Freezer food for after baby arrives

Last week, we had another grandson. That brings my total number of grandchildren to 13.   It also means that it is time to make my traditional baby gift for the family. I like to prepare and freeze meals for the family. I plan enough meals to feed the family for an entire month. I know what you are thinking, but it isn’t as much work as it seems. When I make a recipe, I divide it up into amounts that the family will eat in a single meal. I may get 4 meals out of a pan of lasagna. I use disposable pans to eliminate dishwashing. Lasagna or other casseroles can be put into disposable loaf pans. I tightly wrap the pans and put all cooking instructions on the foil. This allows either mom or dad to bake dinner. The meals can be taken out of the freezer the day before and allowed to thaw in the refrigerator overnight for quicker cooking. Sometimes, the day doesn’t quite go as planned and the family decides mid-afternoon that they want a frozen meal that same day. No problem, simply cook the meal one and a half times as long as a thawed meal.

I also make some rolls or garlic bread to accompany a meal. These too can be easily thawed or cooked at meal time. I like to make rolls from scratch and then freeze them before baking. The rolls can be thawed and baked while the rest of the meal is baking. Fresh rolls and a home cooked meal can make life with a new baby so much easier.

About a month before the baby arrived, I asked my daughter just what food they might enjoy after baby number three arrived. This way, I can prepare and purchase ingredients as I see them on sale. They can purchase vegetables or other fruits and salads to accompany the meals and have them on hand. This is a project that I do while staying with the new family and helping out with meals and cleaning after the baby arrives.

I thought you might like to see some suggestions for foods that work well for new families.

  • Chicken noodle casserole
  • Pepper Steak
  • Beef and noodles
  • Beef Stroganoff
  • Breakfast casserole
  • Lasagna
  • Goulash
  • Tater tot casserole
  • Cheesy potatoes
  • Beef pot pie and chicken pot pie
  • Enchiladas

This is not a complete list of appropriate foods, just foods that are popular in our family. I can’t wait to get started.

 

 

 

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Liz Meimann

I received both my undergraduate and graduate degrees in Food Science at Iowa State University. I love to quilt, sew, cook, and bake. I spent many years gardening, canning, and preserving food for my family when my children were at home.

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