Freezer Meals - Recipes, Tips, Questions Thread

okayestmom12

Got a great Freezer Meal recipe? Got questions about stocking a freezer/ pantry for when baby arrives? Post it here! 

okayestmom12

I’ve been compiling a list of meals as well as other pantry staples to keep on hand...

Breakfast Burritos
https://www.momontimeout.com/breakfast-burrito-bonanza/

Pizza Pockets
https://happymoneysaver.com/homemade-hot-pockets-scratch-freezer-friendly/

Enchiladas
https://www.smidgeofthis.com/2017/08/those-enchiladassss.html?m=1

Hawaiian Sliders
(https://www.makeaheadmealmom.com/hawaiian-sweet-roll-sliders/)

Crispy Cheddar Chicken
(https://mommysavers.com/freezer-meals-crispy-cheddar-chicken/)

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Roll Ups
(https://www.sweetandsavoryfood.com/2013/03/chicken-alfredo-lasagna-roll-ups.html?m=1)

Chicken Taquitos
(https://happymoneysaver.com/freezer-chicken-taquitos-with-cream-cheese/)

Chicken Cutlets
(https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/make-ahead-baked-crispy-chicken-cutlets/amp)

Turkey Meatballs
(https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/turkey-spinach-cheese-meatballs.html)

SC Lasagna Soup
(https://www.thirtyhandmadedays.com/simple-slow-cooker-lasagna-soup/)

SC White Chicken Chili
(https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/healthy-slow-cooker-white-chicken-chili-assemble-ahead)

SC Chili
(https://www.pinkwhen.com/slow-cooker-chili-recipe/)

Loaded Mashed Potato Shepherds Pie
(https://bakeatmidnite.com/loaded-shepherds-pie/) 

Pantry/ Freezer stuff to have on hand:
Rice packets (pilaf & Jasmine)
Frozen veggies
Frozen sweet potato fries
Pasta
Chicken nuggets
Fish sticks
Hot dogs
Brats
Shaved steak
Italian sausage
Mac & cheese boxes
Oatmeal packets
Mini muffins
Cereal bars
Cereal

Meats/ Other stuff to make:
Taco meat (Turkey)
Sloppy Joes (beef)
Shredded plain chicken (can toss w/ bbq/ salsa/ buffalo/ top salads)
Freezer marinara sauce 

danixbanani24

I have the TINIEST freezer so I don't think I'll be making a ton of freezer meals but I like the meal/pantry staple lists anyway!  

BourbonBiscuits

Sooooo I had a gigantic list made (grocery list included!) for when DS was born, but we've since learned that my husband is allergic to dairy. I feel like so many freezer meals lean heavily on dairy so I'll be searching for some dairy-free options

hannahbananas11

Pioneer Woman has a bunch of freezer recipes in one of her cookbooks (I don't really like her writing style, but my mom absolutely adores her and gets me the cookbooks for Christmas). Her website features most of them: https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking_cat/freezer-food/

For those with limited freezer space like me: soups in freezer bags work wonders. Just be sure to double-bag it in case of any leaks. Label the bag with soup type + date, and freeze them stacked horizontally. You'll be able to fit a lot in, and you can just pop out a bag, thaw it a bit in the fridge or under hot water, then cook it on the stovetop or in the microwave. We do this with soups in individual portions for lunches.

AshleySparkle720

I prepped 3 weeks worth of meals in oven safe tin 9x12 pans so I was able to literally just throw it in the oven. I got a whole set of like 100 on amazon!

bww_0331

I don’t really have recipes because we just did basic meals last time (chicken Alfredo, spaghetti, sloppy joes, chili, etc) but I will say we made the mistake of making cake sized pans of pasta. I LOVE carbs, but a cake size pan of pasta is A LOT of meals for two people so I definitely suggest smaller portions when you are making your meals. It was really helpful to have some options on hands. Easy meals were our go to and will be even more so this time since now we have DS to feed in the chaos. 

okayestmom12

AshleySparkle720 said:

I prepped 3 weeks worth of meals in oven safe tin 9x12 pans so I was able to literally just throw it in the oven. I got a whole set of like 100 on amazon!

Great idea about the bulk buying of pans on amazon! Just put a set in my cart. Thanks!

kayjay44

I'll likely do breakfast burritos and easy things for me to make for myself during the day while I'm on leave. I'm not worried about dinners - I made a ton of stuff the first time and didn't really use it. And since this is my third, I know making dinner isn't as big of a deal as I once thought it was with a newborn (only because my others will be at daycare - full transparency). I'll make sure we're stocked up on basics for the kids, though, of things I know they will eat - Yogurt, costco applesauce, bread for sandwiches and grilled cheese, etc. because we will likely go the easy route early on (and TBH it's what they eat most of the time anyway).

danixbanani24

city living = all kinds of takeout 

ohsunnydays

AshleySparkle720 said:

I prepped 3 weeks worth of meals in oven safe tin 9x12 pans so I was able to literally just throw it in the oven. I got a whole set of like 100 on amazon!

Whatcha put in these 9x12 pans? This sounds like a great plan! I need to expand my repertoire. So far I've only frozen lasagna-type pasta dishes.

AshleySparkle720

I followed this plus a couple household faves like breakfast burritos, shredded pork for carnitas, pancakes/waffles, etc.
https://thefamilyfreezer.com/2016/01/31/40-pre-baby-freezer-meals/?ref=6

sjnsjnsjn

What do you guys think is the best lead-time on this for a regular freezer (not some deep ice thing), for food safety and it still tasting decent?  A month max?

hannahbananas11

@sjnsjnsjn I'd be a little more generous and say 2-3 months, and longer for anything that's vegan. However, freezer burn is a real issue if things go that long without proper storage, so just be aware of that. But as far as safety, frozen things, even meats, can go up to 3 months without any concerns.

ohsunnydays

@sjnsjnsjn 2-3 months is my rule of thumb, like @hannahbananas11 said

kayjay44

@AshleySparkle720 - Frozen waffles is getting added to my list for sure.

bellebaby221

Frozen waffles are my current breakfast staple. Nutrigrain blueberry are the best!

cas060

I have a live in MIL... there are some pros to that!..

sjnsjnsjn

Thx, @hannahbananas11 and @ohsunnydays!

danixbanani24

frozen waffles + ice cream FTW

okayestmom12

danixbanani24 said:

frozen waffles + ice cream FTW

Those are basically two essential parts of my diet. 

ohsunnydays

OMG @danixbanani24 all I do when we go to Europe is get waffles with ice cream, chocolate, caramel, etc... like this pic!!

 

becks_726

For some reason I have loved waffles throughout this pregnancy. Lately it's been crappy frozen ones with maple syrup, simply. But that looks divine @ohsunnydays! 

hnbergeron

So what ideas are there for low carb? DH is on and trying to stick with low carb. He does this every now amd then stops a few weeks into it. Carbs are my favorite so it gets interesting.

Random question: when do you prep? I know a month or 2 ahead is ok but I am asking is it in all one day or over the course of days? I struggle meal prep anyway, lol. 

hannahbananas11

@hnbergeron Soups are really easy to make low-carb, and they freeze really well. Since most of the active time for making soups is chopping up veggies, and since many soups use the same types of veggies, I'd personally plan on two or three soups, and make them all at once. Chop up all of the veggies one day (like a Thursday or Friday evening after work), then the next day (preferably a weekend day when you have a lot of time) make the soups: make the first soup in a stock pot over the stove, then once that's done and cooled for 20 minutes or so, pour it into your storage containers (I like to use freezer bags, since they can stack horizontally to save space), rinse out the stock pot (don't worry about fully washing it, since you're using it again immediately), then move on to the next soup.

cali1710

Im reviving this thread. I’m starting to think about freezer meals. Some great ideas! Does anyone have a good chicken noodle soup recipe ? 

okayestmom12

@cali1710 - I started making my shopping list... I’ll probablh take a weekend in mid-January and bang out what I need. 

As far as chicken soup... any GOOD recipe will freeze well minus the noodles - is cook those fresh the day you do the soup. We love this chicken soup recipe: https://damndelicious.net/2014/04/25/lemon-chicken-orzo-soup/

cali1710

@okayestmom12  thank you! 

jgrodo

@hnbergeron steamfresh has lentil pasta that is pretty good and low in points. I'm sure about the carb count bit it's made out of zucchini and lentils

@cali1710 glad you revived this, I was just thinking about what to prep yesterday!

cmjenkies

Y’all are making me hungry. Chicken pot pie is a great freezer option. When Lucy was born, my FIL brought me pot pies (already hot and ready) but it was a great meal. My favorite soups to make are chicken and noodles (I don’t really use a recipe though, just chicken, onion, garlic, spices, broth/better than bouillon, celery, noodles), sweet potato chili, three pepper soup, chicken and gnocchi, and a zuppa toscana copycat recipe. I also used to like to make jambalaya and rice in my instant pot. I’m having a hard time with grocery shopping and meal prepping things since everything started changing at home. I’m used to shopping for a family of 4 for 7 days a week. Now it’s just me three days a week and me + picky kids the other four days.