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CHEAP Ground Beef Crockpot Meals for Maternity Leave

The crockpot and freezer meals saved my life when I was on maternity leave. My husband was still working and I was just way too tired to cook after a day of keeping a newborn alive. Luckily, I thought it might be that way and so, while I was pregnant, I tried to stock up my freezer as best I could.

Of course, I had to do this on a budget. We didn’t have extra money floating around to create a ton of freezer meals, so I took $50 to Aldi to see what I could do.

 

THE CHALLENGE

What came of it was six ground beef freezer meals to feed myself and my husband while I was on maternity leave, and about $17 to spare!

**I want to add that we eat a low-carb diet in our home. However, all of these recipes can be modified for whatever kind of diet you eat in your home, plus there is some money to spare in the $50 budget to add or change things as you want!**

Here’s the shopping list for Aldi, based on the recipes below, for Low-Carb Chili, Low-Carb Taco Soup, and Low-Carb Sloppy Joe’s. If you want to make changes, be sure to add those to the list!

SHOPPING LIST

  • 6 lbs ground beef
  • 2 onions
  • 2 green peppers
  • 9 cloves garlic
  • 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese
  • 2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
  • 4 cans Rotel
  • 2 (15 oz) can  diced tomatoes with liquid
  • 2 (8 oz) can tomato paste

Check your pantry first for these items!!

  • Taco seasoning
  • Ketchup
  • Bouillon cubes
  • Mustard Powder
  • Worcester sauce
  • Chili powder
  • Cumin
  • Oregano
  • Bay Leaves (optional)
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Gallon-sized ziplock bags

After you come home from Aldi with your haul, it’s time to prep for your meals. I prepared all the ingredients first and then filled up my freezer bags, but do what works best for you, momma!

First, I browned all the ground beef. Next, I chopped up all the onions, green peppers, and garlic. Finally, I separated all the rest of the ingredients and prepared to fill up the freezer bags.

Before I put the ingredients in the bags, I was sure to label each bag (2 for each recipe, so a total of 6 bags) with the meal, date, and directions: Thaw overnight, cook in crockpot on low for 6-8 hours.

IN EACH BAG for Sloppy Joe’s

Ingredients

  • 1 lbs ground beef
  • 1 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
  • 1 green pepper, chopped
  • ½ onion, chopped
  • 1 ½ cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 3 Tablespoon ketchup (sugar-free for low-carb)
  • ½  teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper

IN EACH BAG for Taco Soup*

Ingredients

  • 1 lbs ground beef
  • 1 (8 oz) packages cream cheese
  • 1 cans Rotel
  • 2 Tablespoons taco seasoning
  • 2 chicken bouillon cubes

*add to directions on bag: Add 2 cups water to crockpot

IN EACH BAG for Chili*

Ingredients

  • 1 lbs ground beef
  • ½  onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with liquid
  • 1 (8 oz) can tomato paste
  • 1 can Rotel
  • 1 Tablespoons Worcester sauce
  • ⅛ cup chili powder (more or less depending on your taste)
  • 1 Tablespoon cumin
  • ½  Tablespoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½  teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 bay leaf (optional)

*if you like your chili with a little more liquid, add to directions on bag: Add 1-2 cups water to crockpot

BOOM! Six easy freezer meals to feed you and hubby while on maternity leave (or whenever). If you have more kiddos in the house, you may need to double up on the recipes (but, hey! You’re still only spending $65!!)

 

Check out the video of our adventure putting this challenge together!!

Do you have any cheap, go-to freezer meals? Write them in the comments! I’m always looking for more recipes!!