One of my favorite things about crockpot freezer meals is that I can take advantage of great deals at the grocery store and stock up.  Meat is the most expensive ingredient, so if I get it on sale I can save a lot of money.  For example, if I spend $10 per day on meat for dinner that works out to $300 per month.  If I buy that meat when it’s Buy One, Get One Free instead, I’ll only spend $150.  Such an easy way to save money!!!

Yes, you can buy the meat on sale and freeze it by itself, but I think it’s better in ready-to-go meals.

Why freeze meat in crockpot freezer meals?

1. None of the meals require any cooking ahead of time so they’re very easy and quick to make.
2. A meal won’t get ignored at the back of your freezer like other frozen cuts of meat.
3. You’ll always have healthy meals on-hand for busy weeknights.

I’ve made thousands of crockpot freezer meals myself over the past five years, so I can attest that they’re easy, healthy, and absolutely delicious.

Is it safe to freeze raw meat with vegetables?

YES. I get asked this question a lot because people are nervous about mixing raw chicken with other ingredients.  Let me assure you that it’s perfectly safe.  The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service explains that freezing food freezing inactivates any microbes present (like bacteria, yeasts, and molds). Plus, you’re still going to cook the food before eating it!

What kind of deals should I look for?

• Buy One, Get One Free chicken breasts, chicken thighs, and roasts (boneless beef chuck roasts and bone-in pork shoulder roasts are my favorite)
• Discounts on 3+ pound packages of ground beef
• Good deals on big packages of organic meat at bulk supply stores, like Costco and Sam’s Club

Which crockpot freezer recipes should I make?

Here are some of my favorites:

• Chicken breasts – red pepper chicken, cool ranch chicken tacos, chicken fajitas (great in a pan or crockpot)
• Chicken thighs – honey sesame chicken (so good!)
• Ground turkey – turkey black bean chili, stuffed peppers
• Ground beef – Mexican cornbread casserole, stuffed banana peppers (also awesome with ground sausage)
• Sirloin steak – Korean beef lettuce wraps
• Boneless beef roast – the best-ever beef roast with carrots, homemade Mississippi roast (YUM), 5-ingredient pot roast, beef barley stew
• Pork roast – cranberry pork roast (featured on The Today Show’s blog), Dr. Pepper shredded pork tacos, party pork roast
• Pork tenderloin – garlic-mini pork loin, Italian pork sandwiches
• Pork chops – the honey dijon pork chops in this freezer prep session

Here are some of my favorite freezer meal prep sessions with free recipes and grocery lists:

• 6 Chicken Crockpot Freezer Meals in 30 Minutes (chicken breasts)
• 7 Chicken Crockpot Freezer Meals in Under an Hour (chicken breasts)
• 5 Ground Turkey Crockpot Freezer Meals (ground turkey)
• 6 Ground Beef Crockpot Freezer Meals in 50 Minutes (ground beef)
• 3 Ground Beef Crockpot Freezer Meals in 30 Minutes (ground beef)
• 6 Beef Crockpot Freezer Meals in 40 Minutes (beef chuck roast)
• 6 Meatball Crockpot Freezer Meals (meatballs)

Questions?  Leave a comment below and I’ll respond ASAP.  -Kelly