Freezer Meals I Made to Prepare for Postpartum
- Ms. Bolier
- Feb 7
- 6 min read
Updated: Feb 9
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As a teacher there were days I was so busy and would get home late or didn't make it home for dinner at all but my husband needed dinner or even nights where I had no good excuse but simply just didn't feel like spending a long time making dinner which is why I learned to love making FREEZER MEALS.
Taking some time to prep freezer meals in advance will save you lots of stress and time in the future when you don't have the time. I am now in my last month of pregnancy and know that having freezer meals for postpartum is a must for me!
I personally love to make freezer meals that can be thrown into the instant pot to slow cook all day or thrown in and pressure cooked and ready in a short amount of time.
I also like freezer meals where all you have to do is throw them in the oven because my husband is very capable of that!
I wanted to make more than just dinner recipes because I've heard sometimes it's breakfast that you end up needing the most, and also quick but nutritious snacks!
I'm sharing the freezer meal recipes I made with you but first here are some helpful tips when making freezer meals if you haven't done it before!
HELPFUL TIPS:
Double the recipes you make! You can even triple them if you wanted but I like to double the recipes I use and I typically make about 8-10 freezer meals at at time (so 4-5 recipes). I use about one freezer meal per week but if you want to use them more often than that then you could make more than 8 at a time! That way you're set for the next couple of months!
Always label your meals because they become unrecognizable after being in the freezer awhile! Label with the name and date so you know how long it's been in the freezer. I also like to write the basic cooking instructions so I don't have to find the recipe to know what to do with it! (Example: "Slow Cook for 6-8 hrs" or "Bake 375 for 1 hr").
I HIGHLY recommend getting these bag holders from Amazon. They make it so much easier to prep freezer meals in gallon bags! If you're going to make freezer meals that will go in the oven I recommend putting the meals in a foil tin .
Squeeze as much air as possible out from bags and cool before storing in the freezer to avoid freezer burn and have the best tasting quality.
Lay the bags flat when you first put them in the freezer and then once frozen you can store them upright and access them easier that way.
We have a stand up freezer in our garage (we got it for a screaming deal at the scratch n dent section in RC Willey) and it allows me to store so many more freezer meals! If it's possible for you to get a second freezer--even a used one--it will definitely allow you to make more!
You can portion out individual servings of soup in 1 pint mason jars for an easy grab and go meal-- perfect for taking lunch to work! Meal Plan Addict explains this here!
HELPFUL TO KNOW:
Freezer meals typically are good for up to 90 days, but using them before 60 days will probably ensure the best quality.
Thaw in the fridge first before cooking--especially for slow cooker! I find that my meals need AT LEAST 24 hours in the fridge because of how cold our stand up freezer is. I try to take them out of the freezer about 36-48 hours and put them in the fridge.
Make sure to use ziploc bags that say "FREEZER" on them like these. You can also use reusable freezer bags like these. Glass containers work as well just make sure you don't put them in the freezer still hot, and make sure to thaw in fridge before heating.
If a recipe calls for rice or pasta you'll need to either cook it then freeze it (separately) or you can just still make that the night of when you're cooking the freezer meal. I don't mind making rice the day of since I just throw it in my instant pot.
Don't refreeze previously frozen food--it's fine to use frozen chicken in a freezer meal but don't get it back in the freezer before it's thawed. If you cook a freezer meal and don't finish it, DON'T put it back in the freezer!
POSTPARTUM FREEZER MEALS I MADE:
DINNER RECIPES
1. LASAGNA CASSEROLE | Oven Meal
This is a favorite in our house! Any Italian pasta meal with lots of cheese is a major comfort food for me! So yummy and all you do is let it bake in the oven--sometimes my husband will put it in for me before I am even home. So nice to come home to dinner ready!
2. RED PEPPER CHICKEN | Slow Cooker Meal
This is another quick one to prepare especially with a veggie chopper to chop the red bell peppers! I'm a huge fan of bell peppers so this is a no brainer!
3. BBQ CHICKEN | Slow Cooker Meal
I love a BBQ chicken sandwich so we serve these on hamburger buns! This is another really easy one to prepare and then just dump it in the slow cooker and shred the chicken. This is my favorite time saving chicken shredder!!
4. SALSA VERDE CHICKEN | Slow Cooker Meal
You can actually make this in the instant pot as well if you forget to put it in the slow cooker earlier! You basically dump it all in a gallon Ziploc, and when ready to use, thaw it and place it in the slow cooker to cook for 6 hours! I serve this over rice or on tortillas, you could also use it on salads or nachos!
5. CILANTRO LIME CHICKEN | Slow Cooker Meal
This is a super yummy dish and SO quick to pull out and dump in a slow cooker on a busy night! Slow cooks for 7--8 hours and I like to make rice in my small instant pot to go with it!
6. RAVIOLI LASAGNA | Oven Meal
I'm a huge fan of ravioli as well so this one is another fav! Plus your veggie (spinach) is mixed in. This recipe is much easier than making real lasagna but super yummy!
BREAKFAST RECIPES
1. EGG BREAKFAST MUFFINS
I've made this recipe many times before and even brought it to brunch gatherings with friends and it always gets praise! It's an easy grab with one hand kind of breakfast but gets you protein and other nutrients to start your day! I have even had friends who said they don't love eggs like these!
2. SHEET PAN BREAKFAST BURRITOS
This recipe is from The Food Doula's cookbook, "The Nourished Mother" but she has this one on her website which I linked for you above! I love that her recipes are intentionally made with postpartum moms in mind. This recipe can be used to make breakfast wraps, burritos, or even english muffins depending on what you prefer!
3. BLENDER PROTEIN PANCAKES
This is an easy quick recipe that I'll honestly be making even once I'm done eating the ones I've froze in my freezer because it's so easy and nutritious! I also love that it all goes in a blender and then you can use the blender the pour the pancakes so it's minimal clean up! This recipe is also from The Food Doula's cookbook, "The Nourished Mother" but she has this one on her website which I linked for you above!
SNACK RECIPES
I was thrilled to find that @the_food_doula had lots of one-handed nutritious snack recipes that are perfect for postpartum and these are the ones I decided to make!
1. APPLE PIE OAT BARS
2. MAGNESIUM MAGIC BARS
3. DOUBLE CHOCOLATE SESAME COOKIES
The original recipe calls for toasted walnuts but I don't like walnuts to I just left those out!
4. BANANA BREAD COOKIES
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