAMM membership account to explore and see if OAMM is the right fit for YOU!

You’ll be able to:

search the 13,500+ freezer recipe database with hundreds of filters available.
build and save for later use up to 3 meal plans of 5 recipes each.
favorite recipes you find and want to try later or have cooked and love.
view nutritional data of each recipe.

*For more information on paid vs free membership check this out.

The post 2-n-1 Honey Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Meal Plan appeared first on Once A Month Meals.

2-n-1 Soups, Stews, and Chilis Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Meal Plan

Once a Month Meals — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 12:31:45 +0000

7 Dump and Go Recipes for Soups, Stews, and Chilis!

Each double to make 14 meals for the Slow Cooker or the Instant Pot!

Seriously, you can make these freezer meals in under 1 hour! That is 14 meals, already prepared, assembled in 6 minutes per meal, straight into your freezer that last anywhere from 6-8 months. Trust us. This is worth both your time and money!

2 plans. The same recipes. 2 different cooking methods. You decide!

How to cook these meal plans (and fast!)

Each meal plan comes with all of these!*

Receive access to ALL the cooking documents for these plans by becoming a Once A Month Meals Member today!*

With a membership, your meal plan comes with:*

A Grocery Shopping List organized by category for faster and easier shopping.
Prep Instructions to help you prepare all your ingredients ahead of time.
Step-by-step Cooking Day Instructions for fast and efficient freezer cooking.
Individual Recipe Cards with detailed cooking and freezing instructions.
Printable Labels for your freezer bags with thawing and reheating instructions.
A Thaw Sheet for a full list of your menu’s defrosting or reheating instructions.
*See a sample of our cooking documents here!

*Paid memberships only have access to printable resources. Free memberships only allow 5 recipes per meal plan.

Adjust the Serving Size!

You can also adjust this meal plan to whatever serving size you need! Freezer Cook for 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, and more (as well as anything in-between!)

Soup, Stew & Chili Recipes Include:

Italian Beef Stew (Slow Cooker Version | Instant Pot Version)
Gluten Free Dairy Free Cherry Pork Chili (Slow Cooker Version | Instant Pot Version)
Mexican Pork and Sweet Potato Stew (Slow Cooker Version | Instant Pot Version)
Veggie Taco Chili with Brown Rice (Slow Cooker Version | Instant Pot Version)
Chicken Taco Soup (Slow Cooker Version | Instant Pot Version)
Thai Coconut Soup (Slow Cooker Version | Instant Pot Version)
White Chicken Chili (Slow Cooker Version | Instant Pot Version)

Within each meal plan, you will make 2 of each of these recipes to maximize your time, money, and ingredients! (Ingredients are listed to make one, but your meal plan instructions will give instructions for doubling!) So when you’re done, you’ll have 14 soup, stews, and chilis ready for dinner at a moment’s notice!

*Keep in mind that a free membership will not give you access to resources- only to the recipes** **Free memberships only allow 5 recipes per meal plan**

The post 2-n-1 Soups, Stews, and Chilis Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Meal Plan appeared first on Once A Month Meals.

2-n-1 Budget Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Meal Plan

Tricia — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 12:30:08 +0000

Easy, Freezable, Make Ahead Budget-Friendly Recipes with Dump and Go Ingredients!

5 Budget-Friendly Recipes that Double to Make 10 Dinners for the Slow Cooker OR the Instant Pot! (Put these together in less than 1 hour!)

Seriously, you can make these freezer meals together in under 1 hour! That is 10 meals, already prepared, assembled in 6 minutes per meal, straight into your freezer that last anywhere from 6-8 months. Trust us. This is worth both your time and money!

2 Meal Plans. The Same Recipes. 2 Different Cooking Methods. You Decide!

Instant POT Version » Slow Cooker version »

How To Cook These Meal Plans (and Fast!)

Each Meal Plans Comes with all these!*

Receive access to ALL the cooking documents for these meal plans by becoming a Once A Month Meals Member! **

With a membership*, your meal plan comes with:

A Grocery Shopping List organized by category for faster and easier shopping.
Prep Instructions to help you prepare all your ingredients ahead of time.
Step-by-step Cooking Day Instructions for fast and efficient freezer cooking.
Individual Recipe Cards with detailed cooking and freezing instructions.
Printable Labels for your freezer bags with thawing and reheating instructions.
A Thaw Sheet for a full list of your menu’s defrosting or reheating instructions.
*See a sample of our cooking documents here!

Build meal plans for FREE!

Create a no-credit-card-needed OAMM membership account to explore and see if OAMM is the right fit for YOU!

You’ll be able to:

search the 13,500+ freezer recipe database with hundreds of filters available.
build and save for later use up to 3 meal plans of 5 recipes each.
favorite recipes you find and want to try later or have cooked and love.

*For more information on paid vs free membership check this out.

Adjust the Serving Size!

You can also adjust this meal plan to whatever serving size you need! Freezer Cook for 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10 and more (as well as anything in-between!)

2-n-1 Budget Recipes Include:

Honey Bourbon Chicken (Slow Cooker Version | Instant Pot Version)
Cheeseburger Meatball Sandwiches (Slow Cooker Version | Instant Pot Version)
Orange Chicken (Slow Cooker Version | Instant Pot Version)
Super Bowl Chili (Slow Cooker Version | Instant Pot Version)
Creamy Sloppy Joes (Slow Cooker Version | Instant Pot Version)

Within each meal plan, you will make 2 of each of these recipes to maximize your time, money and ingredients! (Ingredients are listed to make one, but your meal plan instructions will give instructions for doubling!) So when you’re done, you’ll have 10 meals ready for dinner at a moments notice!

The post 2-n-1 Budget Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Meal Plan appeared first on Once A Month Meals.

101 Instant Pot Freezer Meals

Once a Month Meals — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 12:24:06 +0000

**This post may contain affiliate links, but we promise only to point you to products we use and love!**

Freezer meals + your Instant Pot = the easiest meals ever!

The Instant Pot (or more commonly known as the programmable pressure cooker) is our favorite kitchen appliance here at Once A Month Meals.

Why?

Because you can cook meals straight from frozen… ? The beautiful thing about Instant Pot Freezer Meals!

No thawing required! Assemble these recipes in record time, freeze them for later, and then cook your meals directly from the freezer.

At Once A Month Meals we specialize in meal planning for the freezer. With that said, we have loads of resources, tips, and Instant Pot Meal Plans to introduce, and get you started with freezer cooking for your Instant Pot!

INSTANT POT Freezer MEal Plans INSTANT POT freezer RECIPES

Instant Pot Resources

What is an Instant Pot? (Includes a Buyers Guide!)
4 Ways to Transform Your Freezer Cooking with an Instant Pot
Instant Pot Tips and Tricks 101: Our best tips for Instant Pot recipes!
Troubleshooting Instant Pot Recipes: Hints on adjusting, adapting, converting and more!
Crock-Pot VS Instant Pot: Pros, Cons, Recipes, Videos & more!
Pot-in-Pot Method: Learn what and how this method works!

Instant Pot Tips & Tricks

Get started with an Instant Pot Meal Plan

Instant Pot Meal Plans* come with:

Organized Grocery Shopping List
Prep Instructions
Step-by-step Cooking Instructions
Individual Recipe cards
Labels
Thaw sheet

*Only paid memberships receive these resources with their meal plans. Consider upgrading your free account if you are interested in receiving these resources with your meal plans.

Learn how to create your own custom Instant Pot Meal Plan from these recipes using our Freezer Meal Planning Membership!

Create an Instant Pot Freezer Meal Plan for FREE on us with free membership!

Just remember, with a paid membership, you can customize the recipes, serving sizes.

Instant Pot Freezer Meals

Members must be logged in to add the Once A Month Meals freezer meal versions of these recipes to a custom freezer meal plan. Learn more about membership here.

Instant Pot CHICKEN & POULTRY Recipes

Instant Pot Balsamic Chicken with Pears & Mushrooms
Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken
Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Gyros via 365 Days of Crockpot (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Shells
Instant Pot Butter Chicken via The Typical Mom (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Buttermilk Herb Chicken
Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore via The Typical Mom (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Cream Sauce
Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas via Mommy Hates Cooking (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Chicken Pesto Stuffed Shells
Instant Pot Chicken Ranch and Rice Soup
Instant Pot Chicken Taco Filling
Instant Pot Chicken Taco Soup
Instant Pot Chicken Teriyaki via I Save A to Z (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Chili Garlic Meatballs
Instant Pot Cream Of Chicken Soup via By Pink (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Creamy Chicken with Mushroom
Instant Pot Creamy Paleo Pumpkin Pasta with Chicken
Instant Pot Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken
Instant Pot Honey Bourbon Chicken (Gluten Free Dairy Free Version)
Instant Pot Honey Mustard Chicken
Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Lasagna
Instant Pot Indian Spiced Roast Chicken
Instant Pot Keto Friendly BBQ Wings via I Save A to Z (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Lemon Chicken (Gluten Free Dairy Free Version)
Instant Pot Lemon Chicken (Traditional Version)
Instant Pot Moo Goo Gai Pan via Gluten Free Pressure Cooker (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Ridiculously Delicious Roast Chicken
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos via Or Whatever You Do (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Spicy Teriyaki Chicken
Instant Pot Sweet and Tangy BBQ Chicken
Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken Drumsticks via Mommy Hates Cooking (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Teriyaki Honey Chicken
Instant Pot Thai Chicken Thighs via 365 Days of Crockpot (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Stew
Instant Pot Whole Chicken with Vegetables via Recipes that Crock (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Risotto with Chicken and Mushrooms via Gluten Free Pressure Cooker (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)

Instant Pot BEEF Recipes

Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli via I Save A to Z (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Beef Street Tacos via Or Whatever You Do (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Brown Sugar Glazed Meatloaf
Instant Pot Copycat Stouffer’s Lasagna
Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage via Gutsy By Nature (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Enchilada Meatballs
Instant Pot Granny’s Italian Beef
Instant Pot Healthy Roots Chili
Instant Pot Hearty Beef Stew
Instant Pot Hearty Paleo Vegetable Soup
Instant Pot Italian Beef Sammies
Instant Pot Mediterranean Beef via Amee’s Savory Dish (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Paleo Mongolian Beef
Instant Pot Pineapple Beef Teriyaki
Instant Pot Short Ribs Korean Style via Gluten Free Pressure Cooker (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Southwestern Casserole
Instant Pot Spaghetti via The Typical Mom (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells (Traditional Version)
Instant Pot Tender Braised Short Ribs
Instant Pot Teriyaki Meatballs
Instant Pot Tomato Basil and Beef Soup
Instant Pot Vegetable Soup
Instant Pot Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joe’s

Instant Pot PORK Recipes

Instant Pot Apple BBQ Pulled Pork
Instant Pot Balsamic Pork Loin (Traditional Version)
Instant Pot Cajun Sausage and Beans via 365 Days of Crockpot (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Cherry Pork Chili
Instant Pot Dijon Pork Loin Roast
Instant Pot Egg Rolls in a Bowl via Gluten Free Pressure Cooker (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Garlic Pork Roast
Instant Pot Honey Pork Chops
Instant Pot Mocha-Rubbed Pot Roast via Nom Nom Paleo (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Orange-Apricot Pork Chops
Instant Pot Paleo Pulled Pork
Instant Pot Pork and Pumpkin
Instant Pot Pork Paprikash
Instant Pot Pork Stroganoff via The Typical Mom (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Pork Tacos
Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin Teriyaki via Or Whatever You Do (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Rotel Queso Dip
Instant Pot Sausage Egg Casserole
Instant Pot Split Pea Soup via The Typical Mom (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Pork via Gluten Free Pressure Cooker (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Root Beer Pulled Pork
Instant Pot Rosemary Pork Roast with Fall Vegetables
Instant Pot Sweet and Spicy Pork Roast

Instant Pot VEGETARIAN/MEATLESS Recipes

Instant Pot Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna Rolls
Instant Pot Braised Kale and Carrots via Nom Nom Paleo (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Creamy Tomato Soup via The Pinning Mama (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Fire Roasted Tomato Soup via Maria Makes (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Homemade Applesauce
Instant Pot Lentil Vegetable Soup via Healthy Slow Cooking (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Minestrone via The Typical Mom (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Pumpkin Black Bean Tamale Bake
Instant Pot Pumpkin Coconut Black Beans
Instant Pot Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese
Instant Pot Savory Pumpkin Risotto
Instant Pot Skinny Broccoli Cheddar Soup via 365 Days of Crockpot (Freezer Meal Recipe Version)
Instant Pot Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas
Instant Pot Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells (Vegetarian Version)
Instant Pot Vegetable Lasagna

Instant Pot SEAFOOD Recipes

More Instant Pot resources:

SaveSave

The post 101 Instant Pot Freezer Meals appeared first on Once A Month Meals.

101 Four and Five Ingredient Freezer Meal Recipes

Once a Month Meals — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 12:23:14 +0000

Please tell us we’re not the only ones whose freezer has been running low on freezer meals.

It’s witching hour and I’m contemplating another glass of wine or another cup of coffee and wondering how we’re going to feed all these hungry people (including ourselves). So we stand in the kitchen and sip our beverage of choice while scrolling Pinterest for EASY four or five-ingredient recipes –– hopefully, and preferably ones we already have ingredients for! Anybody else?

Since we’ve been there and we know what it’s like, we decided to help and round up 101 Four and Five Ingredient recipes for you!

The best part is they are ALL freezer-friendly so you can plan a cooking day and hopefully won’t end up hopeless in the kitchen with a glass of wine!

Make a Meal Plan and Be Prepared With These Recipes!

With membership*, you have access to all of our recipes (including these!) and ALL of our meal plans! You can customize one of our already curated meal plans, or create your own from scratch! You could even use this list to make a 4/5 ingredient meal plan!

LEARN MORE CREATE A CUSTOM MEal Plan

*Learn more about the benefits of different levels of membership here.

Build meal plans for FREE!

Create a no-credit-card-needed OAMM membership account to explore and see if OAMM is the right fit for YOU!

You’ll be able to:

search the 13,500+ freezer recipe database with hundreds of filters available.
build and save for later use up to 3 meal plans of 5 recipes each.
favorite recipes you find and want to try later or have cooked and love.

*For more information on paid vs free membership check this out.

Check out all 101 Four and Five Ingredient Freezer Meal Recipes!

Please note: We did not count salt, pepper, or water as an ingredient!

Happy cooking!

To view the freezer version of our blog partner recipes, you will need to log in with your Once a Month Meals Membership.

KID-FRIENDLY

1. Toddler-ific Pizza Snack Cups
2. Mom’s Sloppy Joes
3. Toddler Chicken Bites
4. Baked Chicken Nuggets
5. Kid-Friendly Chicken and Broccoli Quesadilla
6. BBQ Chicken Bites
7. Ham and Cheese Egg Rolls
8. Homemade Poptarts
9. Corn Dog Muffins
10. Homemade Uncrustables
11. Ham and Cheese Picnic Pinwheels
12. Kid-Approved Breakfast Burritos
13. Kid-Friendly Chicken Pesto Wraps
14. Homemade Pancake Mix

SLOW COOKER

15. Slow Cooker Ranch Pork Chops
16. Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham (freezer version)
17. Slow Cooked Buffalo Chicken
18. Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats
19. Easter Pork Loin
20. Creamy Chicken with Mushrooms
21. Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken with Pears and Mushrooms
22. Slow Cooker Thai Beef
23. Gluten Free Dairy Free Pesto Ranch Chicken

INSTANT POT

24. Instant Pot Maple Mustard Chicken
25. Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps – Traditional Version
26. Instant Pot “Light” Cream Cheese Chicken
27. Instant Pot OAMM’S Favorite Beef Pot Roast
28. Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken
29. Instant Pot Creamy Italian Chicken
30. Instant Pot Cranberry Chicken
31. Instant Pot Ranch Pork Chops
32. Instant Pot BBQ Beef Sandwiches
33. Instant Pot Pesto Ranch Chicken

BREAKFAST

34. Breakfast Quinoa (freezer version)
35. Gluten Free Dairy Free Breakfast Bites
36. Strawberry Pancakes
37. Blueberry and Peach Empanadas
38. Paleo Beef Sausage and Broccoli Egg Muffins
39. Breakfast Tortilla Roll
40. Tater Tot Casserole Muffins
41. Blueberry Breakfast Grilled Cheese
42. Gluten Free Dairy Free Omelet in a Cup
43. Warm Cinnamon Swirls

VEGETARIAN

44. Vegetarian Buffalo Chicken Bagel Pizzas
45. Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
46. Spinach Pie
47. Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta
48. Vegetarian Bacon Avocado Melt
49. Slow Cooker Vegan Pesto Chicken
50. Chilled Spaghetti Salad
51. Vegetarian Cheeseburger Cauliflower
52. Tomato Tortellini Soup
53. Spinach Mushroom Breakfast Wrap

GLUTEN FREE DAIRY FREE

54. Gluten Free Dairy Free Pesto Ranch Chicken
55. Gluten Free Dairy Free Maple Mustard Chicken
56. Gluten Free Dairy Free Slow Cooker Chicken Caesar Sandwich
57. Gluten Free Dairy Free Lemon Chicken
58. Gluten Free Dairy Free Southwest Chicken Burgers
59. Gluten Free Dairy Free Zesty BBQ Chicken
60. Gluten Free Dairy Free Chicken Pinwheels
61. Gluten Free Dairy Free Santa Fe Chicken Packets
62. Gluten Free Dairy Free Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

CHICKEN

63. Easy Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas (freezer version)
64. One-Dish Queso Chicken Bake (freezer version)
65. Cream Cheese Chicken
66. Black Bean and Corn Chicken Taco Bake (freezer version)
67. Pineapple Salsa Chicken Bake
68. Paleo Buffalo Chicken Wings
69. Spicy Peach Chicken Sliders
70. Peachy BBQ Chicken
71. Buffalo Chicken Rolls
72. Pesto Ranch Chicken
73. Grilled Spinach Stuffed Chicken
74. Paleo Garlic Ginger Chicken With Bok Choy
75. Light Cream Cheese Chicken
76. Chicken Alfredo Pierogie
77. Chicken Stuffing Bake
78. Cranberry Chicken
79. Sun-Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken
80. Summer Chicken Salad
81. Teriyaki Honey Chicken
82. Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken
83. Grilled BBQ Chicken Quesadillas
84. Paprika Chicken and Rice Bake
85. Instant Pot Zesty BBQ Chicken
86. Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken
87. Mexican Chicken
88. Spicy BBQ Stuffed Chicken Breast 89. Easy Chicken Parmesan Bake (freezer version)

BEEF

90. BBQ Beef Sandwiches
91. Meatballs with Amazing Sauce (freezer version)
92. Easy Hand-Held Pot Pies (freezer version)
93. Easy Pinwheel Steaks (freezer version)
94. Italian Beef Sammies
95. Queso Mac and Cheese
96. Ranch Cheddar Burgers
97. Buffalo Bleu Cheese Burgers
98. Tomato Basil Hamburgers
99. Bacon Bleu Burgers
100. Kaylee’s Casserole
101. Tacos in a Sleeping Bag

Additional Resources:

The post 101 Four and Five Ingredient Freezer Meal Recipes appeared first on Once A Month Meals.

101 Fall Freezer Meals

Tricia — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 12:20:11 +0000

We have 101 fall freezer meals to keep you feeling cozy, warm, and sane through the back to school and holiday season.

The air is cool, the leaves are turning, and dreams of soups, stews, and chilis are dancing in your head! If ONLY you had time to prepare those fabulous tasting meals for every night of the week. Well, you can! Here are our favorite fall recipes. Complete with freezing instructions, you can make ahead, and freeze them for the perfect fall day. Not only that, these are seasonal recipes, meaning you will save money buying produce ripe in this season.

Fall Meal Plans!

Fall Full Meal plan – 30 Meals Fall Mini Meal Plan – 10 Meals

For you visual types, check out our Pinterest boards full of Fall Freezer Meals.

Other Seasonal Recipes!

If you happened to stumble onto this post during the wrong season, check out our seasonal posts for Winter, Summer, or Spring!

If you’re interested in only slow cooker recipes for fall, check these out too!

ALL SLOW COOKER MEal Plans ALL SLOW COOKER RECIPES

Learn how to create your own custom meal plan from these recipes using our Membership.

Create a no-credit-card-needed OAMM membership account to explore and see if OAMM is the right fit for YOU!

You’ll be able to:

search the 13,500+ freezer recipe database with hundreds of filters available.
build and save for later use up to 3 meal plans of 5 recipes each.
favorite recipes you find and want to try later or have cooked and love.
view nutritional data of each recipe.

*For more information on paid vs free membership check this out.

Quick Key to Recipe Types

None of these recipes have appeared on our previous 101 Spring or 101 Summer lists!

** dump and go recipe (little to no cooking on your big day)

+ slow cooker recipe

Dinners

Paprika Chicken & Rice Bake**
Slow Cooker Carnitas + (Instant Pot Version)
Pork & Apples (GFDF) **
Apple Pie Pork Chops + ** (Instant Pot Version)
Vegan Spinach Meatballs
Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Cream Sauce (Instant Pot Version)
Pumpkin Black Bean Tamale Bake** (Instant Pot Version)
Butternut Squash Lasagna**
Vegan Stuffed Acorn Squash**
Beef and Butternut Squash Stew (GFDF)** +
Chicken, Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash ** + (Instant Pot Version)
Thai Curry with Beef Brisket** + (Instant Pot Version)
Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers **
Sweet Potato Chicken Casserole (GFDF)**
Sweet Potato and Ham Burgers**
Sweet Potato Chili** +
Mexican Pork and Sweet Potato Stew** + (Instant Pot Version)
Cranberry Chicken** + (Instant Pot Version)
Vegan Pistachio-Cranberry “Chicken”**
Rosemary Pot Roast** + (Instant Pot Version)
Shepherd’s Pie
Hearty Beef Stew** + (Instant Pot Version)
Buffalo Chicken Shepherd’s Pie
OAMM Favorite Pot Roast** + (Instant Pot Version)
Slow Cooker Stuffed Acorn Squash** +
Slow Cooker Curried Coconut Chicken Soup** + (Instant Pot Version)
Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef** + (Instant Pot Version)
Slow Cooker BBQ Meatballs** + (Instant Pot Version)
Italian Sausage Risotto
Chicken Stuffing Bake

Lunches

Breakfasts

Side Dishes

Snacks/Desserts

The post 101 Fall Freezer Meals appeared first on Once A Month Meals.

DIY Single Serving Meal Prep Bowls

Tricia — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 12:17:07 +0000

Master the Art of Meal Prep with Single Serving Meal Prep Bowls!

Looking to streamline your meals without sacrificing flavor or nutrition?

Meet your new secret weapon: MEAL PREP BOWLS!

In today’s fast-paced world, finding time to prepare healthy meals can often feel like a challenge. However, with the right approach, meal prep can become a simple and rewarding part of your routine. Single serving meal prep bowls offer a convenient and eco-friendly solution for individuals looking to prioritize their health while minimizing their environmental impact.

Here’s why you need them in your life:

Portion Control: Glass bowls are the perfect vessel for portioning out single servings of your favorite meals. This ensures that you’re not overeating and helps you maintain a healthy diet.

Effortless Organization: Say goodbye to chaotic meal planning! With meal prep bowls, you can organize your ingredients in advance, making it easier than ever to stick to your healthy eating goals.

Time-Saving Convenience: Busy schedule? No problem! Spend less time cooking during the week by prepping your meals ahead of time. With meal prep bowls, you can whip up delicious dishes in minutes, leaving you with more time to enjoy life outside the kitchen.

Customizable Creations: The beauty of meal prep bowls lies in their versatility. Mix and match your favorite proteins, grains, veggies, and sauces to create endless flavor combinations that cater to your unique tastes and dietary preferences.

Sustainability: By using glass bowls instead of disposable containers, you’re reducing waste and doing your part for the environment. Glass is also non-toxic and free from harmful chemicals found in some plastics.

So what’s the best way to prepare meal prep bowl recipes? Some people prefer to a recipe and eat off that recipe for a week, keeping it in the refrigerator. Others make a variety of meals and keep some in the freezer and bring them over to the fridge when they’re ready to eat.

What are the benefits of freezing your meal prep bowls?

Extended Shelf Life: By freezing your meal prep bowls you preserve their quality and freshness for an extended period of time. This allows you to not worry about them spoiling quickly.

Reduction of Food Waste: Freezing meal prep bowls helps to reduce food waste by preserving ingredients that might otherwise spoil. This is particularly beneficial for using up perishable ingredients or leftovers.

Reduced Stress: Freezing meal prep bowls can help reduce mealtime stress, because you now have pre-prepared meals ready to go whenever you need them. This can be particularly helpful during busy periods or when unexpected events disrupt your usual meal routine.

Healthier Eating Habits: When you have nutritious meal prep bowls readily available in the freezer it encourages healthier eating habits. You’re less likely to opt for unhealthy convenience foods or fast food when you have wholesome, homemade meals at your fingertips.

Cost-Effective: Freezing meal prep bowls can be cost-effective, as you can take advantage of bulk purchasing and sales to buy ingredients in larger quantities.

Variety: Freezing meal prep bowls enables you to create a variety of meals in advance, ensuring that you have diverse options to choose from throughout the week. You can experiment with different recipes, flavors, and ingredients to keep your meals interesting.

MEAL PREP BOWL MINI FREEZER MEAL PLAN

Single serving glass bowl meal prep offers a simple yet effective way to eat healthily and sustainably, even when life gets busy. By investing a little time and effort upfront, you can enjoy delicious, homemade meals all week long while minimizing your environmental footprint. So why not give it a try? Get started today with the Meal Prep Bowl Mini Freezer Meal Plan to help you get started on this concept. It has 5 delicious recipes so you’ll end up with 40 meal prep bowls ready to grab from your freezer whenever the urge strikes!

Get the MEAL PLAN

FEATURED RECIPES INCLUDE:

Create a no-credit-card-needed OAMM membership account to explore and see if OAMM is the right fit for YOU!

You’ll be able to:

search the 13,500+ freezer recipe database with hundreds of filters available.
build and save for later use up to 3 meal plans of 5 recipes each.
favorite recipes you find and want to try later or have cooked and love.

*For more information on paid vs free membership check this out.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Check out our Amazon store for suggested meal prep containers as well as other fun items, meal prep related and beyond! We’ve also listed these other great meal prep resources that we think you’ll find helpful.

The post DIY Single Serving Meal Prep Bowls appeared first on Once A Month Meals.

How to Cook and Package Single Serving Freezer Meals

Tricia — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 12:16:00 +0000

We’ve talked about How to Gift Freezer Meals, but we also want to get a little more specific and talk about how to cook and package single serving freezer meals.

This is a unique cooking method, but it can be applied to a surprising number of people and circumstances. It can be used for those who regularly cook for only one or two. But single serving meals are also perfect for gifting.

A family with children might appreciate a 13×9 full of casserole, but many who would most appreciate a meal only need a single portion: singles, elderly, college and careers, first-time moms, those with special diets or allergies, or someone who is ill, recovering or housebound.

We have lots of tips and tricks for what to cook and how to package it, including a video at the end!

What to Cook in Single Servings

Not to brag, but Menu Builder is pretty amazing. You can easily choose how many portions you need for your cooking day and all of your documents are adjusted accordingly. With single servings, you just need to remember that the system is programmed to give you enough to eat each meal twice. So if you input 2 servings, you will end up with 4 servings total (input 4 servings, you get 8 total, etc.)

**Here are a few guidelines to help you choose what to cook:**

If you are planning to eat these meals for lunch, choose meals you don’t usually eat for dinner. You don’t want to have leftovers of a meal and have that same meal in the freezer.
Choose a “fancy” meal and a “simple” side OR a “simple” meal with a “fancy” side. Basically, you want to choose one item that is less labor-intensive with each meal. (The following Simple Sides are now listed in Menu Builder and can be added to menus: white rice, brown rice, peas, broccoli, mashed potatoes, carrots, green beans, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, corn, zucchini and summer squash, pasta and marinara, and creamy mashed potatoes. You can search for them by keyword.)
Choose items tagged as lunch items in Menu Builder or search our recipe page using the filter. Lunch items are designed to be completely cooked on a cooking day and simply reheated on the serving day. Perfect for single servings! (Note: You could use slow cooker dinner items, but be aware that you will have to adjust the directions to cook on serving day since Menu Builder will not do this for you.)
Choose meals that are prepared in different ways so that you can spread out the labor between appliances. For example, choose no more than 2 baked items (each takes approximately 2 hours) or 2 slow cooker items (they take up time and space).
We recommend 5 “fancy” items (or labor-intensive items) paired with 3 “simple” items (dump and go or simple cooking). This cooking day might be a little more labor-intensive because all meals are cooked on the serving day.

Get started with one of our Multicourse Mini Meal Plans, which we designed specifically for sharing and for single serving portions.

Get Multicourse Mini Meal Plans

Create a no-credit-card-needed OAMM membership account to explore and see if OAMM is the right fit for YOU!

You’ll be able to:

search the 13,500+ freezer recipe database with hundreds of filters available.
build and save for later use up to 3 meal plans of 5 recipes each.
favorite recipes you find and want to try later or have cooked and love.

*For more information on paid vs free membership check this out.

Create Your Own Lunch Bowls

Here is another great idea for lunch bowls (although they could be dinner too!) from Picky Palate. Here are some Once a Month Meals recipes that would work well in these bowls also. You can mix and match for variety. For Paleo bowls, just leave out the grains. All of the vegetables are Paleo friendly.

Create Your Own Meal Plan

Don’t forget to peruse our Better Than The Freezer Aisle series. All of these are copycat versions of popular store-bought freezer meals, which as you know are generally single portions. We have offerings across our range of meal plans.

How to Package Single Servings

A single serving of Chicken Parmesan Mini Meatloaf with pasta and marinara and peas.

The possibilities are endless where containers are concerned! Here are a few suggestions:

If you have a meal and sides that need to remain separate use a divided container. If you have an all in one or a lunch bowl type meal, then you can go for one without any dividers.

Make sure you take a look at Tricia’s video tutorial on single serving freezer cooking before you start cooking.

For more tips on how to package and share freezer meals, see our post from yesterday.

Another refresher on the details for Freeze it Forward in case you are just joining us:

The challenge: Gift a freezer meal and share with the OAMM community using #freezeitforward or in the comments below.

The goal: The one who gives and one who receives will be both full and fulfilled.

The post How to Cook and Package Single Serving Freezer Meals appeared first on Once A Month Meals.

Rotisserie Chicken Freezer Meal Plans

Tricia — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 12:15:30 +0000

When I dueted Katie’s deboning a rotisserie chicken video and posted it on Instagram I had no idea that it would go viral! But nearly 11 million views later, here we are!

Who knew deboning a chicken could be so divisive?

Have you ever tried this technique?

Even Jenna and Hoda have tried it, why not you?

With this technique you put the warm rotisserie chicken (or whole cooked chicken) into a ziplock bag – which you likely have plenty on hand if you are a freezer cook. Gently massage the chicken, loosening up all the joints and bones. Then carefully remove the bones/carcass from the chicken. It separates easily. You will want to go through and make sure that you got any small bones or cartilage out but it debones quickly and easily.

Whether you use this technique or have one that you prefer, we have created a couple of freezer meal plans PERFECT for your cooked rotisserie chicken.

These meal plans ONLY contain meals that use already cooked and shredded chicken. If you prefer not to use rotisserie chicken, deboned; you can use cooked, shredded chicken of any kind, breasts, thighs, legs, etc. The meal plans themselves list cooked and shredded chicken breast but we have also included the conversion to rotisserie chicken for you below.

Make these meal plans NOW or save them for the next time chicken goes on sale!

Rotisserie Chicken 3 Recipe Freezer Meal Plan

Embark on your freezer meal prep journey with our beginner-friendly 3 Recipe 6 Meal Freezer Meal Plan, curated specifically for those new to the art of freezer cooking!

Dive into the ease and convenience of preparing wholesome meals ahead of time using just three delicious recipes that double to provide six mouthwatering meals.

Featuring simple yet flavorful dishes crafted with convenience in mind, this meal plan is perfect for busy individuals seeking to streamline their meal prep routine.

From comforting casseroles to savory stews, each recipe is designed to be effortlessly assembled and enjoyed whenever hunger strikes.

Take the first step towards stress-free meal prep and unlock the magic of freezer cooking with our 3 Recipe 6 Meal Freezer Meal Plan today!

Featured Recipes Include:

– Easy Chicken Pot Pie

– Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili

– Chicken & Broccoli Bake

Paid Members access this meal plan here: Rotisserie Chicken 3 Recipe Freezer Meal Plan

New to OAMM? Get it emailed to you WITH RESOURCE DOCUMENTS FREE here:

Rotisserie Chicken 3 Recipe Meal Plan

Name*
First Last
Email*

And if 3 recipes aren’t enough for you. . .consider our 10 Recipe Rotisserie Chicken Meal plan available exclusively to OAMM paid members!

Rotisserie Chicken 10 Recipe Freezer Meal Plan

Now for those who want to go all in with your rotisserie chickens. The bigger meal plan is what you want!

Discover the ultimate solution to meal prep with our 10 Recipe Rotisserie Chicken Freezer Meal Plan! Unlock the convenience of 10 hassle-free recipes featuring versatile rotisserie chicken, meticulously crafted for easy assembly and delicious results.

Each recipe doubles to provide a staggering 20 meals, ensuring your freezer stays stocked with wholesome, homemade goodness. From hearty soups to flavorful casseroles, our meal plan offers a diverse array of dishes to satisfy every palate. Streamline your cooking routine, save time, and enjoy wholesome meals effortlessly with our Rotisserie Chicken Freezer Meal Plan today!

You WILL have to do a little math if you want to use rotisserie chickens (that you have made or already cooked for you) but simply multiply the number of pounds of breast the meal plan indicates by 1.25. And divide by 3.5 to get the number of chickens if you prefer that to pounds. (I know it sounds complicated, but stick with me.)

For example, this meal plan set to 4 servings indicates that you will need to purchase 22 pounds of raw chicken breasts. 22 x 1.25 = 27.5 pounds of raw whole chickens. OR 27.5 divided by 3.5 = 7.85, which we would round up to 8 whole cooked rotisserie chickens.

So for 4 servings you need 8 rotisserie chickens. That is a nice even number so if you set your documents to 2 servings, that would be 4 chickens. 6 servings, 12 chickens. 8 servings, 16 chickens. You get it, right? (If you don’t, just reach out to our team via chat or email and we will be happy to make sure you get it right.)

Featured Recipes Include:

– Easy Chicken Pot Pie

– Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili

– Chicken & Broccoli Bake

– Slow Cooker Pesto Chicken Alfredo Casserole

– Buffalo Chicken Cheese Balls

– Chicken Roll Ups

– Chicken Pesto Sandwiches

– Sour Cream Enchiladas

– Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

– BBQ Chicken Enchiladas

Paid Members access this meal plan here: Rotisserie Chicken 10 Recipe Freezer Meal Plan

**In order to get the downloadable resources (grocery list, prep list, step-by-step assembly instructions, scaled to your servings recipe cards, labels and thaw sheet) for the 10 recipe meal plan, you will need to have a paid OAMM membership – $15/month; $40/quarter; $150/year. (See details below).

Additional Resources:

The post Rotisserie Chicken Freezer Meal Plans appeared first on Once A Month Meals.

Fall Peak Produce Picks

Once a Month Meals — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 12:14:00 +0000

“You know, I really just don’t like fall.” Said no one ever! We could all use a drop in temperature (of course without them getting too low), nature takes on its most beautiful hues, and our taste buds all welcome the warm, spicy, sweet, and tangy flavors of fall produce. It is obvious that 99% of the world has gone absolutely crazy for pumpkin, but there are a wide variety of fall flavors that are just as tasty.

Use our Fall Peak Produce Picks list as you start to see new items appear at your farmer’s market and in your CSA boxes. Happy harvest!

Pro Tip: All of our meal plans are based on seasonal produce to save you money and give you the best flavor. However, you can use lists like this one to create custom meal plans based on what is freshest in your local market.

Apples

Hot Peppers (substitute fresh for canned this time of year!)

Pears

Sausage Pear Breakfast Casserole
Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken with Pears and Mushrooms ( Instant Pot Version )
Cinnamon Pear Popovers
Pear Streusel Muffins or Pear Gorgonzola Walnut Pizza
Pear Pineapple Mini Gelatin Cups
Freezable Slow Cooker Pear Oatmeal Maple
Cinnamon Apple-Pear Sauce (can be served as baby food!)

Greens (Spinach, Kale, Collards)

Winter Squash

Pumpkin

Sweet Potato

Cranberries

The post Fall Peak Produce Picks appeared first on Once A Month Meals.

How to Freeze Apples

Once a Month Meals — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 12:13:00 +0000

Learn how to easily freeze your abundance of seasonal apples!

Fall is our favorite time of year, and we’ve eagerly looked forward to fall apple picking. If you’ve made a recent trip to a local apple orchard with your kids, we’re sure it’s resulted in a huge box of apples!

We’ve enjoyed munching on them fresh with toffee apple dip, and Apple Pie Pork Chops, but we have also frozen much of our abundance.

How to Freeze Apples:

Peel, core, and slice the apples.
*If you just have a few apples, a paring knife or vegetable peeler works, but if you have a large quantity, a peeler/corer/slicer tool is very useful and saves a lot of time.
Sprinkle chopped/sliced apples with lemon juice to prevent apples from turning brown.
*You can even add spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg along with some sugar to have seasoned apples ready for apple pies or apple crisp!
Portion apples into freezer bags or other containers, seal, label, and freeze!

Things to Note: It’s important to know that freezing apples will change the consistency and when thawed they will become mushy. You won’t be crunching on them for a snack.

Ways to Use Frozen Apples

Make homemade applesauce, we even have an Instant Pot Version!
Puree and use as a substitute for oil or eggs in baked goods such as muffins.
Make apple pie, apple crisp, or apple cake (toddlers, breakfast, and dessert).
Add to hot, cooked oatmeal.
Make apple cinnamon muffins, pancakes, or waffles.
Add cinnamon and sugar, microwave in a bowl until soft, and eat with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.

Our Favorite Apple Recipes

Paleo Apple Glazed Turkey Meatballs

Grilled Apple & Cheese Sandwiches

Apple Strudel Waffles

Apple Walnut Gorgonzola Quesadilla

Instant Pot Apple Pie Pork Chop

Additional Apple Recipes

Spooky Apple Pizza

Oatmeal Apple Pie Bars

Apple Cherry Pork Loin ( Instant Pot Version )

Honey Apple Pork Loin ( Instant Pot Version )

Apple BBQ Pulled Pork ( Instant Pot Version )

BBQ Bacon Apple Chicken ( Instant Pot Version )

Apple Sausage Quiche

Pumpkin Apple Harvest Rice

Juicy Apple Turkey Burgers

Chicken Apple Bacon Sliders

Apple Cider Beef Stew ( Instant Pot Version )

Apple Chicken Nuggets

No Bake Apple Oatmeal Cookies

Apple Cinnamon Pull Apart Rolls

Sweet and Savory Pork Skillet with Apples

Apple Snack Cake

The post How to Freeze Apples appeared first on Once A Month Meals.

How to Freeze Peak Produce

Tricia — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 12:12:00 +0000

The summer heat means farmer’s markets, roadside stands, CSAs, backyard gardens, and even the grocery stores are full of the season’s best produce.

If you are blessed with more than you can eat before it spoils, let us teach you how to freeze peak produce.

Our grandmothers spent many hot hours canning seasonal produce, and this can still be a great way to preserve. However, freezing produce is less time consuming than canning, and produce frozen at the peak of freshness maintains its nutritional value better. You may have noticed that we make an effort to include seasonal produce on our monthly plans. This helps keep the price down as fruits and veggies are most affordable in peak season. Luckily, you get the best taste and best nutritional value at peak season too.

So, using our meal plans is a first step for using up extras from your garden, CSA, etc. But sometimes you need a targeted approach. For instance, if you take your kiddos apple picking and end up with a bushel or two, how do you store those? Maybe you score an unbeatable price on several flats of berries that need to be used up quickly. How do you ensure they don’t go to waste? There are a couple of different ways you can go about freezing produce. Be sure to check out our post on What You Can and Cannot Freeze before you get started.

Create a no-credit-card-needed OAMM membership account to explore and see if OAMM is the right fit for YOU!

You’ll be able to:

search the 13,500+ freezer recipe database with hundreds of filters available.
build and save for later use up to 3 meal plans of 5 recipes each.
favorite recipes you find and want to try later or have cooked and love.
view nutritional data of each recipe.

*For more information on paid vs free membership check this out.

1. Flash Freeze Individual Items

Flash freezing is the technique we get asked about the most! You can simply prep and freeze your bounty in appropriate portions and use them later to bake or create meals. If you have a large freezer and access to lots of produce, you may never have to visit the frozen food aisle again! This technique works quite well with most produce (think foods you would normally find in the freezer aisle), and even some you wouldn’t expect like tomatoes! With certain items, you may want to be careful to freeze them flat so that you don’t end up with a giant clump of unusable fruit. Check out our post on flash freezing for more details. Just don’t forget to label and date your produce so that you can keep track of what you have.

We have a few posts on individual fruits and veggies for your convenience:

2. Prep Items for Easy Meals

Bags of individual items are nice to have, but so are bags that are already mixed and ready to be turned into a quick meal. We focus a lot on freezing full meals around here, but batch cooking can also be a great tool for prepping in bulk items that you use frequently in your kitchen. Think about those quick family favorites or sauces and convenience items that you would rather make from scratch.

Veggies for Stock – Whenever I have extra carrots, celery, or onions (even if it is just an end or a half that I didn’t use), I throw it into a bag in the freezer labeled “stock.” Then the next time I make homemade chicken stock, I just throw it into the pot. Of course, you could also use them for vegetable stock too.
Stir Fry Mixes – Peppers, onions, carrots, broccoli, snow peas – whatever it is that you like in a stir fry you can throw it in. Add meat (or not), seasonings, and rice, and you have yourself a quick and healthy dinner.
Veggie Medley (for soups, casseroles, side dishes) – Again, think about the type of mixes you would purchase in the freezer aisle and simply create your own. You can also make bags of cooking aromatics for recipe starters.
Smoothie Bags – They make a delicious meal on the go or a snack, and you can pack all of the goodness of fresh produce into them ahead of time! Check out our recipes for Fruit and Yogurt Smoothie Bags or Green Smoothie Bags with Yogurt or make your own combo. You can also blend the smoothies on your prep day as is directed in most of our top 10 smoothie recipes.
Condiments and Sauces – You could buy them at the store, but they are always better from scratch. I am thinking specifically of preserving tomatoes (try Marinara a la Seaton, 5 Minute Homemade Salsa, or Homemade Salsa Verde) and herbs (i.e. Pesto Sauce or Flank Steak for Two).
Side Dishes – Our typical focus around here is the main meal, but extra produce is a great opportunity to freeze some side dishes to complete them. We have created several mini meal plans for only seasonal side dishes.

3. Freeze Full Meals

Of course, we can’t end this post without talking about turning your produce into delicious full meals that can be pulled from the freezer whenever you need them. Our plans are already centered around seasonal produce (especially the Real Food, Vegetarian, and Paleo meal plans), but with our MenuBuilder system, you can customize any plan to include the produce that you need to use up. You can search for recipes by an ingredient, but make sure you check out the following posts that highlight the best of each season.

The post How to Freeze Peak Produce appeared first on Once A Month Meals.