Freezer Meal Plan: 5 Dinners to Cook Once and Freeze

This freezer meal plan fills the freezer with 5 dinners from one cooking session: an easy chicken pot pie, a shepherd's pie with ground beef, a roasted vegetable lasagna, a lamb tagine with apricots and a beef rendang. Every recipe is in Savour's Freezer Meals collection with a freezer note of up to 3 months, and their stored total times add up to 11 hours 10 minutes. The day runs shorter than that sum: the two braises simmer for hours while you make the other three, and the two pies go into the freezer before their bake.

The freezer meal plan at a glance

Times, servings and nutrition are as stored on each recipe.

• 

  Chicken • American

  Easy Chicken Pot Pie

  1 hr 15 mins6 servings
• 

  Ground Beef • British

  Easy Shepherd's Pie with Ground Beef

  1 hr 25 mins6 servings
• 

  Lasagna • Italian

  Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

  1 hr 50 mins10 servings
• 

  Moroccan

  Lamb Tagine with Apricots

  2 hrs 40 mins6 servings
• 

  Indonesian

  Beef Rendang

  4 hrs6 servings

The five recipes make 34 servings, counted by adding each recipe's stored servings (6 + 6 + 10 + 6 + 6). That is 5 dinners for a household of up to 6, with 4 servings of lasagna to spare. A smaller household gets more dinners from the same day: the rendang's note says to freeze it in portions, and the lasagna's reheat note covers slices as well as the whole dish.

The main ingredients are cooked chicken, ground beef, roasted vegetables, lamb shoulder and beef chuck. The lasagna is listed as vegetarian, and its tip is to use a vegetarian hard cheese, since traditional parmesan uses animal rennet. The tagine and the rendang are listed as gluten-free; that covers the dish as written, not what you serve with it, so check the labels of packaged ingredients such as stock and tamarind paste.

Which dinners freeze unbaked and which freeze cooked?

The five freezer notes fall into three groups. Follow each dish's own note rather than one rule for all five.

Frozen unbaked: chicken pot pie and shepherd's pie

The easy chicken pot pie (Total 75 min (20 prep + 45 cook + 10 rest), serves 6) is the only dinner here that goes from freezer to oven. Its note reads: "Freeze the assembled, unbaked pot pie, well wrapped, for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 190°C (375°F) for 60-75 minutes, covering the crust with foil if it browns too fast, until the centre reaches 74°C (165°F)." On the cooking day, work through step 4 (the filling, then the crust) and stop before the bake. With puff pastry, the recipe's tip is to let the filling cool for 10 minutes first.

Chicken • American

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

1 hr 15 mins6 servings

The easy shepherd's pie with ground beef (Total 85 min (20 prep + 55 cook + 10 rest), serves 6) has this note: "Freeze the baked or unbaked pie, well wrapped, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking or reheating." This plan freezes it unbaked, after step 5, which keeps the oven free for the lasagna. Its fridge note has you cool the assembled pie before covering it.

Frozen baked: roasted vegetable lasagna

The roasted vegetable lasagna (Total 110 min (25 prep + 70 cook + 15 rest), serves 10) can be frozen "baked or unbaked, wrapped tightly, for up to 3 months" and thawed overnight in the fridge. This plan bakes it on the cooking day, since its oven is on anyway for the vegetables and its reheat note gives times for a baked lasagna, by the slice or whole. Step 6 cuts it into 10 pieces after a 15-minute rest.

Frozen cooked: lamb tagine and beef rendang

The lamb tagine with apricots (Total 160 min (20 prep + 140 cook), serves 6) freezes "without the topping for up to 3 months" and thaws overnight in the fridge. The topping is the toasted almonds and sesame seeds from step 6, so leave that step for the night you serve it.

The beef rendang (Total 240 min (30 prep + 210 cook), serves 6) is cooked all the way through, toasted coconut paste included, then frozen "in portions for up to 3 months" and thawed overnight in the fridge. It is the longest recipe of the five, so it starts the day.

How to run a freezer meal prep day, step by step

The order follows each recipe's own steps and times: the longest cook starts first and the oven work happens while the braises simmer. Three baking dishes stay in the freezer until their dinner: a 23 cm (9 inch) deep pie dish or 20 cm (8 inch) square dish for the pot pie, and two 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 inch) dishes for the shepherd's pie and the lasagna.

1. The night before (optional): season the lamb. The tagine's step 1 lets you refrigerate the seasoned lamb for up to 24 hours.
2. Start the rendang. Soak the dried chillies for 15 minutes and toast the desiccated coconut for 5 to 7 minutes, then grind it into a paste (kerisik). Blend the spice paste, fry it for 8 to 10 minutes, coat the beef in it for 3 to 5 minutes, add the coconut milk and simmer uncovered for about 2 1/2 hours, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Start the tagine. Season the lamb if you did not the night before and brown it in 2 or 3 batches of 5 to 6 minutes, soften the onions for 8 minutes, then return the lamb, add the stock and braise, covered, at a bare simmer for 1 1/2 hours. The recipe also allows a 160°C (325°F) oven for this stage, but the lasagna needs the oven hotter, so keep the tagine on the stovetop.
4. Make the lasagna. Roast the vegetables at 220°C (425°F) for 20 to 25 minutes while the noodles boil, and mix the sauce and the ricotta layer. Lower the oven to 190°C (375°F), layer, and bake covered for 25 minutes, then uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until the centre reaches 74°C (165°F). Rest it for 15 minutes.
5. Make the shepherd's pie while the lasagna bakes. Boil the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes. Brown the beef until no pink remains (ground beef is safe at 71°C (160°F)) and simmer the gravy for 8 to 10 minutes before the peas go in. Mash, top the filling and let the pie cool.
6. Finish the tagine when its 1 1/2 hours are up. Stir in the apricots, prunes if using, and honey, and simmer uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until a cube of lamb breaks apart easily with a fork. Remove the cinnamon stick and skim off the fat.
7. Make the pot pie. Cook the vegetables for 6 to 8 minutes, make the sauce, stir in the chicken and peas, fill the dish, then add the crust, steam slits and egg wash.
8. Finish the rendang after its 2 1/2 hours. Stir in the kerisik and cook on low for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring every few minutes; the recipe's tip warns that the coconut can scorch quickly in the last 30 minutes. Then remove the lemongrass knot, cinnamon stick and star anise.
9. Cool, pack, label and freeze. Government food safety guidance is to cool warm dishes before they go in the freezer, to divide food into smaller portions in containers or freezer bags so it cools quickly, and to label what you freeze.

At its busiest, during step 5, the plan has four pans on the stovetop at once: the rendang, the tagine, the potato pot and the shepherd's pie skillet.

Freezer meal plan shopping list

This list buys each recipe as written, for its stated servings. Amounts are added only for the same item in the same unit; other lines name their recipe. Optional and serving lines are marked. Check what you already have before you shop.

Produce and fresh herbs

• 17 cloves garlic (pot pie 2, shepherd's pie 2, lasagna 3, tagine 4, rendang 6)
• 3 onions (pot pie 1, tagine 2)
• 1 large onion (shepherd's pie)
• 1 red onion (lasagna)
• 8 shallots, about 200 g, or 2 small onions (rendang)
• 5 carrots (pot pie 2, shepherd's pie 2, lasagna 1)
• 2 stalks celery (pot pie)
• 1.2 kg floury potatoes, such as russet or Yukon Gold (shepherd's pie)
• 2 medium zucchini, about 500 g (lasagna)
• 1 red bell pepper (lasagna)
• 225 g brown or white mushrooms (lasagna)
• 4 stalks lemongrass (rendang: 2 sliced for the paste, 2 bruised and knotted)
• 4 cm fresh ginger (rendang)
• 4 cm fresh galangal, or another 4 cm of ginger (rendang)
• 6 makrut lime leaves, or the finely grated zest of 1 lime (rendang)
• Fresh basil, a small handful of leaves (lasagna)
• Fresh coriander, for serving (tagine)

Meat

• 450 g cooked chicken, shredded or diced; the recipe notes that rotisserie or leftover thighs work well (pot pie)
• 700 g ground beef, 85/15 (shepherd's pie)
• 1.2 kg boneless lamb shoulder (tagine)
• 1 kg beef chuck (rendang)

Dairy and eggs

• 70 g butter (pot pie)
• 60 g unsalted butter (shepherd's pie)
• 305 ml milk (pot pie 180 ml, shepherd's pie 125 ml)
• 1 egg (pot pie, for the egg wash)
• 1 large egg (lasagna)
• 425 g ricotta (lasagna)
• 340 g low-moisture mozzarella, shredded (lasagna)
• 75 g parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese, finely grated (lasagna: 50 g for the ricotta layer, 25 g for the top)
• 50 g cheddar cheese, grated (shepherd's pie, optional)

Frozen and pastry

• 300 g frozen peas (pot pie 150 g, shepherd's pie 150 g)
• 1 ready-made pie crust or sheet of puff pastry, enough to cover a 23 cm (9 inch) dish (pot pie)

Pantry

• 6 tbsp olive oil (shepherd's pie 1, lasagna 3, tagine 2)
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil (rendang)
• 45 g all-purpose flour (pot pie)
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (shepherd's pie)
• 375 ml chicken stock (pot pie)
• 750 ml low-sodium chicken stock or water (tagine)
• 375 ml beef stock (shepherd's pie)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste (shepherd's pie)
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (shepherd's pie)
• 1 can crushed tomatoes, 796 ml / 28 oz (lasagna)
• 12 lasagna noodles, regular, about 300 g (lasagna)
• 2 cans full-fat coconut milk, 400 ml each (rendang)
• 60 g unsweetened desiccated coconut (rendang)
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste, or 1 tbsp lime juice (rendang)
• 1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar (rendang)
• 200 g dried apricots (tagine)
• 75 g pitted prunes (tagine, optional)
• 2 tbsp honey (tagine)
• 50 g blanched whole or flaked almonds (tagine)
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds (tagine)
• Couscous or crusty bread, for serving (tagine)
• Steamed jasmine rice, for serving (rendang)

Spices

• 5.75 tsp salt (pot pie 0.5, shepherd's pie 1.5, lasagna 1.25, tagine 1, rendang 1.5), plus more to taste
• 1.5 tsp black pepper (pot pie 0.25, shepherd's pie 0.5, lasagna 0.25, tagine 0.5)
• 2 tsp dried thyme (pot pie 1, shepherd's pie 1; the shepherd's pie can take 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves instead)
• 1 tsp dried oregano (lasagna)
• 2 tsp ground turmeric (tagine 1; rendang 1, or a 3 cm piece of fresh turmeric)
• 1.5 tsp ground ginger, 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp ground coriander (tagine)
• 2 cinnamon sticks (tagine 1, rendang 1)
• 2 star anise, 4 whole cloves and 3 green cardamom pods (rendang)
• 10 to 15 dried red chillies (rendang)
• Saffron threads, a large pinch (tagine, optional)

How long do these freezer meals last?

All five freezer notes give up to 3 months, so date each label when you pack it; government food safety guidance also says to date leftovers. The only prep before the cooking day is optional: the tagine's seasoned lamb keeps up to 24 hours in the fridge.

Thawing needs a day's notice. The night before a dinner, move the shepherd's pie, the lasagna, the tagine or the rendang to the fridge. Government food safety guidance is to defrost in the fridge and use food within 24 hours of it being fully defrosted, so reheat it the next day. The pot pie needs no thawing.

All five fridge notes keep leftovers for up to 4 days, but none mentions thawed food, so a frozen dinner follows the 24-hour guidance. For nights between freezer dinners, the Sunday meal prep plan for recipes that keep 4 days or more fills the fridge instead, and the 30-minute dinner meal plan covers 5 weeknights with one shopping list.

How do you thaw and reheat each dinner?

Each line below follows the recipe's own thaw and reheat notes.

• Easy chicken pot pie: bake from frozen at 190°C (375°F) for 60 to 75 minutes, with foil over the crust if it browns too fast, until the centre reaches 74°C (165°F). Leftover portions reheat covered with foil in a 175°C (350°F) oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until hot to 74°C (165°F) in the centre.
• Easy shepherd's pie: thaw overnight in the fridge, then bake the assembled pie from the fridge at 200°C (400°F) for 35 to 40 minutes. Leftovers reheat covered at 180°C (350°F) for 20 to 25 minutes. Either way, heat until the centre reaches 74°C (165°F).
• Roasted vegetable lasagna: thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat covered at 180°C (350°F) for 20 to 30 minutes for slices, or about 45 minutes for the whole dish, until hot to 74°C (165°F) in the centre.
• Lamb tagine with apricots: thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat gently in a covered pot over medium-low heat with a splash of water, stirring now and then, until bubbling and hot all the way through. Meanwhile toast the almonds in a dry skillet for 3 to 4 minutes, adding the sesame seeds for the last minute, then scatter them over with the coriander.
• Beef rendang: thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat in a pan over low heat with a splash of water, stirring, until steaming hot all the way through. Serve with steamed rice.

The tagine and rendang notes give no reheating temperature; government food safety guidance is to reheat leftovers to 74°C (165°F).

See every Freezer Meals recipe