Freezer Meals when baby gets here.

Cook3133 · June 2015

ok I know some of you are thinking "really? Already??" Ok so I like to plan ahead

.

I would like to do some freezer meals but need ideas. I also don't want to find out when babies here that my family doesn't care for that meal. So since I do my menu planning month by month I want to incorporate some meals during now and when baby gets here as a test run.

I only have 3 meals that we have tried and liked for the freezer. Lasagna, chicken enchiladas with white sauce, and manicotti.

So what meals do you like?? (Add recipes if you can)

maura+c · June 2015

I would definetley start thinking about this. Especially, if you don't have loved ones to make meals for you. My mother made me the same things as you mentioned lasagna and chicken enchiladas. I also, made a beef stew and chili (which freezes perfectly), so when you arrive home with your bundle of joy you can be ready. Also, I made sure to stock up on Lean Cuisines, other frozen pre-made meals and lots of soups that I could quickly stick on the stove. It is very demanding having a newborn and having to cook while exhausted was the last thing I wanted to do. I think your incredibly smart to get a jump start on things!

I would send recipes, as you requested, but I just create my own chili and beef stew with whatever my husband and I like in it. You can always visit a few websites to read step by step instructions. Hope this gives you a few more ideas!

adcorbin · June 2015

I have seem some amazing freezer slow cooker meals. You throw everything in a freezer bag and it goes straight in the slow cooker. Google it.....there are some really good ones out there.

KeHill08 · June 2015

I was going to suggest chicken enchiladas, although I use a red sauce. You cocould try checking pinterest though. I've pinned quite a few freezer meals, and a few month freezer meal plans.

thegingeravenger · June 2015

My man plans on making a few frozen chicken pot pies to throw in the oven. We'll be experimenting with other foods over the summer. Enchiladas and stews are on the for sure list as well.

wedding crazed · June 2015

I second the slow cooker meals, also I have found that soups/chilis freeze really well. Tortilla soup is one of our favs. Also, I freeze breakfast too as we are a busy family in the a.m. Breakfast burritos and sausage/egg/cheese sandwiches work well. I have already been thinking about this too (type A for sure). I love planning ahead.

lyankowi · June 2015

I think a beef stroganoff might work well too. I made it last night and thought this might freeze well for when baby comes

MoRay05 · June 2015

I would also suggest Pinterest. I've saved a few that were from the pioneer women. I'm definitely going to be testing them out too before hand. Nothing would be worse that a freezer full of not so great meals!

Cook3133 · June 2015

I've tried Pinterest but it seems like they are all the same thing practically. I've also had a few fails with them

I forgot about chili!!, I have to keep in mind it will be winter when baby comes, or meals are different in summer/winter.

HungryRunner76 · June 2015

I'm gluten free so I knew we were on our own for food when DD was born. It worked out great. Just made double batches whenever I mad some of our favorites in the last 2 months of pregnancy and froze one of the batches (pre-cooked).

Ziti (gf pasta of course)
Chicken broccoli Alfredo
Slow cooker BBQ chicken
Taco pasta bake
Slow cooker pot roast

Pinterest does have great recipes too!

I also coupon so I stockpiled several of our go to snacks and pantry necessities so the only things we really needed were fruits and veggies.

SamanthaAshley820 · June 2015

We don't really do freezer meals here. But my mom always has. She makes large batches of spaghetti sauce. She does chili (which would be good for fall/winter), sloppy joes. Fish that she bakes in the oven.
You could even do riblets those are good for a crock pot. Maybe taco meat? My grandma does cabbage in a crock pot too...maybe look up some mommy/cooking blogs. I'm sure you could get a ton of ideas there. Soup, ham, stew. Ect.

MoRay05 · June 2015

it is hit or miss with Pinterest recipes. I tried this chili recipe a couple of weeks ago and it turned out great!

https://www.skinnytaste.com/2013/09/crock-pot-kid-friendly-turkey-chili.html?m=1

knichols1085 · June 2015

I did several freezer meals last winter when DD2 arrived. I seriously think it saved our family! Lol
I looked up freezing methods on Pinterest and that helped a lot. I lined my baking dishes with parchment paper, so I could lift the entire contents out after freezing. So easy!
Here's a recipe that my family loves and it freezes well. It seems this dish is better a day after cooking, so it's perfect when reheated. https://www.fullforkahead.com/2012/11/16/chicken-cordon-bleu-casserole/
We also loved the 3 cheese manicotti. Chili, veggie beef stew and potato soups are always hearty winter meals. Also, you can always get fresh corn and freeze it (on cob or not). You can also freeze or pressure can fresh green beans for easy side dishes.

katiedhunter · June 2015

I got some awesome freezer meal ideas off pinterest! Ones with meat, without meat, and some really great soups. Plus got some awesome slow cooker recipes off their as well. The less work the better!

bellie1223 · June 2015

I'm so glad I'm not the only person already planning frozen meals!! I even went out and bought a deep freezer yesterday on craigslist and felt really sheepish about it.

I second ziti, that's one of my favorites! I do a lot of meal prep ahead of time and like others have said enchiladas (red and green sauce for variety), chili and lasagna are great. Pork dumplings freeze great if you are willing to put a little more time and effort into it. Bierox (like kraut burgers wrapped in their own bun) do well. I make individual chicken pot pies in those small disposable pie tins and then you can just take them out of the freezer and straight into the oven, super easy! Also like @weddingcrazed said, breakfasts do really well: breakfast burritos and waffles are some of my favorite to make ahead of time and freeze. We love getting tamales at our farmers market and freezing those, so I'll probably stock up before November

oliarnmom1517 · June 2015

My mom makes this amazing chicken dip that has cream cheese and shredded chicken and a bunch of other stuff and it's delicious and it freezes perfectly!! I'm going to ask her make me a small croc pot full for when the baby gets here. If it doesn't happen that's fine I will be glad to receive food from anybody!! My neighbor when she heard I was pregnant she made me some delicious casserole that I hope she makes again when she finds out lol I'm not going to ask though lol. But I'll be pretty much open to anything that people are willing to bring my husband and I. Especially with my weird allergy to mushrooms it's hard to make things for me but everybody that knows me knows so I should be ok..

helsbels222 · June 2015

Been starting to think about this too. Chili and soups are good freezer meals.

SamanthaAshley820 · June 2015

knichols1085 said:
I did several freezer meals last winter when DD2 arrived. I seriously think it saved our family! Lol
I looked up freezing methods on Pinterest and that helped a lot. I lined my baking dishes with parchment paper, so I could lift the entire contents out after freezing. So easy!
Here's a recipe that my family loves and it freezes well. It seems this dish is better a day after cooking, so it's perfect when reheated. https://www.fullforkahead.com/2012/11/16/chicken-cordon-bleu-casserole/
We also loved the 3 cheese manicotti. Chili, veggie beef stew and potato soups are always hearty winter meals. Also, you can always get fresh corn and freeze it (on cob or not). You can also freeze or pressure can fresh green beans for easy side dishes.

I love the parchment paper idea! That's genius!!

Pontot31 · June 2015

The freezer meals we've made never hold up very well. They always taste like he have freezer burn.

However we do like a lot of crock pot meals that can be made fresh with very limited prep time. We will do that again.

Ceridwen77 · June 2015

I freeze just about anything. We get a CSA in the summer & fall, and it's too much food for 2. So whatever is leftover from what I cook I freeze, and we can live off of that for most of the winter. Anything from various herb pestos, curry, roasted/braised meats (in their juice/sauce), blanched fruits/vegetables, roasted vegetables, soups, corn salads, beans, chili, lentils, tomato sauces, stir fry, etc.

elbou · June 2015

I've had good luck freezing casseroles. When I make them, I usually make 2 or 3 at a time, and stick one or two in the freezer. I've done both rice and pasta casseroles, and love them! I cook up a bunch of pasta or rice all at once, add some veggies...whatever is on hand - canned, frozen, and fresh all work...add some meat...canned meat like tuna works just as good as fresh...add either Alfredo sauce or a "cream of" soup to make it creamier, and grate cheese on top.

AmoLovesAud · June 2015

Well if its too early than I'm guilty too! Honestly I'd rather have lots of time to think about it and over prepare a little, than a week or 2 in be relying on take-out, canned soup and cereal for most of our meals. I've been trying to perfect my spinach enchilada recipe, then I think I'm going to spend the summer working on a good handmade frozen pizza, since we got kind of addicted to the store-bought ones when I was too sick to cook. Chili and curry are already on the list, and my Italian in-laws always stock us up with canned tomato sauce and freezer-ready zucchini lasagna when their summer crops are done, so I might just add a frozen dinner roll recipe to round it all out after that.

rox7777 · June 2015

Pontot31 said:
The freezer meals we've made never hold up very well. They always taste like he have freezer burn.

However we do like a lot of crock pot meals that can be made fresh with very limited prep time. We will do that again.

I'm not a fan of freezer meals. Something about frozen food throws me off, except breakfast food. I do LOVE my crock pot though. In Korea we only had a stove top, no oven, so the crock pot was my oven. After DS was born I started using my crock pot daily. It really isn't anymore work than getting a frozen meal out either.

nmwheel1 · June 2015

I usually make large batches and freeze lots of meals. Some of my favorites:

Lasagna or lasagna roll ups
Chili (beef or a black bean chili)
Spaghetti sauces or different pasta sauces
Chicken pot pie
Mini chicken meatball soup
Coconut lentil curry
Sausage and lentil stew
Beef stew
Chicken and penne casserole
Meatballs (beef or pork or stuffed meatballs in sauce)
Homemade burgers
Cabbage rolls
I also always have chicken broth frozen to make quicker soups in the winter.

I like to cook! I have a food blog with my recipes on it but I'm not sure if I can post it? It's not advertising per say as I don't make money off it. If you want it I can post it (if allowed)!

oliarnmom1517 · June 2015

nmwheel1 said:
I usually make large batches and freeze lots of meals. Some of my favorites:

Lasagna or lasagna roll ups
Chili (beef or a black bean chili)
Spaghetti sauces or different pasta sauces
Chicken pot pie
Mini chicken meatball soup
Coconut lentil curry
Sausage and lentil stew
Beef stew
Chicken and penne casserole
Meatballs (beef or pork or stuffed meatballs in sauce)
Homemade burgers
Cabbage rolls
I also always have chicken broth frozen to make quicker soups in the winter.

I like to cook! I have a food blog with my recipes on it but I'm not sure if I can post it? It's not advertising per say as I don't make money off it. If you want it I can post it (if allowed)!

I don't see why it would be a problem since your not advertising a business or trying to make money.. It's just a blog it should be ok.. Right??

Cook3133 · June 2015

@nmwheel1 please do!! I love to cook and get in ruts!!

buckwheatpancakes · June 2015

I worry about freezer burn too, but definitely love the idea of fast, pre-made meals ready to go!

Question for you pros: what types of containers work best to avoid that frost bite? Plastic bags, glass, Tupperware, etc?

Thanks!!

Cook3133 · June 2015

I tend to buy the tin throw away containers. But I've only done hash brown casserole, lasagna, and enchiladas in them and they are not in the freezer for longer than a month. I wrap in plastic than tin foil. I have also done chili and put that in a freezer ziplock bag

MargaretC5 · June 2015

For DS I also did frozen lunches. They saved my life. I just froze leftovers from dinner while I was pregnant, or made a large meal and divided it up.

Mac and cheese also freezes well, or taco filling.

AmoLovesAud · June 2015

buckwheatpancakes said:

I worry about freezer burn too, but definitely love the idea of fast, pre-made meals ready to go! Question for you pros: what types of containers work best to avoid that frost bite? Plastic bags, glass, Tupperware, etc? Thanks!!

Aluminum throw-away containers, 2 layers of foil (you can do plastic then foil, I prefer just foil so I can take the top layer off and its oven ready), a sticker with what it is & the date (and I'm going to add thawing/cooking instructions for helpful husbands/guests), and try to stash it in a part of the freezer that won't get a gush of warm air every time you open the door. I can usually get 2, maybe 3 months depending on the food and how often we're opening the freezer. For soups and other liquid-y things I have a few Ball brand freezer jars, but looking them up they changed how they make them, mine look more like this brand. When I make meatballs (well, lentil-mushroom balls) I freeze them in muffin tins, then when they're frozen through I toss them in a Ziploc. Don't get more than a few weeks out of that before freezer taste sets in, though.

nmwheel1 · June 2015

Here is my blog, I have more to put on but I've been pretty lazy haha!

Foodforthewholefamily.wordpress.com

I usually freeze in the Ziploc containers, big things like lasagna and cabbage rolls I use the throw away tins with tinfoil and plastic wrap. I also date everything so I know when it was made!!

buckwheatpancakes · June 2015

Thanks for all the tips ladies! Much appreciated.

elbou · June 2015

lyankowi said:

I think a beef stroganoff might work well too. I made it last night and thought this might freeze well for when baby comes

@lyankowi

My husband loves Beef Stroganoff, and ever since you mentioned it, I keep thinking that it would be a prefect meal for him for Father's Day. I don't have a good recipe for it though. Care to share yours?

SamanthaAshley820 · June 2015

MargaretC5 said:
For DS I also did frozen lunches. They saved my life. I just froze leftovers from dinner while I was pregnant, or made a large meal and divided it up.

Mac and cheese also freezes well, or taco filling.

Home made Mac n cheese? Stove top? Baked? How do you reheat it? My family makes Mac n cheese on the stove with noddles, Colby cheese, a little bit of tomato soup milk and butter...nobody has managed to find a good way to reheat it; even after one hour of it being made...and its on its third generation, lol.

MargaretC5 · June 2015

SamanthaAshley820 said:

MargaretC5 said:
For DS I also did frozen lunches. They saved my life. I just froze leftovers from dinner while I was pregnant, or made a large meal and divided it up.

Mac and cheese also freezes well, or taco filling.
Home made Mac n cheese? Stove top? Baked? How do you reheat it? My family makes Mac n cheese on the stove with noddles, Colby cheese, a little bit of tomato soup milk and butter...nobody has managed to find a good way to reheat it; even after one hour of it being made...and its on its third generation, lol.

I make baked Mac and Cheese with a milk/flour base. I freeze it before baking. It is best right after it is baked, but we still do definitely reheat the leftovers in the microwave.

beckd89 · June 2015

Never thought of this idea! I'm going to start making meals and freezing them now thanks guys

VexyMommy · June 2015

MargaretC5 said:

For DS I also did frozen lunches. They saved my life. I just froze leftovers from dinner while I was pregnant, or made a large meal and divided it up. Mac and cheese also freezes well, or taco filling.
Home made Mac n cheese? Stove top? Baked? How do you reheat it? My family makes Mac n cheese on the stove with noddles, Colby cheese, a little bit of tomato soup milk and butter...nobody has managed to find a good way to reheat it; even after one hour of it being made...and its on its third generation, lol.
I make baked Mac and Cheese with a milk/flour base. I freeze it before baking. It is best right after it is baked, but we still do definitely reheat the leftovers in the microwave.

We do ours the same way. If we know it will be reheated multiple times, I cook the noodles al dente so they aren't completely useless. Rigatoni (the spirals) also holds up a little better to repeated freezes and thaws than elbow macaroni in my opinion and you can sneak in a (very small) portion of vegetables since they often come in veggie enriched varieties..

lopezalonso · June 2015

VexyMommy said:

MargaretC5 said:

SamanthaAshley820 said:

MargaretC5 said:
For DS I also did frozen lunches. They saved my life. I just froze leftovers from dinner while I was pregnant, or made a large meal and divided it up.

Mac and cheese also freezes well, or taco filling.
Home made Mac n cheese? Stove top? Baked? How do you reheat it? My family makes Mac n cheese on the stove with noddles, Colby cheese, a little bit of tomato soup milk and butter...nobody has managed to find a good way to reheat it; even after one hour of it being made...and its on its third generation, lol.
I make baked Mac and Cheese with a milk/flour base. I freeze it before baking. It is best right after it is baked, but we still do definitely reheat the leftovers in the microwave.

We do ours the same way. If we know it will be reheated multiple times, I cook the noodles al dente so they aren't completely useless. Rigatoni (the spirals) also holds up a little better to repeated freezes and thaws than elbow macaroni in my opinion and you can sneak in a (very small) portion of vegetables since they often come in veggie enriched varieties..

We too do the same thing. I find that most things that need to be baked do so much better if you freeze them pre-bake. Otherwise, they get really dried out. Also, it's important you store it well or your food will get freezer burn. Tightly plastic wrap and get most of the air out and then foul wrap. Here's my list of freezable meals:

-shepherd's pie
-lasagna
-Meat sauce
-vodka or cream sauce
-breaded chicken breast
-slow cooker beef stew in bag
-calzone
-Mac and cheese

I'm working on expanding the list...

dogsombrero · June 2015

I precook meat in bulk and store it with the correct frozen veggie. For instance a bag of fajita mix peppers and onions with cumin/chili shredded chicken. Sautéed mushrooms with ground beef (I add to rice with beef stock and a little half and half for a beef skillet). Then you just warm them together without having to think.

I do freeze spaghetti sauce. The frozen tortellini and ravioli at my store are good so I typically add to one bag a package of precooked ground beef, spinach (and or other veggies) and a jar of pasta sauce, topped with cheese and baked at 400 until bubbly it's really easy.

Ceridwen77 · June 2015

VexyMommy said:

MargaretC5 said:

SamanthaAshley820 said:

MargaretC5 said:
For DS I also did frozen lunches. They saved my life. I just froze leftovers from dinner while I was pregnant, or made a large meal and divided it up.

Mac and cheese also freezes well, or taco filling.
Home made Mac n cheese? Stove top? Baked? How do you reheat it? My family makes Mac n cheese on the stove with noddles, Colby cheese, a little bit of tomato soup milk and butter...nobody has managed to find a good way to reheat it; even after one hour of it being made...and its on its third generation, lol.
I make baked Mac and Cheese with a milk/flour base. I freeze it before baking. It is best right after it is baked, but we still do definitely reheat the leftovers in the microwave.

We do ours the same way. If we know it will be reheated multiple times, I cook the noodles al dente so they aren't completely useless. Rigatoni (the spirals) also holds up a little better to repeated freezes and thaws than elbow macaroni in my opinion and you can sneak in a (very small) portion of vegetables since they often come in veggie enriched varieties..

----quote fail----
Being Italian I must correct - the spirals that most people are familiar with is called fusilli. Rigatoni is a tube shaped pasta.

My preference for my homemade mac & cheese (bechemel base with gruyere and white cheddar), is cellentani/cavatappi, which is a tubular corkscrew. More fun than traditionally used shapes IMO

VexyMommy · June 2015

Ceridwen77 said:

----quote fail---- Being Italian I must correct - the spirals that most people are familiar with is called fusilli. Rigatoni is a tube shaped pasta. My preference for my homemade mac & cheese (bechemel base with gruyere and white cheddar), is cellentani/cavatappi, which is a tubular corkscrew. More fun than traditionally used shapes IMO

You're absolutely correct. My bad. lol.

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