Help Me Feed the Freezer!

[queen_anne78]

My BIL and SIL are expecting their 2nd babe in a couple weeks (!!! so excited) and I am organizing a “feed the freezer” shower for them, where each fam member is making a meal to freeze and store in the couple’s freezer to be re-heated and enjoyed post-partum.

I am looking for some good recipes that freeze well, and if they could be pretty easy and healthy into the bargain, that would be FAB!

TIA.

Also, if anyone has any good smoothie recipes to share, I would love those, too, as I would like to make a big batch of “nursing smoothies” with lots of fruits and yogurt and stuff for my SIL to snack on while she nurses her new babe.

 

[kage_ar]

As you look for recipes/food, keep in mind meatless meals for Lenten Fridays.

Veggie Lasagna, Spinich/Cheese Ravoli, Baked Ziti with Eggplant, etc.

 

[1ke]

Google “freezer meals” and “once a month cooking” and you will find TONS of freezer recipes.

recipelink.com and cooks.com have freezer meal sections.

 

[nova147]

Here are a couple waiting in my freezer for baby to be born. (All are from “The Everything Meals for a Month Cookbook”, just to give proper credit!)

Beefy Enchiladas (serves 4-6)
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and minced (I left this out!)
1 16 oz can refried beans
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp cumin
1 20 oz can enchilada sauce
8 flour tortillas (this mix was enough for the 10 that came in a package)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Brown beef with onions and pepper. Drain. Add beans, tomato sauce and cumin. Blend well and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Soften tortillas in oven (at 350 for 5 minutes) or microwave (about 30-45 seconds).

Pour 1/2 cup enchilada sauce in bottom of a 9X9 baking dish (either use a disposable one or line the dish with heavy duty aluminum foil). Divide filling among tortillas and roll up. Place in dish. Cover with remaining sauce.

Cool in refrigerator before freezing. (If you lined the dish with foil, it will pop out once it is frozen - then wrap it well, and place it in a freezer bag.) Label and attach a zipper-lock bag with the cheese. Freeze.

To thaw and cook: Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes, until center is hot and edges are boiling.

Tex Mex Shrimp (good for Lenten Fridays) (serves 6)
2 pounds frozen raw shrimp
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minces
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
6 oz tomato paste
1 cup vegetable or fish broth
2 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp hot sauce
1 cup frozen corn

Place shrimp in a zipper lock bag and freeze (I bought a 2 pound bag and left it in the bag). Heat olive oil and saute onion and garlic until crisp tender. Add both types of pepper, cook 2 minutes longer. Add remaining ingedients, except corn, and simmer 10 minutes.

Cool. Add corn, mix well, and pour into zipper lock bag. Attach to frozen shrimp, seal, label, and freeze.

To thaw and cook: Place sauce in saucepan over low heat until thawed. Increase heat to medium and bring to simmer. Rinse shrimp under cold water 3-4 minutes in a colander to thaw. Add to sauce and cook 3-5 minutes until shrimp are cooked.

As for smoothies - I’m not sure a big batch would work. Dairy products don’t freeze particularly well. Maybe you could chop and freeze some fruit (or even puree and freeze) for her to mix with milk or yogurt?

You’re a wonderful person for doing this for your SIL - she will love it!

MJ

 

[queen_anne78]

As you look for recipes/food, keep in mind meatless meals for Lenten Fridays.

Veggie Lasagna, Spinich/Cheese Ravoli, Baked Ziti with Eggplant, etc.

they are Episcopal so I don’t know if they care about that…

thanks for the google ideas…I’ll get searching!

 

[queen_anne78]

Here are a couple waiting in my freezer for baby to be born. (All are from “The Everything Meals for a Month Cookbook”, just to give proper credit!)

Beefy Enchiladas (serves 4-6)
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and minced (I left this out!)
1 16 oz can refried beans
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp cumin
1 20 oz can enchilada sauce
8 flour tortillas (this mix was enough for the 10 that came in a package)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Brown beef with onions and pepper. Drain. Add beans, tomato sauce and cumin. Blend well and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Soften tortillas in oven (at 350 for 5 minutes) or microwave (about 30-45 seconds).

Pour 1/2 cup enchilada sauce in bottom of a 9X9 baking dish (either use a disposable one or line the dish with heavy duty aluminum foil). Divide filling among tortillas and roll up. Place in dish. Cover with remaining sauce.

Cool in refrigerator before freezing. (If you lined the dish with foil, it will pop out once it is frozen - then wrap it well, and place it in a freezer bag.) Label and attach a zipper-lock bag with the cheese. Freeze.

To thaw and cook: Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes, until center is hot and edges are boiling.

Tex Mex Shrimp (good for Lenten Fridays) (serves 6)
2 pounds frozen raw shrimp
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minces
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
6 oz tomato paste
1 cup vegetable or fish broth
2 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp hot sauce
1 cup frozen corn

Place shrimp in a zipper lock bag and freeze (I bought a 2 pound bag and left it in the bag). Heat olive oil and saute onion and garlic until crisp tender. Add both types of pepper, cook 2 minutes longer. Add remaining ingedients, except corn, and simmer 10 minutes.

Cool. Add corn, mix well, and pour into zipper lock bag. Attach to frozen shrimp, seal, label, and freeze.

To thaw and cook: Place sauce in saucepan over low heat until thawed. Increase heat to medium and bring to simmer. Rinse shrimp under cold water 3-4 minutes in a colander to thaw. Add to sauce and cook 3-5 minutes until shrimp are cooked.

As for smoothies - I’m not sure a big batch would work. Dairy products don’t freeze particularly well. Maybe you could chop and freeze some fruit (or even puree and freeze) for her to mix with milk or yogurt?

You’re a wonderful person for doing this for your SIL - she will love it!

MJ

thanks for the recipes…they both look good!

hmm bummer about the smoothies…but I guess pureeing (wow that looks weird…gotta be spelled wrong. whatev) would still be helpful and writing down how much milk/yogurt to add.

 

[Gwyn]

Here are a few suggestions that I used before my C-section and surgery to prepare for a couple weeks
Shepherds pie ( with veggies and grd beef and mashed potato) DH just had to put in oven.
Rice cooked with veggies and chicken (just warm in micro)
mainly one pot meals.

 

[Em_in_FL]

I had a thought pop into my mind…

Many women have issues with certain foods if they’re breastfeeding… like certain gassy foods and dairy…

Be sure to have your shower guests write down the INGREDIENTS and tape it to the containers… this may help if the new mom needs to avoid certain things!

(Coming from experience of my boys not tolerating dairy)…

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

You, dear anne, are a sweetie. Your relatives don’t know how lucky they are.

You are going to get my recipe for “healthy” italian beef. It contains veggies, and lots of them.

“Healthy” Italian Beef

Go to the store and get a nice rump or bottom roast, about 5 pounds. Try to make sure there is not a great deal of fat on it, or in it (extensive marbling). Also pick up a baguette or two (or three), nice and crunchy crust, 12-grain or whole wheat all the better.

Let the beef sit out for 30 minutes, covered in plastic. Trim any excess fat. Don’t worry about cutting up the meat. If you have to do so to get out the fat, that’s fine.

In a rather large bowl, place 1/4 cup of dried oregano, 1/4 cup dried basil, 1/4 dried rosemary. Roll the roast around in the mix until well coated.

In a large dutch oven or crockpot, thinnly slice 3 large onions. Also place 10 (count em) peppercorns, and 6 peeled cloves of garlic, whole (You want mild garlic flavor, not bits of garlic). Also place 1/4 cup of red wine (the wine will cook off and leave only flavor). If using a dutch oven, heat the oven until the lid is hot to the touch, then put in the onions, garlic, and peppercorns. Put the roast into the pot. FOR CROCKPOT: Cook HIGH 20 minutes, lower heat to medium. FOR DUTCH OVEN: Bring up to high heat for 5 minutes, then lower for the remainder of the 2 hours, adding a bit of red wine if the liquid is less than 1/4 of the bottom of the pan. This should not be a problem, however, because the onions contain lots of juice.

After about an hour, place in the pot whatever strikes your fancy: green peppers, sliced; red peppers, sliced; mushrooms, cleaned and washed and sliced; carrots, cut into easy eating pieces; celery. Fill up any empty space in the pot. Cook another half hour to an hour, depending on your stove or the crockpot’s heating element. When the carrots are tender, it’s done.

Take out the roast. Let it sit under aluminum foil for a half hour to rest. Thinly slice it and place it back in the pot.

AT THIS POINT, YOU MAY PUT THE SLICED ROAST, THE JUICE AND THE VEGGIES IN FREEZER CONTAINERS. BRING ALONG THOSE BAGUETTES, WRAPPED FOR THE FREEZER.

To serve, slice the baguettes in aprx. 6" sections, then cross-slice to open the bread with a “hinge” like a bun or roll. Some like their italian beef “wet” with the juice soaking the bread. Others prefer “dry” with just meat and veggies. In any event, pile that meat in there. Top with veggies.

This is also very good for SuperBowl, or activities where there are people who like to eat. Romano or mozzerella is nice, but not necessary.

 

[lizaanne]

No recipes - but just a suggestion… The Ziplock backing pans with lids are fantastic for this!! They stack in the freezer, and go straight to the oven (on a cookie sheet). They are nice to keep the leftovers in because of the lid, and can be reused several times. If you could get everyone to use the same sorts of pans it helps tremendously with puzzling everything into the freezer. Then no one has to worry about getting their dish back either.

Nice idea!!!

~Liza

 

[StratusRose]

I make a mean, vegetable chili. It has gotten rave reviews from many!

1 bottle Spicy&Hot V8 Juice
1 large can red kidney beans (Like, the really big can.)
1 can black beans
1 can corn
2 cans diced tomatos (hot and spicy if you prefer)
4 celery stalks
Chili powder - to taste
(OPTIONAL) - 1 lb. ground turkey (or beef).

Pour V8 Juice in large pot, drain beans, corn and tomatoes in colander. Add to pot. Chop celery, add to pot. Simmer chili until the kidney beans crack open. (That’s how I know it’s done.)

This freezes very well. I used to make this in college and live off of it for a couple weeks.

 

[duskyjewel]

My Betty Crocker cookbook has a recipe called “Everyday Cassoulet.” It’s bean and sausage stew, and it is SO good. Family fave around here…and it’s cheap and freezes very well.

Here’s a link: dvo.com/recipe_pages/betty/Everyday_Cassoulet.html

 

[sallybranwyn]

hmm bummer about the smoothies…but I guess pureeing (wow that looks weird…gotta be spelled wrong. whatev) would still be helpful and writing down how much milk/yogurt to add.

You could make little packages with the fruit, honey, and (optional) vanilla or whatever you want to add for the smoothie (flax seed meal, nutrient additives). That way, she throws them into the blender with some yogurt and milk or water to thin it a bit and it’s still quite a help.

You’re sure they don’t have any food allergies to contend with, right?

 

[whatevergirl]

My BIL and SIL are expecting their 2nd babe in a couple weeks (!!! so excited) and I am organizing a “feed the freezer” shower for them, where each fam member is making a meal to freeze and store in the couple’s freezer to be re-heated and enjoyed post-partum.

I am looking for some good recipes that freeze well, and if they could be pretty easy and healthy into the bargain, that would be FAB!

TIA.

Also, if anyone has any good smoothie recipes to share, I would love those, too, as I would like to make a big batch of “nursing smoothies” with lots of fruits and yogurt and stuff for my SIL to snack on while she nurses her new babe.

How exciting–and how nice of you to do this…in addition to cooking, hee hee…you could also buy them a nice gift cert, for when they are ready and able to have a nice meal out somewhere too…and take their baby! I remember taking our babies everywhere…out for dinner, when we felt up to it. That is also a nice thing to do for expectant moms and dads.

Smoothie ideas:

1 Banana
1 cup soy milk or reg milk
1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 cup soy yogurt or reg yogurt
1 tsp honey
10 blueberries

you can also opt for frozen yogurt for a dessert style smoothie–yum! Good for not just breast feeding moms, too!

 

[queen_anne78]

I had a thought pop into my mind…

Many women have issues with certain foods if they’re breastfeeding… like certain gassy foods and dairy…

Be sure to have your shower guests write down the INGREDIENTS and tape it to the containers… this may help if the new mom needs to avoid certain things!

(Coming from experience of my boys not tolerating dairy)…

Actually, before I started planning the shower, I checked with SIL and asked her if there was anything food-wise she would like to avoid (she cut out some dairy with her first child) so I could instruct everyone contributing meals to not inlcude that particular food. She said not to worry about it since each child is so different so I told everyone all systems go

You could make little packages with the fruit, honey, and (optional) vanilla or whatever you want to add for the smoothie (flax seed meal, nutrient additives). That way, she throws them into the blender with some yogurt and milk or water to thin it a bit and it’s still quite a help.

You’re sure they don’t have any food allergies to contend with, right?

Good idea with the little packages…I like it. Yeah I asked them about foods they like/don’t like/allergies.

How exciting–and how nice of you to do this…in addition to cooking, hee hee…you could also buy them a nice gift cert, for when they are ready and able to have a nice meal out somewhere too…and take their baby! I remember taking our babies everywhere…out for dinner, when we felt up to it. That is also a nice thing to do for expectant moms and dads.

Smoothie ideas:

1 Banana
1 cup soy milk or reg milk
1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 cup soy yogurt or reg yogurt
1 tsp honey
10 blueberries

you can also opt for frozen yogurt for a dessert style smoothie–yum! Good for not just breast feeding moms, too!

Thanks for the recipe for the smoothie!!

OutinChgoburbs…that Italian beef looks awesome…and so does your veggie chili Stratus…I might be making some of this stuff for ourselves!!!

 

[whatevergirl]

Oh…you know what is good to freeze? Stuffed cabbage…i love that! My husband is part german, part hungarian, and I never heard of this until we married.

I will look for his mom’s recipe later and post it!

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

Oh…you know what is good to freeze? Stuffed cabbage…i love that! My husband is part german, part hungarian, and I never heard of this until we married.

I will look for his mom’s recipe later and post it!

I am waiting with my knife and fork at the ready! I LOVE stuffed cabbage, and always like a new recipe for this.

 

[whatevergirl]

I am waiting with my knife and fork at the ready! I LOVE stuffed cabbage, and always like a new recipe for this.

Hello! Our neighbor is polish, and his mother makes it with ham hock sort of sprinkled throughout? It was soooo yummy–she is staying with them as they just has a baby a few weeks ago, so we are getting a lot of the extras from her cooking. Tomorrow is chicken popecosh (sp?) can’t wait!

Hubby and me make it with sauerkraut, and tomato puree as a base at the bottom of the casserole dish–never tried ham hock though, but oh my…it gave it this rich taste…YUM!

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

You make your like mine, whatever. Do you use rice and hamburger to stuff the cabbage?

The ham hock sounds GOOD.

I tried a new, to me anyway, recipe tonight. I did manage toleave a little tomorrow for lunch, put it in the freezer to test it for freeziness. It is called BBQ Spaghetti. It is WONDERFUL!!! Even my picky eater ate it.

 

[whatevergirl]

You make your like mine, whatever. Do you use rice and hamburger to stuff the cabbage?

The ham hock sounds GOOD.

I tried a new, to me anyway, recipe tonight. I did manage toleave a little tomorrow for lunch, put it in the freezer to test it for freeziness. It is called BBQ Spaghetti. It is WONDERFUL!!! Even my picky eater ate it.

We use a combo of pork, hamburger, and veal…yum yum…if you ask your butcher at the grocery store to make that combo, they usually will…if they don’t have any on hand to make the combo…then, a meatloaf mix will do (hamburger with pork) Yes, we do the rice…I like it mushy…do you? hahaha Sometimes when I have made them, the meat is not mushy…and the texture is kind of hard…