A common question we get about freezer cooking is, “What are some easy freezer meals for 1 or 2 people?” In this post, we will walk you through a great list of make ahead recipe ideas from our blog and cookbook that work for 1 or 2 people. Next, we will show you how to freeze meals in small portions. Great ideas if you’re prepping freezer meals as a single, an empty nester, for the elderly, or for a college student!
Since our book, From Freezer to Table, hit shelves, we’ve had some pretty awesome speaking opportunities. We love sharing our heart behind the book and teaching people how to make freezer cooking a lifestyle.
As we’ve talked to more and more of you, a common question comes up that we didn’t cover very thoroughly in our book: Does freezer cooking work if I’m only cooking for 1 or 2 people?
YES. YES. YES!
While we did have families in mind when writing the recipes, MANY can be adapted to those who only cook for 1 or 2 people. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for several helpful tips for making individually-portioned freezer meals.
Now on to our massive freezer meal recipe list for you!
Freezer Meal Recipes That Work for 1 or 2 People
Below are well-tested recipes from From Freezer to Table and our Recipe Index that will successfully work for smaller portioned freezer meals. Note that some recipes require you to thaw and then cook them. Others require you to thaw and just warm them up (because they’ve already been cooked). And, still others can be cooked directly from frozen. I made notes below for you.
Breakfast: Freezer Meals for 1 or 2 People
In From Freezer to Table, Chapter 4
- Blueberry Avocado or Pumpkin Muffins (p. 42 and 45)
- Breakfast Cookies (p. 47)
- Peaches and Cream Baked Oatmeal (p. 51) – divide into two 8×8 pans
- Oatmeal Pancake Mix (p.54)
- Apple Maple Sausage Bites (p. 56) – take out however many you want, thaw, and cook
- Chocolate Zunana Waffles (p. 58)
- Scones (p.61)
- Breakfast Burritos (p. 64)
From the Blog:
- Mini Bacon, Spinach, and Egg Quiches
- Make Ahead Breakfast Sandwiches
- Easy Breakfast Casserole Muffins
- Zucchini Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies
- Pumpkin Banana Muffins
- Baked Oatmeal – divide into two 8×8 pans
Chicken: Freezer Meals for 1 or 2 People
In From Freezer to Table, Chapter 5
- Chicken Tenders (p. 72) – take out however many you want and cook from frozen
- Chicken and Broccoli Foil Packs (p. 75) – take out however many you want, thaw, and cook
- Individual Chicken Pot Pies (p. 83) – take out however many you want, thaw, and cook
- Chicken Fried Rice (p. 91) – freeze in small portions; takes just a few minutes to warm in the microwave
From the Blog:
- Herbalicious Chicken Bites – take out however many you want, thaw, and cook
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Cheese Chimichangas -take out however many you want, thaw, and cook
- On-the-Go Chicken Burritos -take out however many you want, thaw, and cook
- Oven Fried Parmesan Chicken Tenders -take out however many you want and cook from frozen
- Mini Chicken Burgers with Herbs -take out however many you want, thaw, and cook
Beef: Freezer Meals for 1 or 2 People
In From Freezer to Table, Chapter 6
- Cheddar Chive Burgers (p.98) – take out however many you want, thaw, and cook
- Beef and Bean Burritos (p.106) – take out however many you want, thaw and warm up
- Sloppy Joes (p.110) – freeze into smaller portions, thaw, and warm up
From the Blog:
- Pesto Burgers – take out however many you want, thaw, and cook
- Mini Meatloaf Muffins – take out however many you want, thaw, and cook
- Slow Cooker Shredded BBQ Sandwiches -Cook fully and freeze in small portions. Then, thaw and warm up.
- Meatballs with Sneaky Veggies -Cook fully and freeze in small portions. Then, thaw and warm up.
- Crowd Pleaser Mexican Soup – Cook fully and freeze in small portions. Then, thaw and warm up.
Pork and Turkey: Freezer Meals for 1 or 2 People
In From Freezer to Table, Chapter 7
- Yum Loaves (p.115) – take out what you need, thaw, and bake
- 4-Ingredient Pork Chops (p. 116) – take out however many you want, thaw, and cook
- Ham and Swiss Glazed Paninis (p.120) – take out however many you want, thaw, and cook
- Super Stuffed Baked Potatoes (p. 121) – take out however many you want, thaw, and cook
- Mini Turkey and Veggie Burgers (p. 127) – take out however many you want, thaw, and cook
- Turkey Pesto Paninis (p.129) – take out however many you want, thaw, and cook
From the Blog:
- Mini Turkey Cheeseburgers – take out however many you want, thaw, and cook
- Slow Cooker Turkey Chili with Sweet Potato and Black Beans -Cook fully and freeze in small portions. Then, thaw and warm up.
- Pulled Pork with a Mexican Flare -Cook fully and freeze in small portions. Then, thaw and warm up.
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork – Cook fully and freeze in small portions. Then, thaw and warm up.
- Mini Turkey and Veggie Meatloafs – take out however many you want, thaw, and cook
Seafood: Freezer Meals for 1 or 2 People
In From Freezer to Table, Chapter 8
- Straight From Alaska Salmon Burgers (p. 132) – take out however many you want, thaw, and cook
- Not So Fishy Sticks (p.134) – take out however many you want; cooks directly from frozen
- Shrimp Potstickers with Sweet Soy Dipping Sauce (p. 138) – take out however many you want, thaw, and cook
- Mini Crab Cakes with Creamy Herb Dipping Sauce (p.144) – take out however many you want, thaw, and cook
- Pesto and Feta Tuna Melts (p.147) – take out however many you want, thaw, and cook
From the Blog:
- Pan-Fried Catfish – take out however many you want, thaw, and cook
- Sweet and Savory Salmon – take out however many you want, thaw, and cook
- Salmon and Sweet Potato Cakes – take out however many you want, thaw, and cook
- Parmesan and Cracker Crusted Tilapia – take out however many you want, thaw, and cook
- Firecracker Asian Salmon – take out however many you want, thaw, and cook
Pizza, Pasta, & More: Freezer Meals for 1 or 2 People
In From Freezer to Table, Chapter 9
- English Muffin Pizzas (p. 160) – remove however many you want; cook directly from frozen
- Cheesy Lasagna Pockets – remove however many you want; takes a few minutes to warm in the microwave
- Make-Your-Own Calzones – remove however many you want; takes a few minutes to warm in the microwave
- Pesto Chicken Lasagna Rolls – freeze about 4 rolls (2 servings) in a loaf-sized pan and wrap tightly with plastic wrap and foil; note that the cook time will decrease some, so keep an eye on them.
From the Blog:
- Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups – freeze about 4 rolls (2 servings) in a loaf-sized pan and wrap tightly with plastic wrap and foil; note that the cook time will decrease some, so keep an eye on them.
- Whole Grain Pizza Bread – cook directly from frozen
Soup: Freezer Meals for 1 or 2 People
In From Freezer to Table, Chapter 10
- All of the soups, except the Chicken Noodle and the Italian Sausage Tortellini, would work well. Cook fully and freeze in small portions. Then, thaw and warm up.
From the Blog:
- All of the soups, except the ones with tortellini or noodles, would work well. Cook fully and freeze in small portions. Then, thaw and warm up.
Slow Cooker: Freezer Meals for 1 or 2 People
In From Freezer to Table, Chapter 11
- Chicken and Cheese Chimichangas (p. 192) – remove however many you want, thaw, and cook
- Chili-Rubbed Brisket (p. 195) – We don’t offer this in the freezer directions, but you can fully cook and then freeze small portions to warm up later.
- Killer Carnitas (p. 196) – We don’t offer this in the freezer directions, but you can fully cook and then freeze small portions to warm up later.
- French Dip Sandwiches (p. 198) – We don’t offer this in the freezer directions, but you can fully cook and then freeze small portions to warm up later.
- Polly’s Signature Taco Soup (p. 209) – freeze in individual portions, thaw, and warm up
From the Blog:
- Slow Cooker Turkey Chili with Sweet Potato and Black Beans – Cook fully and freeze in small portions. Then, thaw and warm up.
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork – Cook fully and freeze in small portions. Then, thaw and warm up.
- Pulled Pork with a Mexican Flare – Cook fully and freeze in small portions. Then, thaw and warm up.
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Cheese Taquitos – assemble and freeze in individual portions, thaw, and cook
- Balsamic Shredded Beef – Cook fully and freeze in small portions. Then, thaw and warm up.
How to Package Freezer Meals for 1 or 2 People
The long and short of packaging frozen meals is this: make them as air-tight as possible. Air is your enemy. Here are a few tips:
1) If you’re making individual items like hamburgers, chicken tenders, or fish sticks, we suggest freezing them in single layers in a freezer bag or container and then divide those layers with parchment paper so they don’t stick to each other. Some recipes like sandwiches and burritos work well to wrap individually in foil. This will make it easier for you to pull out the amount you need.
2) Or, another trick is to flash freeze foods that you will remove individually (i.e. chicken tenders, burgers, fish sticks, etc). That just means you place them on a sheet pan and put them in the freezer until they are solid (about 2-3 hours). Then dump them in a freezer bag. They won’t stick together and will be easy to pull out for single uses.
3) As for casseroles, divide our recipes up and put into loaf pans (9 inch pans) to make about 2-3 servings. Note that the baking time will be less, since it’s a smaller amount, so keep a close eye on it. I hope that helps some.
4) I find that mason jars work really well for individual portions of soup, but remember to leave at least 1 inch of head room at the top because the food will expand when it freezes.
You might also like these Anchor Hocking dishes, especially the smaller ones. These are our favorites on the market as of right now.
As I mention above, freezer cooking is incredibly versatile and useful fo all stages of life. Hopefully this resource can give you some ideas on how to make meals for not only yourself but also anyone else who could benefit from meals prepped and ready to go in their freezer.
I have a question. Is it possible to freeze a cooked meat and veggie in a glass container together and reheat within a week or so? Or would they need to be separated
You certainly can, but meat and veggies often reheat at different times in the microwave. I’d suggest storing them separately in small Pyrex containers with lids. Also, meat can dry out, so it’s best to leave it in it’s juices or a sauce if possible. Hope this helps some!