Stock pilling meals ready for baby

Pinkcandyfloss

Okay so me and OH are expecting our first baby a boy in 4 weeks (although a little bit sooner wouldn't go amiss!) and in preparation we are tidying the house and decorating- freecycling and ebaying like loons... and now I am thinking of food!

I don't know as of yet if I can have a natural birth (fingers crossed) or if I will need a csection (baby is measuring huge!) and that coupled with sleepless nights and not wanting to have to depend on family (I want to kick them out every now and then!) I thought I would stock pile my freezer full of meals so all oh has to do is reheat them, my freezer is full of meat (we don't buy ready meals unless we pick them up for pennies at reduction time) and I have lots of tubber ware (its an addiction) but I don't really know where to start or at what point to freeze the meals any advice will be great fully received...

My ideas so far-

Make steak and mushroom pies and chicken pies- cook the filling allow to cool cover in pastry and freeze in a dish ready for oven.... or would I cook the pie and pastry and freeze once completed? (I make the chicken pies using cream will this freeze okay)

Cheese sauce- freeze in freezer bags ready to defrost and simple pour over pasta

lasagne - cook meat sauce and cheese sauce and layer with pasta and freeze at this stage or cook whole thing together then freeze

Sausage casserole - I make this using stock and onions with a bit of cornflour- not sure at what stage to freeze this

cook of some chicken so I can shred it to be used in sandwiches, salads- curries (hubby loves jars of korma sauce) etc

Soups- make and freeze

smoothie packs

and thats it I am out of ideas....

help!

thank you xxx

Linda32

Congratulations first of all, exciting times, hope everything goes well.

I'll try to answer some of your question as I would do it.

Make steak and mushroom pies and chicken pies- cook the filling allow to cool cover in pastry and freeze in a dish ready for oven.... or would I cook the pie and pastry and freeze once completed?


I can't help with the chicken pies as I make mince and potato (no cream) however, when I do make this pie I cook the mince and potato mix and make the pastry. Fill with the filling and cook pie ready to eat.

At this stage I cut into portions and freeze. My boxes arn't big enough to take a triange portion so I wrap in greaseproof and foil and freeze.
Then when I want them, I take them out of the freezer the night before and defrost in the fridge overnight for that nights tea time. Then re-heat, in my oven this is gas mark 6 for 30 minutes.


Cheese sauce- freeze in freezer bags ready to defrost and simple pour over pasta

Sounds good to me, although I've tried cheese sauce and it dosn't seem to work for me. I'm afraid mine comes out of a box similar to one that Bisto comes out of


lasagne - cook meat sauce and cheese sauce and layer with pasta and freeze at this stage or cook whole thing together then freeze

I cook the whole thing together, then slice into portions and store in boxes, defrost and cook as per the pie above.

Sausage casserole - I make this using stock and onions with a bit of cornflour- not sure at what stage to freeze this.


Again, I cook the whole thing completely. I have two casserole dishes and always do two at a time, portion and freeze.


cook of some chicken so I can shred it to be used in sandwiches, salads- curries (hubby loves jars of korma sauce) etc

Yes, brilliant idea, this is just as I do as well.


The only other thing I can think of is cakes, do you make cakes by any chance. Sponge cakes, muffins, fruit cakes all freeze very nicely.

Pinkcandyfloss

Thank you so much Linda32 - it does make sense to completely cook the meals and simply reheat- faster too

I love baking- and had no idea that sponges could be frozen!

and I'd love to hear your recipe for mince beef and potato pie- minced beef if much cheaper than steak meat!

I'm not a terribly organised person so not knowing what to expect (and hoping little spud makes a slightly earlier appearance) I'm trying to make things easier in the long run!

xxxx

wantabetterlife

Congratulations! Well done on being so organised, all your ideas sound great. I would also cook the meals completely and freeze into portions. Chicken curry, spaghetti bolognese and shepherds pie all freeze really well too. I also freeze mashed potato as i always do enough for two days, just take it out of the freezer the night before and it will be fine. Also salmon (or chicken) and brocolli bake freeze really well.
Goodluck

lambanana

I've been doing the same (due next week!) and cooking completely so things just need reheating. I've also done shepherds pie as that freezes well. I don't see why your chicken pie wouldn't freeze, perhaps make one and do a test freeze and reheat first to check.

NorthStar

Something I would suggest is freezing some sandwiches. I often found once my DH went back to work I wouldn't eat during the day, except snacking on rubbish as I couldn't put my baby down long enough to make myself lunch as she would scream. So having thm ready made was brilliant.

maman

NorthStar wrote: »

Something I would suggest is freezing some sandwiches. I often found once my DH went back to work I wouldn't eat during the day, except snacking on rubbish as I couldn't put my baby down long enough to make myself lunch as she would scream. So having thm ready made was brilliant.

If you have the freezer space (and as the weather's so cold) what about making some HM soup and freezing for your lunches.

I must admit when I read the title of your thread I thought the food was for your baby. I think I was influenced by ridiculous advert on TV for organic ready meals for toddlers. I''m sure yours will be having HM stuff when the time comes.

Hope all goes well for you and lambanana. Do come back and tell us.

JulieGeorgiana

Cream freezes fine, it just looks funny when defrosted so just needs cooking through, but I do it all the time.

I freeze Lasagne once assembled but before final cooking and throw it in the oven frozen and just cook. Once portioned I put the leftover portions in the freezer to just heat up later.

I freeze bolognaise, curry, casseroles, stews, cheese (grated), cooked chicken, beef, ham, cakes, bread, soup....

I remember being so poorly when pregnant that I couldn't do this, but what we did do was cook big on Saturday and use that for dinner on Monday and Wednesday, and cook big on a Sunday and use that for dinner on a Tuesday and Thursday. Friday we cooked something smaller as a treat.

Come to think of it DD is now 3 months old and we are still pretty much bulk cooking on the weekends and freezing portions for during the week just because it's easier

Pinkcandyfloss

Wow thanks for the reply guys, sorry I was temporarily with out internet access (a virgin !!!! up- I actually paid on time this month?!)

I haven't felt up to cooking until recently - I ve had really bad sickness for the first 6-7 months and lived of cereal and toast (things that don't taste so bad the second time round )

Great advice, I'm def going to make some homemade soups - perhaps I should invest in the freezer bags designed for stocks and such - they seem thick enough to reuse....

I had no idea you could even freeze sandwiches?!

I was in tesco and picked up some reduced bargains to bulk freezer out- packs of teacakes (13p) packs of crumpets (8p) and some other bits - at those prices it really is cheaper to buy- unfortunately I have to trowel the shops at all hours!

The plan will be to eventually feed baby hm stuff but going to attempt (successfully I hope) breastfeeding for the first 6 months


Thanks for posting, any more ideas and advice welcome (recipes likewise)

xxxx

ps congratulations lambanana - a tad jealous your before me!!!

pigpen

defrosted sandwiches are disgusting.. fresh is at least edible.. and you can add healthy stuff like salad and also sauces etc.. You can let a baby scream while you get something to eat.. they don't explode! I have had 2 evil screamers and they were left many a time so I could eat, and practice personal hygiene.. the baby moved in with me they do not dictate when I eat, pee and shop... sleep however... is another story.. I found most of mine slept through from a few days old.. the other 3 non-sleepers more than made up for them!

Cooked sausages cold from the fridge are quite edible.. and take a few seconds to warm in the microwave and make decent sarnies.. bacon can also be microwaved for sarnies.. and can be prepared one handed.

I hate soup but have resorted to it on a few starving occasions.

I cannot abide potato that has been frozen, pasta cooks so quick it is pointless cooking it in advance.

TBH, even you end up with a section you will be able to cook after a few days.. I was doing dinner for 10 2 days after.. it is better than stitches elsewhere believe me!

savoury mince (can be made to cottage pie or just as pie filler if you want), bolognese/lasagne,

cook larger bits of meat eg. gammon.. slice and refreeze.. stuff like beef, pork and chicken I reheat in gravy or it goes dry.

My speed food... meatballs and pasta with a jar of sauce.. balls in oven, pasta in pan.. ignore.. tip whole lot in big pan stir through sauce.. blob on plates

or tuna pasta bake I sling on to cook feed the baby and throw on a plate with a dash of salad and garlic bread.. take about 10 minutes prep.

make up some burgers and freeze them now.. you can add chilli or sundried tomatoes for variation.. and use pork or beef or venison or whatever. separate with greaseproof paper to freeze or they weld themselves together.

Bags of frozen veg are helpful.. no prep.. just heat and eat.

congratulations!

joandkaz1

With my first I I'd it all....and forgot the lot lol with my second I forgot to do it at all.