Freezing meals for after a birth

[NayneeNoo]

I have never prepared meals for freezing to use after the birth of my children. I have an entire freezer in my basement that is practically empty and has plenty of room for frozen meals and approximately 11-12 weeks to get some frozen....but uh....what do I do? :scratch LOL

What meals are best for freezing? What are you favorites? What ones totally bombed that you do NOT recommend (didn't thaw and reheat well, taste changed over time)?
Do you buy foil pans to cook them in?
Anything special I should know about doing this?
Do you just double a recipe you're making one night and freeze it or do you set aside a day and make a couple of meals to freeze?
How many meals do you freeze when you are pregnant in preparation for postpartum?

Thanks in advance! I'm excited about getting this done this time around. I have a feeling it's going to be needed with Madame Destructo (aka Sassy) running around! Anything I can do to make this easier on myself. :giggle

[RealLifeMama]

Do you just double a recipe you're making one night and freeze it or do you set aside a day and make a couple of meals to freeze?


I double. I got into the habit of doing this in the fall, when we started getting soooo busy, and with DH out of work, we could not afford take out or fast food all the time.

Making more than double a recipe, for me, is too much work and trouble. But, doubling it does not really much more time and effort.

I have found that I do not like the way quiches and egg dishes come out after they have been frozen, but a lot of people seem to like to freeze quiche.

I tend to freeze things in ziploc bags. They are easier to thaw because I can put them in water. Another thing I will do it line a pan with paper or foil, put the food in it and wrap it up, freeze it, then take it out and put it in a freezer bag. I label the bag with what pan I froze it in so I can use that pan when time to cook the dish.

I flash freeze chicken nuggets and meatballs, uncooked.

My favorite dishes to double and freeze are Shepherd's Pie (put the beef mix and potatoes in seperate bags) Chicken enchiladas, chicken pot pie (Just freeze the filling, and then fill the crust when time to bake) , chicken divan (AmyDoll posted this one) , stews and chilis, and baked goods like quick bread and muffins.


happygrl has a great thread on freezer stuff. She is the freezer queen!

[lizzyd]

I have been freezing meals for PP but I am totally new at this. Following along to read the discussion.

I've just been doubling recipes - anything else requires too much effort.

This is a series of videos that I've been watching: http://freshfromthefreezer.com/ She gives lots of tips.

[mystweaver]

My favorite dishes to double and freeze are Shepherd's Pie (put the beef mix and potatoes in seperate bags) Chicken enchiladas, chicken pot pie (Just freeze the filling, and then fill the crust when time to bake) , chicken divan (AmyDoll posted this one) , stews and chilis, and baked goods like quick bread and muffins.


Do you freeze enchiladas with or without tortillas?

[RealLifeMama]

Do you freeze enchiladas with or without tortillas?

Either way.
The tortillas get a little mushy, but they are OK. No one really minds.

[Beth1231]

How long are freezer meals good for when you're using fresh stuff with no preservatives?

Amy,it makes me nervous that you started this thread and we are due the same time! That means I need to start soon. :nails

Any tips for one small freezer and tight grocery budgets? Doubling stuff will be pretty pricey...

Eta Do pasta/veggie dishes freeze well?

[NayneeNoo]

:hugs Beth. I'm just a planner. I make lists. Lots and lots of lists. :giggle So even though I'm *thinking* about it right now, I probably won't get started until the end of February. I need to research a little bit since I've never really frozen meals before. I would hate to dive in head first, make a bunch of meals, only to discover that it all totally bombed.

[RealLifeMama]

Beth, a tight budget is why I prefer doubling what I am making versus planning a big OAMC event. That way, if say, chicken breast is really cheap, I can stock up but us not have to eat chicken all week, KWIM? I have a tight grocery budget, (at least, I think it is tight- $50 a week at the grocery store for a family of 6) I am a stockpiler shopper, though, not a "plan menu and go shop" shopper.
The ziploc bags help save freezer space because they store flat.

[RealLifeMama]

Eta Do pasta/veggie dishes freeze well?


I make chicken spaghetti and freeze it all the time. It has lots of veggies in it and it comes out fine. I actually got the recipe from the OAMC book.
Also, I used to make stuffed shells and manicotti and freeze them, and they were fine, too. I would flash freeze them.

[Kiera]

Just seeing this... and just started to double my recipes to freeze. Are there ziplock bags that for sure don't have BPA? And we don't use aluminum foil, so are there any containers that are glass or plastic that are safe to freeze?

[RealLifeMama]

Just seeing this... and just started to double my recipes to freeze. Are there ziplock bags that for sure don't have BPA? And we don't use aluminum foil, so are there any containers that are glass or plastic that are safe to freeze?


That is a good question. Ziploc and Glad both state that their products are BPA free.

I had a feeling when I posted about using ziplocks that some would not want to do that because of the whole plastic issue. I am not an alarmist about that because I wait until the food is cool and I don't heat in them. (BPA or not, putting hot food in plastic makes me worry it will melt into my food.)
But, pyrex should be safe to freeze in. Just make sure it is not cold when you put it in the oven. Do you use pyrex, or does that have something perceived to be dangerous, too?

[Kiera]

That is a good question. Ziploc and Glad both state that their products are BPA free.

I had a feeling when I posted about using ziplocks that some would not want to do that because of the whole plastic issue. I am not an alarmist about that because I wait until the food is cool and I don't heat in them. (BPA or not, putting hot food in plastic makes me worry it will melt into my food.)
But, pyrex should be safe to freeze in. Just make sure it is not cold when you put it in the oven. Do you use pyrex, or does that have something perceived to be dangerous, too?

I do use pyrex though I haven't tried freezing in it. My pregnant brain a few months ago put one of the glass baking dishes with the plastic lid on in the oven and melted the lid everywhere, but ummm yeah that was my fault :giggle

[sprout]

meals we did were...chicken spaghetti, meatloaf, ziti. I also had a bunch of flash freezed garden veggies.

some banana and zuke breads and muffins.

and, this was our fav...cookie dough. It was so nice when we wanted a quick snack ...just pop them in the oven.

[backtobasicsmum]

Things that freeze well:
lasagna
pizza
enchiladas
chili
soups
breads/muffins/rolls
cookies/cake
meatloaf
pancakes/waffles

[schmamy]

subbing for when I have time - I am *still* eating off freezer meals b/c I went nuts last summer :)

[RealLifeMama]

I had the idea a couple weeks ago to take the frozen fruit that I would normally use for smoothies and portion them out. So, I have bags of strawberry/blueberry/banana, already cut up and portioned for the smoothies so all I have to get at smoothie making time is one bag instead of three. It sounds kind of obvious, but I have never done it. I think that it would make it really easy, though, for those that are taking care of me PP to make me a smoothie, and then later, when I am doing things one handed, it will save me a couple of steps.

[kaismamma]

I always cook double, when I can.

Most things that go in 9x13 pans can be doubled and frozen. I don't use disposable pans. I have lots of glass pans. If it's a mixture-y type dish that you're putting in the pan, you can freeze it in a ziplock and then when it thaws, put it into the pan and bake it.

Soups freeze really well. I find that most soup recipes I can get 3 meals out of, so that's really efficient. Just make sure the soup doesn't contain potatoes as their texture will change and it will be grainy.

Savingdinner.com has freezer meals. It was doing those meals that taught me how to freeze in ziplocks. It's amazing how many meals you can get into a small space when you freeze them all flat. I also learned that a partially prepared meal also counts as "a meal in the freezer." For instance, if you have taco meat already cooked in the freezer, the rest of the meal is much easier to pull together.

Other things that work well....chicken pot pie (I usually store the crust and filling seperately), speghetti (even if just the meat sauce is prepared it helps, otherwise you can mix the sauce and noodles together and through them into a 9x13 or ziplock), meatballs, lasagna, enchiladas, virtually any pasta dish...

I try to have a full 6 weeks worth of meals in my freezer before having a baby. If you have 8 or 9 weeks before the birth and try to double as many meals as possible, you should be able to get 6 weeks worth in the freezer. Good luck! After you figure this out, you may find you like cooking double all the time. It will consistantly give you 2-3 nights off every week if you do!

[schmamy]

What meals are best for freezing? What are you favorites? What ones totally bombed that you do NOT recommend (didn't thaw and reheat well, taste changed over time)?
Do you buy foil pans to cook them in?
Anything special I should know about doing this?
Do you just double a recipe you're making one night and freeze it or do you set aside a day and make a couple of meals to freeze?
How many meals do you freeze when you are pregnant in preparation for postpartum?


I did this two different ways: I doubled anything that I was making for dinner that would freeze well, and then I also spent a couple of days mixing (not cooking) batches of various soups. We weren't eating soup, because it was summer, so I would just mix all the soup and freeze it in a ziploc bag - then pull it out of the freezer and throw it in the crockpot.

I do NOT recommend foil pans. They do not seal well or store well in the freezer! I froze most things in ziploc bags. Things like casseroles, I lined a pyrex dish with foil, stuck the whole thing in the freezer, and then once it was frozen, I took the dish out and put the food + foil in a ziploc bag. When I want to thaw that, I take it out of the ziploc and put it back in the dish in the fridge and then into the oven.

I went a little crazy, but it has been soooooo nice. I completely filled our freezer--and we bought a huge chest freezer--it's been way more than we really *needed* but I've loved it. DS2 was born in October and we still have lots of meals in there (we had postpartum help and meals, plus have been gone a few times over the holidays, plus there are days I want to cook, etc).

Here's what I froze, to give you ideas. If you need recipes lmk :heart

SOUPS:
summer harvest
pasta fagioli
chicken noodle broccoli cheese
taco
chicken tortilla
vegetable beef
tomato
chili
white chicken chili

CASSEROLES:
beef enchiladas
chicken enchiladas
lasagna
tuna noodles
beef stroganoff
goulash
(note: for the pasta-based casseroles, I mixed everything but the pasta...then all I have to do when I take them out of the freezer is boil some pasta and throw it together...I did this because pasta doesn't always freeze well, plus it took up less space)

OTHER:
Italian meatloaf
pulled pork (I cooked a huge Boston butt and froze the meat in 3-4 bags)
sloppy joes
sloppy lentils
stromboli

I also froze tons of baked goods for breakfasts/snacks:
several varieties of muffins
granola
pancakes
quick breads

All of these have seemed to work well--no bombs yet!

HTH!

[NayneeNoo]

summer harvest
pasta fagioli


I would love the recipes for these. My DH :heart soups and would eat them every day. :giggle I've got a couple on my list, but could always use more! Soups are so easy to double.

[WingsOfTheMorning]

:cup

I'm gearing up do to this soon too. I froze in foil pans last time, but I really like the idea of ziploc instead.

And I love the smoothie bag idea. I'm thinking of throwing my other usual ingredients like flaxseed and protein powder into the bag too.

Other than what's already been mentioned, last time I froze a couple coffee cakes for special weekend breakfasts. I'm planning to make a big batch of hummus and freeze in smaller portions as well.

ETA: I read that salmon patties freeze well, but I haven't tried it myself yet.

[schmamy]

I would love the recipes for these. My DH :heart soups and would eat them every day. :giggle I've got a couple on my list, but could always use more! Soups are so easy to double.

pasta fagioli:
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/day-305.html
I left the Tabasco out in case baby was sensitive to spicy stuff (though he isn't)

end of summer harvest:
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2009/08/end-of-summer-harvest-soup-slow-cooker.html

I will admit, we loved this one the first time we had it but out of the freezer it was just a little "meh" - not bad, just not wonderful. not sure if that really had anything to do with it being frozen or not :shrug3 we'd only had it once before so I don't really remember.

[backtobasicsmum]

Oh, since you mentioned soup, here is an easy recipe. If you are planning ahead of time, just make sure you have cooked diced or shredding chicken or turkey.

Turkey (or chicken) taco soup.

4 Cups diced cooked turkey or chicken
1 can corn
1 can (a small can!) diced green chili's
1 can cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom)
2 T taco seasoning.

Dump all of those things into a pot, cover with water. Cook until heated through. Serve by crunching corn chips in the botton of your bowl. Add soup. Top with grated cheese and/or sour cream.

[ReedleBeetle]

I read the title as "Freezing meals from afterbirth". :shifty Whoops!! Not so strange on this forum. :lol

[Godspuppet]

I have discovered that soups/chop suey/etc. keep well frozen. This helps in meal planning on a shoestring budget.