27 freezer meals for when you’d rather eat cereal than cook

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We’ve all had those days when even pouring a cereal bowl sounds like a gourmet effort. These meals are great for those times when you’d rather be lounging on the couch than standing over a stove. Just heat them up, and dinner’s done — no mess, no stress.

Slow cooker split pea soup in a slow cooker with a spoon.
Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup. Photo credit: Real Balanced.

Baked Ravioli

A close-up of a cheesy baked ravioli garnished with herbs, with a fork lifting a portion to show the melted cheese.
Baked Ravioli. Photo credit: Real Balanced.

Baked Ravioli is perfect for those nights when you’re thinking about just pouring a bowl of cereal instead. It’s a simple dish — cheese ravioli, marinara sauce, and more cheese on top. Bake it for about an hour, and voila, you’ve got a meal that’s way better than breakfast for dinner. It’s the freezer meal you reach for when you want something hearty without lifting more than a finger. Freeze it, and you’ve got a meal ready to go for those nights when cooking is less fun than rearranging your sock drawer. Plus, it keeps well, so you can make a big batch and solve dinner for a week.
Get the Recipe: Baked Ravioli

Easy Tuna Noodle Casserole

A casserole dish filled with pasta and peas.
Easy Tuna Noodle Casserole. Photo credit: Real Balanced.

Easy Tuna Noodle Casserole is all about keeping dinner straightforward. Just mix egg noodles, canned tuna, peas, and cheddar, top with breadcrumbs, and bake. In 30 minutes, you’ve transformed simple ingredients into a gold medal dinner. It’s a freezer-friendly meal that makes future you look like a genius on those ‘can’t even boil water’ kind of days. Stock your freezer with this casserole, and you can skip the nightly what-to-eat debate and go straight to eating. It’s a great way to keep mealtime drama on ice.
Get the Recipe: Easy Tuna Noodle Casserole

Creamy Ground Beef Skillet with Cauliflower Rice

Creamy ground beef skillet with cauliflower rice with a wooden spoon.
Creamy Ground Beef Skillet with Cauliflower Rice. Photo credit: Real Balanced.

Creamy Ground Beef Skillet with Cauliflower Rice is the quick fix you didn’t know you needed. It’s a hearty mix of ground beef, cauliflower rice, and mushrooms, all in a creamy sauce, ready in just 30 minutes. It’s the perfect quick meal for those who want something substantial but think cooking is a chore. Pop this in the freezer, and you’re set for those evenings when you feel cooking is as likely as climbing Everest. It’s a lifesaver for when your fridge is bare, and even takeout sounds like too much work.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Ground Beef Skillet with Cauliflower Rice

Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole

Stuffed bell pepper casserole in a pan with a wooden spoon.
Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole. Photo credit: Real Balanced.

Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole is like that reliable friend who’s always there when you need them, except it’s food, and you can eat it. This dish packs bell peppers, ground beef, rice, and tomato sauce under a cheesy layer. It’s straightforward, takes about 45 minutes to make, and is perfect for freezing. On days when the kitchen feels like foreign territory, this casserole is your passport back to good eating without any hassle. Make it once, eat it twice — or thrice. It’s that good at sorting out your meal plans.
Get the Recipe: Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole

Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup

Two bowls of sweet potato and red pepper soup with sour cream and parsley.
Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup. Photo credit: Real Balanced.

Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup is your go-to when even the thought of cooking dims your lights. Roast some sweet potatoes and red peppers, blend them with vegetable or chicken broth and spices, and you’ve got a creamy soup that’s perfect for freezing. Ready in about an hour, it’s a bright idea for dinner when you’re more into chilling than cooking. And when you’ve made enough to freeze, you’re set up for success on days when your cooking mojo is on vacation.
Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Twice baked potato casserole with bacon and green onions.
Twice Baked Potato Casserole. Photo credit: Real Balanced.

Twice Baked Potato Casserole is like hitting the easy button for dinner. It combines mashed potatoes, bacon, cheddar, sour cream, and green onions for a simple yet filling dish. Prepare it, freeze it, and then just heat it up for a more comforting meal than your favorite blanket. This casserole is a great backup for days when you want to feel like you’ve cooked without actually doing much. It’s also perfect for tricking people into thinking you’re a master chef when you’re really just a master planner.
Get the Recipe: Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Loaded Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole

Loaded broccoli cauliflower casserole in a baking dish garnished with green onions.
Loaded Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole. Photo credit: Real Balanced.

Loaded Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole is your green veggie hero, combining broccoli and cauliflower in cheesy goodness and topped with crispy bacon bits for that extra crunch. It’s a freezer-friendly dish that cooks up in just 30 minutes and is perfect for those lazy days. Picture this: you reach into your freezer and pull out a ready-made dish that turns veggie time into party time without any effort. It’s a practical meal solution, so you have a hearty dish on hand when cereal seems like the only other option.
Get the Recipe: Loaded Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

Slow cooker split pea soup in a slow cooker with a spoon.
Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup. Photo credit: Real Balanced.

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup is practically a magic trick. Toss in split peas, ham, veggies, and some spices, and let the slow cooker work its charm. This soup is creamy and comforting and cooks itself in 6-8 hours while you do literally anything else. It’s the perfect set-it-and-forget-it meal for freezer storage, making it a champion among freezer meals for when you’d rather do a puzzle than cook. Stock up your freezer, and when you hit a day that feels like a marathon, this soup is there to pass you the baton.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

A casserole dish filled with tater tots, shredded chicken, and corn, topped with melted cheese and green onions.
Chicken Tater Tot Casserole. Photo credit: Real Balanced.

Loaded with crunchy tater tots, juicy shredded chicken, and sweet corn, all smothered under melted cheese, Chicken Tater Tot Casserole is a crowd-pleaser. It bakes to golden perfection in about 55 minutes and is a dream to freeze, ready to solve any dinner dilemma. This is the dish you turn to when the thought of cooking is more exhausting than your day job. It’s not just food; it’s your backup plan for a week of dinners, so you spend more time chilling and less time chopping. Cooking? Maybe later.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

Shake and Bake Pork Chops

Two shake and bake pork chops on a plate.
Shake and Bake Pork Chops. Photo credit: Real Balanced.

Shake and Bake Pork Chops are all about keeping dinner easy and stress-free. Coat them in breadcrumbs, pop them in the oven, and in 25 minutes, you have a meal that looks like you tried harder than you did. They’re perfect for freezing, ready to pull out and impress at a moment’s notice. This dish covers your back when you’re too tired even to think about what’s for dinner. Just shake, bake, and kick back. Your future self will thank you for thinking ahead and keeping weeknight meals on point without the stress.
Get the Recipe: Shake and Bake Pork Chops

Spinach Chicken Bake

A serving spoon serving of creamy spinach chicken bake.
Spinach Chicken Bake. Photo credit: Real Balanced.

Combining creamy textures and hearty flavors, Spinach Chicken Bake mixes chicken thighs with spinach and a duo of cheeses. It’s a 30-minute bake that’s simple to make and even simpler to freeze. Perfect for those days when your motivation is as low as your fridge stock. Slide this into the oven and forget about it until, ding, it’s ready! It’s like having a meal fairy in your freezer, ready to save the day when you’re on your last spoon of energy. Freeze a batch, and you’ve nailed meal prep for the week.
Get the Recipe: Spinach Chicken Bake

Creamy Italian Sausage Soup

Creamy Italian sausage soup in a pot with a spoon and garnishes on the side.
Creamy Italian Sausage Soup. Photo credit: Real Balanced.

Creamy Italian Sausage Soup is a flavorful concoction of Italian sausage, juicy tomatoes, cream cheese, and a splash of cream. It comes together quickly, making it a perfect last-minute meal that’s even better when pulled from the freezer. On days when the sofa’s call is louder than your stomach’s growl, this soup has you covered. When you have comforting meals ready, dinner becomes a no-brainer rather than a nightly challenge. Just reheat and serve; it’s that easy. This is how you trick yourself into thinking you’re a planned-ahead kind of person.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Italian Sausage Soup

Canned Chicken Patties

Chicken patties with broccoli on a plate.
Canned Chicken Patties. Photo credit: Real Balanced.

Whip these patties up in just 20 minutes using canned chicken, breadcrumbs, and spices for a no-sweat meal. They freeze perfectly, making them perfect for those ‘can’t even’ days. It’s your quick fix to hunger that delivers more than just convenience. These patties are the understated heroes of your freezer, ready to jump into action and save your dinner time after time. Stack them up in your freezer, and you’ve sorted out meals that are good to go faster than you can say, “Who’s cooking tonight?” Not you, not tonight.
Get the Recipe: Canned Chicken Patties

Cheesy Beef Casserole with Cauliflower Rice

Cheesy beef casserole with cauliflower rice and spinach being spooned out of a baking dish.
Cheesy Beef Casserole with Cauliflower Rice. Photo credit: Real Balanced.

This Cheesy Beef Casserole with Cauliflower Rice is your secret against cooking laziness. Packed with ground beef, cauliflower rice, spinach, and a generous amount of cheddar, this dish bakes in about 30 minutes and is as hearty as it gets. It’s the kind of meal you can freeze and simply reheat, saving your sanity on those days when cooking feels like a mountain too high. Perfect for freezing, this casserole transforms into a ready-to-go meal for up to a week, making sure you can avoid the kitchen and still eat like a king. It’s a freezer meal that laughs in the face of cereal-for-dinner nights.
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Beef Casserole with Cauliflower Rice

Cheesy Fajita Baked Chicken

Cheesy chicken fajita bake in a baking pan.
Cheesy Fajita Baked Chicken. Photo credit: Real Balanced.

Get a load of this Cheesy Fajita Baked Chicken if you’re all about hitting the easy button. This dish throws together seasoned chicken breasts, cream cheese, mozzarella, and a mix of sweet peppers. It cooks up in 30 minutes and is the textbook meal for freezing. Perfect for pulling out on those evenings when you can barely muster the energy to push buttons on a microwave. This meal preps you for a full week of ‘open freezer, extract dinner, heat, and eat’ — the true epitome of minimal effort. Plus, it’s a freezer meal that makes cereal look embarrassingly underprepared.
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Fajita Baked Chicken

Crock Pot Taco Soup

A crock pot of taco soup.
Crock Pot Taco Soup. Photo credit: Plays Well With Butter.

This Crock Pot Taco Soup is practically a hug in a bowl. Start with ground beef, throw in some tomatoes, sour cream, and cheese, let it stew in the crockpot, and bam — you’ve got a flavorful soup with minimal effort. Great for freezing and just right for those drag-your-feet kind of days. You could dodge the kitchen with enough frozen batches for days, maybe even a week. It’s not just a meal; it’s a strategy to keep your evenings as lazy as you fancy. This is a freezer meal that champions the cause of couch potatoes everywhere.
Get the Recipe: Crock Pot Taco Soup

Wild Rice Mushroom Soup

A bowl of wild rice mushroom soup with a spoon.
Wild Rice Mushroom Soup. Photo credit: Real Balanced.

This Wild Rice Mushroom Soup is all about rich flavors with mushrooms and hearty wild rice that simmers by itself while you’re potentially conquering the world (or just binge-watching your favorite series — no judgment here). It’s a freeze-and-reheat miracle that answers your prayers on chilly evenings when cooking is a no-go. Stock this up, and you have a trusty meal plan that covers several days without a single effort. This kind of freezer meal makes you wonder why you ever bothered with pots and pans.
Get the Recipe: Wild Rice Mushroom Soup

Coconut Curry Thai Turkey Meatballs

Coconut curry Thai turkey meatballs on top of cauliflower rice in a bowl.
Coconut Curry Thai Turkey Meatballs. Photo credit: Real Balanced.

Say hello to Coconut Curry Thai Turkey Meatballs — your new best friend for when you want a meal that screams gourmet without any of the work. These meatballs mix turkey with a blast of coconut and red curry, ready in just 30 minutes. They’re perfect for freezing and popping in the microwave when the extent of your cooking ambition is pressing “start.” Plan on these for a week’s worth of meals, and watch how you magically become someone who has their life together. It’s the ultimate freezer meal to keep cereal from the dinner table.
Get the Recipe: Coconut Curry Thai Turkey Meatballs

Green Chile Chicken with Leftover Shredded Chicken Thighs

Green chile chicken in a pan with a wooden spoon.
Green Chile Chicken with Leftover Shredded Chicken Thighs. Photo credit: Real Balanced.

Green Chile Chicken is like turning your leftovers into treasure. Mix those shredded chicken thighs with green chilies, a dash of cream and cheese, and voilà — you’ve got a dish that’s easy to make and love. Freeze it for the ultimate eat-later convenience. This meal is a dream for stocking up, so you avoid cooking more than once in a while. It’s perfect for piling into tortillas or over rice, making every bite a no-cook win. This freezer meal might just make your microwave the hardest working appliance in your house.
Get the Recipe: Green Chile Chicken with Leftover Shredded Chicken Thighs

Keto Zuppa Toscana

A bowl of keto zuppa Toscana with a spoon in it.
Keto Zuppa Toscana. Photo credit: Plays Well With Butter.

This Keto Zuppa Toscana is about swapping out the carbs without losing the flavor. It’s filled with radishes instead of potatoes, Italian sausage for some meaty goodness, crispy bacon for a bit of crunch, and kale, all swimming in a creamy broth. It cooks up in about 30 minutes, and it’s the kind of soup that tastes like it simmered all day. Perfect for those moments when you’d rather lounge on the couch than cook. Just freeze it and reheat whenever you need a meal that feels like a hug in a bowl. This soup practically sorts out a whole week of “I can’t even think about cooking” meals.
Get the Recipe: Keto Zuppa Toscana

Garlic Butter Chicken Bites

A plate of garlic butter chicken bites.
Garlic Butter Chicken Bites. Photo credit: Real Balanced.

Garlic Butter Chicken Bites are a dream for anyone who wants great flavor without the wait. They’re golden, garlicky, buttery, and they cook up fast — like, 20 minutes fast. Toss these little guys in the freezer, and you’ve got a batch of bites ready to go whenever hunger strikes. They’re the perfect sidekick for a last-minute pasta toss or a quick snack straight from the dish. For those nights when cooking feels more like a chore, these chicken bites have your back, so you’re all set for a no-stress mealtime.
Get the Recipe: Garlic Butter Chicken Bites

Lemon Pepper Wings

In FDL library.
Lemon Pepper Wings. Photo credit: Plays Well With Butter.

Lemon Pepper Wings are the superhero of the freezer. With just lemon juice, avocado oil, and spices, you’ll spend about 30 minutes getting them ready before they hit the oven. Once they’re crispy and juicy, pop them in the freezer. On those days when even microwaving feels ambitious, these wings are ready to jump into action. Just reheat for a ready meal faster than you can say “takeout.” They’re a perfect solution for getting through the week without planning dinner every night.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Pepper Wings

Sausage Curry

Sausage curry in a skillet garnished with herbs.
Sausage Curry. Photo credit: Real Balanced.

Sausage Curry is your low-effort, high-reward meal. It involves tossing sausages, your favorite veggies, and some curry sauce into a pan and letting it all simmer for about 45 minutes. The flavors of garlic, curry, and a hint of ginger mingle perfectly with the sweetness of carrots and peas. Once it’s cooled down, stash it in the freezer. When the thought of cooking is more exhausting than your day, this curry is there to lighten the burden. It’s great for making sure you’ve got hearty meals on hand, ready to go at a moment’s notice.
Get the Recipe: Sausage Curry

Shawarma Kebabs

A plate of shawarma kebabs with greens and lemon slices.
Shawarma Kebabs. Photo credit: Real Balanced.

Shawarma Kebabs take a bit of prep, but trust me, they’re worth it. Marinate some chicken in cumin, paprika, turmeric, and a pinch of cinnamon, then thread them onto skewers and pop them in the oven. They’re golden and flavorful and cook in about 30 minutes. Freeze these beauties, and when you can’t bear the thought of cooking, they reheat in no time, making it look like you’ve planned ahead like a champ. They’re perfect for fooling everyone — including yourself — into thinking you’ve spent over the stove all day.
Get the Recipe: Shawarma Kebabs

Pollo Asado

Pollo asado on a white plate with lime wedges.
Pollo Asado. Photo credit: Real Balanced.

Pollo Asado is the kind of meal that makes you feel like a kitchen wizard without needing to be one. Just marinate some chicken thighs in a mix of cilantro, onion, and a citrusy combo of orange and lime juices, cook it up, and boom — dinner’s ready. It takes about an hour from start to finish, but those flavors meld together even better once you freeze it. This is the dish you reach for when you want something great without the hassle, so you have a go-to meal for those nights when cooking is out of the question.
Get the Recipe: Pollo Asado

Chicken Bacon Ranch Poppers

A chicken bacon ranch popper skewered by a toothpick.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Poppers. Photo credit: Real Balanced.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Poppers might just be the MVP of your freezer. Mix chicken, bacon, and cheddar, roll them into balls, and bake until golden — which takes about an hour. These little poppers are like having a backup plan against hunger, ready to turn your mealtime from a duty to a celebration. Freeze a batch, and you’re all set for those times when even turning on the oven feels like too much work. They’re a game-changer for sorting out your meals without breaking a sweat.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Bacon Ranch Poppers

Meatza

A pizza with meat and sauce on a plate.
Meatza. Photo credit: Real Balanced.

Meatza is what happens when pizza night meets a low-carb diet. Start with a base of ground pork, throw on your favorite toppings, and bake. In about 40 minutes, you’ve got a pizza that’s all about the flavor without the carbs. Once you freeze it, you can forget about dinner stress. Heat it up on those nights when the idea of cooking just doesn’t fly. It’s the perfect way to keep things simple but still feel like you’re having a treat, so your dinner game is strong even on your laziest days.
Get the Recipe: Meatza

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