Dairy free freezer meals don’t have to be hard to make, and they don’t have to be boring. These flavorful and easy to prep dairy free freezer meals are great to have on hand.
*I’m gluten free as well so everything here is gluten free. If you are NOT gluten free you can make these with gluten-full ingredients as well. 🙂
I like to batch cook when I bulk shop so I can keep some dairy free freezer meals ready in my freezer at all times. As a busy mom, it’s nice to have ready-to-cook dairy free freezer meals on hand for those crazy days.
Do I need to follow each recipe exactly?
NO! Honestly I always make these recipes a little bit different depending on what I have on hand and I encourage you to do the same!
These are recipes you can’t mess up. Take them as they are or use them as a jumping-off point to add in your own flavors and on-hand ingredients.
I’m really just trying to get your brain flowing with new dairy free freezer-friendly dinner ideas. I’ll explain how to make these meals as easy as possible and give best practice tips on how to freeze them.
Keep Track of Your Favorite Dairy Free Freezer Meals
Don’t forget to keep track of your favorite meals in your recipe and meal plan journal created by Eat or Drink. Buy your copy here on Amazon. Coming up with meals every single day is tricky. That’s why it helps to write down your favorites all in one place. You can also use this journal to plan your weekly meals and come up with your grocery lists too!
3 Easy to Prep Dairy & Gluten Free Freezer Meals
With all that intro stuff out of the way, let’s get right into these meals. Here are 3 easy to prep dairy and gluten free freezer meals.
1. Turkey Meatballs:
This is something I almost ALWAYS have on hand. It’s so easy to make a lot of meatballs at once and get 2 or 3 freezer bags filled with them.
How to Make Them:
Ingredients:
*As stated above, these recipes are so flexible. My measurements aren’t exact but this recipe is pretty fool-proof.
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 egg
- 1 small onion diced up small
- About 1/2 cup oats
- A squirt of ketchup
- A drizzle of olive oil (since turkey meat is generally so lean, I like the addition of a little oil)
- A sprinkle of oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder
- A good amount of salt and pepper
Directions:
Mix all your ingredients in a large bowl, hands are your best tool here!
How to Freeze Them:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a spoon, or my favorite tool, a large cookie scoop, to drop equal portions of meatballs onto your baking sheet. Then use your hands to make sure each one is a proper round shape.
Cover your turkey meatballs with plastic wrap and place them in your freezer.
Once they are completely frozen you can store them in a labeled gallon-sized ziplock bag.
How to Prepare Them After Freezing:
You can either pull the bag of frozen meatballs out the night before and let them defrost in the fridge. Or if you’re in a pinch you can go right to cooking, just add some extra cook time and always make sure the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
I like to give them an initial air fry at 400 degrees F. for about 7 minutes. This just makes sure they won’t crumble and gives the outside a nice golden layer. I then simmer them in pasta sauce to serve over spaghetti.
2. Dairy Free Squash Mac and Cheese:
This is one of my all-time favorite dairy free mac and cheese recipes. It’s so creamy and has a delicious flavor from the squash.
How to Make It:
This recipe already lives on Eat or Drink so instead of rewriting it, here’s a link to the recipe.
How to Freeze It:
Ok, you have two options here…
- JUST FREEZE THE SAUCE: Sometimes when making this dish I’ll make a double batch of the sauce and pour one portion into a gallon-sized ziplock bag. Lay the bag flat in your freezer to take up the least amount of space.
- MAKE AND FREEZE THE MAC AND CHEESE: You CAN make the mac and cheese ahead of time and freeze that flat in a ziplock bag as well. HOWEVER, especially if using gluten free pasta, make sure your pasta is very al dente. If your gluten free pasta is cooked well done, reheating it will only result in a mushy mess.
How to Prepare After Freezing:
- IF YOU JUST FROZE THE SAUCE: Defrost in the fridge then reheat on the stovetop. Mix with your pasta and BOOM. Feel free to bake your mac and cheese or just enjoy it as is.
- IF YOU FROZE THE MAC AND CHEESE: Defrost in the fridge then carefully reheat making sure not to overmix (which would result in mushy pasta). If it seems too dry you might need to add a little water or dairy free milk. You can also place the defrosted mac and cheese right in a baking
3. Dairy Free Tater Tot Casserole
This meal has been on repeat in our house lately. Whenever I make it, I make a double batch and stick one bag of it in the freezer.
How to Make It:
This recipe has already been written up in my, “A Week of Gluten Free Dinners” blog post. You can snag it here.
How to Freeze It:
To save freezer space, I store the filling of the tater tot casserole in a gallon-sized bag laying flat in my freezer.
How to Prepare It After Freezing:
When I’m ready to bake it, I remove it from the freezer 1-2 nights before to allow it to defrost. I then pour it into a greased baking dish and top it with a single layer of tater tots. Bake it for about 30-40 minutes at 400°F.
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