Preparing meals for the freezer

[DeniseM]

I am now in the third trimester with our seventh child and would like to get some meals prepared and put in the freezer, before the baby is born. I was wondering if any of you have some recipes that you would like to share that would be freezer friendly,fairly easy to prepare(I'm not looking to spend long hours on my feet in the kitchen at this point) and possibly healthy too.

Also, one of our kids is allergic to eggs and another is allergic to dairy, so a casserole type recipe that everyone can eat is usually hard to come by.
I would appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks,

 

[Mindaboo]

Well, I was going to say baked spaghetti and mac and cheese. But if you have dairy allergies those won't work. I've always found that chili freezes well. I don't freeze a lot of meals. I would love to figure out a system to do so. I'm hoping some people will post some ideas.

 

[he beholds]

I'm also hoping others post some good ideas! You could crockpot a pork shoulder (I don't know--it's called something like that) and make pulled pork. Then freeze that and have your husband pick up some buns and coleslaw from the store the day y'all want to eat it.

 

[JoannaV]

I'm following along too. I freeze chilli but that's about it. I'm not very good at preparing meals ahead of time, I never know what will work and what won't. (It's one reason I rarely take hot meals places, or bring meals to other people )

 

[jwithnell]

I have found that prepared, frozen ingredients are a life-saver.

Buy a club pack of hamburger and fry it up with some onion and garlic. Cool somewhat, then freeze in the amount you'll need in ziplock bags spread fairly flat. Tacos, spaghetti sauce and sloppy joes then take minutes to prepare.

Grill a bunch of boneless chicken thighs (I spice mine) and defrost in the fridge the day you need them for quick sandwiches, oriental dishes or a simple main course. Frozen grilled hamburgers and hot Italian sausage are popular in my guy-filled house.

Breads, cakes, and pie crusts also freeze well.

Your family won't suffer from instant tators or rice. Or bake far more potatoes then you'll need one meal and have almost instant hashbrowns tomorrow.

Nuke frozen veggies and keep cans of fruit on hand.

Chop up garlic and store with olive oil in a sterile jar in the fridge. Use the oil for instant flavor on frozen veggies, cooking meats or making dressings or sauces. (I've done this with scallions too.)

I've discovered much of this due to the unpredictability of migraines.

 

[Rich Koster]

One thing we prepare in advance, that seems to keep well, is lasagna. Just make it up like you were going to bake it, and put it in the freezer until ready. It seems that leftover lasagna is always good too......if there is any . I don't know how well the cheese substitute holds up, but it's worth a try.

 

[Edward]

Rice or pasta will freeze better than potatoes when planning your casseroles. Use tomato sauces rather than cream sauces.

Do you want to prepare cooked meals that your husband can thaw and nuke, or put together things that need to be baked? If I was him, I'd just prepare the ingredients the night before and load a crock pot each morning.

 

[DeniseM]

Do you want to prepare cooked meals that your husband can thaw and nuke, or put together things that need to be baked?

I was looking for things that I can have already made, to just thaw and throw in the oven, for after my husband goes back to work and I have to balance the six other children and the new born baby and try to make sure everyone gets fed. Newborns always seem to be the fussiest when they know there mother is trying to make dinner! Thanks for the suggestions.

I have found that prepared, frozen ingredients are a life-saver.

Thanks. I'm thinking about chopping up some bell peppers and onions to freeze for fajitas or stir fry. Maybe I should precook and chop the meat also to make even less hassle later.

 

[MarieP]

Make meatloaf and bake them in muffin tins! My mom did that all the time when I was a kid.