Freezer Friendly Meals

Before our sweet Jonah arrives, I have made a goal to have five suppers frozen, ten lunches frozen (for me when I'm home alone with two babies!), and five breakfasts (same as lunches).  


All of the meals that I chose are freezer friendly, so that I can pull it out two days or even the night before.  This is such a great tool that has helped me to put my mind at ease about those rough times, especially in the first two months.  The first two weeks after baby Jonah is born, my parents will be here often (especially Mom), but after that I know I will be on my own - that's where these meals step-in.


Once the "batch" below is low, I will spend a weekend baking and cooking while Tyler helps to entertain Rita and keep an eye on little Jonah.  Wow!  It's just so neat to imagine another life having a routine and place in our family unit.

My sweet family as Jonah continues to be knit in my womb.
Meanwhile, he is growing and filling-out my belly more and more!

So this is the document I've created and clearly some categories have more than the designated amounts, but I'm confident that I can achieve having these meals in the freezer, especially if I continue to have designated "baking" days and take advantage of doubling meals when I'm cooking.

Five Freezer Suppers
Beef and Cheese Enchiladas (ten)
Swiss Chard Lasagna
Swiss Chard Lasagna
Homemade Chili
Chicken Pot Pie (crust and filling freeze seperately)
Hamburger Patties* (five)
Hamburger Patties (five)

10 Freezer Lunches
Hamburger Patties (three)
Hamburger Patties (three)
Vegetable Soup
Vegetable Soup
Chicken Noodle Soup
Beef and Cheese Enchiladas (four)
Beef and Cheese Enchiladas (four)
Beef and Cheese Enchiladas (four)
Homemade Chili
Homemade Chili
Homemade Chili

Five Freezer Breakfasts
Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins (four)

Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins (four)

Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins (four)  
Homemade Biscuits
French Toast
French Toast

*Hamburgers aren't very frugal, but considering my protein needs following birth, and the importance of ease to ensure as many stress-free days as possible, homemade hamburgers are WAY cheaper than any take-out. This is especially true considering the 21lbs of ground beef we were just blessed with!

Most of these meals are one dish meals (even if they require some cooking in separate pots before assembling), which makes it a cinch to pull-out of the freezer at least 24 hrs before eating.  

I would focus on layered dishes and soups/chilis/liquid based meals, as these freeze easiest.  The chicken pot pie is a favorite of ours, but it will require extra time because the crust will have to defrost before I can roll it out.

Warning! DO NOT FORGET TO DEFROST: I am so notorious for not pulling meats and freezer meals out of the freezer until the day of (this is totally counter productive).  My new goal is to get ingredients or meals out of the freezer 48-24 hrs before expected serve time.

Hope this might spark some double batch cooking and baking to save you time and money!

Have you used freezer meals in anticipation of a big event/big transition in your life? Was it successful?

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