Our Favorite Make-Ahead Freezer Meals for Moms-to-Be

BumpCaitlin

We know our Bumpies love sharing recipes for meals to make and store in the freezer - while baby is still cooking! Once your LO arrives, the last thing you’ll want to deal with is whipping up dinner (or ordering take-out). 

You can never have enough great recipes, or enough delicious frozen meals ready to be enjoyed! Check out our favorite recipes for make-ahead freezer meals here. Get inspired...and get hungry! What meals will fill your freezer?  

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HorrorDoll

I made a big pot of fresh minestrone and pasta and it freezes really well. DH and I have been eating it over the last month and it's just as tasty!

4 carrots sliced thin
4 stalks celery sliced
2 large red potatoes, peeled & cubed
1 medium onion chopped small
1 can green beans
2 cans cannellini beans
1 can stewed tomatoes, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
6 tbsp margarine or butter
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 quarts chicken stock
1/2 cup uncooked small shell pasta
Salt & pepper

Sauté onion, carrots and celery in the butter for 5 min on medium-high heat.
Add all ingredients except pasta and bring to boil. Once boiling, stir, cover and reduce to simmer for 1 hour.
Stir again, add pasta and continue simmering for 30 more minutes.

smileybabyboy

My mother and I just had a food prep marathon.  We prepared and froze many meals from 1 turkey.  

vinerie

Well, these recipes are great for anyone who wants to go on a carb binge. Yikes!! @BumpAdmin, how about an updated list with healthier choices?

vgirl33vb

I am looking for some recipes that we can prepare before our little one comes. Any ideas?

mothergoose87

Right after this Holiday week, I plan on making a shepherds pie, and a few other casserole type dishes that include chicken, or ham or turkey quinoa, or rice, and various vegetables. I also think I might make a lasagna or some italian dishes. Maybe a few crock pot recipes portioned in some mason jars, ready to pour the day I want to eat them. Especially since I hear in the first couple of months cooking is a chore.

ashields1017

@horrordoll-does the pasta get mushy after being frozen or absorb all the liquid it's with? I always worry about freezing pasta in soup. Otherwise your recipe sounds delicious!!

ashleymercado88

Sloppy Joes, Homemade Buns, Cookies.....throw in a salad or roasted veggie when you have the meal.

babycakesday

Super simple pork chops:

1 can cream of chicken
1 packet of dry ranch seasoning
1-2lbs of porkchops (we like boneless, but I've done both.)
1 can of water

Mix all together and freeze. Day before thaw it out in the fridge and pop it in the crock pot the day on low for 4-6 hours! I pair it with potatoes or just veggies. 

tmrussell

How early can we start preparing meals for after baby? 

sweet_baby_joshua

Edited below to add quote

sweet_baby_joshua

vinerie said:

Well, these recipes are great for anyone who wants to go on a carb binge. Yikes!! @BumpAdmin, how about an updated list with healthier choices?

Carbs are good and a necessary part of a healthy diet.  Also a big benefit to breastfeeding moms and moms that are exercising to lose baby weight.  Another benefit is because some new moms are expending much more energy dealing with the newborn and carbs replenish energy stores.  Carbs are not bad at all, Atkins Diet is worst diet as does not provide enough carbs to keep a body active.  If you want to feel drained and have no energy, don't eat carbs.  If you want to be able to keep up with baby, carb it up, just stay away from unhealthy processed foods and saturated fats, don't avoid carbs.

scuba_chic

I have a day marked on my calendar to plan my freezer meals, then a day set aside to cook those meals, so I will be following this board.  One thing other than whole meals that I want to keep on hand are energy bites.  I found this recipe for anyone else interested...whether or not you end up having lactation issues or not, I think they are healthy.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/142707881926158803/

changgang_1

When is a good time to start prepping the freezer meals. I don’t want to start to early and have the food taste freezer burnt.