Meal prep before due dates!

[mcktymck]

A little while back several of us were talking about prepping freezer meals before the babies arrive. I figured it's mid-May so why not get the ball rolling and start sharing any favorite recipes we all might have!

[tikoberry99]

I'm planning on making a TON of meatballs and sauce tp freeze. I need to buy more containers that I can use to freeze the sauce. I also plan on making a ton of pesto sauce for pasta dishes and chimichurri sauce to use as marinade. We just bought a grill so I plan on stocking up on steaks and ground meat for easy grilling nights.

[cabbagecabbage]

I'm not sure I'll get to it this time (#lazy) but last time I bought disposal loaf pans at the dollar store and made lasagna and enchiladas in those, splitting recipes in 3 or 4 pans. Those were great to bake for one dinner for me and DH instead of a whole huge pan.

[mcktymck]

I plan on making several "dump" bags with all the ingredients in them so that I can thaw them out and throw them in the crockpot. Some of the recipes I'm hoping to make are:

Crockpot beef fajitas using this recipe
Burrito bowls- chicken breasts, a can of corn, beans, and a jar of salsa. Shred the chicken breasts at the end and give everything a stir, and then serve over rice.
Picnic pork roasts in two different sauces- one in bbq and one in orange marmalade. Then all I'll have to do is add a salad, veggies, rice, etc, and we'll have a quick easy meal!

[TnT10]

I'm doing this but don't have the time to share right now! I will soon, I have been stalking other boards threads and saving recipes too haha!

[ginabini]

Unfortunately I don't think I have anything to contribute at this point... but I am going to be following this post like its my job!! I need to start thinking about stockpiling food.

[sarcaztic10]

I will be trying to follow a strict no dairy or eggs diet by that time so most of my prep will be precooking a bunch of ground beef and portioning it out so we can just pull it out to make tacos, sloppy joes, etc.

I also plan to freeze enchiladas without cheese, pork roast, stir fry packs with chicken... I will have to think about the rest.

[littlesthobo]

Last time I pre-made taco meat and froze it, so all I had to do was microwave it and add toppings.

I also made small lasagnes in disposable loaf pans like cabbagecabbage said, but this time I might just go ahead and cook a lasagna and then freeze it in portions so all I have to do is microwave.

I'm also going to make a list of quick and easy meals to make so that I don't have to think much when it comes to meal planning.

[cavewmn]

I have no clue. I want to do this but now with GD I don't know if I could make certain meals I had planned to before.

[housecarder]

May 16, 2016 23:14:43 GMT -5 cavewmn said:

I have no clue. I want to do this but now with GD I don't know if I could make certain meals I had planned to before.

Even being type 2 and on insulin during pregnancy my numbers went right back to normal after birth. So while you are higher risk for developing diabetes later in life I would guess that you can go back to a normal diet after birth.

[cavewmn]

housecarder, I may or may not have squee'd seeing your reply!

[housecarder]

May 17, 2016 8:12:04 GMT -5 cavewmn said:

housecarder, I may or may not have squee'd seeing your reply!

I was so mad in the hospital because they kept me on a carb controlled diet even though the day after the doctor was like "your numbers are perfect!" I had my friends and family bring me what I wanted to eat instead of dealing with their food.

[beebe918]

May 16, 2016 14:57:55 GMT -5 sarcaztic10 said:

I will be trying to follow a strict no dairy or eggs diet by that time so most of my prep will be precooking a bunch of ground beef and portioning it out so we can just pull it out to make tacos, sloppy joes, etc.

I also plan to freeze enchiladas without cheese, pork roast, stir fry packs with chicken... I will have to think about the rest.

I'm curious about your no dairy no eggs diet. What's the reasoning behind that?

[sarcaztic10]

May 17, 2016 9:19:08 GMT -5 beebe918 said:

May 16, 2016 14:57:55 GMT -5 sarcaztic10 said:

I will be trying to follow a strict no dairy or eggs diet by that time so most of my prep will be precooking a bunch of ground beef and portioning it out so we can just pull it out to make tacos, sloppy joes, etc.

I also plan to freeze enchiladas without cheese, pork roast, stir fry packs with chicken... I will have to think about the rest.

I'm curious about your no dairy no eggs diet. What's the reasoning behind that?

I am actually lactose intolerant so I avoid dairy most of the time anyway but I would also cut out hidden dairy for BFing.

DS1 actually had pretty miserable allergies to dairy and eggs when he was little. He didn't grow out of the egg allergy until he was about 3 years old. He screamed and cried all the time when I was BFing. I had asked our pedi at the time about allergy testing and they refused to do it. I went to another pedi and they refused to do it and both suggested I just quit BFing and start formula at 4 months. I was so upset and didn't want to quit but saw no other way at the time since I wasn't getting any support from any Dr's. We eventually found a pedi that referred us for allergy testing when DS was a little over a year old and they found those allergies.

This time I plan to avoid at least dairy and eggs in the beginning and then reintroduce them later to see if they cause a reaction. I just really want to get off to a good start this time with a baby that doesn't scream in pain all the time. I really really want to BF for at least a year, I loved it so much with DS and was so sad when I stopped.

[beebe918]

Oh my gosh I can't believe the reactions from your doctors! Jack has an egg allergy too I think he was tested at 9 months, I'm hoping he grows out of it fairly quickly. Hope things are easier for you this time around!

[TnT10]

Alright, I don't want to work today so here is my list so far! I did this with my daughter and was SO GLAD that I did, especially for the first couple of weeks.

- Chicken Enchilada Soup (I will edit on mobile and add a picture, I can't find that damn recipie online to save my life. I have no clue where I got it from before DD!) This is one of our FAVORITE meals and we still eat it all of the time.



- I will also do a couple of pans of lasagna like the other ladies. I got the foil tins and also put them inside the giant freezer bags, that helped them to not get freezer burnt).
- I recently tried these and they are pretty good, I would cut the ranch pack in half probably, it is a little salty.

I'm going to come back and edit. Damn work making me work. I don't want to forget to save this though haha!

[mcktymck]

Anyone have any recommendations for an easy to make lasagna? DH LOVES lasagna but the one and only time I made it for him I was in the kitchen for hours, ain't nobody got time for that!

[mcktymck]

TnT10 I keep seeing the recipe for ranch pork chops on Pinterest and have been wanting to try it! Definitely going to add it to my list now. Do you use low sodium cream of chicken soup? I'm wondering if that would help with the saltiness?

[lostinfaith225]

cavewmn
No need to worry about gd after delivery. It goes away. I ate all the cookies in the hospital! Haha

I'm going to make a Cheesey ravioli casserole in multiple pans. Basically you take frozen beef ravioli and layer between sauce and cottage cheese. You top with loads of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan. I usually add some Italian spices, ex oregano. We also add frozen meatballs. Cook 30 mins at 350. Freezes well.

[TnT10]

May 17, 2016 11:55:05 GMT -5 mcktymck said:

TnT10 I keep seeing the recipe for ranch pork chops on Pinterest and have been wanting to try it! Definitely going to add it to my list now. Do you use low sodium cream of chicken soup? I'm wondering if that would help with the saltiness?

That is a good idea, derp!  I didn't even think of that haha! Otherwise it is pretty good and SUPER easy, I made 5 of them in like 10 minutes. 

[TnT10]

May 17, 2016 11:50:09 GMT -5 mcktymck said:

Anyone have any recommendations for an easy to make lasagna? DH LOVES lasagna but the one and only time I made it for him I was in the kitchen for hours, ain't nobody got time for that!

I have one at home I will take a picture of later!  I am the queen of later today.... procrastinator! 

[mcktymck]

May 17, 2016 12:35:27 GMT -5 TnT10 said:

May 17, 2016 11:50:09 GMT -5 mcktymck said:

Anyone have any recommendations for an easy to make lasagna? DH LOVES lasagna but the one and only time I made it for him I was in the kitchen for hours, ain't nobody got time for that!

I have one at home I will take a picture of later!  I am the queen of later today.... procrastinator! 

Haha no worries, we've still got time! Thank you!

[cabbagecabbage]

May 17, 2016 11:50:09 GMT -5 mcktymck said:

Anyone have any recommendations for an easy to make lasagna? DH LOVES lasagna but the one and only time I made it for him I was in the kitchen for hours, ain't nobody got time for that!

I'm so lazy about lasagna but it always turns out. My cheap cheater way is: use uncooked noodles and not even the no boil ones (they're just thinner and more expensive) just make sure you layer it a bit on the saucy side. My layers are: 1. cottage cheese (or ricotta. I like both but I'm cheap) mixed with an egg, parmesan, chopped basil and grated nutmeg 2. Jarred pasta sauce mixed with sautéed beef or sausage or turkey 3. Shredded Italian cheese. With a thin layer of sauce on the bottom, I layer noodle, cottage cheese, meat sauce, shredded cheese and repeat a toal of three times ending with lots of cheese.

I also like to make a butternut squash puree and use that in place of meat sauce. Then I add spinach to the cottage cheese and lots of extra basil.

[housecarder]

My church always sets up meals for the first week or so, and then I think my MIL is going to move in with us if we don't beat her off with a stick, so I don't really think I'll prep much. I have a lot of good crock pot meals that me or H could probably toss in and forget. So between that, frozen meals, and take out I'm sure we'll survive. I've just never been able to do the freezer prep successfully.

[glaze]

I really need to get around to getting my list together for this! I'll update when I do. Lots of good ideas in here!

[cabbagecabbage]

Super sale on turkey, so I might as well make 3 lbs worth of meatballs.

[cavewmn]

Freezer Meals:

I got half a batch of Taco Soup in the freezer now!

I would love to get 4 batches of Chicken Taquitos done.

Hopefully getting 2 batches of Empanadas done.

Slow Cooker Meals or just quick:


Taco Chicken Bowl

Spaghetti

Navajo Tacos (hoping to get some dough frozen)

Probably some kind of pulled pork 

Also some kind of pork tenderloin