Starting freezer meal prep can feel a little overwhelming, but with a few simple steps, it’s easier than you might think. If you’re new to this, Once A Month Meals has developed a streamlined Freezer Meal Planning Cycle to guide you through each step — from planning and shopping to freezing and eating. Here’s how you can get started with freezer cooking, save time, and serve delicious, stress-free meals on busy days!
Step 1: Decide Your Meal Plan
Every great freezer cooking session starts with a plan! Choosing your recipes, deciding the number of meals you need, and adjusting serving sizes are the foundation of a successful prep day. Once A Month Meals offers customizable recipe collections to suit any family’s dietary needs and preferences. Once you’ve selected your meals, print out all of your Meal Plan Resources*, including your Shopping List, Prep Sheet, Recipe Cards, Cooking Day Instructions, and Freezer Labels.
Pro Tip: Keep things simple at first by selecting recipes with similar ingredients or flavors. This will streamline your prep and save you money. Or choose one of our already curated meal plans.
Step 2: Shop for Ingredients
After deciding your meal plan, it’s time to shop. Use your Shopping List* to cross off any pantry staples you already have, so you don’t end up with extras. Whether you prefer ordering online or shopping in-store, having a precise list saves time and keeps you from buying unnecessary items.
Quick Tip: Organize your Shopping List by sections of the store (like produce, dairy, and protein) to make your trip as efficient as possible. (Hint: OAMM grocery lists already do this for you!)
Step 3: Prep Ingredients
On your Prep Day, you’ll chop, dice, and slice everything you’ll need for your meals. This step saves valuable time on Cooking Day since everything will be ready to go.
To keep it organized:
- Follow your Prep Sheet* to know which ingredients need to be prepped and how.
- Consider prepping the night before to make Cooking Day a breeze.
Helpful Hack: Set up an assembly line with prepped ingredients for seamless meal assembly.
Step 4: Assemble Your Meals
Cooking Day is here! Now that your ingredients are ready, follow the step-by-step Cooking Day Instructions* to assemble each recipe quickly and efficiently. Refer to your Recipe Cards* for exact measurements and ingredient combinations, and keep an eye on the checklist to ensure each step is complete.
Step 5: Package & Freeze
Once your meals are assembled, it’s time to freeze. Use freezer-safe bags or containers for each meal and label them with the printable 8168 Labels provided. Place your labeled meals in the freezer, knowing that when you’re ready to use them, they’ll be just as fresh as the day you prepared them. If you don’t have labels you can print the labels on paper and stable them (above the zip on zipper bags) or tape them to the freezer so you save yourself TIME when it comes to making the meal on serving day.
Storage Tip: Freeze flat in single layers for easy stacking and more freezer space!
Step 6: Reheat & Enjoy
On busy nights, having ready-to-eat meals in the freezer is a lifesaver. Use your Thaw Sheet* to safely defrost meals, and follow the instructions on your Printable Labels to reheat and serve. Just like that, you’re enjoying a homemade meal without any last-minute stress.
Serving Idea: Pair your meals with fresh sides or a quick salad for a complete dinner.
Download Your Free Freezer Meal Planning Cycle!
If you’re ready to get started with freezer cooking, download our Freezer Meal Planning Cycle for free! This guide provides all the tools and templates you’ll need to organize and execute a seamless freezer cooking session from start to finish.
Freezer cooking simplifies meal times, helps you stay organized, and ensures your family always has healthy, home-cooked options ready to go. By following the steps in this guide and using the tools provided in the Freezer Meal Planning Cycle, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a freezer meal prep pro.
dOWNLOAD FREEZER MEAL PLAN CHECKLIST
Receive access to ALL the cooking documents for these meal plans by becoming a Once A Month Meals Member today!*
With a membership*, your meal plan comes with:
- A Grocery Shopping List organized by category for faster and easier shopping.
- Prep Instructions to help you prepare all your ingredients ahead of time.
- Step-by-step Cooking Day Instructions for fast and efficient freezer cooking.
- Individual Recipe Cards with detailed cooking and freezing instructions.
- Printable Labels for your freezer bags with thawing and reheating instructions.
- A Thaw Sheet for a full list of your meal plan’s defrosting or reheating instructions.
- *See a sample of our cooking documents here!
Adjust the Serving Size!
You can also adjust this meal plan to whatever serving size you need! Freezer Cook for 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10 and more (as well as anything in-between!)
*Paid membership and free membership vary in the level of their offerings. For more information on free vs paid membership click here.
