Crock Pot Freezer Meals, round 2! mostly ground beef/turkey

I may or may not be slightly obsessed with making these freezer meals.  When I think about how often I WON'T have to come home after work and cook a meal, it seems to just add fuel to the fire.  My freezer is officially full, and I shouldn't have to cook a meal unless I have the urge to for about a month.  Here is a new list that I recently tried out, I hope they taste as good as they look!  I'll report back once I try them out.  All of these recipes, except one use ground turkey, but you can use ground beef if you wish.

Hint: If you're using a lot of ground beef/turkey and don't want to cook 3-5lbs or more on the stove, just plop it in the crock pot and cook on low for a few hours until it is browned.  Super easy and you don't have to stand around stirring meat.  When it is done, just dump it into a strainer to get all the liquid out and put in a bowl until you're ready to use it for the meals.


Prepare all of your freezer bags by labeling them before you fill them with the name of the meal and how long to cook it, along with any special notes- all of these contain special notes that I put in bold so read ahead :-)

I only have 4 recipes for you today, but they look like good ones!  Here we go!

Lasagna Soup: Cook on low for 7-8 hours, add 2 cups of uncooked noodles and 1 cup of water when there is 30 minutes left.
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. parsley
1 T. basil
1 t. crushed red pepper
3 cups broth (I used tomato infused, super good, but you can use any broth)
28 oz diced tomatoes
1/2 jar of pasta sauce
1/4 t salt and pepper
1lb ground turkey/beef

Add in when 30 minutes are left:
2 cups uncooked noodles
1 cup water (or more if you want more liquid in your soup)

Cornbread Chili:  Cook on low 4-6 hours, top with cheese and cornbread batter and cook on high for 1 additional hour.
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 cup frozen corn
1 pkt taco seasoning
10 oz can of condensed tomato soup
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1lb ground beef/turkey

after 5 hours add on top of chili and cook on high for 1 hour:
1 cup shredded cheese to the top
1 box of cornbread batter (prepare as if you were going to bake it in the oven)

Tater Tot Casserole:  Line crock pot with frozen tater tots, fill with mixture and sprinkle top with cheese, then cook on low for 6 hours.
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans green beans
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 cup milk
1 lb. ground beef/turkey

day of cooking:
Line crock pot with 32 oz. frozen tater tots and dumb above mixture into crock pot.  Sprinkle with as much cheese as you desire.  Cook on low for 6 hours.



This last one is a chicken recipe, but it is a good one, I promise!  I actually have tried this one, and it is delish!!! Be careful not to overcook the chicken....

Creamy Ranch Chicken:  Cook on low for 4 hours or until carrots are soft and chicken is cooked but not overcooked.  Try to put the chicken on top of the potatoes and carrots in the crock pot, if possible.
4 chicken breasts
2 cups baby carrots
6 red potatoes, cut into bite size pieces
1 can cream of chicken
1 pkg ranch dressing mix
1/4 cup milk

(if possible, stir ranch mix, milk, and cream of chicken soup together before throwing it into the crock or bag)