There’s really nothing quite like sitting down to a warm and wholesome family meal. Unfortunately for many of us, cooking is cut down to a minimum, particularly through the week when everyone is so busy with work and school and any number of other activities. One thing that I have learned over the years is that if it can be frozen, it’s definitely worth putting some time into. I’ve started making ahead meals for the week and freezing them so that all I have to do is pull them out of the freezer and pop them into the oven. No matter how busy I am, I always have time to feed my family something warm and wholesome.
Now, with winter coming on, I really wanted to be sure that I had a hot meal for my family. Those winter days can be brutal and there’s just nothing better than cozying up with a nice warm casserole on a snowy evening. So, I started looking at some make ahead and freeze casseroles that will help me to beat the winter blues – and I wanted to share my favorites with you. You don’t have to wait until the holidays to enjoy delicious casseroles. You can just make these when you have time, stick them in the freezer and then reheat and enjoy. You should also take a look at these 200 easy to make freezer meals. They’re perfect for saving you time and money.
If you don’t currently make ahead and freeze your meals then you just don’t know what you are missing. You have the opportunity to feed your family warm and wholesome meals every night of the week, even on your busiest evenings. I hope you find these recipes as helpful as I have and I hope that you will make a few of these ahead to have on hand this winter. They will definitely help to keep your family warm and satisfied. And, you should also check out these 20 fridge and freezer hacks that will help you to optimize the space that you have available and make room for these yummy casseroles.
1. Bacon Egg And Potato Casserole
My family loves it when I make breakfast for dinner. If you tend to do this too, this bacon egg and potato casserole is the perfect freezer casserole for you. It only takes five minutes to prepare this and get it ready for the freezer and when you want to bake it, you just need about half an hour. It’s loaded with eggs, diced potatoes and of course, bacon and it’s a wholesome comfort food type casserole that your family is sure to love.
Recipe: galonamission
2. Broccoli And Quinoa Casserole
If you prefer healthier alternatives to your dinners, this broccoli and quinoa casserole is perfect. You can have this one ready for the freezer in about 15 minutes and it only has to bake for half an hour. It’s got vegetable stock, pesto sauce, spinach, mozzarella, broccoli, quinoa and onions and it’s absolutely delicious. If you want something a bit more meat friendly, you could totally add diced ham to this and still keep it healthy.
Recipe: eatgood4life
3. Family Favorite Taco Rice Casserole
I do love my Mexican food and this taco rice casserole is right at the top of my list. This one freezes great and only takes about 15 minutes to get ready for freezing. It’s loaded with beef or ground turkey, zucchini, corn, rice, black beans and tomatoes and is a great alterative to taco night, especially when you want a warm casserole for those cold winter evenings.
Recipe: eatingonadime
4. Chicken Parmesan Meatball Casserole
Chicken parmesan is a favorite in my house but it takes so long to make. The better alternative is this chicken parmesan meatball casserole that you can make ahead and freeze for those cold and snowy nights. You can have this in the freezer in about 10 minutes and its filled with ground chicken meatballs, pasta, marinara sauce and of course, mozzarella cheese. This one freezes really well and only takes about half an hour to bake when you need it. If you love baked chicken parmesan then you will definitely love this chicken parmesan meatball dish.
Recipe: bunsinmyoven
5. Wholesome Cheeseburger Casserole
If you’re looking for a great comfort food casserole for those cold winter nights, you just have to try this cheeseburger casserole recipe. With pasta, ground beef, garlic, tomatoes, onion, Dijon mustard and cheese, it’s a wonderfully flavorful casserole that your family is going to love. Plus, this one has chopped dill pickles which give it a wonderful cheeseburger flavor. Your family is going to really love this one.
Recipe: gimmedelicious
6. Caprese Chicken And Quinoa Casserole
This cheesy Caprese chicken quinoa casserole is filled with yummy ingredients and it feeds six so it’s the perfect family meal casserole. You use rotisserie style chicken, quinoa, tomatoes, mozzarella and a number of herbs and spices to give it a wonderful flavor. This one bakes for about 15 minutes after it’s thawed and it’s a healthy casserole, with only 337 calories per serving.
Recipe: eatyourselfskinny
7. Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Casserole
I love anything that combines chicken, bacon and ranch and this casserole is certainly no exception. If you love chicken, bacon, ranch pizza, you will really love this one. It’s the perfect comfort food; loaded with chicken, homemade alfredo sauce, and of course, bacon. You’ll have this one ready for the freezer in about 15 minutes and it only has to bake for about 15 minutes once it’s thawed.
Recipe: damndelicious
8. Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
I love chicken cordon bleu but this is another one of my favorites that takes so long to make. It’s just not feasible to have this on a busy weeknight, unless of course you want to make up this chicken cordon bleu casserole and have it in the freezer just waiting for you. This one has cooked rice, chicken, Swiss cheese, ham, sour cream and a host of spices that give it a wonderful flavor.
Recipe: guidekitchen
9. Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
My mom makes the most amazing chicken, broccoli, rice casserole and it’s normally a treat that we only get on the holidays. Who knew that this amazing casserole could be frozen and enjoyed anytime of the year? I love this recipe and it is so freezer friendly. You can have this every week if you want. It only takes a few minutes to get it ready to freeze and it’s simply packed with the most delicious flavor.
Recipe: moneysavingmom
10. Wholesome Chicken Noodle Casserole
Chicken noodle anything is wonderful on a cold winter night, which makes this chicken noodle casserole perfect for freezing this winter. Chicken and noodles together really are the best comfort food and this recipe is so simple to make. If you are looking for a really easy freezer casserole that you can pull out whenever you need comforted, this is it and you can have it ready for the freezer in just a few minutes.
Recipe: thetaylor-house
11. Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
Chicken pot pie is such a favorite in many households, including mine. This chicken pot pie casserole is the perfect freezer meal for those cold winter evenings. Not only is it quick and easy to get ready for the freezer, it’s a wonderful comfort food for cold nights. You use puff pastry for the crust, which is really light and flaky and then fill it with chicken, onion, celery, carrots, frozen peas and so many other delicious flavors! This is as good as the more traditional cast iron skillet chicken pot pie – only it’s freezer friendly.
Recipe: lovelylittlekitchen
12. Spinach Dip Chicken Pasta Casserole
Do you love spinach dip? If you do then you will really love this chicken casserole that uses the same ingredients as spinach dip, but with a little chicken and pasta twist. This one also freezes really well and it is a wonderful way to get your family to eat spinach. I promise that if you don’t tell them what’s in it, they won’t know and they will gobble this one up.
Recipe: crunchycreamysweet
13. Yummy Deep Dish Pizza Casserole
How about a frozen pizza just ready for the oven? What if I told you that you can prepare this amazing deep dish pizza casserole in very little time and have it whenever you want pizza night? Not only is this delicious, it’s much cheaper than ordering out and you can have this one when the roads are covered in snow and the pizza delivery guy can’t get to you. You can load this with anything that you want – it’s completely customizable!
Recipe: halfbakedharvest
14. Freezable Jambalaya Casserole
Oh my goodness this jambalaya casserole is so good! If you want something with a lot of flavor that freezes perfectly, this is definitely a recipe that you will want to try. It’s got rotisserie chicken, Andouille sausage, onion, green pepper, celery, rice, and so many spices! This is a great warming casserole – the spices will definitely help to melt away those winter blues and it’s perfect for when you have a cold coming on. Spicy foods are excellent for helping you to get rid of the cold bug.
Recipe: erecipecards
15. Ham, Chicken And Rice Casserole
I love casseroles with rice. This one has ham and chicken, along with rice, cheese and cream of chicken soup that make it a wonderful comfort food. You make this with Rice a Roni long grain rice, although you could substitute a different type of rice if you want. It’s wholesome and really easy to put together and it freezes really well. Just 30 minutes in the oven after thawing and you’ve got a wholesome family dinner ready.
Recipe: jamiecooksitup
16. Homemade Freezer Chicken Spaghetti
Chicken spaghetti is one of my family’s favorite dishes and this one is really easy to make and even easier to freeze. This freezes so well and let’s face it, everyone loves spaghetti…especially when it is covered in gooey cheese, right? This one only takes a few minutes to get ready for the freezer and then you just bake it until it thaws and the cheese is nice and bubbly. This is so easy to make and is every bit as delicious as traditional chicken bacon and spinach spaghetti.
Recipe: thrivinghomeblog
17. Easy Mexican Lasagna Casserole
Give your traditional lasagna a twist by making it Mexican. This casserole is perfect for freezing and has a wonderful flavor thanks to the ground beef, taco seasoning, refried beans and cheese. It also has tomatoes and green onions and the crust is made from tortilla shells – which freeze really well themselves by the way. This is perfect for Mexican food night and the recipe makes two large pans of lasagna so you can have two meals ready for those cold winter nights.
Recipe: cleverlysimple
18. Ham, Bacon and Potato Casserole
Ham and bacon give this potato based casserole such a wonderful flavor and this one is really easy to get ready for the freezer. You use red potatoes to make this one and add your ham and bacon as well as broccoli, onions, light cream cheese and cheddar cheese to give it a creamy and delicious taste. You can have this one ready for the freezer in about 15 minutes and it only has to bake for half an hour.
Recipe: ohsweetbasil
19. Homemade Enchilada Casserole
Here is another great casserole recipe for the freezer and one that is perfect for Mexican food night. This enchilada casserole has ground beef, black beans, onion, salsa, flour tortillas and a host of other delicious ingredients. One note, I would leave off the lettuce and sour cream until it’s baked and then add them in afterward as lettuce and sour cream do not freeze as well as the other ingredients.
Recipe: tasteandtellblog
20. Teriyaki Chicken Casserole
I do love a good chicken teriyaki and my family does, as well. This casserole takes that traditional Chinese flavor and packs it into a freezer friendly casserole that gives you the perfect comfort food for cold winter nights. You make it with brown rice, chicken, stir fry vegetables and edamame plus a homemade teriyaki sauce that is so good! Just 10 minutes gets it ready to freeze and then you need about an hour to bake when you’re ready for it.
Recipe: wellplated
