5 Gluten-Free Freezer Meals You Can Make in 1 Hour

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Sometimes, life comes at you from all directions, and the last thing that you want to worry about is what you are putting on the table for supper. To make things easier, I put together these Gluten Free Freezer meals that I can simply pull out, place in my slow cooker, and enjoy when it’s time to eat.

Sometimes, life comes at you from all directions, and the last thing that you want to worry about is what you are putting on the table for supper. To make things easier, I put together these Gluten Free Freezer meals that I can simply pull out, place in my slow cooker, and enjoy when it's time to eat.

Gluten-Free Freezer Meals in an Hour

This week, I wrote up a menu of meals I could make and put in the freezer. This was an interesting challenge for me since I haven’t done this yet since I’ve been gluten-free.

So today, I made meals to get us through the next week at least, and I made them all with real food and all gluten-free!

Plus, I focused on making crock-pot meals, so when I do go to cook them, I don’t have to do anything besides opening the bag and pouring in my crock-pot. I originally wrote this post before the Instant Pot was a thing, but you could use that to cook these as well.

These healthy freezer meals all make hearty dishes and taste great even coming out of being frozen. These meals serve 4 but can also be made in a big batch to serve more people.

How to Prepare for Freezer Meal Cooking

I started by gathering all of my supplies. Most of the vegetables I needed I had put away in the freezer already cut up or canned. I put everything out on the counter. I had gotten all my meat out the night before so it could thaw to bake or soak up the juices.

Meatloaf Freezer Meal

I started by making Cheesy Meatloaf. This one has to bake for 45 minutes, so I made it first so I could let it bake while I finished the rest of the meals.

You can use some oatmeal (oats) in this recipe if you’d like to stretch the meat. Just make sure they are gluten-free.

Tip: –Here’s an Old Fashioned Meatloaf Recipe you might enjoy also.

Meatloaf is one of my fave things to freeze. Growing up on a farm we would cook and freeze a ton of meals in the winter so when summer came I wouldn’t have to come in from whatever the guys had me doing outside and fix a meal from scratch, my mom or little sis could just pull out a frozen meal and pop it in the oven 🙂

Kendra, Little House Living reader

Cheesy Meatloaf Recipe

A fun twist on the classic meatloaf.

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword Cheesy Meatloaf
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 473 kcal
Creator Merissa

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground meat (I used beef)
  • 1 cup shredded cheese
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 3/4 cup oats
  • 2 Tablespoon minced onion
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

  1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Shape in a loaf pan and bake at 350F for 45 minutes. Once it’s done, let it cool and pop it in a freezer bag.
Nutrition Facts
Cheesy Meatloaf Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 473 Calories from Fat 288
% Daily Value*
Fat 32g49%
Saturated Fat 13g81%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 13g
Cholesterol 147mg49%
Sodium 571mg25%
Potassium 486mg14%
Carbohydrates 15g5%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 30g60%
Vitamin A 299IU6%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Calcium 220mg22%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Sausage and Peppers Freezer Meal

While that was baking, I threw together this sausage and peppers. This meal is so simple to throw together, but everyone in our family enjoys it! This recipe is naturally dairy-free as well.

You could substitute ham in this recipe for the sausage if you have some you need to use up.

Tip: To make this meal a little heartier, you can serve it over rice or quinoa. Add this Cook Ahead Freezer Rice to your freezer cooking day or make it before you serve it.

Sausage and Peppers Recipe

A simple freezer meal that the family will enjoy!

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword Sausage and Peppers
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 303 kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 sausages (I just used hot dogs since that’s what I had on hand)
  • 2 cups green peppers chopped
  • 1/2 cup onion chopped
  • 1 pint tomatoes (Or 2 cups diced tomatoes if you aren’t a canner!)
  • splash of olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Throw together in a freezer bag. When you are ready to cook, cook in a slow cooker for 5 hours on low.
Nutrition Facts
Sausage and Peppers Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 303 Calories from Fat 207
% Daily Value*
Fat 23g35%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Trans Fat 0.2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 10g
Cholesterol 61mg20%
Sodium 695mg30%
Potassium 653mg19%
Carbohydrates 10g3%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 15g30%
Vitamin A 1325IU27%
Vitamin C 78mg95%
Calcium 32mg3%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Broccoli Cheese Soup Freezer Meal

Then I made Broccoli Cheese Soup! This Soup is perfect for cool fall or winter days.

I divided this recipe into two meals for our family. You can put it away in any portion size you want. You can even do individual servings for a quick lunch option for home, office, or school lunches.

Tip: I love soups packed with fresh vegetables. This Homemade Vegetable Soup is another favorite!

Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe

This soup is perfect for cool fall or winter days!

Course Soup
Cuisine American
Keyword Broccoli Cheese Soup
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 472 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup flour or less, (can be gluten free) or starch
  • 2 cup milk
  • 2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 1/2 cup broccoli
  • 1/2 teapoon salt
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients (except cheese) on the stove top and simmer together until onions are cooked. Add in cheese and cook until melted. Cool and pour into freezer containers or freezer bags. (I separated this into 2 separate meals)
Nutrition Facts
Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 472 Calories from Fat 324
% Daily Value*
Fat 36g55%
Saturated Fat 21g131%
Trans Fat 0.5g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 8g
Cholesterol 102mg34%
Sodium 603mg26%
Potassium 473mg14%
Carbohydrates 19g6%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 8g9%
Protein 22g44%
Vitamin A 1324IU26%
Vitamin C 31mg38%
Calcium 579mg58%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

BBQ Chicken Freezer Meal

Then I threw this BBQ Chicken meal together. This easy freezer meal can be made with just a few minutes of prep work.

Tip: Prefer to cook meats fresh? Make a batch of this Fresh Tomato BBQ Sauce for the freezer so you always have it on hand.

BBQ Chicken Recipe

This easy freezer meal features BBQ chicken and can be made in just a few minutes of prep work!

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword BBQ Chicken Freezer Meal
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 341 kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts large
  • 2 cupcs green peppers chopped
  • 1 cup onion chopped
  • 3 potatoes chopped
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1 Tablespoon turbinado (or brown sugar)
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Throw together in a freezer bag. When you are ready to cook, place the contents of the bag in the slow cooker and cook for 4 hours on high.
Nutrition Facts
BBQ Chicken Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 341 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Fat 3g5%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Trans Fat 0.01g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 72mg24%
Sodium 832mg36%
Potassium 1322mg38%
Carbohydrates 51g17%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 19g21%
Protein 28g56%
Vitamin A 348IU7%
Vitamin C 39mg47%
Calcium 44mg4%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Roast Beef and Beans Freezer Meal

And lastly, I put together this Roast Beef and Beans meal. It’s a simple but hearty meal that is great for cold, winter days.

Tip: These Freezer Beef N Bean Burritos are another hearty option and are great for a quick meal on the go.

Beef & Beans Recipe

A simple but hearty freezer meal for the slow cooker.

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword Beef & Beans Slow Cooker Meal
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 762 kcal
Creator Merissa

Ingredients

  • 3 lb beef roast
  • 1/4 cup rice flour (Or regular flour if you aren’t GF)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 1 quart tomatoes (Or 4 cups diced tomatoes)
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 2 Tablespoons turbinado (Or brown sugar)
  • 16 oz green beans

Instructions

  1. Throw together in a freezer bag. When you are ready to cook, pour contents of the bag into the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Nutrition Facts
Beef & Beans Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 762 Calories from Fat 360
% Daily Value*
Fat 40g62%
Saturated Fat 17g106%
Trans Fat 2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g
Monounsaturated Fat 20g
Cholesterol 235mg78%
Sodium 877mg38%
Potassium 1981mg57%
Carbohydrates 34g11%
Fiber 7g29%
Sugar 17g19%
Protein 70g140%
Vitamin A 2798IU56%
Vitamin C 48mg58%
Calcium 133mg13%
Iron 9mg50%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Yes, all this with prep and clean-up time included only took me one hour! And here we have all of our gluten-free frozen meals ready for the next week. Pretty neat, isn’t it? And you can do it too!

Tip: Check out all of our make ahead meal ideas on Little House Living.

More Gluten-Free Freezer Meals

You can also save a ton of time and make the big components for other gluten-free recipes like stews, tacos, casseroles, and other easy gluten-free freezer meals by doing Large Batch Cooking.

Meal Planning Made Simple

Have you tried freezer cooking in an hour? What’s your favorite meal to make?

Me and Kady

Merissa Alink

Merissa has been blogging about and living the simple and frugal life on Little House Living since 2009 and has internationally published 2 books on the topic. You can read about Merissa’s journey from penniless to freedom on the About Page. You can send her a message any time from the Contact Page.

This post on Gluten Free Freezer Meals was originally published on Little House Living in November 2012. It has been updated as of November 2023.

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40 Comments

  1. Meatloaf is one of my fave things to freeze. Growing up on a farm we would cook and freeze a ton of meals in the winter so when summer came I wouldn’t have to come in from whatever the guys had me doing outside and fix a meal from scratch, my mom or little sis could just pull out a frozen meal and pop it in the oven 🙂

  2. I just used up the last of my “Freezer Food” yesterday ,so time for me to start actually cooking again! I love your crockpot freezer meal ideas!

  3. they all look soooo good! but i think the broccoli cheese soup is my first try.. new to you site but i definitely do enjoy it… thanks for sharing..

  4. I’ll definitely have to try some of these. I almost didn’t look because I’m on a low carb diet rather than gluten-free for health reasons (and no beef for personal reasons), but with very few modifications or omissions I could do these!

  5. Oh my goodness, this came at a great time. I’ve been wanting to try some freezer to crockpot meals- made form real food- for some time. Thanks for ideas, yum!

  6. My daughter is not yet able to eat oats (she also has Celiac disease). Do you have any suggestions for substitutions for the gf meatloaf that would work as well? These recipes look wonderful! Thanks for posting!

        1. We use crushed gf tortilla chips in meatloaf. (those crushed up chip no one wants to eat) We also regularly eat gf oats in our celiac household.

        1. SInce it’s already cooked you’ll just need to heat it until it’s warm. I’m not sure how long it would take, I normally heat mine in the microwave just until it’s hot.

  7. Love your recipes! Making the meatloaf tonight (triple batch, but putting into muffin tins for easy, individual size portions when ready to use the rest later). You said you already had cut up veggies that you’d frozen. Do you need to prep them any special way to freeze? How long are they good for if you freeze them? Any veggies you can’t or shouldn’t freeze cut up ahead of time? Thanks!

    1. It depends on the veggie. Some of them I cook first and then freeze, others can just be put straight into the freezer. I’m not sure of any that you should freeze (at least as far as veggies goes).

  8. I tried your meatloaf this week using ground turkey. It was delicious! I am eating sugar, flour, and wheat-free these days and having a hard time finding suitable recipes. This was perfect! Thanks for sharing. I linked your recipe in a post I did on make ahead meals today. I hope you don’t mind!

  9. Another meatloaf recipe I made, I did not bake the meatloaf first before freezing, I just put the unbaked loaf pan in a freezer bag until we were ready to make it. Would you recommend baking this one first or would this be fine just freezing unbaked? Thanks!

  10. This is amazing! I have been searching the web looking for easy gluten free freezer meals. I am also dairy free so I will just substitute where needed. Thank you!!

  11. Thank you so much for this great idea! I would never have thought of putting together all the ingredients into a meal like that, ready to go! Will be so handy for cooking meals on the afternoons we are at the girls dance lessons

  12. These are great recipes. I have struggling lately with getting healthy, gluten free meals on the table with life being so crazy. Thank you!

  13. I love to read anything that is about being frugal or self sufficient. I am retired and usually spend my mornings cooking ahead for the freezer or for dinner that night. My husbands hours are crazy so it’s easier to just heat everything up while he’s on his way home. I love to cook and was raised in a family where money was scarce. I learned how to stretch the food budget and to spend the time it takes to cook from scratch. We don’t eat out unless we are celebrating a birthday, etc. We have a budget and track everything we spend. I like to challenge myself to be creative and serve a warm and yummy but inexpensive meal every night. We are full time RVer’s. We had a 3000 sq. ft home and downsized once the kids were grown. Keep the articles coming, I love reading them.

    Karen

  14. Thank you for sharing these! I’m trying to be more efficient in the kitchen because I notice that is where most of my time is spent.

  15. Thank You Merissa. Love all your posts. It has taught me a lot about easy meals, storing, crafts. And all recipes you post. I have actually made some. They are delicious and simple.
    Thank You. Have a wonderful weekend. 😊