Freezer meals for new parents to be

[Hudson_Hawk]

I've been trying to think of outlets for all of my energy these days. I've cleaned the house top to bottom, organized and redecorated. It's clear from my post about the hw floor project that I need a new diversion or I'll start taking on WAY too much (I don't always know my limits). So I was thinking about the early days of parenthood and what I could do now to make them easier and I had a "Eureka!" moment. I'm going to start cooking and baking stuff to stash in the freezer! We're somewhat limited in our takeout options in my town (pizza and dunkin donuts is about it) and I know I'm not going to want to cook. But DH and I love my cooking and baking, so why not stock up on meals that I can freeze and pull out based on the craving of the day?

So come on folks, give me some ideas. I have on my list:
Lasagna
shepherds pie
beef stew
white chili
red chili
other soups
pot roast with polenta

 

[Ninna]

Chix pot pie top crust only

 

[sctsbride09]

Meatloaf (pre sliced) freezes well, so do enchiladas, chicken/rice/veggie casseroles, baked ziti, homemade pizza (pre cooked or just a shell so you can top as you please) , tamales, burritos, and pre made meatballs. I see you like to bake also, quick breads such as banana bread & zucchini bread freeze well as do most cookies, cakes (unfrosted of course) and poundcakes. Hmm..Off to look in my deepfreeze..I keep lots of pre made stuff in there for when Im lazy, or it is too hot to cook.


ETA- Ok I just checked my deep freeze, and we also have canned marinara sauce, homemade raviolis, pre formed burgers, and pot pies in there.

 

[oobiecoo]

So far I've made Italian turkey meatballs (5 meals of these), Spaghetti sauce (2 meals), Chili (2 meals) and we have a whole freezer full of brisket and corn. The brisket I can throw in the crockpot with a bit of water, crushed tomatoes, and seasoning and not have to worry about it for the rest of the day really.

I also made a couple dozen cookies for those late night feedings when I really need a snack myself.... but I've eaten almost all of them already and the baby isn't even here yet!

I was also thinking of homemade pizza, king ranch chicken, maybe some pancakes for quick breakfasts, and I'll be baking and freezing some loaves of diff types of bread.

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

spaghetti bog (or any other sort of pasta sauces really) are good to make up ahead of time to freeze. I usually make up a huge batch and then seperate into 3 - 4 meals. Then all you have to do is defrost the sauce and reheat it and boil the pasta. I like it because its not a completely reheated meal because the pasta is freshly cooked and if you ae feeling up to it you can mix up a small salad to go with it as well.

I'm not too sure if you have given any thought to the foods that you may not be able to eat when you are BFing (if you are going to BF of course). I didn't worry too much about it but there were a few things that would give her an upset tummy that i had to steer clear of.
Some people avoid all sorts of things and some people avoid nothing. (I knew an indonesian girl who kept on eating all of the spicy hot foods that she usually ate while BFing and then when it was time for the baby to start eating solids she put her straight on to what she was eating with no dramas at all). But i thought i would just put it out there in case you hadn't thought about that yet.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

HOT, thank you! After I made my preliminary list I remembered that there's a good chance that dairy is going to be a no-go, so I'm definitely going to have to revise it to go with no dairy options. I'm not a fan of soy products so soy cheese is a go-go for my lasagna. I might still make it so DH has something on hand that I know he likes to eat. But I won't be able to partake I love cheese....

 

[KimberlyH]

hh, i breastfeed and eat as i would normally excepting yogurt and ice cream. baby is fine with curries, hot peppers, onions, and cheese, it was only those two things she can't handle.

 

[Jennifer W]

When I was bfing, the only thing Amelia hated me eating was olives. They are pretty much her favourite food now, oddly.

I did discover that a really rich, custardy bread and butter pudding freezes well and is a nice treat when you're feeling like you need some energy. There's calcium in there, too... Just freeze it un-baked then defrost and throw it in the oven with foil over the dish when you're ready for it. Really, really good.

Jen

 

[noelwr]

mac & cheese (not the fake orange powder cheese kind). I make this for DH when I go on business trips. macaroni with any yummy cheese sauce (our favorite is 4-cheeses) and bacon. then he takes it out of the freezer in the morning. when he comes home, he sprinkles fresh cheese on top and pops it in the oven for 30 minutes. it's his fave.

 

[noelwr]

I also made a couple dozen cookies for those late night feedings when I really need a snack myself.... but I've eaten almost all of them already and the baby isn't even here yet!

sounds exactly like what I would do!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

When I was bfing, the only thing Amelia hated me eating was olives. They are pretty much her favourite food now, oddly.

I did discover that a really rich, custardy bread and butter pudding freezes well and is a nice treat when you're feeling like you need some energy. There's calcium in there, too... Just freeze it un-baked then defrost and throw it in the oven with foil over the dish when you're ready for it. Really, really good.

Jen

In my opinion anything with custard is a keeper recipe. Dh's gram was from the UK and he was raised on Bird's (though I can make it from scratch as well). He's got me hooked at this point like it's crack. One of my fave breakfast meals is custard french toast, which is regular french toast with warm custard sauce and fresh fruit over the top instead of maple syrup or powdered sugar. OMG, it's to die for!

 

[Jennifer W]

Well, now I need to go an make custard French toast. There's no way round it.

Gary Rhodes has an exceptional recipe for bread and butter pudding, let me see if I can find it.

Jen

 

[Lanie]

HH -- can you share your recipe for custard? Like the pudding type? Yummy!!!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Lanie, it's actually DH's. I'll have to get it from him, he knows it by memory. It's really basic though, milk, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla. It's also great on oatmeal.