freezer meals!
a guide from my postpartum self
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In case you missed it, I had a baby!
Right before that, I frantically bought a deep freezer on fb marketplace to store the hundreds (OK not hundreds) of freezer meals I was convinced we would need postpartum. And honestly, I was right! While I don’t remember much from the first six-ish weeks of her life, I do know it was easier because of the freezer. But the logistics can be obnoxious, so this post is here to help!
let’s dive in:
Supplies
Disposable 8x8” aluminum pans *with lids*
Aluminum foil
Gallon size Ziploc freezer bags
A sharpie
Freezer space
Notes
This list is pared down from what I actually made. I tried several other recipes, but these are the ones we actually enjoyed eating more than once.
I made and froze a *lot* of breakfast burritos and ended up not liking them - I could never get them to defrost in a way that led to a good time.
General advice says that you can freeze these meals for up to 3 months for best quality (perhaps longer in the deep freezer, but I haven’t tested). Label everything with the date!
Breakfast foods can be eaten any time of day
I do not recommend doing all this in a panic one week before your baby arrives, but it can be done in 1 stressful or 2 manageable days.
Recipes
Make-Ahead Spinach and Mushroom Breakfast Sandwiches (double the recipe - makes 12)
Definitely make more than one batch of these at once. You can switch up the cheeses - I used havarti for half of the batch. You can double the eggs and bake them in two 9x13” pans. I used a Cabo Bob’s cup to cut out the egg circles. Wrap each sandwich in foil individually.
Sausage & Grits Quiche (makes 1 8x8” aluminum pan)
This one is extremely good and is worth making multiple of.
Herby Breakfast Casserole (makes 2 8x8” aluminum pans)
Make sure to cook this one a bit longer than the instructions say!
Oatmeal Breakfast Bars (double the recipe - makes 2 8x8” aluminum pans)
Make literally one million of these - I ate them every day for weeks. Cut the bars and wrap them in foil individually before freezing. It doesn’t call for it, but they are better when you add chocolate chips (scatter them over the top pre-baking).
Butternut Squash Lasagna (makes 2 8x8” aluminum pans)
The squash filling for this is excellent and worth the fuss. I recommend making a batch of just the filling to serve with other things.
Cornbread Chicken Bake (makes 2 8x8” aluminum pans)
To save time: use a rotisserie chicken and pre-made cornbread from the bakery section
Hashbrown Casserole (x1 - makes 2 8x8” aluminum pans)
I ate this the first night we were home from the hospital <3
Overnight Oats (makes 4 servings)
1 cup steel cut oats (must be steel cut!)
2 cups milk (I use oat)
2 cups water
Pinch of salt
Drizzle of maple syrup
In a large pot, combine the oats, milk, water, and salt. Bring to a boil and cook for one minute. Turn the heat off, drizzle in some maple syrup, stir thoroughly, and let the oats cool. Divide into four small containers (if you are me, use your scale to make sure they’re even), cover, and refrigerate. I like mine topped with strawberries, blueberries, toasted flaked coconut, chopped pecans, and more maple syrup. I’d also recommend peanut butter + sliced bananas + honey.
Make sure to:
Print each recipe out. It’s much easier than trying to flip back and forth between a million tabs.
Wrap the containers in foil (cover all of the surfaces) and then put them in freezer bags. We don’t want freezer burn after all this work.
Use the Sharpie to label each bag with the date *and* baking instructions.
Always check to see if the meal needs to be defrosted in the fridge overnight before baking.
Ask for help - people like to help
Other things I’m glad I froze so we didn’t have to go to the store:
Several loaves of our favorite bread (they ship and it lasts 6+ months in the freezer!)
Bags of edamame
Ice cream sandwiches
Big bags of ice (we don’t have an ice maker)
Blueberry waffles
Kongs filled with peanut butter to distract our pup
Colostrum (for the babe, obv)
Happy freezing!
xoxo,
your favorite becca
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