20 Make-Ahead Slow Cooker Freezer Meals That Will Save Your Sanity

My slow cooker is my BFF. I use it several times a week, every week. Whoever came up with the idea of make-ahead slow cooker freezer meals is a genius! It's a total time saver.

In just a few hours (including shopping time), you can put together enough meals for a few weeks. That's a healthy, delicious dinner every night with enough for leftovers too!

20 Easy Slow Cooker Meals to Make Ahead and Freeze

Choose recipes your family already enjoys and that adapt well to being frozen first. For example, we don't like to freeze slow cooker meals made with potatoes because they end up losing their appeal after being frozen. But other veggies and fruit (I've got two below!) work great.

I plan out the meals/bags I want to make and head to the store with my list. Buying some items that are already frozen and/or chopped is a great time saver. For example, frozen chicken works well because it's easy to pull out the number I need and not have to worry about them freezing in a big lump.

When I get home, I chop all the onions (and cook them if my recipe calls for that), carrots, celery, etc. I measure out any dry seasonings I need. Then I work in a semi-assembly line until all the bags are filled.

Labeling is so, so important. It's nice to include cooking time and any special instructions like adding water to the slow cooker or adding an ingredient, like sour cream, at the end of cooking time.

13 Meat-based Slow Cooker Freezer Meals

1. Meatballs + Tomato Sauce

16 to 24-ounce bag frozen meatballs (homemade are great, too!)
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

Place all ingredients into a gallon-size freezer bag.

Cook 3–4 hours on high. Serve with cooked pasta, green salad, and garlic bread.

2. Ginger Peach Chicken

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
12-ounce bag frozen peach slices
1 sliced red onion
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoons ground coriander

Place all ingredients into a gallon-size freezer bag.

Cook 4–5 hours on high. Serve with cooked white or brown rice and steamed veggies.

3. Vegetable Beef Stew

2 pounds stew meat
1 diced onion
2 sliced carrots
1 sliced parsnip
1 large rutabaga (peeled and cut into cubes)
½ cup red wine
2 tablespoons beef stock base or 3 bouillon cubes
1-½ cups of water

Place all ingredients except the water into a gallon-size freezer bag.

Add bag contents to a slow cooker, and add 1-½ cups of water. Cook 8–10 hours on low. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice.

4. Teriyaki Chicken

2 pounds chicken thighs
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
¼ cup brown sugar
20-ounce can pineapple chunks (drained)

Place all ingredients into a gallon-size freezer bag.

Cook 8 hours on low. Serve with cooked white or brown rice and green veggies.

5. Pork Country Ribs + BBQ Sauce

2 pounds boneless country pork ribs
16-ounce bottle BBQ sauce (your favorite kind)

Place all ingredients into a gallon-size freezer bag.

Cook 8–10 hours on low. Serve with mashed potatoes, veggies, and salad.

6. Salsa Chicken

2-½ to 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken (breast or thighs)
16-ounce jar of your favorite salsa

Place all ingredients into a gallon-size freezer bag.

Cook 6–7 hours on low. Serving suggestions include rice bowls, tacos, enchilada filling, nachos, and burritos. Serves 4–8, maybe more depending on how it's used after cooking.

7. Sausage Lentil Soup

12–14 ounces sliced kielbasa sausage
2 cups brown lentils
2 carrots, diced
1 celery rib, diced
1 diced onion
3 minced garlic cloves
15-ounce can diced tomatoes
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 quarts water or stock

For best flavor, brown the kielbasa and diced onion and let them cool completely before adding to the freezer bag (optional, but results in a better flavor and texture). Then place all ingredients except 2 quarts of water or stock into a gallon-size freezer bag.

Add 2 quarts of water or stock to the slow cooker before cooking. Cook 4–5 hours on high. Serve with fresh bread and/or rice.

8. Sloppy Joes

1 pound ground meat (pork, turkey, chicken, or beef)
1 diced onion
1 diced green bell pepper
15-ounce can tomato sauce (or 6-ounce can tomato paste mixed with 1 cup water)
1 Sloppy Joes seasoning mix packet

Place all ingredients into a gallon-size freezer bag.

Cook 3–4 hours on high. Serve with buns and veggie fries.

9. Cranberry-Mustard Pork

3- to 4-pound pork roast (loin, shoulder, butt)
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
½ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon brown or Dijon mustard
1 diced onion
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
zest and juice of 1 orange

Place all ingredients into a gallon-size freezer bag.

Cook 8–10 hours on low. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice and steamed broccoli.

10. Beef Stroganoff

2 pounds stew meat
1 pound sliced mushrooms
1 diced onion
½ cup red wine
1 tablespoon beef stock paste (or 2 bouillon cubes)
1 cup water
½ cup sour cream

Place all ingredients except water and sour cream into a gallon-size freezer bag.

Add 1 cup of water to the slow cooker before cooking. Cook 8 hours on low. Stir in ½ cup sour cream just before serving (do not freeze with other ingredients or add at the beginning of the cooking time, or it will curdle). Serve with rice or noodles.

11. Sweet and Sour Meatballs

20-ounce package of frozen meatballs
½ cup sliced onions
½ cup sliced peppers
10 ounces sweet and sour sauce
12 ounces grape jelly
1 cup water or stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients except for water or stock into a gallon-size freezer bag.

Add 1 cup of water or stock at the beginning of the cooking time. Cook 3–4 hours on high or 4–6 on low. Enjoy with rice noodles or grain of choice.

12. Chicken Tortilla Soup

2–3 chicken thighs (boneless & skinless)
10-ounce bag of frozen corn
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can Rotel
½ cup diced peppers
¾ cup diced onion
1 taco seasoning packet
1 ranch dip packet
32-ounce carton chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except for the chicken stock, and place in a gallon-size freezer bag.

Cook 3–4 hours on high or 5–6 on low. Shred chicken when the cooking time is complete and return to the pot. Enjoy with tortilla strips and rice or grain of choice.

13. Beef Bourguignon

1-pound chuck roast, cubed
4 ounces pancetta, cubed
½ cup celery, diced
½ cup carrots
10 pearl onions
1 cup Burgundy wine
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon sage
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
32-ounce carton beef stock

Place all ingredients except for the beef stock into a gallon-size freezer bag.

Add the beef stock at the beginning of the cooking time. Cook 6–8 hours on low. Enjoy with roasted potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, or pureed parsnips.

7 Vegetarian Slow Cooker Freezer Meals

14. Mushroom Barley Stew

1 pound mushrooms
2 sliced carrots
1 sliced celery rib
1 diced onion
15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup uncooked barley
2 quarts vegetable stock

Place all ingredients except for the vegetable stock into a gallon-size freezer bag.

Add 2 quarts vegetable stock to the slow cooker before cooking. Heat for 8 hours on low. Serve with hot, crusty bread or rolls.

15. Lentil-Butternut Squash Curry

1 diced onion
2 cups red or brown lentils
2 cups diced butternut squash
1 large carrot, sliced
14-ounce can coconut milk
15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 teaspoons salt
4 cups water

Place all ingredients except for the water into a gallon-size freezer bag.

Add 4 cups of water to the slow cooker before cooking. Cook 6–8 hours on low. Check halfway and add more water if needed. If the soup is too thick at the end, add more water as needed. Serve with hot, cooked rice, flatbread, or raita.

16. Minestrone with Farro

12-ounce bag frozen green beans
15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
10- to 12-ounce bag frozen spinach
1 cup farro
1 packet Italian seasoning
¼ cup carrot, diced
¼ cup onion, diced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
32-ounce carton vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except for the vegetable stock and place in a gallon-size freezer bag.

Cook 3–4 hours on high or 5–6 on low. Enjoy with salad or a fresh Italian baguette.

17. Southwestern 3-Bean Chili

15-ounce can black beans, drained & rinsed
15-ounce can pinto beans, drained & rinsed
15-ounce can kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 packet Fiesta Ranch Seasoning
10-ounce can Rotel tomatoes
½ cup onions, diced
½ cup peppers, diced
10-ounce can green chile enchilada sauce
15-ounce can corn, drained
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 cups vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except for the vegetable stock and place in a gallon-size freezer bag.

Cook 3–4 hours on high or 5–6 on low. Enjoy with corn muffins, tortilla chips, or couscous.

18. Curried Butternut Squash and Chickpea Stew

24 ounces cubed butternut squash
½ cup onion, diced
15-ounce can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ginger, minced or grated
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
½ cup peppers, diced
12-ounce can coconut milk
2 cups vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except for the vegetable stock and place in a gallon-size freezer bag.

Cook 3–4 hours on high or 5–6 on low. Enjoy with Basmati rice, quinoa, or couscous.

19. Kale, White Beans, & Lentils

3 cups of kale chopped
15-ounce can white beans, drained & rinsed
1 cup red lentils
½ cup onion, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup celery, diced
2 teaspoons basil
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
32-ounce carton vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except for the vegetable stock and place in a gallon-size freezer bag.

Cook 3–4 hours on high or 5–6 on low. Serve with a fresh green salad.

20. Greek Stuffed Peppers

4 large bell peppers, tops cut off and seeds removed
½ cup Kalamata olives
1 tablespoon capers
10-ounce bag frozen spinach
¼ cup pesto
¼ cup sundried tomatoes
½ cup pearled barley
3 ounces cream cheese
15 ounces tomato sauce
2 cups vegetable stock

Combine the olives, capers, spinach, pesto, tomatoes, barley, and cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Stuff the mixture into each of the bell peppers and carefully place the peppers in a gallon-size freezer bag.

Pour the tomato sauce and vegetable stock into the crockpot before placing the peppers inside to cook. Cook 3–4 hours on high or 5–6 on low.

Yes, for these slow cooker freezer meals, all you have to do is combine the ingredients, label the bags, and pop them into the freezer. When you're ready to cook, dump the contents of the bag plus any necessary water/stock into the slow cooker, and you're ready to go!

Want more? Check out these 25 freeze-and-dump ideas!

Slow Cooker Freezer Bag Tips + Hints

LABEL THE BAGS. You’d be surprised how easy it is to forget what is in there after a few weeks. Label them with the name of the recipe, cooking time, and any special instructions, such as adding liquid, checking halfway through, and cooking times.

Bags can be thawed out in the fridge overnight before popping the contents into the slow cooker the next day, though it's really not necessary.

The bags can be frozen flat, but I prefer to freeze them upright to make them easier to pop into the slow cooker. If you plan on thawing the bags overnight (totally fine), then it doesn't matter how you freeze them.

I don't like to freeze potatoes. I also don't happen to like broccoli or cauliflower cooked in a slow cooker (totally my preference). But if you prefer to add these veggies, by all means, do. I recommend buying the already frozen bags and adding those instead of freezing your own. (Again, purely my preference.)

The bags won't really take that much longer to cook if they are frozen when going into the slow cooker.

Searing the pork roast and stew meat adds flavor but isn't completely necessary—it's a way to cut down on prep (and cooling time).

Some of these recipes don't include salt. This is on purpose so that salt can be added at the end according to personal taste.

If you choose to add dairy in the form of cream, milk, sour cream, yogurt, or cream cheese, do so during the last 30 (on low) to 60 (on high) minutes, so the dairy products don't curdle.

The cooking times I've given are the ones I typically use. The general rule of thumb is 6–8 hours on LOW or 3–5 on HIGH. For bigger cuts of meat, I prefer the longer, slower cooking time. It's totally up to you and your schedule.

Broth can be substituted for the wine. I'm not sure it really cooks off because of the lid on the slow cooker.