Freeze Fresh Meal Prep: 160 Meal Starters and Make-Ahead Dishes for the Freezer

by Crystal Schmidt

Overview

The answer to the question, "What's for dinner?" is in the freezer! Crystal Schmidt, best-selling author of Freeze Fresh, offers a unique approach to meal prep, with 160 recipes for complete meals as well as meal starters—dishes that can be partially prepared and frozen, then combined with pantry ingredients to make a complete meal.

Using garden fresh vegetables and fruits, Schmidt offers original recipes for soup starters, sauces and dips, side dishes, beverage starters, baked goods, frozen treats, pie or cobbler fillings, and freezer jams. Going well beyond the idea of simply pulling a casserole out of the freezer to thaw for dinner, Freeze Fresh Meal Prep gives home cooks the tools and flexibility they need to make a delicious, fresh meal—breakfast, lunch, or dinner—in a pinch. Because she's a serious gardener, Schmidt treats meal prep as a way to preserve the bounty from her vegetable garden, and includes a separate index that organizes recipes by fruit or vegetable type. Recipes include:

• Chicken Tortilla Soup Starter
• Spicy Roasted Carrot Dip
• Summer Harvest Soup
• Thai-Inspired Pumpkin Veggie Curry
• Supreme Pizza Casserole
• Cheesy Fire-Roasted Poblano Breakfast Tacos
• Sweet Potato Casserole Cups
• Zucchini Peanut Noodles
• Cinnamon Breakfast Apples
• Roasted Peach and Amaretto Jam
• Double Chocolate Beet Cookies
• Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream Sandwiches

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781635868449
Publisher:	Storey Publishing, LLC
Publication date:	04/28/2026
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320

About the Author

Crystal Schmidt is the bestselling author of Freeze Fresh, and creator of Whole-Fed Homestead. With a passion for good food, she inspires others to grow their own produce, create delicious meals, and preserve fresh ingredients. Find Crystal on social media and YouTube at @wholefedhomestead to share in her love of homegrown living.

Table of Contents

Introduction: General Freezing and Thawing Guidelines
Best Freezing Practices
Containers to Freeze In
Removing Air
Best Quantities to Freeze
How to Thaw Prepared Food
 
Index of Recipes by Vegetable or Fruit
 
Chapter 1: Meal Starters
How to Freeze Meal Starters
How to Craft Your Own Meal Starter
Choose Vegetables that Freeze Well
Cooking a Meal Starter
Freezing Meal Starters with Dairy
 
Recipes
Breakfast
Cinnamon breakfast apples
Cranberry raspberry baked apples
Brown sugar roasted peaches (with Roasted peach steel cut oats recipe)
Cheesy fire roasted poblanos (with Cheesy poblano breakfast tacos recipe)
Shakshuka starter (with Eggs shakshuka recipe)
Roasted plum halves (Plum yogurt parfaits recipe)
 
Lunch and Dinner
Egg roll in a bowl starter (with egg roll in a bowl recipe)
Apple cider pork chops skillet starter and apple cider pork chop skillet
Roasted ratatouille pasta starter (with Ratatouille pasta recipe)
Garlic feta spinach filling (used in quiche, savory rolls, stuffed shells, stuffed mushrooms)
Swiss chard stir fry starter and Stir fry recipe
Roasted tomato and veggie pasta starter (with Roasted tomato and veggie pasta with feta recipe)
Supreme pizza skillet starter (with Supreme pizza skillet recipe)
Sloppy Joe starter (with Sloppy joe recipe)
Zucchini ricotta roll ups (Baked zucchini ricotta roll ups recipe)
 
Chapter 2: Soup Starters and Soups for the Freezer
How to Freeze Soup Starters and Prepared Soups
How to Craft Your Own Soup Starter
What Types of Soup Adapt Best to Soup Starters?
Building a Great Soup Starter
Soups with Dairy
Soups with Potatoes
Soups with Pasta
 
Recipes
Cabbage soup starter (and cabbage soup recipe)
Herby chicken soup starter (and herby chicken soup recipe)
Carrot soup
Cauliflower and roasted garlic soup
Swiss chard and lentil soup
French onion soup starter (with French onion soup and French onion beef stew recipes)
Tuscan chicken soup starter (with Tuscan chicken soup recipe)
Zuppa Toscana soup starter (with Zuppa Toscana soup recipe)
Stuffed pepper soup starter (Stuffed pepper soup recipe)
White chicken chili starter (with White chicken chili recipe)
Potato soup
Roasted red pepper tomato soup
Pureed zucchini soup
Zucchini corn chowder starter (with Zucchini sweet corn chowder recipe)
Pumpkin chili starter (with Pumpkin black bean chili recipe)
Mexican butternut squash stew
Minestrone soup starter (with Minestrone soup recipe)
Chicken tortilla soup and taco casserole starter (Chicken tortilla soup and taco casserole recipe)
 
Chapter 3: Prepared Vegetable Dishes for the Freezer
How to Freeze Prepared Vegetable Dishes
How to Craft Your Own Vegetable Dish for the Freezer
Choose Vegetables that Freeze Well
Cooking a Frozen Prepared Vegetable Dish
Freezing Vegetable Dishes with Dairy
 
Recipes
Cabbage pancake fritters
Southern fried cabbage
Cilantro lime red cabbage slaw
Maple butter roasted carrots
Loaded mashed cauliflower and potatoes
Garlic and herb seasoned cauliflower
Buffalo ranch seasoned cauliflower
Aloo gobi (curry potato and cauliflower)
Mexican street corn salad
Corn on the cob
Garlic butter corn
Eggplant parm rounds
Smothered green beans
Herb butter green beans and corn
Roasted green beans and tomatoes
Spinach tortillas
Sesame kale
Stuffed Swiss chard rolls Swiss chard rolls in tomato sauce
Kale and fresh tomato sauce
Onion fritters/patties
Potatoes O’Brian
Roasted baby potatoes
German potato pancakes
Hash brown casserole squares
Spinach and artichoke twice baked potatoes
Drunken zucchini noodles
Seasoned grilled zucchini
Buffalo chicken pepper poppers
Grilled fajita veggies
Zucchini coconut curry zoodles
Sweet potato fries
Grilled sweet potato wedges
Baked sweet potato halves
Sweet potato casserole cups
Balsamic roasted cherry tomatoes
 
Chapter 4: Flavor Boosters
How to Freeze Flavor Boosters
How to Craft Your Own Flavor Boosters
Freezing Herbs and Herb Blends
Freezing Herb Sauces
Freezing Herbs in Citrus Juice
Freezing Herbs for Tea
 
Recipes
Lemon parsley garlic chicken marinade cubes
Kale lemon pesto
Poultry herb blend
Chimichurri sauce
Mexican herb blend
Italian herb blend
Lemon juice and dill cubes Lemon dill salmon or rice
Parsley pistachio pesto
Herb and floral tea cubes (lav, vanilla, mint, calendula)
Cilantro lime sauce
Onion jam
Sun dried tomato pesto
Puréed pepper flavor cubes
 
Chapter 5: Sauces, Salsas, and Relishes
How to Freeze Sauces, Salsas, and Relishes
How to Craft Your Own Sauces, Salsas, and Relishes
Which Types Freeze the Best?
 
Recipes
Veg apple sauce with carrot and squash
Harissa roasted carrot dip
Orange chicken sauce (with Sheet pan orange chicken recipe)
Corn salsa
Cranberry orange relish (with Cranberry orange fluff salad recipe)
Cranberry salsa (with Cranberry salsa appetizer with goat cheese)
Baba ganoush
Blended roasted tomato and veggie sauce
Roasted cherry tomato sauce
Fire roasted salsa
Bbq sauce
Red enchilada sauce
Harvest squash tomato sauce
Arabbiata sauce
Vodka sauce starter (Pasta a la vodka recipe)
Grilled tomato Rasta pasta sauce
Red pepper Romanesco sauce (with Shrimp red pepper dish recipe)
Jalapeno hot sauce
Sweet jalapeño relish
Shredded zucchini pasta sauce
Pumpkin curry sauce Pumpkin curry chicken
Nomato sauce
Chicken verde sauce (with Chicken chili verde recipe)
Tomatillo salsa
Tomatillo corn salsa
Tomatillo avocado salsa
Ketchup
Variation: Jalapeño ketchup
Tomato paste
Tomato jam
 
Chapter 6: Pie Fillings, Preserves, Jams, and Jellies
How to Freeze Pie Fillings
How to Craft Your Own Pie Fillings for the Freezer
How to Freeze Fruit Preserves, Jams and Jellies
How to Craft Your Own Preserves, Jams, and Jellies for the Freezer
Long-cooked Preserves
Freezing and Thawing Guidelines
 
Recipes
Crab apple jelly
Cherry pie filling (and Chocolate cherry crisp or cobbler)
Orange Jam (and Orange Pecan Thumbprint cookies)
         Variation: Holiday spiced orange jam
Lemon/lime curd
Grape jelly (with Potluck meatballs recipe)
Old fashioned grape jam (with Jam swirled peanut butter bars recipe)
Peach pie filling (with Peaches and cream shortcake recipe)
Baked pear pie filling (with Chai spiced pear crumble or gingerbread crumble recipe)
Plum cobbler filling
Plum butter
Raspberry jam (with Raspberry jam baked oatmeal bars recipe)
Strawberry pie and cobbler filling
Spiced Pumpkin Butter (with Pumpkin spice chocolate granola recipe)
Cherry jam (I’m assuming this goes with cherry jam: Cherry lime vodka soda)
 
Chapter 7: Baked Goods and Fruit Bakes
How to Freeze Baked Goods and Fruit Bakes
How to Craft Your Own Baked Goods for the Freezer
Freezing and Thawing Guidelines
 
Carrot cake energy balls
Carrot bread
Green smoothie muffins
Roasted ginger spice pear cubes (with Pear gingerbread muffins or oatmeal muffins recipe)
Zucchini oatmeal bites or cups
Zucchini cheddar quick bread loaf
Pumpkin custard muffins
Stuffed baked apple halves
Chocolate cherry ice cream topping
Stuffed baked peach halves
Vanilla orange stewed plums
Cranberry pear sauce
Peach sauce (with Sauce muffins recipe)
Raspberry honey butter pancake sauce
Jellied cranberry sauce
Strawberry rhubarb sauce (Sauce muffins or strawberry rhubarb pancakes recipes)
 
 
Chapter 8: Frozen Fruit Desserts
How to Make and Freeze Frozen Fruit Desserts
How to Craft Your Own Frozen Fruit Desserts
Making Sorbet
Making Fruity Ice Cream
Making Freezer Pops and Freezies
 
Honey vanilla mandarin oranges
Creamy grape popsicles
Peach Bellini ice pops
Plum amaretto sorbet
Raspberries and cream popsicles
Strawberry rosé sorbet
Roasted strawberry ice cream