In anticipation for our second child, I made freezer meals ahead of time. This way, my husband can easily cook dinner for us if needed while I recover, or I can easily make them since they are already ready to go! I made a freezer bag meals for the crock pot as well as some casseroles, so there is a nice mix.
Cost
As far as cost goes, it cost roughly $140-$160 for all the ingredients for the meals I list below. I went to the grocery store ONLY for these items, so everything I unloaded was specifically for these meals. I still tried to buy mostly organic, but couldn't do it on all the items. I bought my meat and chicken from Costco, and the other items from Kroger.
Time
I dedicated one day specifically for making these meals. Now, my 3.5 year old was home and I am very pregnant so I did take breaks throughout the making of these meals, but I was able to get majority of them all done in one day. The next day I made two more casseroles and was able to make the lactation balls on another day.
Organization
To stay organized, I worked on one meal at a time. However, the Cheesy Taco Bake called for rice, so I went ahead and cooked that while I was making other meals. I lined up all the ingredients that I needed for the meals and that helped as well. I also wrote the directions and meal info on all the ziplock bags ahead of time. When making the bagged meals, I used a big bowl to hold the bag upright, and that seemed to help quite a bit.
Now I didn't take as many pictures as I wanted to...guess I was just busy putting the meals together and didn't think to take pictures of ingredients for each meal or pictures of the casseroles. HOWEVER, once we start making these meals, I will come back and add pictures to the recipes of the finished, cooked version.
Freezer Meals
Honey Sesame Chicken
Yields: 2-4 servings per freezer bag
Ingredients (enough for one bag):
- 1 small onion, diced (1 cup)
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 TB EVOO
- 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 1⁄2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 gallon-sized freezer bag
To Freeze and Cook Later:
- Label your freezer bag with the name of the recipe, cooking instruction, and date that you made the meal.
- Add all the ingredients to your freezer bag.
- Remover as much air as possible, seal, and lay flat in freezer.
To Cook:
- Thaw freezer bag overnight in refrigerator or in water in the morning.
- Pour contents of freezer bag into your crockpot.
- Cook for 4-6 hours on low setting or until chicken is cooked through.
- Top with sesame seeds and serve with rice and seemed broccoli.
Black Bean Chili
Yields: 6 servings per freezer bag
Ingredients (enough for one bag):
- 2 cans of black beans (15 oz each), drained and rinsed
- 1 can corn, rinsed
- 2 cans of tomato sauce (15 oz each)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 TB paprika
- 1 TB chili powder
- 1 TB ground cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp ground oregano
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 lb ground beef
1 gallon-sized freezer bag
To Freeze and Cook Later:
- Label your freezer bag with the name of the recipe, cooking instruction, and date that you made the meal.
- Add all the ingredients to your freezer bag. I placed the ground beef in its own ziplock bag and the other ingredients in a different bag, then placed both in one gallon-sized ziplock bag.
- Remover as much air as possible, seal, and lay flat in freezer.
To Cook:
- Thaw freezer bag overnight in refrigerator or in water in the morning.
- Brown beef separately and drain oils.
- Pour contents of freezer bag into your crockpot, along with cooked beef.
- Cook for 6 hours on low setting.
- Serve with cornbread.
Recipe derived from http://newleafwellness.biz/2016/05/22/healthy-crockpot-freezer-meals-from-costco-30-meals-in-3-hours/
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Yields: 5 servings per freezer bag
Ingredients (enough for one bag):
- 2 1/2 cans low-sodium chicken broth (4 1/2 cups)
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 3/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 3/4 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups frozen corn (I used one can of corn)
- 1 TB fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 gallon-sized freezer bag
To Freeze and Cook Later:
- Label your freezer bag with the name of the recipe, cooking instructions, and date that you made the meal.
- Add all the ingredients to your freezer bag.
- Remover as much air as possible, seal, and lay flat in freezer.
To Cook:
- Thaw freezer bag overnight in refrigerator or in water in the morning.
- Pour contents of freezer bag into your crockpot.
- Cook for 6 hours on low setting.
- Serve with tortilla strips or chips, shredded cheddar cheese, diced avocado, tomatoes, sour cream, etc.
Cheesy Taco Bake
Yields: 1 casserole
Ingredients:
- 1 cup uncooked rice (I used Jasmine rice)
- 1 yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 20 oz lean ground beef (1.25 lb., or just use 1 lb.)
- Green pepper, chopped
- 1-2 tsp fresh lime juice
- 1 TB chili powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1.2 tsp thyme
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 can Rotel
1 disposable foil casserole pan
Directions:
- Boil rice in water on stovetop or in a rice cooker according to package directions and set aside.
- In a 12" pan, spray with EVOO and add onion, garlic, and sauté over medium-high heat for a minute.
- Add ground beef, breaking it apart as it browns. Cook for about 5 minutes and add peppers. Cook for an additional 304 minutes until meat is no longer pink.
- Add lime juice and seasonings. Stir to combine. Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Remove from heat and add rice, tomato sauce, and 1/4 cup of cheese to the skillet and stir to mix well.
- Pour mixture into baking dish and top with remaining cheddar cheese.
- Cover and freeze.
To Cook:
- To cook when frozen, cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and edges are bubbling.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
Recipe courtesy of http://diaryofafitmommy.com/15-freezer-meals-before-your-baby-arrives/
Lactation Bites
Ingredients:
- 1 cup oats
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Directions:
- Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and then mix in the wet ingredients.
- Refrigerate the mixture for one hour.
- Remove from refrigerator and roll into pig-pong sized balls.
- Wrap individually and store in a gallon freezer bag to freeze.
Recipe courtesy of http://diaryofafitmommy.com/15-freezer-meals-before-your-baby-arrives/
Roasted Vegetable Stuffed Shells
Yields: 2 casseroles
Ingredients (all of this makes two casseroles, so keep in mind that you will be halving the recipe as you put it together...all of these ingredients will make two full casseroles):
- 2 red bell peppers, diced
- 1 eggplant, diced
- 2 zucchinis, diced
- 2 TB olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 box of jumbo pasta shells
- 2 (15 oz) ricotta cheese
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 bag frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 jars of marinara sauce
2 disposable foil casserole pans
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400º F. Place diced red pepper, diced eggplant, and diced zucchini on a large baking pan (may need two pans or do it in two batches). Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast the veggies for 20 minutes, or until veggies are tender. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta to al dente, according to package directions. Drain and place the shells on a large plate or surface area so they are not touching (this will prevent them from sticking together, however, I just left them in the colander and even though they stuck together, they didn't rip apart when separating).
- In a large bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, eggs, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, spinach, roasted veggies, basil, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour 1 cup of the marinara sauce into the bottom of each 9x13 baking dish. Stuff each pasta shell with the cheese and veggie mixture and place in the baking dish (I only had one pasta shell left when making both casseroles).
- Cover shells with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese over the top. Cover with foil and freeze.
To Cook:
- Thaw the night before and bake, covered, for 25 minutes at 350º.
- Remove foil and contemn baking until the top begins to brown and the sauce begins to bubble, about 10-15 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh basil, if desired, and serve warm.
Recipe courtesy of http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/roasted-vegetable-stuffed-shells/
Creamy Tortellini Vegetable Bake
Yields: 1 casserole
Ingredients:
- 1 package (19 oz) frozen cheese-filled tortellini
- 2 TB olive oil
- 1 cup sugar snap peas
- 1 medium-sized carrot
- 1 cup mushrooms
- 3/4 cup sweet bell peppers
- 1 cup summer squash
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 can (15 oz) corn
- 1 1/2 TB butter
- 1 1/2 TB flour
- 1/3 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup milk (I used whole milk)
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese
Top it off:
- 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
- 3-4 TB parmesan cheese
1 disposable foil casserole pans
Directions:
- Prep the veggies: peel and coin the carrot, thinly slice the mushrooms, chop the peppers, chop the summer squash, halve the cherry tomatoes, and rinse and drain the corn.
- Prepare the tortellini according to package directions. In the last minute of boiling the boodles, add in the sugar snap peas and carrots.
- Meanwhile, add 2 TB olive oil to a skillet. Over medium heat sauté the mushrooms, peppers, and summer squash until crisp tender.
- Drain the tortellini, snap peas, and carrots and return to pot. Add the sautéed mushrooms, peppers, and summer squash. Add in the cherry tomatoes and can of corn,
- In a small pot (or use the same skillet you used to sauté the veggies), melt the butter over medium-high heat.
- Whisk in the flour until a paste in made. Slowly whisk on the broth and stir until completely smooth. Then gradually whisk in the milk and stir initial smooth. Add the garlic salt, pepper, and dried basil. Cook and stir until the mixture is thick and bubbly.
- Add in the cream cheese and stir until smooth and the sauce is thickened.
- Pour the sauce over the veggies and tortellini. Transfer the mixture to a foil 9x13 casserole dish. Cover and dish and freeze.
To Cook:
- Thaw the night before and bake, covered, for 25 minutes at 350º.
- Remove foil, add the mozzarella and parmesan cheese and broil for 2-3 minutes, watching carefully until the cheese is melted on top.
Recipe courtesy of http://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/creamy-tortellini-vegetable-bake/
Chicken Spaghetti
Yields: 2 casseroles
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cooked chicken (I used 2 chicken breasts)
- Package of dry spaghetti, broken into two-inch pieces
- 2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup finely diced green pepper
- 1/4 cup finely diced onion
- 1 jar (4 oz) diced pimentos, drained
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt
- 1/8 (to 1/4) tsp cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 cup additional shredded cheddar cheese
1 disposable foil casserole pans
Directions:
- Cook cut-up chicken: Bring a pot of water to a boil, throw the chicken into the pot and bring to a rolling boil. Boil for a few minutes, then turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for a good 30-45 minutes. Then pick out the meat and shred it, once cooled.
- Cook spaghetti until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remixing ingredients, except additional 1 cup cheddar cheese.
- Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining cheddar cheese. Cover and freeze.
To Cook:
- Thaw in the refrigerator the night before, and bake at 350º for 45 minutes, until bubbly (if cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil).
Recipe courtesy of http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/chicken_spaghet/
Cilantro Lime Chicken with Corn and Black Beans
Yields: 2 freezer bags
Ingredients:
- 6-8 chicken breasts
- 4 TB olive oil
- 2+ limes, juiced
- 2 cups chopped cilantro
- 2 small (or 1 large) bag of frozen corn
- 4 minced garlic cloves
- 1 finely chopped red inion
- 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tsp cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
2 gallon-sized freezer bag
To Freeze and Cook Later:
- Label your freezer bag with the name of the recipe, cooking instruction, and date that you made the meal.
- Take the ingredients and split everything into two bags and mix bag by shaking.
- Remover as much air as possible, seal, and lay flat in freezer.
To Cook:
- Thaw freezer bag overnight in refrigerator or in water in the morning.
- Add everything to your crockpot and mix the ingredients together.
- Cook in crockpot on low for 8 hours, or high for 4 hours.
- Shred the chicken and serve with tortillas and dress with cheese, lettuce, avocados, salsa, sour cream, etc.
Recipe courtesy of http://overthebigmoon.com/freezer-meals/
There you have it! All of the freezer meals that I made in anticipation of this baby's arrival. These meals should give us at least one day of leftovers, if not more. And like I said at the beginning of this post, as we cook them, I will post pictures on this blog post and update it as we go.
Happy planning!!
