Summertime & The Livin's Yummy
11 Summer Freezer Meals To Help You Enjoy Your Long, Sunny Days
Stay in the pool a bit longer, dinner’s already in the freezer.
One of the things I love most about summer is that dinner never feels stressful. Strawberries and crackers by the pool? An adequate meal. A frozen pizza at least twice a week? Balance. But there are some days where you want a little more thought into dinner, and having a nice stash of summer freezer meals in your kitchen makes that happen with ease. Not having to worry about chopping veggies while you’re outside in the sprinkler or watching a movie on the couch? Sign me up.
The great thing about this list of summer freezer meals is that there’s a lot of variety. Some are meals you can freeze as raw ingredients and then just dump on a sheet pan or in a slow cooker when you’re ready, and some are recipes that work best if you fully cook them on an ambitious Sunday and then freeze for the rest of the week. Doesn’t it feel good on a Thursday at 6:03 p.m., when you’re sun-kissed and exhausted and the thought of turning on the oven makes you scream, to suddenly remember you’ve got a whole freezer pan of cheesy ziti waiting for you? Yes, yes it does.
So pick a couple of summer freezer meals from this list to whip up. It may seem like a lot of work on a Sunday to make burritos you aren’t going to eat yet, but you’ll be so grateful when you’re enjoying the long, lazy days to come.
1Sheet Pan Chicken Pitas
Any kind of dinner that can be assembled by each person eating it is a win, and these sheet pan chicken pitas from Pinch of Yum might be my favorite. You can freeze everything, seasoned and ready to go, and then just dump it all out on a sheet pan and make the tzatziki sauce when you’re ready. This is also so good and fresh, you could easily make a ton of batches at the start of the month and eat one once a week for a simple, delicious dinner.
2Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken
Any kind of summer meal where you don’t have to heat up the oven or the stove is the best, so I’m personally obsessed with this slow cooker cilantro lime chicken recipe from Damn Delicious. It is so delicious and easy to make, and you can serve it over rice, with tortillas, or even in a big bowl (shred up the chicken, obviously) with a bunch of tortilla chips. Plus it stores well and can be eaten poolside or on a patio without any stress.
3Freezer Breakfast Burritos
A nice easy summer breakfast is always a must, especially on days where you might be at the beach or in the pool and need something to keep you nice and full and give you all that summer energy. Whip up a big batch of these freezer breakfast burritos from Gimme Some Oven for a protein-packed meal that you can even warm up for lunch or dinner if you need an easy fix. They’re pretty customizable, too, so you can have some fun with ingredients and seasoning.
4Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Meatballs are always a great summer food option because they’re so versatile. Chop them up for salads, put them in a wrap or on a bun, or just eat them as-is — whatever you decide, you need to make these slow cooker buffalo chicken meatballs from Averie Cooks. You can freeze these beautifully, but if you also want to make this an even easier meal, just buy frozen meatballs and dump them into the slow cooker with the sauce.
5Stuffed Bell Peppers
Stuffed peppers are one of those dinners I forget about and then when I remember them, I suddenly have to make them. This is a great dish for using up your summer produce and favorite seasonings, and this stuffed bell peppers recipe from Foodiecrush can be frozen to enjoy whenever your family’s ready.
6Cheesy Baked Ziti
Not all summer freezer meals have to be of the salad or wrap variety — sometimes you just need a big hearty, cozy meal. This cheesy baked ziti from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe is a great freezer meal option, and it will keep everyone nice and full as they recover from all their summer adventures.
7Cheesy Beef Goulash
Another great cozy meal, this cheesy beef goulash from The Comfort of Cooking is also extremely budget-friendly and you can truly make a ton of it. Keep a pan of this in your freezer at all times for those nights when you’d rather stay longer at the pool than stand in your kitchen and chop veggies.
8Loaded BBQ Pork Potato Casserole
BBQ pork during the summer is a dinner staple, so I’m all about this loaded BBQ pork potato casserole recipe from Mom on Timeout. It’s savory and cheesy and packed full of flavor, and you can even make it easier for you by buying pre-made BBQ pork.
9White Bean Soup with Kale
I know, you don’t often think of soup for summer dinners, but this white bean soup with kale from Kitchen Confidante is just so delicious. It’s nice and light, but still plenty hearty with those protein-rich beans, and you can customize the flavors a bit and add more or less of whatever you want.
10Cheesy Chicken & Rice
It’s an absolute classic for a reason — cheesy chicken and rice casserole is just so good. This recipe from Inside BruCrew Life is super easy and a great crowd-pleasing family meal. Make a couple in foil pans to freeze for those busy summer days.
11Slow Cooker Jambalaya
Meals with a rice base are always a great option for busy nights, and this recipe for a slow cooker jambalaya from Budget Bytes is a really great one. You can either make this in advance and then freeze, or go ahead and freeze your chopped veggies and sausage and dump it in the slow cooker with the other ingredients. No matter what, it’s a super easy option for summer dinners.
Whether you’re planning on a late dinner after the pool or just want something to throw in the oven without any prep work, these summer freezer meals are perfect for inspiration.
