5 Delicious Pre-Baby Freezer Meals (and to enjoy tonight!)

We are currently preparing for another baby and one thing that is absolute must do is freezer meals, or so I’ve read. Now while this sounds like a great idea, in theory, I was thoroughly overwhelmed by HOW to start. I’ve never made freezer meals before but apparently, a lot of people have. The living number of freezer meal recipes on Pinterest is proof enough and just enough to make a newbie like me feel even more lost! 🙈

The idea of dropping $200 on groceries to make huge portions of meals that I don’t even know if my family will even like did NOT sound appealing. What if I spent all this time making these recipes and find out in 2 months that we don’t even like it? Seemed like a potentially HUGE waste of my time and money – even if everyone swears by it.

The only way this was going to work for my family is if I knew for certain we would enjoy them later, otherwise, they would more than likely sit in the freezer until frostbitten at which point they would get thrown away. Big Giant Waste.

In order to simplify and start small, I did two things.

1. I found one recipe at a time I wanted to try.
   • We are fortunate enough to have the ability to choose our meals based on our appetite, not hunger. What I mean is, we like to eat what “sounds good” that night and every night is different.💃
   • Trying out recipes slowly ensured that we were eating things that we already thought sounded good, thus we will probably be in the mood for it again in the future.
2. I split the recipe into 2 portions – one to eat that evening and the other to put in the freezer.
   • Now, this splitting method might not work for some families.
     Currently, it’s my husband and me, and our toddler, so half of a standard casserole is the perfect size for us, especially when we add a side like a salad.
     • I’ve found that the standard casserole size is a 9×13 inch baking dish. Using an 8×8 inch baking dish is a much more practical size for us since we really aren’t a ‘leftover’ kind of family.
   • I’ll use my 8×8″ glass pyrex dish for the meal that evening and a lidded tin foil 8×8″ baking pan for the half that is going in the freezer.
     • One tip I’ve read from seasoned freezer pros is to only use tin foil baking dishes in the freezer. That way you won’t have your good baking dishes tied up for that long – ie. weeks or months.

1. Sour Cream Noodle Bake

The first recipe I tried came from The Pioneer Woman and it’s the Sour Cream Noodle Bake. I served it with a simple green salad with tomatoes, avocado, cheddar cheese, and a balsamic vinegarette. (Just sliced tomatoes and avocado for the toddler)

Verdict: My hubby and kid LOVED it! He even suggested I make it again before the baby comes so we can have more in the freezer. I liked it. I didn’t think it was gourmet by any means, and the flavors weren’t very complex but it was tasty and satisfying so this one is a win!

2. Black Bean Quinoa Casserole

The second recipe came from ifoodreal.com and is the Black Bean Quinoa Casserole. While I did change a lot of things this recipe really does have great bones. I added a chopped-up rotisserie chicken, cooked up the corn with sauteed garlic and onion, and added black olives. I also added 1 tsp of chili powder and a 1/2 tsp of cayenne. Oh and I also cooked my quinoa with better th bouillon, which is something I always do with my quinoa and it makes a world of a difference! With all those additions I ended up leaving out the bell peppers and chilis, they just don’t quite agree with me. I served it with diced tomatoes, avocado, shredded lettuce, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

Verdict: I loved the hint of coconut milk! Don’t be scared. While it is a different combination, the flavors work really well together! My husband loaded his up with hot sauce, proclaiming that he actually really likes it and the toddler had no complaints and went to town on her bowl. We ate this on Friday which is our Family Fun Night so my MIL really enjoyed her meal too and appreciated that it was gluten-free. I LOVED the amount of protein this meal gave everyone with the chicken, black beans, and quinoa. This is a powerhouse nutritional AND delicious meal, I’m certain my body will appreciate eating this postpartum!

3. Chicken, Broccoli, Bacon & Potato Bake

This recipe comes from Kylee Cooks and is a super simple yet satisfying Chicken, Broccoli, Bacon & Potato Bake. Yeah, the name basically says it all. Not a ton of mystery here, which is exactly what I needed for tonight. I left out the onion only because I didn’t feel like cutting into an onion for only 1/4 Cup worth. I served it with a green salad with tomatoes, avocados, and mushrooms.

Verdict: Obviously a winner, but you knew that from the beginning right? With ingredients so simple it had to be delicious. Hubby inhaled his while the toddler needed a little coaxing, only because I made the mistake of putting (her favorite) tomatoes and avocados on her plate with the rest of the meal. Rookie mistake. I enjoyed it but also appreciated having the green salad to accompany it.

4. Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

Tonight, my husband not only cooked the meal but also found the recipe! He got this recipe for a seriously comforting Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole from Creme De La Crumb. Her gorgeous blog will have you drooling all over yourself! Is anyone else hungry? I also love that this recipe doesn’t use a ‘cream of’ soup.

Verdict: Dude! It was awesome! If I can be honest for a second I wasn’t entirely sold on the idea at first but let me tell you, I cleaned my plate and was contently full afterward. The texture and flavor were so comforting, I’m positive that this recipe is sure to be a postpartum winner! Also, Hubby and kiddo loved it too. We will probably be making it again really soon!

5. Easy Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

This was probably one of our household’s favorite recipes to date. The recipe comes from one of my most favorite places ever, AllRecipes.com and is called Easy Creamy Chicken Enchiladas – and the name couldn’t describe it better. I did make a few changes, however, like boiling (in better than bouillion) and then shredding fresh chicken breasts, replacing the packaged seasoning mix with a homemade fajita seasoning and topping it all with black olives. I served it with shredded iceberg lettuce and sour cream. Side note: Have you tried daisy Sour Cream in the squeeze pouch? It is freaking revolutionary!

Verdict: Okay so, this isn’t anything like real enchiladas but they are so yummy–who freaking cares?! The first time I made this I used Mild enchilada sauce, since I’m a big baby when it comes to spicy things but found the flavor to be a little boring. This time around I used Medium spicy enchilada sauce and it was on point. My toddler had 2 plates and the hubby had 3! Yummy and simple for the win!

Bonus: Freezer Prep Pot Roast

Ok, this one is from my own recipe stash and it really is one of the easiest yet satisfying meals we make around here. Yeah, you could make it fancy by adding extra herbs and spices, searing the meat or doing some combination of the above but sometimes plain and simple is exactly what the soul needs. My husband likes to put ketchup on his. He is kind of a neanderthal but in a way it’s endearing, so I just look the other way.

Creating a freezer stash doesn’t have to happen in a day.

Take your time and try out each recipe first. By making half for tonight and a half for the freezer you will soon have a stockpile that you are sure to love later.

All of these recipes have been approved by my toddler and husband and have postpartum needs in mind. Give them a try! Splitting the recipes by eating half tonight and freezing the other half will help make creating a stockpile effortless.

So now it’s your turn! If you try this, tag me at @goldengluegun