Welcome to Part 4 of my Crockpot Freezer Cooking Series! You can find Part 1-5 here:
This week’s menu includes:
Italian Bolognese
Homestyle Chicken & Rice Soup
Cheesy Ravioli Bake
Chicken Cacciatore
Salisbury Steaks with Mushroom Cream Sauce
All meals will cook fine from frozen, but be sure not to add cold/frozen meals into a hot crockpot as it can crack. Many people have concerns about putting frozen food in the crockpot, but I have never had an issue. It is my understanding that once the food reaches a certain temperature, it is fully cooked and safe. If you have concerns, just thaw in the fridge the night before.
Cook times will vary depending on your crockpot. It may take you a few tries before you get used to how long things take. In general 6-8 hours on low will do the trick. If all ingredients are pre-cooked, 3-4 hours will work. There are a lot of different crockpots out there. Mine is from the middle ages, has no temperature gauge, only low and high. I have burnt things many times:) It’s a learning process, but you will perfect it with practice. Now get crockin!
Italian Bolognese Sauce
Ingredients:
1 lb. cooked italian sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic minced
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 cup water
2 T. sugar
2 T. Italian seasoning
1 T. Herbs de provence
1 t. fennel seeds
1 t. red pepper flakes
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
Directions: Mix all ingredients in freezer bag and freeze. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve over hot cooked linguine.
Homestyle Chicken & Rice Soup
Ingredients:
1 lb. chopped chicken breast
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables (corn, carrots, beans, peas)
4T. butter
1 box chicken stock
1 cup rice (add last 20 minutes of cooking)
Directions:
Add chicken and mixed vegetables and butter to freezer bag and freeze. When ready to cook, thaw slightly and place in crockpot. Add the box of chicken stock and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Add rice last 20 minutes of cooking.
Cheesy Ravioli Bake
Ingredients:
2 9 oz. packages of Refrigerator Ravioli
(I used the roasted portabello mushroom flavor)
1 Jar Prego Spagetti Sauce
2 cups shredded cheese
Directions: Place the ravioli and sauce in freezer bag and freeze. When ready to cook, thaw slightly and add to crockpot. Top with shredded cheese and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients:
1 lb. chopped chicken breast
3 T. olive oil
1 bag frozen peppers & onions
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes (undrained)
2 fresh tomatoes chopped
1 package sliced mushrooms
1 T Italian seasoning
1/2 t. salt
2 cloves garlic minced
Directions:
Add all ingredients to freezer bag and freeze. When ready to cook, thaw slightly and add to crockpot. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Serve with hot pasta and top with parmesan cheese.
Salisbury Steaks with Mushroom Cream Sauce
Ingredients:
2 lbs. ground beef
1 envelope of dry onion soup mix
2T. ketchup
2T. A-1 Steak Sauce
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
2 eggs
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (use organic if available)
1 cup beef stock
Directions:
In a large bowl mix ground beef, onion soup mix, bread crumbs, ketchup, A-1 and eggs and form into patties. Place flat in a freezer bag and freeze. When ready to cook, thaw slightly and place patties in bottom of crockpot. In a bowl, mix the mushroom soup and beef stock and pour over patties. Cook on low for 4-6 hours, until beef is well done.
Here are some of the Finished Products:
If you don’t have a dutch oven, I highly recommend this set from Pampered Chef. You can brown the meat on the stove and transfer directly to the warming piece. Then directly to the fridge. This thing is seriously amazing and saves a ton of time on dishes.
I also recommend these knives for preparation. The best knives I’ve ever used
Happy Crockin!
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Crockpot Freezer Cooking {Part 4}
Ingredients
- Shopping List
- 1 lb. cooked italian sausage
- 1 onion
- garlic
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- sugar
- Italian seasoning
- Herbs de provence
- fennel seeds
- red pepper flakes
- 2lb. chicken breast (chop into bite size pieces, divide between chicken soup and cacciatore)
- 1 bag frozen mixed vegetables (corn, carrots, beans, peas)
- butter
- 1 box chicken stock
- rice
- pasta
- 2 9 oz. packages of Refrigerator Ravioli
- 1 Jar Prego Spagetti Sauce
- 1 bag shredded cheese
- parmesan cheese
- olive oil
- 1 bag frozen peppers & onions
- 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes (undrained)
- 2 fresh tomatoes
- 1 package sliced mushrooms
- 2 lbs. ground beef
- 1 envelope of dry onion soup mix
- ketchup
- A-1 Steak Sauce
- Italian breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs
- 2 cans cream of mushroom soup (use organic if available)
- beef stock
- freezer bags
- sharpie marker for labeling
Instructions
Thank you thank you thank you.
My parents are in their eighties and live two hours away.
I spend a week a month there with my grandson. During that week I now make them a bunch of these meals for their freezer. My Mom is recovering from shoulder surgery and can not cook. It gives them a much needed option besides frozen dinners pot pies and pizza. Or my Cad’s specialty hotdogs and beans ;(
I use a crockpot at home but would never have thought of this. I now have these at home for my daughter when I amatory my parents.
Just got done making some at Mom and Dad ‘s and wanted to say,
Thank you you are a lifesaver. 😉
Glad I could help!
Put ingredients in crock pot liner, seal tight, then into freezer bag. Your parents won’t have much clean up either
I’ve printed off several of your Crockpot recipes and look forward to trying them. Do you ever have trouble with your sticky notes coming off while they are stored in the freezer? Is there a specific reason you use the sticky notes? Thanks for sharing your ideas!
Yes, they do come off:) I will use a sharpie from now on.
I’m making my way through the crockpot recipes and have had some great meals. I just tried the Chicken Cacciatore and it was watery and did not retain it’s tomato flavor. Any suggestions? I used fresh peppers and onions instead of starting with frozen, but think this would produce less liquid than frozen anyway. Thx!
CJ
I think it may just be the way the crockpot cooks veggies. Mine is sometimes a little watery as well. You could make a roux by adding flour or cornstarch to some of the liquid and then stirring it back in.
What about adding some tomato paste to the chicken cacciatore? May have to sweeten it a little after but it would thicken and enhance the tomato flavor. Just a thought!
You could really add about anything and it would still be really good:)
are these recipes for 2 or 4 people? Thanks!
Yes, # of servings info would be helpful. Did I miss it someplace?
Can’t wait to try some of these recipes!
I would say 2-3 large servings, I would double the recipes if you have more than 3 adults/teenagers.
Thank you thank you! I look so forward to trying these!
I am definitely going to try these!!
For the Homestyle Chicken & Rice Soup is the rice cooked before you throw it in the crock pot?
I will try this recipe but I am going to use a can of precooked wild rice instead of white rice to add the last 20 minutes to heat through. I would think that I could add it in the original ingredients and freeze it as well.
uncooked white, wild or brown rice would be best!
How long do you cook the brown rice? Like an hour instead of 20 minutes?
For the Homestyle Chicken & Rice Soup Yes please I have the same question…If I am using brown rice would I add it for the last hour? Also is a “box of broth” 4 cups?
I have tried about 6 of your meals and WE LOVE THEM and ESPECIALLY how easy it makes life. I am going to be making about 15 freezer meals thanks to your info for my brother-in-law and 3 kids who lost their wife and mother this past year. I am so grateful for such an important way to help him. I am sharing your website with everyone. It is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Is the chopped chicken cooked or uncooked?
Brilliant. Thank you so much! I will try a lot of these very soon.
Hi! I have the chicken soup in the crock pot now and came here to check if the rice was cooked or not. I see uncooked in the comments, but now I see on the photo, you wrote 2c of chicken stock and to add rice last hour. The recipe calls for a box of chicken broth (which I think is more than 2c) and add rice last 20 minutes. :p Could you clarify? Thanks!
uncooked rice is best!
Thanks so much for sharing all these. I’m heading back to full-time work soon, and have been nervous about handling meals during the week for our family. These are a great resource. Thank you!
I absolutely LOVE your freezer slow cooker meals, i follow them 🙂 but I have a suggestion, and you can take it or leave it, i mean, it IS your blog after all, but I feel that people might be having the same issues as me. I already have a horrible time reading stff on a computer screen, because of the lighting, but could you maybe Bold, or CAPS LOCK, just the titles of the dishes when you’re writing all the recipes?
Will do! thanks for following!
what is Herbs de provence?
it is a French herb mixture, you can find it in the spice aisle. if you don’t have any, you could use basil, oregano, or parsley
Fellow southerner, you have made my life so much easier, I’m in the process of prepping my last two meals for two weeks and have my black bean chili on right now. Thanks so much and I appreciate the grocery list too. Many blessings.
woohoo! glad you stopped by!
Thank you so much, it has been great to be able to give my family home-cooked healthy dinners
for this week with SUCH an ease…even for me! I have been able to work and not feel guilty to do
all i can to provide dinner. Week 4 (my first choice) has been great. This Saturday, I will be working on
week 3 and 5!!!!! Thank you again.
Yay! Thanks for stopping by!!!!
Thank you so much, it has been great to be able to give my family home-cooked healthy dinners
for this week with SUCH an ease…even for me! I have been able to work and not feel guilty to do
all i can to provide dinner. Week 4 (my first choice) has been great. This Saturday, I will be working on
week 3 and 5!!!!! Thank you again.
You’re very welcome! Thank you for the nice comment!
Just found this site and can’t thank you enough absolutely love all of the slow cooker recipes. Thank you for your sharing generosity. I tried to subscribe for emails but was advised that I cannot. Sad 🙁
I actually did both weeks 2 and 5 tonight! My daughter is coming home from college tomorrow and she will be so excited to have the white chicken chili! Thank you so much for making it easy for us busy gals!
THANK YOU so much for taking the time to share these! They help make a busy working mama’s life a little easier. 🙂
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there’s tons Tammy! just browse through the lists at the top!!! welcome!