How To Set Up a Freezer Meal Party
A Freezer Meal Party for Fun & Food
Ok. This made me laugh.
It’s funny that a google search says that meal prep with others is now called a freezer meal party.
I do have fun with friends, and I would kill for a freezer full of healthy ready to-go meals.
BUT most parties I’ve been to don’t involve this much cooking. Right?!
A Freezer Meal Night with Friends
Nevertheless, I’ve been getting together with friends to prep meals for the last three years, and we’ve learned a thing or two. This post includes all the ins and outs of how to organize a successful freezer meal party.
This last time, we spent $170 each for double portions of each of the recipes below!
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OUR FREEZER PREP RECIPES
Meatballs
These are delicious! And have carrots, so also healthy! Win-win!
Breakfast Burritos:
We like having easy breakfast options, and these make a TON!
Banana Pancakes:
Others use them for quick grab and go breakfasts, and we love saving them for our Saturday pancakes so it’s no work then!
Chicken Fajitas
This is one of our family’s favorite meals overall! Feels like we’re eating the rainbow! We turned this into an easy crockpot dump meal.
Chicken Fajita Recipe (We substitute the flank steak in this recipe for chicken, but you could do either!)
Taco Soup
Every freezer meal night should have one or two easy crockpot dinners. This one is perfect, and easy to modify!
Related: More Easy Meals For Your Freezer
THE PREP WORK
First, we split the recipes up between people. For example, I’ve been in charge of breakfast burritos.
Each person buys the ingredients for everyone in the group and preps what can be done BEFOREHAND for their meal/meals.
We really only COOK meatballs and pancakes at the time.
Here’s what it looks like for our recipes and 4 people in the group…
Meatballs: No prep, just buy ingredients for X8 meals and bring
Breakfast Burritos: Buy ingredients X8, dice and cook veggies, sausage, and eggs (so we just put together burritos the night off)
Banana Pancakes: Buy ingredients X8, make dry mix beforehand
Chicken Fajitas: Buy ingredients x8, slice veggies
Taco Soup: Buy ingredients X8, cook the hamburger, chop veggies needed
Also, notice above that we double the recipes for each family, so if you have 4 people as we do, you’ll make 8 portions worth of each recipe.
If you’re going through the work of a freezer meal party, make lots of food!
TIPS FOR AN AWESOME NIGHT
Chop and Prepare Everything Beforehand
Our first, and biggest mistake was to not prepare ahead of time. Guys, it takes hours and hours if you don’t do any chopping and cooking ahead.
Lesson learned.
Don’t Reinvent the Wheel
If you enjoyed the food from the last freezer meal party night, then do it again! All of the food in this post has been made at least two different times.
We like them, and it’s 10X easier to send out the same email. Plus, we know what we’re doing! SAVES SO MUCH TIME!
You can even take notes, and then you’ll be able to tweak recipes in the future. Does it make too much sausage? Could you add broth?
Divide By The Number of People
Keep track of your own purchases. Then, everyone adds the totals up and divides by the number of people in the group.
That number is how much everyone owes. Usually, a few people will have spent more and a few will have spent less. Those that spent less pay the difference to those that spent more.
Math is NOT my strong suit, but it usually comes out pretty simple.
Label The Bags Before You Put Food In
Sometimes the bags are full or the food is cold and it’s hard to write after the food is put in!
So, lay all the bags out before cooking and label them with the item and date.
Know That It Will Take Awhile
Those people that tell you they can make 100 meals in 2 hours? I don’t know what they’re smoking. (Unless they are including one pancake as a “meal.”)
Regardless of what anyone tells you, this is not a quick thing.
Even if you prepare everything possible beforehand, making a lot of healthy food at once takes time.
With the recipes above and with 3-4 people, it takes us about 4 hours. So, plan accordingly.
However, we’ve also noticed that it gets a little bit faster every time we do it! So, maybe practice makes perfect!
Make It Fun
I mean, it is a freezer meal party after all! So, bring some wine and have someone pick up dinner on the way. Enjoy the quality time with friends while you cook!
DO NOT try to do this with kids around unless they are old enough to help!
Have Lots Of Supplies Handy
There’s inevitably a lot of side items you need, so make sure you’re stocked up on things like foil, freezer bags, parchment/wax paper, and kitchen utensils like spatulas.
These are a MUST!!!
Click the picture or check them out HERE, HERE, & HERE
Have others bring their own coolers, mixing bowls, and griddles if you make pancakes.
Make Meals That Are Easy To Modify
We have some food restrictions at our house, so for some of the food, I make my own variation.
For instance, I take out the carrots and breadcrumbs and coconut flour in the meatball recipe so that my husband can enjoy it too. The meatballs are still SO GOOD and we get to adjust to our needs.
If you have a member with strict dietary concerns, just make sure what you pick is something that can be modified easily.
SOMETHING TO CONSIDER WITH FREEZER MEALS
It’s a lot of work, but it’s such a fun bonding experience with others and gosh it’s a LIFESAVER after.
What mom doesn’t want a ton of meals already made in her freezer!?!?
Then, just bring them out at your convenience! And they are all delicious and healthy too!
What about you! Have you ever organized a freezer meal party? How did it go?
Other Make Ahead Meal Posts…
- 11 Healthy Make Ahead Breakfasts For Back To School
- 7 Make Ahead Lunches To Freeze
- 21 Weeknight Dinners in Under 45 Minutes