Today I wanted to talk about a question I get all the time from people who have tried freezer prep meals before and hated them.
Usually, they say some kind of variation of- “but freezer meals just taste so gross!!”
I might shock you with this answer.
YES, absolutely some freezer meals are totally gross.
When you cook or prep the wrong thing and stick it in the freezer it will not turn out well.
So how do we avoid this?
1. Do not precook the food!
If you’ve grabbed any of my freezer meal guides or tried any of my freezer-friendly recipes then you know you know I do not cook MOST things. Just prepping the ingredients and leaving everything you can raw makes a major difference.
To be honest, these meals never taste frozen to me, they taste just as fresh as if I would have made them that day.
In most cases, this actually saves you time! Instead of cooking it before and after frozen all you have to do is cook it after.
2. Sear certain meats before freezing
Although I do not recommend pre-cooking most meats I do suggest searing certain meats like chuck roast and pork before freezing. Just DO NOT cook it all the way!
Add the seasonings you’d like and sear the meat on each side for 1-2 minutes and let cool before freezing. This will help the meat to taste flavorful and delicious when cooked after being prepped!
3. Undercook what you can.
This one is more specifically for pasta and rice. If you cook your pasta/rice beforehand and don’t undercook it by a few minutes it will have a mushy consistency by the time you heat it up again.
Or wait until later to add in the rice or pasta and cook it with the prepped bagged ingredients all in the Instant Pot or crockpot at the same time. (Yes if you didn’t know that is possible and it’s honestly my favorite!)
4. Choose vegetables that freeze well or buy pre-frozen options!
I get the question “how do your veggies not all turn out mushy or soggy?” and the reason for this is I am very selective about what kinds of vegetables I freeze.
Things like peppers and onions do great if you buy them fresh for freezer meals but there are certain vegetables I would buy specific kinds or pre-frozen.
For most vegetables, if you can find them at your grocery store pre-chopped frozen that is the best option because they have already been blanched.
For potatoes, I always suggest using red petite potatoes or canned potatoes! Often when people use brussel potatoes or other types the texture can get mushy after frozen or if too much oxygen gets in the bag they will turn black. Red petite potatoes have always worked great for me!
5. Be selective about what fully cooked meals you freeze.
You absolutely can freeze certain meals! You just have to know which ones are going to fare well and which ones will flop.
Some of this may be trial and error! In my experience, simple sandwiches, undercooked pasta, shredded chicken, and ground beef all freeze well after cooking.
Things that don’t are things like lettuce, creamy things (under certain circumstances), and certain vegetables you can freeze but their texture will definitely change.
What it REALLY comes down to is having strategic meals that are made for the freezer. That’s exactly what you get in each of my Freezer Meal Guides!
Looking for more freezer prep information? Explore my other articles on Freezer Meal Prep Essentials and Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Freezer Meal Prep right here!