Stefanie Gass | Podcast Coach | Clarity Coach | Christian Entrepreneur
  • Home
  • Meet Stef
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • COURSES
    • CLARIFY YOUR CALLING
    • PODCAST PRO UNIVERSITY
    • PINTEREST MASTERCLASS
    • COURSE MASTERCLASS
  • 1:1 COACHING
  • PODCAST TO PROFIT MASTERMIND
  • Journal
  • Resources
    • START A PODCAST
    • FREEBIES!
    • SHOP
  • Contact
    • DISCLOSURE & PRIVACY POLICY

Ten Freezer Meals To Make Before Baby!

10/19/2016

30 Comments

 
Picture
With my looming C-section date a few days away... just hanging out there... taunting me, and my 'nesting' in super-overdrive I decided to put my restlessness to work. After all, one can only  organize the closets, junk drawers, vacuum, and clean so many times, right?! Decided it was time to channel the last bit of energy I had and put it to good use. MEAL PREP! Wooooo!

Now, disclaimer: While I fully intend to shift into a clean, healthy diet to loose about 50 lbs. of weight I've gained over the last 2 pregnancies I know the first two weeks with a newborn will be chaos, and along with breastfeeding, we will need full, hearty meals that can be instantly and easily prepared by the hubs. I will have had major surgery and won't be much help in the kitchen. LUCKY ME! :D These are meals that are moderately healthy and within a reasonable budget. No, not everything is organic, low-fat, etc. but it is all about balance after all! Feel free to make any substitutions/additions/subtractions that you feel are necessary. Most of these recipes actually made enough for more than one meal and can be eaten over the course of a few days. So lets DIG IN! 

Please note: Affiliate links are used in this post and compensation may be paid on purchases through these links. â€‹

This post is inspired by other amazing mama's paving the way for us like Diary of a Fit Mommy and many others! Some of these recipes were inspired by them and modified from Pinterest. (i.e. I didn't dream them all up on my own because... let's get real!) haha! I hope you enjoy, loves!

A. Planning & Preparation

After Pinteresting for about an hour I was feeling pretty overwhelmed at the prospect of making so many meals at once. What do I buy?! Which meals? Honestly I got tired just thinking about it all! Luckily, I came across a few VERY helpful mommy blogs that set me straight. It's all about the planning baby... shoulda known. ;)

1. Plan

To get started I first had to decide WHICH meals I wanted to make. I picked 10 meals, printed out the recipes, and organized the ingredients by type to make shopping easier. (Just use copy paste on your computer and drag the ingredients onto a word doc). Printed my ingredient list based on the meals I had chosen. I marked off the ingredients I already had at home with a sharpie. If organizing the food by category is too OCD for you, just bring the printed recipes with you to the store. 

Sidebar: Organizing by type saved me at least an extra hour in the store. I am pretty focused, and the entire shopping process was about an hour. You could also order the groceries and pick them up curbside! <- yes please!
Picture
2. Shop

​To save on money, you can always grab the bulk items at Sams or Costco. I am not into multi-store shopping (efficiency people) so I opted for Smiths grocery store. I could have saved a bit more by hitting up Wal-Mart but there wasn't one in my area that day. Completely up to you and where you prefer to get groceries! Anyway, be sure to bring your highlighter and mark off each thing as you go. The whole shebang cost me $175.
Picture
3. Organize

​Enlist tiny soldiers (aka your children) to help you unload and put away all your groceries! If this is your first baby, hopefully your spouse is around. By this time my feet were swollen pillows. But I was so excited I went ahead and spent the next two hours getting started. 
Picture
4. Supplies

Before you start, make sure you have all your supplies for cooking and storage ready to go. These are the items that I used: 
Handi-Foil 1 1/2 lb. Oblong "Deep" Take-Out Food Storage Container w/Board Lid (pack of 12)
Ziploc Quart Freezer Bags - 54-Count
Sharpie Permanent Marker, Fine Point, Black, Pack of 3
Reynolds Wrap Aluminum Foil (200 Square Foot Roll)
Reynolds Wrap Cut-Rite Wax Paper - 75 sq ft - 2 pk
Picture

Picture
A few tips before we get cracking! 
  • LABEL! Make sure you check the storage time for each meal and note the 'use-by' date (www.foodsafety.gov). Write it on the container so you can be sure to eat it in time. 
  • Write the cooking instructions on the packaging! Nothing worse than having a pretty, perfectly packaged meal that no-one remembers how to cook. Haha! 
  • Take care to package everything as air-tightly as possible. Most of my meals had a 3 month window to eat, and what a bummer if something had frost-bite, etc. A few meals I even double-bagged. 
  • Take your time. This will be worth it when you and your family can relax and spend all that quality time with the new little addition instead of running out to get fast-food, groceries, or cook meals! 

Now that you are prepared and ready... you might decide to start cooking when you are fresh the next day, depending. I actually got started that same afternoon, spent about two hours at it before falling, literally falling into bed. Haha. The next morning I spent about 6 hours completing the remaining meals before contractions started washing in like the tide. 

Note to self: Start this project earlier than 5 days before you have a baby next time. â€‹

B. GET COOKIN! 

Personally, I liked tackling one meal at a time. I would pull out the online printed recipe along with the ingredients, prepare, package, label, and set aside. My only other tip before diving in is to cook all the poultry and beef together at once since you'll be using those ingredients in almost every recipe. 

​Lets go! 

1. Egg, Potato, Sausage, and Cheese Breakfast Burritos

Picture
Ingredients: 
  • Large flour tortillas
  • Pack of hot sausage
  • One dozen eggs
  • Pack of frozen hash browns
  • Cheddar cheese
  • Green chile (optional) 
  • Salt/pepper to taste
Picture
Instructions: 
  1. Brown sausage, drain. Set aside
  2. Cook hash browns as directed. Set aside 
  3. Scramble and cook eggs (I add milk to egg mix before cooking)
  4. Combine all ingredients above, add salt/pepper to taste 
  5. Add green chile if desired. (I made a few "dry" burritos for the kiddo and labeled it as such before adding the chile to my mix)
  6. Add mixture to flour tortillas, add cheese, roll tightly
  7. Wrap in wax paper and then foil
  8. Store in gallon freezer bags
  9. To cook from frozen, remove wax/foil and microwave for 2-3 mins
Picture
Picture

2. Bean, Beef, and Cheese Burritos

Picture
Ingredients: 
  • 1 lb beef
  • 1 can refried beans
  • Large flour tortillas 
  • Cheddar cheese
  • Taco seasoning
  • Minced onion (optional) 
Picture
Instructions: 
  1. Brown beef, drain well
  2. Saute onions, add to beef
  3. Add a thin layer of beans to the tortilla
  4. Top with a few spoonfuls of beef/onion and cheddar cheese
  5. Roll tightly
  6. Wrap in wax paper and foil
  7. Store in labeled gallon freezer bags
  8. To cook from frozen, remove packaging and heat in microwave for 2-3 mins
Picture

3. Beef Taco Casserole

Picture
Ingredients: 
  • ​1 lb beef
  • 1 cup cooked brown rice
  • Can tomato sauce
  • Diced onion (optional)
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 2 tsp lime juice
  • 2 Tbs chili powder
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1/3 cup fresh diced cilantro
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese
Picture
Instructions: 
  1. Cook brown rice
  2. Brown beef, drain well
  3. Saute onion and bell pepper 
  4. Combine all ingredients above in a bowl with spices, lime, tomato juice, and fresh cilantro. 
  5. Top with cheese
  6. To cook from frozen, keep covered with foil and bake for 40-45 minutes on 350
  7. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes
  8. Serve with chips or tortillas

4. Beef, Bell Pepper, and Onion Fajitas

Picture
Ingredients: 
  • Package of flank steak (or any other thinly sliced steak)
  • 2 green bell peppers
  • 1 chopped yellow onion
  • 1.5 cups beef broth
  • 2 Tbs cornstarch
  • 1/3 c brown sugar
  • 1/4 c soy sauce
Picture
Instructions: 
  1. Slice steak and bell peppers into strips
  2. Chop onions
  3. Blend all listed ingredients above in large ziplock storage back and mix around
  4. To cook from frozen, put in crockpot on low heat for 3-4 hours
  5. Serve with small corn or flour tortillas
Picture

5. Spicy Cilantro Lime Chicken

Picture
Ingredients: 
  • 3-4 chicken breasts
  • Pack of taco seasoning
  • 1/4 minced fresh cilantro
  • 2 Tbs lime juice
  • 1 cup salsa
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Picture
Instructions: 
  1. Thoroughly cook chicken and cube or shred
  2. Mix all listed ingredients and add to chicken
  3. To cook from frozen, heat on low 1 hour or until hot
  4. Serve with tortillas or taco shells

6. Chicken and Cheese Taquitos 

Picture
Ingredients: 
  • 3-4 chicken breasts
  • 8 oz. pack of cream cheese
  • 1.5 cups of Mexican blend cheese
  • Small can of chopped green chile
  • 2 Tbs lime juice
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp chili powder 
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • Small flour tortillas
Picture
Instructions: 
  1. Thoroughly cook chicken and cube or shred
  2. Melt cream cheese 
  3. Mix in all remaining ingredients listed above 
  4. Spread 2-3 Tbs of mixture in middle of small tortillas
  5. Roll tightly, tucking ends
  6. Wrap each taquito in wax paper and foil
  7. To cook from frozen, remove packaging and bake in oven at 425 degrees for 15-20 mins 
Picture

7. Beef and Bean Chili Stew

Picture
Ingredients: 
  • 1 lb beef
  • Chili seasoning pack
  • Diced yellow onion
  • Can of Rotel mild tomatoes
  • Can of pinto beans
  • Can of black beans
  • Salt/Pepper
Picture
Instructions:
  1. Brown beef, drain well
  2. Rinse beans add to pot
  3. Add remaining ingredients, mix well
  4. To cook from frozen, thaw over low heat until hot (3-4 hours in crockpot)
Picture

8. Mac and Cheese Bake

Picture
Ingredients: 
  • 1 box of elbow macaroni
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 stick butter
  • 8-10 oz. shredded mozzarella
  • 8-10 oz. shredded cheddar
  • 1 cup milk 
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Picture
Instructions: 
  1. Cook pasta per box directions, drain and return to pot
  2. Beat eggs
  3. Add all ingredients to pot, mix well until butter and cheese are melted
  4. Add salt and pepper to taste
  5. Store in foil pan for easy baking
  6. To cook from thawed, bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes *Update: cooking times from frozen is more like 90 minutes.
Picture

9. Breakfast Egg, Ham, and Cheese Bagel Sandwiches

Picture
Ingredients: 
  • Bagel thins
  • Large eggs
  • Cheese slice of choice (I used 3 pepper colby)
  • Deli ham
Instructions: 
  1. Poach or fry eggs (I used a silicone egg round to keep shape)
  2. Add egg, slice of ham, and slice of cheese to each bagel
  3. Wrap in wax paper and foil, store in gallon ziplocks
  4. To cook from frozen, remove packaging and heat 1-2 minutes or until hot
Norpro 994C Silicone Egg Pancake Ring Round, Blue

10. Breakfast Smoothies

Picture
Ingredients: 
  • Vanilla almond milk
  • 2 bushels bananas
  • Frozen fruit of choice (I used blueberries, pineapples and strawberries)
  • Frozen spinach
  • Shredded sweetened coconut
Picture
Instructions:
  1. In each gallon ziplock bag:
  2. Add 2 peeled bananas
  3. 1/2 cup frozen fruit
  4. 1/4 cup frozen spinach
  5. 1/4 cup shredded coconut
  6. Seal each bag tightly and label
  7. To prepare from frozen, add bagged mix to blender, add 1.5 cups of vanilla almond milk, blend and serve immediately

Hubby and toddler approved. ;)

Picture
That's all folks! Its a wrap! 
I hope you enjoyed this blog tutorial and can prepare before your little addition! If any of these recipes helped you, please 'pin', like, comment or share on social! I appreciate all of you! <3 

Cheers to baby preppin! 
Liked this blog?! Be sure to check out my blog: THE ULTIMATE HOSPITAL BAG PACKING GUIDE!

How I Made $3,052 in 12 Hours with Passive Income Products
​(hint, it's not network marketing)

WANNA WORK FROM HOME WITH BABY? CHECK OUT HOW I DO IT! :D
Picture
30 Comments
Elizabeth
8/4/2017 04:50:53 pm

Mind if I ask what your budget was for all of this? I know it will vary store to store and everything but I am thinking of a similar menu & am just curious! :)

Reply
Stefanie
8/8/2017 02:08:53 pm

Hey Elizabeth! My budget was roughly $200! Good luck! <3

Reply
Danielle Matice
8/12/2017 11:19:10 am

HI!
Is the list in the picture the whole grocery list??
I love all the recipes here!!

Reply
Monica
8/27/2017 08:31:32 am

This seems to be a lot of spicy and/or gassy food....are you not worried about this affecting the baby? Or do you not breastfeed?

Reply
Annette
4/8/2018 12:29:23 pm

Really? Don’t ask a mom to be personal questions. Either make the meals or scooch on by 🙄

Reply
Sydney
8/8/2018 03:23:41 pm

What is the point of your comment? She obviously wouldn’t have made them if she didn’t feel like they were ok for her. If they’ll have YOU farting all night, just don’t make them and save your judgmental tone.

Reply
Janna
8/27/2018 02:50:08 pm

Do you seriously think all mothers all over the world alter their diets for a year or years when they are breastfeeding? For the most part the foods you eat are broken down enough by the time the milk is made and passes to baby that it wont cause a problem, and if it does THEN you can alter your diet, but I never did and baby never had a problem.

Reply
Heather
8/27/2017 09:25:44 pm

Wow! (Applause) So many wonderful ideas & recipes! Just so happy I found this blog!
Thank you so much for being so thorough!
God bless you! ☺

Reply
Shari
12/20/2017 06:03:31 pm

These look yummy 😋 I want to make them all, can you tell me how long each of these will stay good in the freezer

thanks

Reply
Crystal
2/1/2018 08:23:42 pm

Mac n cheese was still frozen after an hour of baking at 350. I've found these recipes confusing.

Reply
Elizabeth
3/5/2018 05:13:02 pm

I love this! Especially because our taste in food seems to be aligned to South of the border. 😉

Reply
Lindsay
5/22/2018 06:45:52 pm

I’m about to start meal prepping for baby number two, and I’m hesitant about the burritos. How did they taste once microwaved? Did you microwave from frozen??
Also, have you (or anyone else) made muffins and frozen them? Curious if that would be worth my time.
Thanks!!

Reply
Rhonda
7/22/2018 02:22:53 pm

I have had great success freezing muffin batter! Just fill the paper liners as if you were going to bake, but freeze the batter instead in the muffin tin. When frozen, remove (liners with frozen batter) and pop in a freezer bag until ready to use. You'll need to add about 10 minutes to the normal bake time, but I find it's super easy and convenient to be able to just bake a few at a time.

Reply
Sam
8/17/2018 05:38:42 am

I was hesitant about the burritos too, but I made the breakfast burritos, and they came out soft and tasty every time after being frozen. I only needed 2 minutes in my microwave. Just make sure you do the two-layer wrapping to prevent freezer burn. Hope this helps!

Reply
Abbie
5/29/2018 07:19:57 pm

is there an option to download as pdf? i'd love to get started on this but was hoping i could print each recipe as a card. Any info is appreciated! Great job!

Reply
Diane
7/10/2018 01:46:54 pm

Love your site, want to kindly mention that the social media strip on the left of your screen makes visiting your beautiful site extremely frustrating....

Reply
Tori
3/2/2019 11:06:59 am

I wholeheartedly agree! I hate these social media bars! So many blogs are using them now and they are such a pain. I’ve actually left sites because the bar and constant ads popping up are just too annoying, even if the blog has great content.

Reply
Rebecca
8/29/2018 02:49:27 pm

All of these recipes look so good and ones the family will love! We have twins coming the beginning of the year and already have a 2 and 4 yr old, I'm preparing as much as I can and this is so helpful, I can not thank you enough!!!!

Reply
Kandra Wadsworth
1/4/2019 06:25:37 am

Maybe I missed this somewhere on the page but is it possible to get the shopping list?

Reply
Emily
2/9/2019 12:15:08 pm

I found this post after searching Pinterest. These recipes (and post) are very similar to diary of a fit mommy’s... she also has a post about stocking up on freezer meals before baby comes. I thought it was interesting that you both used the term “grocery ninja” when writing about shopping, but then kept reading and realized you used her same recipes. I really wish you would have at least given credit back to her as that’s where your recipes (and pretty much whole post) came from. Someone else commented on the mac and cheese being frozen after cooking for an hour- maybe that’s because you didn’t even copy fit mommy’s directions correctly- that’s the baking temp for the thawed recipe, it’s longer if frozen.

Reply
Stef Gass
2/9/2019 07:08:59 pm

Hey Emily! Girl, you are so right! this was one of my very first blog posts and it was absolutely inspired by Diary of a Fit Mommy! I modified from hers along with other meal prep ideas (as everyone does), and also chose other meals that sounded yummy from Pinterest. I want you to know I updated the post to give her inspiration credit along with the cook time on the macaroni. From thawed its 30-40 and frozen is 90 mins. Thanks for the comment and blessings on your pregnancy!

Reply
Normi
8/11/2020 08:50:11 pm

Not professional at all. Everyone wants to copy and paste and make money stealing other people’s ideas smh like can’t you be Creative on your own. Unfollow

Reply
Allison
2/10/2019 04:59:29 pm

Hello! Do you bake the Mac and cheese covered or uncovered?

Reply
Tori
3/2/2019 11:09:53 am

Usually casseroles such as this Mac n cheese are baked covered in my experience. But then remove foil at the last 5-10 minutes or so for any browning.

Reply
Susan
7/14/2019 08:53:34 am

I am wondering how the cooked rice came out after cooking? I made a stuffed pepper casserole once with cooked rice and the rice went hard. Is there a trick. Thanks

Reply
Laine Thompson link
9/4/2019 10:20:13 am

I’m a Mom/Grandma...I was looking for how to prepare and store meals... since I have privilege of having my grandkids staying with me for a few months, and needed some ideas as well as some help on meals! The remark that someone said about the food being gases? Was so rude! I breastfed each one of my own children for two years! I never had the “gas problem”! This site as well as other sites ... are just people trying to give other people their ideas on making things a little easier! I don’t think one person can own a idea? Looking at tons of sites like I do.... I feel you always get something a little different from each site! That’s the beauty of I feel about Pinterest! So to sum up ... what is my point to remarks on sites... when people are so giving to share their work and experience on anyone else’s work... is a gift to me! So like My Mom always said to me “if you don’t have anything nice to say? Then don’t say anything at all! So as I’m getting older... I have been keeping my mouth shut! So for all of you...that do share you great ideas... Thank you!🤗

Reply
nitharsana link
9/24/2019 05:06:24 am


Awesome...Such a great information.Thanks and keep on sharing good information .
<a href=https://www.apassociaates.com >vito food oil dealers in chennai </a>

Reply
nitharsana link
10/10/2019 06:23:47 am

<a href=https://www.apassociaates.com/seaplast-freezer-products.html>freezer with plastic body dealers in chennai </a>

Reply
Jules link
1/9/2021 04:28:00 am

Thank you for taking the time to share this

Reply
Christinasnouwaert
4/1/2021 07:42:13 pm

Love your ideas, you're my organizational soulmate! Do you have all of this information (ingredients list, use/by dates etc.) in a printable format somewhere? I'm due in 2 months and putting together my own arsenal of freezer meals, would love the help!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Podcast Coach for Christian Entrepreneurs, Clarity coach for women, start podcasting, podcast launch checklist

    Stefanie Gass

    Lots of fancy unused education. Podcast Coach, Clarity Coach, & Top #25 Ranked Podcast Host for Christian Entrepreneurs.

    Archives

    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016

    RSS Feed

Stefanie Gass™
Stefanie Gass, LLC
Copyright 2015-2021
​All Rights Reserved.
Disclosure & Privacy Policy
  • Home
  • Meet Stef
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • COURSES
    • CLARIFY YOUR CALLING
    • PODCAST PRO UNIVERSITY
    • PINTEREST MASTERCLASS
    • COURSE MASTERCLASS
  • 1:1 COACHING
  • PODCAST TO PROFIT MASTERMIND
  • Journal
  • Resources
    • START A PODCAST
    • FREEBIES!
    • SHOP
  • Contact
    • DISCLOSURE & PRIVACY POLICY