Having a well-stocked freezer is invaluable – because you really never know what life will throw your way. Whether you’re forced to stay home because of a COVID quarantine or you just can’t make it to the store because of car trouble, having meals in the freezer ready-to-go can be immensely helpful.
Today, I’m going to show you what I keep in my freezer for emergencies – and how I use it.
Jump to:
- What is a freezer stock?
- What’s in your freezer stock?
- What meals will you make from your freezer stock?
- My best tips for starting a stockpile
- Print your free 2 week plan + grocery list
What is a freezer stock?
A freezer stock is being mindful to keep enough food on hand to get you through a week or two of time at home. As mentioned above, there could be any number of things that have you dip into your freezer stock – but I’ve been using the two-week guideline since that is the standard quarantine period for COVID.
I want to emphasize that this is what works for my family – but it’s not a universal cure-all. Use these ideas as a jumping off point to create a plan based on your own family’s tastes!
What’s in your freezer stock?
My freezer stock for dinners includes the ingredients to make 14 simple dinners. I choose to store the ingredients separately instead of making them into dump-and-go style dinners so that I’m free to change my mind and modify as I go.
My current stock includes: meat, vegetables, rice, pasta, cheese, sauces, spices, and a few other strategic ingredients to round out the meals.
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What meals will you make from your freezer stock?
I’ve organized my stock to have ingredients for the following meals on hand:
- Chicken stir fry x 2
- Fajitas
- Tacos
- Pasta Bolognese
- Pierogies & kielbasa
- Pizza
- Grilled chicken x 2
- Ravioli
- Pork Loin
- Burgers
- Pulled Pork Sandwiches
- Gnocchi Sheet Pan Dinner
Do you save all of these meals for emergencies?
The short answer is no.
All of these are things I use regularly, so they will get used – emergency or not. When I do use them, I immediately put them on the shopping list so they can be replaced next time I’m at the store.
Will this cover all your food for two weeks?
No! This just covers dinner. I do keep food for breakfast, lunch, and snacks on hand too, but it’s a little less structured. I’ll share that in the future!
My best tips for creating a stockpile:
- Go for simple – the fewer ingredients the better. Not only does this make everything easier to store, but in an actual emergency, the last thing you’re going to want is a complicated meal with lots of ingredients.
- Pick meals your family will eat. Again, in a high-stress situation of an emergency, you don’t want to be arguing over dinner. Are pancakes and bacon always a slam dunk? Add that to your list.
- Don’t try to build it all in one go. Creating a stockpile can be expensive – don’t feel like you have to buy an extra 2 weeks worth of food at once. Picking up a few extra things each shopping trip will add up fast.
- Be mindful of your space. Tiny freezer? Buy more for your pantry instead – like canned vegetables instead of frozen.
- Keep a list of what you have. To avoid things getting lost in the back of the freezer, it’s a great idea to put a list of what’s in there front-and-center. This also gives you a good idea what you have in a pinch!
Print your 2 week freezer meal plan + grocery list
Ready to get started? My two week meal plan that’s simple and freezer-friendly – and it includes a shopping list to make stocking up easy!
Click here to print the meal plan
+ grocery list!
