preparing and freezing meals?

TheBuddha · April 2010

I know it's a little early, but I'm not such a good cook and my recipes are limited so I'm trying to start planning now.

Are you going to prepare and freeze some meals ahead of time so after the baby comes (or that last few days before baby comes) you're not cooking or wasting your money eating out? What kinds of meals are you going to prepare and how are you going to freeze them? Wrap them in foil and put in a freezer bag? Or freeze in some sort of tupperware? I don't have much tupperware so I'm just wondering how to go about this.....

LCB34 · April 2010

Yes! I do this anyways though - I always have at least 3-4 frozen meals ready in case something comes up and I can't cook dinner that night.

I plan to do a few soups, spaghetti sauce (which I can use for spaghetti, baked ziti, lasagna, etc), a few casseroles (chicken and rice, chicken spaghetti, an eggplant casserole I love), and maybe some other things.

And, I don't plan on using them right after baby is born - my mom and MIL will be visiting and they are both amazing cooks and have said they will cook for us. So, I will save the freezer meals for when we are officially on our own with baby!

lisaohgee · April 2010

Nope.

my MIL made three meals for us, and a couple friends did as well. Anything else we just ran out and got something quick, ordered in, and after a week I was okay to cook. I can't take up all that freezer space for that long of a time.

LisaH34 · April 2010

I'm also in your boat. I'm trying to learn to cook more meals now so I'm more prepared after the baby is born.

I'm not really sure what proper freezing methods for different kind of dishes would be, but something easy that my mom does is make her own homemade spaghetti sauce in a crockpot (so it cooks for about 8 hours). She makes A TON, and then will freeze most of it in these tall circular containers, which she actually got from chinese take out.

Spaghetti sauce is a good way to go, because boiling noodles takes barely any effort at all. I've also heard of people freezing casseroles, but if you have a small freezer, that probably wouldn't be the way to go.

In any case, I'd invest in some decent tupperware containers. Certain chinese take out ones are fine, but not if they have any ventilation holes in them. My parents also used to use this thing that would suck out all the air in the bag... Vacuum sealing, I think it's called. It worked great, but is a little time consuming.

shandy07 · April 2010

I plan on doing this as well. Will probably do a few lasagnas, casseroles, and soups. I put everything in tupperware containers as I find those the best for preventing freezer burn.

Laroogirl · April 2010

I think I will do a few meals since it will be crazy with two kids! Dh also will hopefully be working fulltime (he just lost his teaching job) and we have to eat. I think a soup, a casserole or too will be plenty for us. Family brought us food the whole first week after DS was born so I anticipate they will do the same this time.

LinnyAnne10 · April 2010

probably not. since DH is going to be deploying at some point around then, my parents are going to be in town to help me out, and in case DH deployed and the baby hasn't been born yet.

So my mom will probably be cooking for us...

TheBuddha · April 2010

Beanie_mrt:

I'm a cooker and freezer, so yes I totally am.

Some standby's for me are soups, pasta's (lasagna rolls, baked zitis, chop suey's). Basically, any soup and any casserole works.

What I do for the soups is cook them as normal and then go buy some of the glad freezer storage containers. I pour the soup in the container and let it cool down. I then put the lid on the container and then wrap the crap out of it in heavy duty tin foil. Then, I write what it is and the date I made it in sharpie on the side and top of the container. Then, I put it into a freezer storage bag and stick it in the freezer.

For pastas, I get some "disposable" tin foil containers, they are probably the size of bread loaf pans (the ones I get come with flimsy plastic lids, so look for those). I cook the pasta / casserole per the directions and then place two full servings into the tin foil containers. I let it cool down and then wrap it in the heavy duty tin foil. Again, wrap the crap out of it. Write what it is and the date you made it, then put the flimsy top on it. Then stick it into a freezer storage bag.

I know I'm big excessive with my wrapping, but I rarely have freezer burn.

To reheat - let the soup defrost and microwave. Let the pasta thaw and then reheat in the oven (this will take a bit, so if it's just you - let it thaw pvernight in the fridge and then put it on a plate and nuke).

Try googling: good meals to freeze, or something like that.

One thing to note: my BFF who had a baby said that in the first few weeks, all she did was nibble and was thankful for people who brought muffins or granola bars or fruit. Things she didn't have to "prepare".

So, you might not want to start right now with the cooking, but def. start planning and trying new recipies!

Good luck.

Edited to add: don't buy tupperware, buy the disposable ones. Freezing, especially with red sauce or soup will ruin your dishes and they are expensive.

Also - I have no idea why this picture is in my siggy.

First, I have no idea why that picture is in my siggy either, it is ridiculous.

Second, thank you so much for all the information, it was exactly what I was looking for!!! Now tell me....where do you find freezer bags that fit a disposable foil pan? I didn't know they made them that big!!

I wasn't going to actually cook yet, but I need to get ready! Planning and preparing meals is not my strong point (I am working on it) so I figured I'd get a game plan together of what meals I wanted to prepare and the list I would need to get th eingrediants. I will start preparing said meals probably around week 35.

TheBuddha · April 2010

Beanie_mrt:
TheBuddha:
Beanie_mrt:

First, I have no idea why that picture is in my siggy either, it is ridiculous.

Second, thank you so much for all the information, it was exactly what I was looking for!!! Now tell me....where do you find freezer bags that fit a disposable foil pan? I didn't know they made them that big!!

I wasn't going to actually cook yet, but I need to get ready! Planning and preparing meals is not my strong point (I am working on it) so I figured I'd get a game plan together of what meals I wanted to prepare and the list I would need to get th eingrediants. I will start preparing said meals probably around week 35.

I get mine at the grocery store. Don't forget, the pans I get are like the size of bread tins (which are smaller and taller than the regular lasagna pan. And then they fit in a regular gallon size freezer bag.

here is what my pans look like.

ahhhh. Now I understand! Thank you so much! You've saved my family from pizza for dinner every night after the baby is born!!! Indifferent

SpinFreak13 · April 2010

You could also make a list of quick easy meals that can go into the crock pot and alternate it with the make ahead frozen meals.

simplegirl226 · April 2010

No. My husband is a good cook and he will cook for me. And when he can't, I am sure we will find something. It was actually his idea for me to not freeze any meals.

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