Freezer Section Freezer Meals

While I’m sure I didn’t come up with this concept, it is something I teach in my meal planning workshops. Freezer section freezer meals are simple meals that you keep on hand from the freezer section as opposed to making them yourself.

Freezer Stash When You Can’t Cook

The idea was born when my best friend had her first baby 3.5 months after I had my first baby. I wanted to shower her in meals so she could focus on the baby and not have to worry about cooking but I was way too tired myself to prepare them for her. So I went to Trader Joe’s and grabbed a bunch of yummy freezer meals from their freezer section. She was beyond thrilled with them and I continued to utilize them in my own meal planning from then on.

Frozen pizzas are the most basic of a FSFM and pairing them with a bagged salad kit is a great way to go. However, I wanted to showcase 3 other FSFMs that are just as easy and a little bit…fancier. They feel like you tried just a bit more and can totally become a regular part of your meal planning rotation. I also like to keep ingredients on hand for at least one of these at all times for when life happens and my planned dinner falls apart. It saves you from calling the pizza guy!

Trader Joe Mandarin Chicken, Broccoli & Rice

Truly the top dog freezer section freezer meal in our house has to be the Trader Joe Mandarin Chicken. It legit tastes like actual take-out and I’m not the only one who thinks so. It comes together in less tan 15 minutes and my whole family will gobble it up. I like to steam my rice and broccoli at the same time in my rice cooker while the mandarin chicken cooks for a super simple and delicious weeknight meal. The best part? TJ Mandarin Chicken is only $4.99!!

Chicken Kiev, Stuffing & Broccoli

Chicken Kievs are a straight up classic in my family. I think this might have been one of the first dinners I learned to cook as a little girl. You pop the chicken kievs in the oven, make the stuffing on the stove top and steam up some broccoli. What could be easier?!

Sure they aren’t the picture of healthy dinners but they aren’t nearly as bad as drive-thru fare and they make for a very easy dinner. I like to keep four chicken kievs and a bag of steamable broccoli in the freezer and a box of stove top stuffing in the pantry for emergencies. Aside from some butter you literally need nothing else to make this dinner happen. I highly recommend you give this one a try if you’ve never had them. My girls will eat the entire thing because it’s basically a glorified nugget🤣 Make a bagged salad if you want to bump up the nutrition value!

Bertolli Chicken Broccoli Alfredo & Caesar Salad

Frozen pastas have come a long way in the past 20 years. I remember my mom occasionally buying an Encore lasagna when we were growing up and they were not good. So I was quite skeptical to try one of the newer versions on the market but I was pleasantly surprised!

First of all, they mastered the whole “al dente” frozen noodle thing and teh pasta doesn’t taste mushy. Secondly, the meat tastes like it was freshly made. No rubbery chicken here! I will say the say was lacking a bit so I did add about 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese to it and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. It punched it up just enough and I always have Parmesan cheese in my fridge.

Grab a Caesar salad bagged and maybe a take & bake loaf of bread if you’re crew will be extra hungry and call it a day. Meals like these are lifesavers in busy seasons of life. Sure I make my own homemade version of Broccoli Alfredo Pasta but it’s nice to have the option of a super quick meal when I really need it.

Do What Works!

Hopefully these three freezer section freezer meals gave you some ideas for quick and easy dinners you can throw together on a busy weeknight. Don’t let take-out be your fall back, keep one of these meals on hand at all times and you will never be up a creek when it comes to a dinner snafu or evening engagement running late.

I’d love to know your go-to freezer section freezer meal in the comments below! I;m always looking to add new ideas to my rotation. And if you need help getting started with meal planning be sure to check out my FREE Meal Planning Guide below and get started with simple meal planning this week!