Freezer Meals/Crock-pot Meals/Eating after baby

cait5413

One of the best things I did when pregnant with DD was make a lot of freezer meals for DH and I. I hope to do it again! It's not too early to start planning for it, so let's get your best ideas (written out recipes or links to actual meals encouraged!)

cait5413

Tried and true recipes from last time:
Sour cream noodle bake https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/sour-cream-noodle-bake/
Baked ziti https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/baked-ziti/  OR https://smittenkitchen.com/2015/10/my-old-school-baked-ziti/
Summer Squash Pasta Bake : https://smittenkitchen.com/2015/06/herbed-summer-squash-pasta-bake/ (I added chicken)
Chicken stir-fry: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-prepare-your-own-frozen-stirfry-dinners-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-193932
Tomato, Broccoli, and Mozz casserole: https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-tomato-broccoli-amp-mozzarella-pasta-casserole-153919 (I think I left out the chickpeas and added chicken)
Enchiladas: https://https//cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018152-enchiladas-con-carne  and https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018154-cheese-enchiladas-with-chili-gravy?version=meter+at+1&module=meter-Links&pgtype=article&contentId=&mediaId=&referrer=&priority=true&action=click&contentCollection=meter-links-click
Pot pie: https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/skillet-chicken-pot-pie

cait5413

Breakfast / Snacks: 
Granola bars: https://smittenkitchen.com/2015/06/chocolate-chunk-granola-bars/
Lactation cookies: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-lactation-cookies-228655?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DIY%20Mama%2011%20-%20DIY%20Mama%20Day%2011%20How%20To%20Make%20Lactation%20Cookies&utm_content=DIY%20Mama%2011%20-%20DIY%20Mama%20Day%2011%20How%20To%20Make%20Lactation%20Cookies+CID_e39d25c0e991a97e51bb84301ecb223d&utm_source=email_newsletter&utm_term=Learn%20How%20to%20Make%20Lactation%20Cookies
Baked Oatmeal: https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-baked-oatmeal-cups-222825
Single-Serve Oatmeal: https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-frozen-singleserve-oatmeal-recipes-from-the-kitchn-193961

cait5413

Freezing Tips:
I used disposable pie plates and cake pans for some of the dishes, but what really worked well was to line the baking dish with parchment, freeze the dish in the baking dish, then use the parchment overhang to pop the frozen casserole out of the dish, wrap completely in foil, mark with a sharpie what it is, how to re-heat, and when you froze it, then pop in a freezer ziploc. When you're ready for it, take it out of the ziplock, pop back in the dish and reheat. 

Things like chili and soup can be frozen in ziplocks--lay flat to freeze so they are easier to stack.

failuretofly

Swiss Cheese Chicken
~made this before DS was born. It's super easy to put together and really tasty, though quite 'processed' and a little too salty for my liking. I'll probably make a version of this again.
Chicken Pot Pie
~I did have a recipe for this but the link from my pinterest doesn't work anymore. Basically you use premade pastry, frozen veggies and chicken and instead of sauce use cream of mushroom soup. Again, 'processed' but easy and cheap. Will make again, maybe make my own pastry. 
Trail Mix Granola Bars
~I WISH I could make these right now, but I wouldn't be able to eat them with my braces! But they are delicious and you can sub out ingredients no problem to make them how you like
Lactation Cookies
~LOVE these - still make them regularly even though I'm not BFing currently. I make them with less sugar and whole wheat flour and they still turn out perfectly. I've also made them with every version of oats (steel cut, rolled, quick) and they've turned out good every time. 

MJDsquared

I have made zero of these meals, so I can't vouch, but I have these lists pinned:
https://newleafwellness.biz/2014/10/20/6-healthy-freezer-crockpot-meals-50-minutes/

https://newleafwellness.biz/2015/08/06/31-crockpot-freezer-meals-for-back-to-school/?ref=7

I don't want to do the actual cooking ahead of time, so basically I'm looking for crockpot meals that can be assembled, frozen, and then just dumped in the crockpot. I also imagine I'll be doing some crockpot meals that I don't have assembled ahead of time. DH and I have made this one multiple times and made it last night and we really like it, so I'll just share this one too!
https://thelemonbowl.com/slow-cooker-chicken-curry/

cait5413

Kid-friendly frozen stuff: I haven't tried these yet, but may freeze for DD for lunches or dinner:
Chicken Parm Meatballs: https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/chicken-parmesan-meatballs/
Broccoli cheddar patties https://weelicious.com/2011/11/28/broccoli-cheese-patties/
Chicken Teriyaki meatballs: https://weelicious.com/2013/11/06/chicken-teriyaki-meatballs-a-laptop-lunches-discount/
Cheesy Turkey meatballs: https://weelicious.com/2013/10/02/cheesy-turkey-meatballs/
Spinach cake muffins https://weelicious.com/2012/01/04/spinach-cake-muffins/
spinach gnocch-wee https://weelicious.com/2008/08/19/spinach-gnocch-wee/

kyrwyn

I love this thread to the moon and back (as my youngest niece would say).  I am so looking forward to stocking our brand new garage freezer for the winter of baby.

I'll pull together recipes to share soon, but we're planning on having at least a couple of the following crockpot meals ready to go:
Beef pot roast with tomatoes: (next time I make it, I will measure things)
Chicken soup with barley & lentils: https://iowagirleats.com/2015/10/07/crock-pot-chicken-and-wild-rice-soup/ (but we use barley & lentils instead of the wild rice)
Pork roast with mustard & herbs
Chili, red w/ beans: https://smittenkitchen.com/2007/01/hibernation-fare/ 
Chili, white w/ turkey: similar to this: https://allrecipes.com/recipe/17023/white-chili-with-ground-turkey/
Bolognese

Other meals:
Lasagna
Baked ziti: https://smittenkitchen.com/2015/10/my-old-school-baked-ziti/ 
Enchilada casserole: (my mom is bringing us this for the freezer)
Pre-stuffed chicken breasts: General recipe -- butterfly them, fill them with tasty things, pin them shut with a tooth pick and freeze on a lined cookie sheet. Then bag them up once they're fully frozen so they don't stick together.  Favorites are broccoli & cheddar, goat cheese & artichoke hearts, ham & swiss, spinach & feta, chopped tomato & mozzarella)

Misc:
Double or triple batch of spaetzle and freeze them in meal sized portions.  Since I can't imagine standing over the stove to do this with a newborn, but it's one of DH's favorites. Also they turn into quick skillet meals (add some spinach, ham, mushrooms and top with swiss cheese) very easily.
2 or three pie crusts ea. of sweet & savory (ready to thaw and roll out)

mrsorigami

 Over the summer I churned out a bunch of freezer meals and we have been trying them out.  We have some favorites I need to make again to stock up for December.  I made a pinterest board that has the ideas/recipes so I can keep track.  https://www.pinterest.com/mrsorigami/freezer-meals-to-make-for-browns/

I made:
-stuffed peppers
-pineapple teriyaki pork bowl
-hoisin pork bowl
-salisbury steaks 
-taco beef
-beef chili
-veggie soup
-sloppy joes
-spaghetti meat sauce
-cheesy taco bake
-breakfast burritos
-chicken parm casserole
-chicken taquitos
-bbq chicken for crockpot
-chicken and rice
-white chicken chili
-pineapple chicken
-chicken broccoli alfredo
-shredded chicken for tacos
-meat loaves
-turkey meatballs
-beef meatballs
-burritos
-chicken philly

ngarciabyu

I LOVE this post. DH bought me a chest freezer to prepare for when baby #3 gets here so I'm going to steal some of these ideas, especially the kid friendly ones! 

I found this recipe and grocery list on pinterest that I was going to give a go and maybe start to prepare next month. They are all chicken freezer meals (because we eat a lot of chicken in our house), and I love that it has the list of recipes followed by a grocery list, simplifies things for me. 

https://newleafwellness.biz/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/17-Chicken-Crockpot-Freezer-Meals-recipes-and-grocery-list.pdf

cait5413

@ngarciabyu The chest freezer comes in so handy. Between freezer meals and breastmilk, we used ours a ton after DD was born (originally bought it because DH went hunting and came back with 1/3 of a moose and 1/3 of a deer--split with his hunting companions. 1/3 of a moose is a LOT of meat.) 

skc040512

Easiest recipe ever for vegetable soup - easily serves 6, if not more depending on serving size  (no link because it's a family recipe)

Ingredients:
1 lb Ground beef (optional)
1 jug tomato juice (I usually get the biggest store brand of V8)
1 pack onion soup mix
Salt & Pepper
2 medium sized russet potatoes, diced (or used canned potatoes)
2-3 stalks celery
Canned veggies - I use 1 can of each 
Green beans
Lima Beans or Butter Beans
carrots
peas
corn
Diced tomatoes
(You can add to or take out any of the vegetables you want)

1. In a large stock pot, brown the ground beef IN a tiny bit of olive oil (if using. If making it vegetarian skip this part )
2. Drain fat from beef and return to pot
3. Pour in Tomato Juice, onion soup mix and salt and pepper to taste. Allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes.
4. Add diced potatoes and celery
5. Drain and rinse canned veggies and add them to the pot.
6. Cook on low to medium low heat for 3-4 hours, or all veggies are tender.
To freeze, allow soup to cool completely and store ins 2-3 gallon zip lock bags. Good for 3-4 months.

SO GOOD! And it goes great with grilled cheese 

alysapuggles

@Skcobb That soup sounds really good right now!

I love this thread. I had a bunch of recipes printed and things planned to make before DS. Did my big shopping trip to start making some of the stuff and my water broke that weekend Needless to say, we were low on freezer meals! So, this time I think I'll make stuff a little bit earlier, maybe 5-6ish weeks ahead. I need to revisit all the stuff I printed and saved, plus good ideas here.

Some things that were really nice to have were lots of breakfast burritos. So easy to make a big batch of filling and just "assembly line" them for the freezer.  Also, cooked meats that were ready to go in things, like cooked diced or shredded chicken, taco meat, sloppy joe meat, etc. Stuff that could just be tossed in the crockpot. We also do uncooked chicken frozen in marinade so you can just thaw it and grill it. Obviously this will not be outdoor grilling season, but it might work for some of you or using a grill pan on the stove.  I will come back with some of the recipes I saved if I can find them!

failuretofly

@Skcobb I basically make the same soup regularly but I call it Hamburger Soup! I added quinoa to my last batch and it turned out delish and freezed super well!

skc040512

@failuretofly I have a similar hamburger sou recipe! It's really good too, but it isn't as dense (I think it's a water base instead of tomato base soup), so it doesn't fill you up quite as well, but still so yummy for fall and winter!

kyrwyn

Quick group think question: I am due 1 Dec, but there's a strong chance of a week 39 induction if kiddo isn't naturally early (thanks, GD).  Our weekends start getting really full of childbirth, infant care, etc, classes in mid-October.  Is early Oct too early to make up some meals for the freezer?

failuretofly

@kyrwyn I already have a couple of meals and soups in the freezer!

skc040512

@kyrwyn I'm planning on mid to late October to start start, and I'm due on the 10th. Most recipes are ment to keep for about 3 months, so you should be good! If people bring you meals, you can always use those to replace what you're using, and eat the oldest first. 

anewadventure

@kyrwyn i don't think it's too early but i'm not one to stick by freezer length guidelines at all. at the most you might get some extra freezer burn but that's usually a packaging issue or your freezer isn't sealed tight or trying to constantly dehumidify itself. 

in other words, get to WORK. lol

kyrwyn

@failuretofly @Skcobb @anewadventure Thanks!  I may make up a few things this weekend.  I think I will feel better knowing we've got at least enough in the freezer to handle the first week, regardless of how crazy Oct & Nov get for us.

ETA: added a tag

oldersis

I really really want to do this, but my last baby had so many food intolerances that I'm afraid I won't be able to eat anything I make ahead. Although I could do it for my H and kids at least....

cait5413

@kyrwyn I also plan to start doing freezer meals in Oct. Just wrap them well, and you should be good!

ShyTonia

Im super excited about this and started making a recipe/grocery list this am! I'm hoping this thread will be more active soon, I'll post more later! I plan on doing everything from Chicken pot pie to breakfast burritos! I'm a huge foodie and I LOVE to eat , so this is going to be sooooo much fun for me!

splsmama2016

I made a double batch of stuffed shells, but froze them individually without sauce.

meat sauce
marinara sauce
lasagnas (2 so far, used turkey meatballs)
marinade and freeze flank steaks for easy stir fry
crock pot chicken chili
gnocchi (used left over mashed potatoes)
breakfast burritos (eggs, cheese, bacon, tater tots)
chocolate chip lactation cookies (scooped the dough then froze individually so I can bake a few at a time)
working on a snickerdoodles recipe for lactation cookies and madeleines
made apple tarts (went apple picking lol) 
waffle sticks for DD 

ShyTonia

@splsmama2016 that all sounds so good! 
My whole thing that I'm trying to figure out it's the dating for them. Is everything pretty much safe to freeze for a couple months?

cait5413

@ShyTonia You should be good freezing stuff for 3-4 months. If you have a deep/chest freezer, I think you can keep the stuff even longer than with a regular freezer. The key is to wrap things well. If you are doing soups/chilis/etc., store in a freezer bag with as much air sucked out as possible. Lay flat to freeze. If you are doing casseroles, use disposable pans or line your pans with parchment, freeze, then pop out the casserole, wrap in foil (or plastic wrap and foil) and put in a freezer bag if it will fit, also removing as much air as possible. I'm pretty sure we had freezer meals that I made before DD was born that were in our freezer longer than 4 months (possibly 6 months or longer), and they were all fine. 

muskratbaby

ShyTonia  - We have frozen chili and other soups for over 6 months for sure, and they taste fine. So far I've frozen a bunch of chicken noodle soups and some chicken burritos. I actually plan to eat the burritos when I'm feeling too tired to cook during the 3rd tri. They are so good, I highly doubt they will last long. Oh, I also froze a bunch of leftover pancakes that I made...hmm...I think I'll have one for breakfast. 

whiska

I just added "buy a deep freeze and figure out where to put it" to H's to-do list   Ready to get started!  Thanks for sharing recipes everyone!

My coworker (she has a 4mo) just told me her deep freeze died and she lost all of her pumped milk and frozen meals.  I was devastated for her.

elev2017

@whiska My husband just ordered a deep freezer yesterday and it's going to be delivered next week. He's so excited because while half of it is going to be used for breast milk, the other half will be used to store the quarter (or possibly half) a cow that he has wanted to get for ages. That sucks about your friend's freezer, I'd be so upset.

anewadventure

@leilagphillips let me just warn you, start with a 1/4, or there won't be any ROOM for your breastmilk. it is a lot more volume than you think. we LOVE it though! 

@ShyTonia it's not really an issue of safety as long as your freezer is an appropriate temperature. the recommended freezing times are to ensure the "best quality" and can go much longer if you don't mind a little freezer burn. adequately wrapping / packaging your food goes a really long way to ensuring everything stays high quality for months on end. 

muskratbaby

This is making me think I need to do MUCH more research into breastfeeding and storing milk. I know nothing! Ahhhh! We do have a deep freezer, though, and I agree that 1/4 cow takes up a ton of room! So worth it, though.

failuretofly

@leilagphillips I second what @anewadventure said. We have a medium sized deep freeze and a 1/2 cow took up the entire thing plus overflowed into our fridge freezer! 

katiegeminimoon

How big of deep freezers do you ladies have? I plan to only store extra food and breast milk in it, but I have no idea what size to get!

kyrwyn

We opted for a full size upright freezer (about the same size as our kitchen fridge + freezer) rather than a deep freeze/chest freezer because I have zero confidence in our willingness to actually defrost and maintain a chest freezer appropriately.  When I explained to DH that "defrost" means "take everything out, put it somewhere else, defrost, clean, refreeze, move everything back" I got that sort of glazed over, pretending-to-have-not-heard-you look, so we picked something with less maintenance. 

mdcd44127

@kyrwyn Wait, how often do you have to do that for chest freezers? I know nothing about them, but I was planning on getting one. But that sounds awful.

kyrwyn

@djd0404 I don't remember, but it was more often than "never" ... which was about as often as I figured it would actually happen at my house. The great thing about being "old" and having been married for almost 8 years, is that we're brutally honest about our (and each other's) laziness. 

whiska

@ktcakes87 We were going to get this one or at least one that looks just like it:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Idylis-5-cu-ft-Chest-Freezer-White/1000196491

Seems like an okay price?  Our actual freezer is jank and H is whatever about asking the landlord to fix it.  I think we will eventually though.  But I still want the chest freezer for freezer cooking and extra milk storage.  I told him he needs to have it bought and installed by the beginning of November so I can start freezer cooking!

elev2017

@kyrwyn We got an upright one because my husband was concerned I'd have trouble reaching the bottom of a chest freezer lol. Now I'm doubly glad he opted out of the chest version!

mdcd44127

@whiska That does seem like a good price from what I've seen. I wanted to get an Energy-Star rated one but the only one I could find at Lowe's was over $350. So I found this one on Amazon which I also like because it's horizontal storage (instead of having to reach in/down, like @leilagphillips mentioned). But as always, buying online is a little scary.

cait5413

Made a double-batch of chili last night so I could freeze what we didn't eat, and made PW's sour cream noodle bake tonight.

Tip for freezing noodle casseroles: undercook your noodles slightly so they don't get mushy when you bake!

ashtynmo

@djd0404 they have that same freezer at Home Depot too, and they also have a larger upright one too: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Whynter-2-1-cu-ft-Upright-Freezer-with-Lock-in-Stainless-Steel-CUF-210SS/204721413?MERCH=REC-_-mobileweb_pip_rr-_-205502147-_-204721413-_-N