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7 Freezer Meals in One Hour for under $30

​The concept of freezer cooking has been around for almost as long as we've had domestic freezers. It's a simple plan where you spend a day preparing meals to go into your freezer. Some plans have the meals already cooked, so they just need to be thawed and re-heated. Other plans have the meals frozen in their raw state, ready to thaw and cook fresh.

I prefer freezing raw meals and cooking them fresh for a couple of reasons:
    1. They taste nicer cooked fresh.
    2. If there are leftovers they can be frozen and used as mufti meals.

If the idea of preparing 7 dinners in an hour has you shaking your head in disbelief prepare to be amazed.

The meals I prepared this afternoon were:
    1. Mini Meatloaves $4.50
    2. Italian Meatballs in Tomato Sauce $5
    3. Mexican Taco Stuffing $4.20
    4. Chilli Con Cath $3.20
    5. Sloppy Joes $2.50
    6. Creamy Beef & Pasta $4.50
    7. Baked Spaghetti $6

In under an hour I was able to get each meal prepped, bagged and into the freezer. All the recipes are for everyday meals, using common pantry staples. I use ziplock bags to pack most of these meals, with the exception of the Baked Spaghetti, which is frozen in its baking dish and then removed and wrapped when frozen.
Mini Meatloaves
Ingredients:
500g mince
1 egg
1 diced onion
½ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
¼ cup grated cheese
1 cup tomato sauce
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Method:
In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and tomato sauce to form a glaze. Pour half the glaze mixture into a ziplock sandwich bag and set aside.  Combine all other ingredients with the mince, adding in the remaining half of the glaze mixture. Divide between 6 muffin papers, gently pressing down to level the tops. Spoon the remaining glaze over the mini meatloaves. Flash freeze until solid. Put into a ziplock bag and store in freezer. To bake take the mini meatloaves and put them into a muffin tray. Bake at 190 degrees for approximately 30 minutes or until meat is no longer pink in the middle.

Makes 6 mini meatloaves.

Cost: $4.50

Italian Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
Ingredients:
1 jar passata
500g mince
4 slices bread
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp dried onion
1 tsp sweet basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley
1 egg

Method:
Put bread in a bowl and cover with boiling water (just to cover the bread). Let sit for 5 minutes for the bread to absorb the water. Drain. Put all ingredients into a bowl, including the soaked bread. Using your hands combine all ingredients until well mixed. Take teaspoons of the mixture and roll into balls. Put meatballs into ziplock bag, pour passata over.

To cook thaw then pour contents of bag into slow cooker. Cook on HIGH 4 hours or LOW 6 hours. Serve over hot pasta, rice or mashed potatoes.

Serves 6.

Cost: $5

Mexican Taco Stuffing
Ingredients:
500g mince
1 tin baked beans
3 tbsp MOO taco seasoning
1 tin diced tomatoes

Method:
Put mince into ziplock bag. Add remaining ingredients. Freeze.

To cook thaw then pour contents of bag into slow cooker. Use a fork to break up mince. Cook on HIGH 4 hours or LOW 6 hours. Serve in taco shells or tortillas topped with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, cheese and sour cream (or any combination of).

Makes 10 tacos.

Cost: $3.20

Chili Con Cath
Ingredients:
500gms mince
1 onion, diced
1 tsp of salt
1 tbsp vinegar
4 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp chili powder (more or less to taste)
1 can baked beans

Method:
Place mince into ziplock bag. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over mince. Seal bag and freeze.

To cook thaw. Pour contents into slow cooker. Break mince up with a spoon. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 6 hours.

Serves: 6

Cost: $3.20

Sloppy Joes
Ingredients:
500g mince
1 tbsp dried onion
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp tomato sauce
2 cups water
3 tbsp gravy powder

Method:
Place mince in ziplock bag. Combine remaining ingredients in a jug. Stir to dissolve gravy powder. Pour over mince. Seal bag and freeze.

To cook thaw and pour contents of bag into slow cooker. Cook on HIGH 4 hours or LOW 6 hours. Serve spooned over toasted bread rolls.

Serves 6.

Cost: $2.50

Creamy Mince & Pasta
Ingredients:
500g beef mince
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup (30g) plain flour
1 beef stock cube
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
2 1/4 (560ml) cups milk
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
500g penne noodles

Method:
Combine flour, stock cube, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and milk. Mix until smooth.
Put mince, mushrooms and pasta into ziplock bag. Pour over sauce. Freeze.

To cook thaw then tip contents of ziplock bag into crock pot. Stir to break up the mince. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6 hours. Serve hot.

Serves: 6 

Cost: $3.50

Baked Spaghetti
Ingredients 
500g spaghetti
500g lean beef mince
1 onion, diced
1 green capsicum, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tin condensed cream of mushroom soup
1-1/2 cups water
1  tin condensed tomato soup
200g grated sharp cheddar cheese

Method:
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and reserve.

In a large frypan over medium heat, brown mince and sauté onion, green capsicum and garlic; drain and return to frypan.

Stir mushroom soup, water and tomato soup into frypan. Stir pasta into meat and soup mixture; mix together well.

Line a 20cm  x 30cm lasagne dish with a layer of plastic wrap, a layer of foil and then a layer of baking paper, making sure each layer is large enough to wrap the dish. 

Spread the mixture into the baking dish; top with cheddar cheese. Fold baking paper over the top, then the foil and finally the plastic wrap. Freeze.

Once the dish is completely frozen you can remove it from the baking dish, make sure the plastic wrap is tight and return to the freezer.

To cook remove from freezer and thaw in the fridge. Remove the plastic wrap and foil. Place the baking paper wrapped pie into the baking dish. Bake in preheated moderate oven for 30 to 35 minutes; serve.

Serves 6.

Cost: $6
The cost for each dish is correct at the time of writing, based on where I shop and the brands I buy.

There you have it - 7 dinners in the freezer in under one hour and for under $30. If you have a busy household (and who doesn't) spending an hour once a week to pack up 7 dinners will save you a lot of time later on.

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  • Home
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      • Handmade Christmas 2025 is about to start
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    • Back to Basics >
      • Back to Basics
      • Back to Basics Index
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