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Food to freeze before baby


25 Yummy Freezer Meals to Make Before Baby Comes

Get ready for baby’s big debut by prepping these delicious freezer meals in advance! Taking one big day to prepare freezer meals in advance will make your life so much easier once baby arrives!

I hate cooking. I didn’t like it when I was single, once I got married, and especially once I had a baby.

I didn’t know what to expect when I had my baby, but I knew I wanted to be as prepared as possible and do as much prep work ahead of time so my life would be a little bit easier once my baby was born.

One thing I knew I didn’t want to tackle in those first few weeks post birth was worrying about dinner every night. I wanted to be as brainless as possible so I could focus on my newborn, breastfeeding, and my postpartum recovery.

One of the best things my husband and I did when we were tackling items off our pregnancy checklist was take a Saturday afternoon to make several freezer cooked meals. It was a fun activity for us to do together and made those first few weeks with a baby a lot easier!

How Many Freezer Meals Should I Make?

This is totally up to you and how soon you think you’ll be ready to cook again after your baby is born! We found about 10 different freezer friendly recipes that we liked and tripled each of them, giving us 30 meals total.

Those freezer meals coupled with our meal train where our friends and family brought us meals, lasted us through about 11 weeks postpartum, which was amazing!

By that point, I still didn’t want to cook but we kinda had a better hang on our baby and getting a little more sleep so were weren’t complete zombies.

I recommend finding about 10 to 12 recipes you like and then doubling or tripling them. It’s easier to batch prep meals. Making three sets of lasagnas is a lot easier to shop and make than making three completely different meals.

Here are 25 delicious freezer meals that you can make before baby. Look through these to see which ones your family will enjoy. Then, make them now and your future self will really thank you!

Supplies Needed for Freezer Cooking

In addition to the ingredients you’ll need for each meal, check if you have up these supplies before heading to the grocery store. Having everything you need before you start cooking will make everything go a lot smoother:

  • Slow cooker
  • Freezer bags
  • Sharpie or labels
  • Several baking pans
  • Cookware and utensils
  • Aluminum foil

25 Yummy Freezer Meals to Make Before Baby

This chicken enchilada casserole from Six Sisters Stuff is a quick and simple recipe that the whole family will love! The prep on these takes a fraction of the time as your typical enchiladas!

These spinach lasagna rolls from Savor and Savvy are loaded with sauce, spinach, and cheese! A perfect, easy meal when you’re massively hungry from breastfeeding and taking care of a newborn!

Happy Money Saver’s teriyaki beef and broccoli recipe is a perfect substitute for those nights you’re craving takeout! Full of protein and veggies, and better-for-you ingredients! Add a side of brown rice and you have a complete and delicious meal!

These black bean burgers are vegan and gluten free, so they’re perfect for all diet types. They have a kick of spice for some added flavor. Grab the recipe from Hey Nutrition Lady.

Chicken parmesan casserole is a hearty recipe, perfect for tired moms and dads who need a good home cooked meal. This recipe from Thriving Home Blog looks so tasty!

Grilled meat is one of the easiest things to prepare when you don’t feel like cooking. It seems like my husband is always in the mood to grill so meal prepping these chicken marinades from Sweet Peas and Saffron in advance would really come in handy!

After having a baby and having postpartum hormones, sometimes a good comfort meal can really help. Enter these muffin tin meatloafs from Some the Wiser. Perfect for a yummy, quick dinner in a rush.

These cream cheese chicken taquitos from Isabel Eats look amazing! I am making these ASAP, even without needing to meal plan before baby!

I loved Hamburger Helper as a kid and The Girl on the Bloor’s version of beef stroganoff is a healthier, lighter recipe that looks so good!

This tandori chicken from Pinch of Yum is so easy to make! No measuring cups, spoons, or fuss. Just a simple all-in-one-bagged meal that is delicious!

I love a good sweet potato and these buffalo chicken sweet potatoes add some yummy protein to make them a complete meal. See how The Creative Bite whipped these up.

Stir fry has to be one of the easiest meals to prep and freeze before baby comes and this chicken stir fry recipe from Super Healthy for Kids looks so good! You can easily substitute the chicken for another meat if you want too!

Comfort food to feed a crowd! This baked ziti from Love and Lemons will provide plenty of leftovers as well! Her homemade tomato sauce looks so yummy!

Hot Pockets were another go-to of mine as a kid and teen. Sally’s Baking Addiction has some homemade ham and cheese pockets that are perfect when you need an easy, peasy meal.

A hearty stuffed pepper soup from Skinnytaste is perfect for those cold winter evenings. This soup is full of goodies like ground beef to warm your belly, post baby!

Prepping these swedish meatballs from The Recipe Rebel is a breeze with pre-made meatballs. Then, just use your slow cooker when you’re ready to heat them up.

Frozen pizza is always an easy meal when you don’t feel like cooking, but these homemade frozen pizzas from Recipe Tin Eats look even better! Her easy recipe costs less than $2 a pizza!

Sometimes, the simplest meals are the best ones! This roasted chicken and veggies dinner from I Hate Meal Prep is full of flavor and has all the nutrients you need.

Turn these carrot and cauliflower fritters from Green Plate Club into a main dish with a side of mixed greens. This is a healthy meal to make before baby! All the instructions for freezing and reheating these are on the site.

Turkey chili is a great way to fill up with an easy meal. Check out Dinner at the Zoo’s recipe for a yummy and simple meal.

I love chicken pot pies and these mini chicken pot pies from Butter Your Biscuit look amazing! Smaller portions means you don’t have to share!

These freezer to crockpot chicken fajitas could not be more simple! A perfect weeknight meal to enjoy when your baby is napping. Grab the instructions from Humbled Homemaker.

You can make several of these ham sliders for an easy meal after baby is born. Just heat up a few for a quick breakfast, lunch, or dinner! Get the recipe from Life in the Lofthouse.

You’ll be so glad you made these feta and sweet potato enchiladas from Happy Veggie Kitchen once it’s time to eat them! The combination of feta cheese and sweet potatoes looks amazing!

My favorite meals to make before baby are crockpot freezer meals. Little prep on both sides means an easy dinner for me. If you want something delicious and simple, look no further than this honey sesame chicken from Fabulessly Frugal.

Get busy making these yummy freezer meals before you have your baby so you can enjoy eating them when your postpartum! I promise you will think it was such a great idea when you aren’t having to cook every night!

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Amy Motroni

I'm Amy and I'm so glad you've stopped by! As a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant, my goal is to walk you through the process of getting your baby to sleep, so your whole family gets the rest they need!

My blog is full of things to help you celebrate motherhood including baby nursery ideas, sleep schedules and sleep tips, fun printables, baby registry must-haves, and so much more.

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15 Freezer Meals Before Your Baby Arrives!

I am due in less than ONE MONTH. Can y’all believe it?? I surely can’t.

To make things easier once my little girl arrives (and to help my last few weeks pass), I have decided to start my freezer meals. I did a few before my son was born and they were a lifesaver! Who really wants to run to the grocery store or cook a full meal immediately after giving birth, right? I think EVERY mom should do this! It is such a great idea and a major stress reliever if you do not have family around to cook for you.

This time around, I have conjured up about 15 meals or so to make ahead of time to get things prepared for our newest addition and I would love to share with you what I made and how you can do the exact same thing. Ideally, it is best to start your meals about a month before your little one arrives though some people will do it even a couple of months before. The first time around, I made my meals at 25 weeks and they all ended up getting a weird freezer-burned taste. Yummy. So this time, I decided to wait longer.

To make these 15 meals, I spent about $150 roughly-$10 per meal for the entire family. All in all, it took me maybe a day to prepare by myself, while my son was napping or watching Thomas & Friends. I found this very therapeutic to my “nesting” stage and it made me so happy to know that we would be taken care of after baby. Let’s face it: not every single one of us are blessed with families nearby to pitch in!

No, these meals are not organic-sorry. Organic was not my goal for these anyway. My goal was for quick, hearty meals that could fill up my family during a very busy first two weeks postpartum. Most of my ingredients as you will notice are from Wal-Mart and that was 100% “a-okay” with me. I realize not many of you moms have the means to shop at the Fresh Market for an entire two weeks of groceries just to make freezer meals and so in order to respect that, I wanted to follow more of a realistic grocery shopping approach and do my shopping at a store that is relatively available and affordable to everyone. After all, my diet has always been 80/20: 80% clean and 20% indulgent though not every single thing I put into my mouth is labeled “organic” and nor should it be.

In this post, I will share with you my top 5 tips to freezer meal cooking before your baby is born and each meal that I made, but most importantly, how you can make it too.

 

Here are my 5 steps to preparing GOOD freezer meals before baby:

Step One: Select your recipes.

First step in this whole process is picking what you wanna eat after giving birth. Seems simple, right? Ehhh.. you would think that, but it’s actually not that easy! A lot of foods and meals either freezer well or they freezer poorly so you have got to make sure that you pick freezer appropriate meals. I sat down with a notebook one day and brainstormed ideas for the perfect freezer meals. I made it a point to prepare mostly crockpot meals since those are typically the easiest to prep and cook. Where did I find my recipes? Pinterest, of course! I went with tried and true recipes that I had actually made before so that I wouldn’t be disappointed. We all know that being a hungry AND postpartum lady is never a good thing. Check out my list below, if you can read my lovely handwriting chicken scratch. See why I type for a living? (I crossed each recipe off of my list as I made it-in case you are wondering)

In case you can’t read the list, here it is:

  1. Cheesy Taco Bake
  2. Tuscan Pasta Bake
  3. Freezer Crockpot Beef Stew
  4. Freeze Mac & Cheese
  5. Southwestern Chicken & Rice
  6. Pepperjack Chicken Taquitos
  7. Lasagna Roll Ups
  8. Maple Dijion Glazed Chicken
  9. Beef, Bean, Cheese Burritos
  10. Breakfast Burritos
  11. DIY Lactation Smoothie Packs
  12. Slow Cooker BBQ Spare Ribs
  13. Chunky Beef Chili
  14. Teriyaki Chicken Thighs
  15. Beef & Broccoli
  16. BONUS RECIPE: Lactation Bites

Step Two: Make a grocery list.

The second step in the whole freezer meal shenanigans is to make your grocery list. I basically took all of my recipes from my notepad and made a list of all the ingredients separately. To do this, I roughly estimated how much of each ingredient I would need to prepare everything and I even took it a step further to make it easier on myself and split everything up into categories because, you know, pregnancy brain is a real thing.

Here’s my exact grocery list for the meals I had planned. I had my husband type this out for me so I could actually read it. Some of it is vague-ish, but I would rather have a little too much of something than not enough.

Freezer Meal Grocery List

Protein:

  • 5 packs Ground Beef
  • 2 Bags Frozen Chicken Breasts
  • 2lb beef chuck roast
  • 2 Lg Containers Eggs
  • 1 Lb. Ground Sausage or 1 Lb Bacon
  • 1-2 lbs of country-style pork ribs
  • 1 Bag Frozen Chicken Thighs
  • 2lb. flank steak

Pastas, Grains, Breads, & Rice:

  • 2 Boxes brown rice
  • 1 (16oz) box of bowtie pasta
  • Pearled Barley
  • 2 Boxes Elbow Pasta
  • 20 Small Tortillas
  • 2 packs large tortillas
  • 1 Box Lasagna Noodles
  • 1 container rolled oats

Dairy:

  • 4 bags Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • Butter
  • 2 packs cream cheese
  • Parmesan Cheese
  • 2 bags Mozzarella Cheese
  • 1 bag Shredded Pepper jack Cheese
  • Milk
  • 1 gallon vanilla almond milk
  • 15 oz. Ricotta

Produce:

  • 4 Yellow onion
  • Cilantro
  • 3 Bunches Garlic cloves
  • Green bell pepper
  • 3 carrots
  • 2 celery ribs
  • 2 bunches of bananas
  • 1-2 packs of frozen strawberries
  • Fresh Ginger
  • 1 bag frozen broccoli (or 2 c. fresh)

Canned Goods:

  • 1 can pinto beans
  • 1 can kidney beans
  • 1 lg can Tomato sauce
  • 1 can Tomato juice
  • 2 cans tomato paste
  • 8-ounce jar sun-dried tomatoes
  • 2 containers Beef Broth
  • 15 ounces drain and rinse Black Beans, Canned
  • 1 cup drain Whole Kernel Corn, Canned
  • 1 6oz. can green chilies or 1/2 cup salsa verde
  • Salsa
  • 1 Jar Pasta Sauce
  • 1 jar almond or peanut butter
  • 1 can refried beans

Seasonings/Condiments/Misc.:

  • Lime juice
  • Chili Powder
  • Oregano
  • Thyme
  • Cumin
  • Basil
  • Bay Leaves
  • Rosemary
  • Garlic powder
  • Onion powder
  • Dijon mustard
  • Maple syrup
  • Rice wine vinegar
  • 1 Packet Taco seasoning
  • Ground flax seeds
  • Ketchup
  • Old Bay Seasoning (or seasoned salt)
  • Liquid smoke
  • Brown sugar
  • White vinegar
  • 1 packet chili seasoning mix
  • Teriyaki sauce
  • Soy Sauce
  • Sesame oil
  • Cornstarch
  • Coconut, shredded
  • Honey
  • Vanilla extract
  • Mini chocolate chips

Step Three: Go grocery shopping.

Now that your list is made, you can go shop! To purchase everything on my list, it costed me roughly $150. That is about $10 per meal for my entire family.

I do not know how much it will cost you to make these meals because it is all dependent on where you shop! Personally, since I am a military wife, I go to my local commissary and I get a sweet deal. Plus, I am pretty thrifty at heart and I love couponing when I can. To make things a little cheaper, try Sams Club or buying in bulk and be sure to take advantage of weekly sales and discount days. BUT… this time, I did my shopping at Walmart for the convenience.. and because I did not want to drive 30 miles to my local commissary this particular day.

My grocery shopping trip took me about an hour to complete. This is because I am a grocery shopping ninja! However, some of you are probably thinking, “gosh an hour??” and might be on a higher ninja level than I am. Well, good for you!

When I got home, I packed away my groceries for the next day. The next day was my official “Prep like a madman” day.

Step Four: Get your supplies & recipes ready & prep.

Once you have all of your groceries and supplies together, you can officially do the damn thing! Oh wait… supplies..

Here’s what you will need to make these meals:

  • Gallon ziplock bags
  • Aluminum pans w/lids
  • Sharpie marker
  • Aluminum foil
  • Sandwich Bags
  • Wax paper

Once you have these, then you are 100% ready to move on to making all of your meals. I grabbed my recipes, put on my game face, and went to work.

Step Five: Cook!

Preparing all 15 meals took roughly the ENTIRE day to do, granted I did it all alone. I had everything set out on my table tops and I went at it.

Before I share with you the recipes in depth along with pictures of them, let me give you a few freezer cooking tips:

  • Do not forget to label. You will forget what it is, how to cook it, and more vital info.
  • Seal everything WELL. You do not wanna end up with freezer burn taste or waste any food.
  • Be patient. It will go faster than you realize. Throw on some Kanye West and get crackin!

Are you ready?? Let’s go!

Here are the recipes that I used to make my freezer meals and how you can make them too:

Cheesy Taco Bake

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked brown rice
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 20 oz lean ground beef
  • Green pepper,chopped
  • 1-2 tsp fresh lime juice
  • 2 T Chili Powder
  • 1 tsp Oregano
  • ½ tsp Thyme
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1/3 cup Cilantro, chopped
  • 1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce


Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9X13 baking dish with EVOO, set aside.
  2. Boil brown rice in water on stovetop. Set aside
  3. In a 12” pan, spray with EVOO or cooking spray, add onion, garlic & jalapeno & sauté over medium-high heat for 1 minute.
  4. Add ground beef, breaking it up as it browns. Cook for about 5 minutes & add peppers. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink.
  5. Add lime juice and seasonings. Stir to combine. Adjust seasonings to taste.
  6. Remove from heat – add rice, tomato sauce, & 1/4 cup of cheese to the skillet and stir to mix well.
  7. Pour mixture into baking dish. Top with remaining Cheddar, cover, and freeze.
  8. To cook while frozen, cover with foil & bake for 40 minutes.
  9. Remove foil & bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted & edges are bubbling. Remove from oven & let cool for 10 minutes.

Tuscan Chicken Pasta

Ingredients

  • 1 (16oz) box of bowtie pasta
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
  • ½ tablespoon dried basil
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut into 8 pieces
  • 8-ounce jar sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed, drained and chopped
  • 2 cups milk
  • 6 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt, more to taste, if needed
  • 1 cup of chicken, cooked and cubed


Instructions

  1. In a medium pot or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring the whole time. Stir in the dried basil. Add the cream cheese, stirring with a whisk until the mixture is smooth. It will look curdled at first, but with constant whisking for 2-3 minutes, it will become a smooth creamy paste. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes.
  2. Over medium heat, add the milk and whisk quickly and constantly until it becomes into the sauce. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, pepper and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the cheese is melted and the sauce is the desired consistency, 5-10 minutes. Serve over hot, cooked noodles. I put my chicken on top, or you can mix it in. You actually don’t even need chicken you don’t want it!
  3. When making them into freezer meals – put the noodles and sauce into two 9×9 foil tins. Wait until it cools down a little, place foil on top, and stick in the freezer.
  4. To cook when frozen: Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until heated through
  5. To cook when frozen but then thawed: Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Freezer Crockpot Beef Stew

  • 2lb, grass-fed beef chuck roast, fat-trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 2 celery ribs, chopped
  • ½ onion, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ cup barley
  • 7 cups beef broth
  • 1 gallon-sized plastic freezer bag

 

  1. Label your freezer bag with the name of the recipe, cooking instructions, and “use-by” date.
  2. Combine all ingredients (except beef broth) in a gallon-sized plastic freezer bag, adding the beef to the bag last so it’s the first ingredient poured into the crockpot.
  3. Remove as much air as possible, seal, and freeze for up to three months.
  4. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator or in a bowl of cold water.
  5. Add to crockpot with beef broth and cook on “low” setting for 8 hours or until carrots are soft.
  6. Remove the bay leaf and enjoy!

Freezer Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:

  • 1 to 2 boxes elbow pasta
  • 3/4 a stick of butter
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3 eggs beaten
  • Stir together, then add:
  • 16 oz mozzerella cheese
  • 16 oz cheddar cheese
  • Add some salt and pepper to taste and stir well.

Instructions:

  • Cook elbow macaroni noodles as directed, drain and rinse and return to pot.
  • Add remaining ingredients to the pot and stir well until cheese is melted.
  • Spray a foil pan {these are so much cheaper if you buy them in bulk} with cooking spray and dump the pasta mixture in. You can freeze it at this point if you want to deliver it frozen.
  • Bake at 350 for 1/2 an hour to 45 minutes {if this is frozen it will probably need to cook longer}

Southwestern Chicken & Rice

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked brown rice
  • 15 ounces drain and rinse Black Beans, Canned
  • 1 cup drain Whole Kernel Corn, Canned
  • ½ cups Salsa
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin
  • ½ cups Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
  • 2 cups chicken, shredded

Instructions:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine rice, beans, corn, salsa, and cumin.
  2. Divide among indicated number of baking pans and top with cheese.
  3. Cover tightly with foil. Label and freeze.
  4. Bake from frozen at 350 for 1 hour or until cheese is melted and rice is warmed through.

Pepperjack Chicken Taquitos

Ingredients:

  • 8oz. cream cheese
  • 3 c. chicken, cooked & shredded
  • 1.5 c. shredded pepperjack cheese
  • 1 6oz. can green chilies or 1/2 cup salsa verde
  • 20 small tortillas
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 2 tbsp. lime juice
  • 1 tsp. cumin

Instructions:

  1. Melt cream cheese in a bowl. Mix in the spices, lime juice, chilies (or salsa), chicken, and cheese.
  2. Add 2 tbsp. of mixture to each tortillas and roll.
  3. To freeze, place on wax paper on a cookie cheet and stick in the freezer for 30 minutes.
  4. Remove from cookie sheet and place in a ziplocked gallon bag.
  5. When ready to cook, bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Lasagna Roll Ups

Ingredients:

  • 2 eggs
  • 15 oz. container Ricotta
  • 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
  • 2 c. Mozzarella cheese
  • 1 24oz. pasta sauce jar
  • 12 lasagna noodles
  • 8 oz. ground beef.
  • 2 tbsp. garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp. onion powder
  • salt/pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp basil & oregano (each)

Directions:

  1. Brown beef in a skiller and mix in the pasta sauce. Season with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.
  2. In a bowl, combine eggs with ricotta, parmsean, and half of mozarella and mix well. Season with salt, pepper, oregano, and basil.
  3. Cook noodles as directed and lay flat out on wax paper sheets. Place 1 tbsp of meat mix on the noodle and spread evenly.
  4. Place 1 tbsp of the cheese mixture and spread evenly.
  5. Gently roll up the noodle carefully, top with remaining mozzarella, and freeze.
  6. To cook frozen, bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Maple Dijon Glazed Chicken

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
  • 1 cup Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Place all ingredients in a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag. Mix together and zip bag closed.
  2. When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook on LOW for 8 hours (or HIGH for 4 hours). Sprinkle with fresh or dried rosemary for serving.

Beef, Bean, & Cheese Burritos

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 can refried beans
  • 1 bag shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 pack large tortillas
  • 1 packet taco seasoning

 

Instructions:

  1. Brown beef in a skillet & drain well.
  2. Top each tortilla with 2 tbsp. ground beef, 2 tbsp. refried beans, and 2 tbsp. cheddar cheese.
  3. Top with onions and fold into a burrito.
  4. Wrap burrito in wax paper and then in tin foil. Place in gallon freezer bag.
  5. To cook, remove from foil and paper and wrap in paper towel. Microwave for 2-3 minutes.

Breakfast Burritos

Ingredients:

  • 12 eggs, scrambled
  • 1 lb. bacon OR 1lb. ground sausage (your choice-I chose sausage)
  • 1 package shredded cheddar cheese
  • Veggies you fancy: onions, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, bell peppers (etc-optional)
  • 1 pack large tortillas

Instructions:

  1. Lay each tortilla on wax paper and top with either sausage or bacon, eggs, and veggies of choice.
  2. Spoon 2 tbsp. shredded cheddar cheese on top.
  3. Fold burrito and wrap in wax paper and then tin foil.
  4. Place into gallon bags and freeze.
  5. To cook, microwave for 2-3 minutes.

Lactation Smoothie Packs

Ingredients:

  • 1 gallon vanilla almond milk
  • 1 container rolled oats
  • 2 bunches of bananas
  • 1-2 packs of frozen strawberries
  • ground flax seeds
  • 1 jar almond or peanut butter

Instructions:

  1. To make each pack, place 1 banana, 1/2 cup strawberries, 1/4 cup oats, 1 tbsp nut butter, and 1 cup almond milk in a ziplock bag.
  2. Sprinkle in flax seeds.
  3. Seal bag and freeze.

Slow Cooker BBQ Pork Spareribs

Ingredients:

  • 1-2 lbs of country-style pork ribs
  • 1 1/2 cups ketchup
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning (or seasoned salt)
  • 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white vinegar

Instructions:

  1. Place pork in resealable gallon-sized freezer bag. Mix remaining ingredients together in a bowl and pour over pork. Mix together in bag and zip closed.
  2. When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or LOW for 6-7 hours.

Chunky Beef Chili

Ingredients:

  • 1 can pinto beans
  • 1 can kidney beans
  • 2lbs ground beef
  • 1 can tomato juice
  • 1 c. water
  • 2 cans tomato paste
  • 1.5 cups onion
  • 1 packet chili seasoning mix

Instructions:

  1. Brown beef on stovetop and mix in remaining ingredients.
  2. Place in freezer bag to freeze.
  3. To cook, thaw and place in crockpot on low for 4-6 hours.

Teriyaki Chicken Thighs

Ingredients:

  • 8 chicken thighs
  • 1 c. teriyaki sauce
  • 1 c. water
  • 2/3 c. light brown sugar
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • ginger slices

Instructions:

  1. Add contents to freezer bag and place in freezer. Make sure to get rid of any extra air in the bag.
  2. To cook, thaw and dump contents in crockpot and cook for 4-6 hours on low.

Beef & Broccoli

Ingredients:

  • 2lb. flank steak
  • 1 can beef broth
  • 1/2 c. soy sauce
  • 1/3 c. light brown sugar
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp. sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp. cornstarch
  • 1 bag frozen broccoli (or 2 c. fresh)
  • 2 c. brown rice

Instructions:

  1. Mix beef and sauce ingredients, place in bag.
  2. If you bought fresh broccoli, place in its own gallon freezer bag.
  3. Thaw and cook on low for 3-4 hours

BONUS RECIPE

Lactation Bites

Ingredients:

  • 1 c. oats
  • 1/2 c. peanut butter (i used chocolate PB!)
  • 1/2 c. ground flaxseed
  • 1 c. coconut, shredded
  • 1/3 c. honey
  • 1/2 mini chocolate chips

Instructions:

  1. Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and then mix in the wet ingredients.
  2. Refridgerate this mixture for one hour.
  3. Remove and roll into ping pong sized balls.
  4. Wrap individually and store in a gallon freezer bag to freeze.

This completes my 15 freezer meals! I hope you all have enjoyed this post and could use these recipes in the future. If you have any questions or if you have tried a recipe and liked it, let me know by commenting below!

WAIT! Before you go though, I made a little video just for you! In this video, I will show you how to prepare the following freezer meals from above:

  • Maple Dijon Chicken
  • Teriyaki Chicken Thighs
  • BBQ Pork Spare Ribs

Enjoy!!

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Freezing Homemade Baby Food - Encyclopedia Baby Food

Levchuk Viktoria©

Levchuk Viktoria©

There are some important guidelines for freezing baby food that need to be followed, they are outlined on this page and there is even a diagram of the foods that can be frozen . We will show you how to freeze freshly made puree and store it. It will be interesting to read.

Good to know!

  • Frozen baby food leftovers - what to do with them, we will find out in the article.
  • Heading Frozen food - all about baby food cubes.
  • New thinking on allergens

Easy to use site map Baby Food Encyclopedia with a list of all articles and recipes.

How long do you keep baby food in the refrigerator or freezer?

Contents:

  • Freezer: 4-6 months (ideally used within 1 month or 3 months)
  • Refrigerator (fruit/vegetables): 24 hours
  • Refrigerator (meat, poultry, fish eggs): 24 hours

For optimum quality and nutrient retention, store frozen baby food cubes in the freezer within more than 1-3 months.
Frozen baby food is safe to use if kept in the freezer for about 3-6 months without thawing again. However, it is more reasonable to use them in the region of 1 month to 3 months inclusive. Due to the amount of water crystals that accumulate in baby puree, and the fact that nutrients and important substances can be leached/evaporated when thawed due to these same water crystals, it is wiser to use your frozen baby food whenever possible. - no more than 3 months of storage. However, it is best to use within the first month after freezing, we advise.

Most sources advise storing fruit and vegetables for 8 to 12 months in the freezer. This is mostly true of whole foods that are congealed in their natural state. This is also provided that the refrigerator compartment remains at a constant temperature below zero. Deep-freezing is best if you want to keep frozen food for a long time. However, it should be remembered that the instructions and recommendations for freezing food for long-term storage do not imply that the fruit or vegetable has been boiled and mashed.

How long can baby puree be kept in the refrigerator?

In the refrigerator, fresh pureed homemade baby food should not be stored for longer than 24 hours. This limitation ensures that the growth of pathogens in the puree is kept to a minimum and that the food does not take on the “refrigerator flavor”. This "rule" applies to vegetables, fruits, meats, etc.

If you do not plan to freeze homemade baby food, then baby food for the baby is prepared every day if he is too small until 8-9months, or every other day, older than the specified age.

Why freeze baby food?

Save parent time, reduce food waste and ensure food safety.

For example, one potato was baked in the oven, and then half was mashed and the other half was frozen.

Frozen vegetables or fruits are safe in baby food

Fruits and vegetables can be frozen. Using frozen fruits and vegetables is the second best option after eating fresh. The quick freezing process (food is frozen at a very low temperature and very quickly) actually preserves the nutrients optimally. Cooking destroys more important nutrients than freezing food. Contrary to myth, freezing food (particularly fruits and vegetables) does not destroy 100% of minerals and vitamins. The freezing process, subject to storage conditions at a constant temperature of zero degrees, does not contribute to the complete loss of nutrients and important substances - if this is the case, then most of the population is malnourished, since in winter we eat a huge amount of frozen foods.

Frozen vegetables not cooked at the time of packaging must be cooked before eating. Please remember to read the labels of frozen bags, as some brands of frozen vegetables may be pre-cooked.

One of the most frequently asked questions is "Can I use frozen fruits or vegetables for baby food and then freeze the puree?". Since there are no studies that show that repeated freezing is negative and / or can negatively affect health. The problem is that it is necessary to cook food from products that have been frozen once. But the reality is that a frozen product, going through all the stages from a fresh look to a frozen product in a refrigerator in a store, can survive several defrosting and freezing, as it was written earlier, it is through water crystals that nutrients leave. Therefore, purchased frozen vegetables and fruits must be carefully selected, and we would not recommend preparing baby food from them for subsequent freezing of baby puree. It is clear that sometimes parents have no choice and have to start complementary foods with purchased frozen food, so we carefully choose the packaging and the manufacturer, without holes, without pieces of ice.

For example, from frozen vegetables (home-made or a good quality store-bought bag) that were raw when frozen, we cook a roast, we freeze the leftovers of the roast and use it for its intended purpose next time, but it is not worth freezing the roast after the last defrosting.

Why not refreeze

Do not refreeze thawed food, this is a correct statement. Re-freezing a defrosted product can affect the quality and taste (and possibly nutritional value) of the product, and when it is thawed, pathogenic bacteria may begin to multiply. It is always necessary to prepare defrosted food before re-freezing. The preparation of a thawed product then allows it to be re-frozen in a single cycle. Storing a bag of frozen fruits or vegetables makes food preparation a quick and easy solution. You do not need to defrost the whole package, just get the required amount of the product, and leave the rest in the freezer.

The easiest way to freeze baby puree is to spoon it into an ice mold, cover with plastic wrap so that there is no air access.

Before using the ice molds, they must be thoroughly cleaned with soap and boiled water. Some parents even immerse their ice molds in boiling water for sanitization (Note: Make sure the sanitization is suitable for the molds before use.)

There are many benefits to storing your child's homemade food in an ice mold:
  • Each cube is roughly the same size, allowing parents to determine how much food their child is eating.
  • Minimal waste with only 1 cube at a time and no need to throw away a lot of food.
  • Another advantage is that the ice molds are close at hand and you don't have to go out and buy them.
  • The time spent in the kitchen is significantly reduced.

You can transfer baby puree cubes to freezer bags, freeing up molds for the next batch of food and also freeing up some freezer space.

Do not forget about the labeling of packages with cubes of baby puree, write the date of freezing and the type of puree. This will help you quickly remove the cube from the package, as well as monitor their expiration date.

Ice crystals on baby food cubes

Don't worry if ice crystals are visible on baby food cubes. It's not frostbite, but excess liquid used in mashing that rises and solidifies at the top of the cubes. These crystals or frost are not dangerous and will not make baby puree cubes inedible or harmful.

Frostbite - what is it and how to determine it?

Frostbite looks like greyish brown spots on frozen food. It looks like a leathery type of texture and is easily noticeable. Crystals on frozen foods are not frostbite, but are the result of excess liquid during the freezing process and the formation of ice crystals.

Frostbite does not make frozen foods bad or harmful; it just makes the affected areas very dry. The only thing that can suffer in food that is frostbitten is the quality. You can cut off frostbitten areas and use the undamaged area of ​​​​food. Frostbite is the result of excess air in a frozen bag that sinks onto food. Eliminate air pockets in bags to help stop frostbite.

Can glass baby food freezer jars or baby food jars like Frutonyanya or Gerber be used? and also such banks are prone to rupture. Baby food jars are not manufactured for freezing or extreme heating. There are glass jars for freezing food in them, but they can be hard to find. Many people freeze in baby food jars, but I'm not a fan of this at all. After all, food is made for the baby because we want to give him the best healthy food; Do you really want to take the risk and freeze baby food in glass jars?

There are certain plastic jars that are specially made to withstand high temperatures and/or freezing. Therefore, it is best to use plastic containers or ordinary thick plastic bags, convenient and simple. There are also special freezer bags with a zip clip - an interesting option.

Can previously frozen breast milk or formula be used to make fruit or vegetable puree?

Do not use previously frozen breast milk to prepare puree to freeze later this baby food.

Breast milk must never be refrozen in any shape or form.

Milk formula

You can freeze puree to which defrosted milk formula has been added. However, formula should not be frozen in bottles or cans. It is impossible to add the mixture to the previously frozen mixture and freeze it. If frozen milk formula is used for mashing, then it is necessary to freeze it at a time without defrosting. Freezing milk formula causes separation of fats and liquids, and the texture suffers accordingly. Although there is no health risk, the same happens with breast milk and cow's milk, the texture and quality suffer a little. However, it is best to prepare the milk formula before putting it in the baby puree and only then freeze the puree. This will be more useful and efficient.

Some formula manufacturers say that freezing any formula is not recommended, as the process can alter physical properties such as fat separation, which can be difficult for sensitive babies to digest. Freezing does not affect the quality or food sterility, however it will not prolong the shelf life of formula. Freezing may result in the loss of the desired appearance and functionality and is therefore not recommended.

It may be easier to freeze puree without adding any additional liquids. Since, when defrosted, they are most often liquid, so you have to add oatmeal or rice flakes.

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"Encyclopedia Baby Food"!

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On our website Encyclopedia Baby Food there is useful information on the nutrition of your children, which is useful for everyone, and we update the website "Encyclopedia Baby Food" constantly and try to search and write only excellent, verified and necessary information for you and your children.

Disclaimer No. 1: It must be understood that the author of the articles on the Baby Food Encyclopedia website is not a medical staff, “I am not a doctor.” The information I share is based on my own experience. My goal is not to teach you how to eat or feed your child, but to talk about how we did it, what new things I learned or read. This expands the picture of Baby Food knowledge, gives you a glimpse of the whole process so you can decide if you like it or not.

Disclaimer No. 2 : However, the above does not cancel a visit to the pediatrician. Before you start complementary foods, you need to get his professional opinion on the best way to introduce new foods for your baby. I also draw your attention to the fact that you need to look at the original date of the published articles, because some of the "best practices" may have changed. Always check with your child's pediatrician about complementary foods and their health.

Disclaimer #3: Keep in mind that every family is unique, every situation is also completely unique. There are no universal solutions. Only you can find what works best for you. Certain goals require certain sacrifices and priorities - not everyone wants to make those choices, and that's GREAT! Just know what you want to achieve, and be ready to get to work, putting the best of your strength!

Disclaimer No. 4: On the Encyclopedia Baby Food website, photos from books on baby food with attribution are used to better understand the information (Article 1274, paragraph 1, part four of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation). Literature on baby food is found in the public domain on the Internet.

Apricot puree with chicken
Banan-global puree
Banana puree
borsch
broth with peas and rice
Botterbrod with kolrabi
Rapid dessert
Spring salad Buckwheat porridge with apricots
Buckwheat porridge with banana
Buckwheat pilaf
Children's sausage
Children's milk porridge with banana
Children's vinaigrette
Children's ketchup
Baby Cucumber Salad
Baby Olivier Salad
Baby Porridge Cookies
Baby Strawberry, Banana, Yellow Cherry, Yogurt and Cereal Cookies Puree
Baby Puree with Cottage Cheese and Fruit
Homemade Yeast Bread with Flaxseed
Homemade Cheese
9049 Homemade Pizza Breakfast outside
Kohlrabi appetizer
Cauliflower roast
Roasted carrots
Roasted carrots and cherries with millet
Winter salad with Jerusalem artichoke
Cabbage with white beans
Canteen-style coleslaw
Mashed potatoes
Quinoa and pumpkin porridge
Quinoa porridge
breakfast porridge
Quinoa and apple
Strawberry puree
Strawberry puree with banana
Strawberry compote
Dried apple, raspberry compote
in a thermos" for a child older than 8 months
Corn porridge
Corn porridge with pear
Corn porridge with pumpkin
Corn porridge with pumpkin and carrots
Corn porridge with apple and carrots
Chicken liver in the oven
Chicken cutlets with carrots
Chicken with carrots, sweet peppers and potatoes
Navy pasta
Pasta with orange sauce
Pasta with Gremolata
Muffins with vegetables and egg
Young potatoes in their skins9 Vermicelli soup
Milk Carrot-potato puree
Carrot-rice casserole
Carrot with chicken
Amanita from eggs and tomatoes
Meat envelopes
Homemade Tarragon drink for children
Vegetable puree from cauliflower and carrots
Vegetable soup with corn semolina
Vegetable soup with cheese and corn semolina
Vegetable soup with spinach
Vegetable puree soup with bell pepper
Oatmeal
Pollock fritters
Hot kefir fritters
Omelette in a bag
Spinach and Cheese Omelet
Omelet Pancake
Peach Puree
Baked Apples 7 months +
Zucchini and Carrot Pie
Zucchini Pie
Rice and Zucchini Pie
Fish Pie
Fish and potato pie
White cabbage pizza
Lavash pizza
Zucchini, tomato and sausage pizza
Tomato and olive pizza
Spinach pizza
Rabbit pilaf
Chicken pilaf with green peas and corn Puree 9049 and cherries
Banana, cottage cheese and porridge puree 4 cereals
Broccoli (cauliflower) puree
Broccoli, courgette and cauliflower puree
Blueberry puree
Pear puree
Pear and banana puree
Pear and banana puree, baked
Pear and pumpkin puree 7 months +
Pear, pumpkin and peach puree
Pear, apple, plum and prunes puree
Blackberry puree
Turkey puree
Zucchini puree 9049 zucchini and broccoli
Zucchini, carrot and potato puree
Quinoa and banana puree
Quinoa and carrot puree
Quinoa, banana and carrot puree
Quinoa, squash and carrot puree
Quinoa, peach and raspberry puree
quinoa, cauliflower, apple, peas and mint
Quinoa, apple, pear and raisin puree
Quinoa, apple, carrot puree
Rabbit, broccoli and cauliflower puree
Chicken, carrot, potato, apple and pea puree
Raspberry, cherry and banana puree
carrots
Carrot and apple puree
Carrot, potato, broccoli puree with cheese
Carrot, potato, apple and quinoa puree
Carrot, pumpkin, apple and prunes puree
Carrot, apple and potato puree
Turnip and carrots
Plum puree
Cottage cheese, strawberry and banana puree
Pumpkin puree
Pumpkin and banana puree
Pumpkin and squash puree
Pumpkin and apple puree
Pumpkin, apple and banana puree
Cauliflower and broccoli puree00499 Cauliflower & Potato Puree
Cauliflower & Rice Puree
Cauliflower & Apple Puree
Cauliflower, Green Pea & Squash Puree
Cauliflower, Turkey & Potato Puree
Cauliflower, Potato & Squash Puree
Cauliflower, carrot and broccoli puree
Cauliflower, carrot, cheese and rice puree
Cauliflower, apple and courgette puree
Zucchini puree
Zucchini and potato puree
Zucchini, carrot and apple puree 90 cherries
Blueberry puree
Prune puree
Apple, pumpkin, carrot and some curry puree
Apple and pear puree
Apple and strawberry puree
Apple, strawberry and cherry puree
Apple, peach and banana puree
Carrot and pumpkin puree
Cottage cheese and banana puree
Turkey, potato and carrot stew
Zucchini, carrot and broccoli stew
Fish, potato, carrot and broccoli stew
Rice porridge
Whole grain rice porridge
carrot
Rice porridge with pumpkin
Rice porridge with apples
Rice porridge with apple and pear
Rice porridge with apple and pumpkin
Fish cakes with vegetables
Semi-cooked fish
Fish meatballs with ketchup
Baby Fish Soup
Salmon and Celery Fish Soup
Carrot and Kohlrabi Salad
Chickpea Salad
Chickpea and Cabbage Salad
Laziest Soup
Creamy Kohlrabi Soup
Oatmeal Smoothie in Pot 490 Sauce Cheese Pizza
Pea and Bacon Soup
Baked Vegetable Soup
Kohlrabi Soup
Salmon Soup
Cauliflower Soup
Turnip Potato Soup
Meatball Soup for the Picky Eater
Green apple kohlrabi soup
Rabbit, pumpkin, potato, broccoli and cauliflower soup
Beetroot soup
Pumpkin mushroom soup
Broccoli and celery soup
Soup/stew Pork with Potatoes and Carrots
Cheese Pasties
Pumpkin Cheese Sauce (Annabelle Carmel Recipe)
Buzz Lightyear Sandwich
Pumpkin-Apple Puree
Pumpkin-Apple Juice
Pumpkin Cake
Pumpkin Soup9-Puree
Fruit Salad

9 Bread lavash
Cauliflower with cheese
Linden tea and thyme
Experimental soup-puree with vermicelli and lentils
Apple puree
Apple juice

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Like this article? Subscribe to site updates

"Encyclopedia Baby Food"!

Don't forget to bookmark us! (CTRL+SHIFT+D) Subscribe to the site, comment, share in social networks.
On our website Encyclopedia Baby Food there is useful information on the nutrition of your children, which is useful for everyone, and we update the website "Encyclopedia Baby Food" constantly and try to search and write only excellent, verified and necessary information for you and your children.

Disclaimer No. 1: It must be understood that the author of the articles on the Baby Food Encyclopedia website is not a medical staff, “I am not a doctor.” The information I share is based on my own experience. My goal is not to teach you how to eat or feed your child, but to talk about how we did it, what new things I learned or read. This expands the picture of Baby Food knowledge, gives you a glimpse of the whole process so you can decide if you like it or not.

Disclaimer No. 2 : However, the above does not cancel a visit to the pediatrician. Before you start complementary foods, you need to get his professional opinion on the best way to introduce new foods for your baby. I also draw your attention to the fact that you need to look at the original date of the published articles, because some of the "best practices" may have changed. Always check with your child's pediatrician about complementary foods and their health.

Disclaimer #3: Keep in mind that every family is unique, every situation is also completely unique. There are no universal solutions. Only you can find what works best for you. Certain goals require certain sacrifices and priorities - not everyone wants to make that choice, and that's GREAT! Just know what you want to achieve, and be ready to get to work, putting the best of your strength!

Disclaimer No. 4: On the Encyclopedia Baby Food website, photos from books on baby food with attribution are used to better understand the information (Article 1274, paragraph 1, part four of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation). Literature on baby food is found in the public domain on the Internet.

Disclaimer No. 5: Content, editing, proofreading, layout, etc. produced ONLY by the author of the site Encyclopedia Baby food. Therefore, I apologize for spelling, punctuation and stylistic errors. If you notice a mistake, please report it, and do not write angry comments about the illiteracy of the author of the article.

Apricot puree with chicken
Banana-apple puree
Banana puree
Borscht
Broth with peas and rice
Boturbrod with kolrabi
Quick dessert from the finished dough
jam with strawberries
Spring salad
buckwheat
Buckwheat porridge
Greek porridge with apricots
Banka buckwheat
Children's tank Children's Vinaigrette
Children's Ketchup
Children's Cucumber Salad
Children's Olivier Salad
Children's Porridge Cookies
Children's Strawberry, Banana, Yellow Cherry, Matsoni and Cereal Cookies Puree
Baby puree with cottage cheese and fruits
Home yeast bread with linen flour
Home cheese
Home pizza
Breakfast on the street
Outlet from kolrabi
Baked carrots baked carrots and stoves with a millet 9004 with white beans
Cabbage salad like in a canteen
Mashed potatoes
Quinoa and pumpkin porridge
Quinoa porridge
Breakfast cereals
Quinoa and apple
Strawberry puree
Strawberry puree with banana
Strawberry compote
Compote of wild apples and raspberries
Compote of dried fruits steamed in a thermos for a baby over 8 months old
Corn porridge
Corn porridge with pear
Corn porridge9 with pumpkin
Corn porridge with pumpkin and carrot49 Corn porridge with apple and carrots
Chicken liver in the oven
Chicken cutlets with carrots
Chicken with carrots, sweet peppers and potatoes
Navy pasta
Pasta with orange sauce
Pasta with Gremolata
Muffins with vegetables and egg
New potatoes in their skins
Vermicelli milk soup
Carrot and potato puree
Carrot and rice casserole
Carrot with chicken
Fly agaric from eggs and tomatoes children
Cauliflower and carrot vegetable puree
Vegetable soup with corn semolina
Vegetable soup with cheese and corn semolina
Vegetable soup with spinach
Vegetable soup-puree with bell pepper
Oatmeal porridge
pancakes from polions
pancakes on hot kefir
omelet in a package
omelet with broccoli and cauliflower
oglet with spinach and cheese
omelet pancake
baked apples 7 months +
pies Pie pies and carp
Rice and zucchini pie
Fish pie
Fish and potato pie
White cabbage pizza
Lavash pizza
Zucchini, tomato and sausage pizza
Tomato and olive pizza
Pizza with spinach
Rabbit pilaf
Chicken pilaf with green peas and corn
Banana and cherry puree
Banana, cottage cheese and porridge puree 4 grains
Broccoli (cauliflower) puree
Broccoli, squash and cauliflower puree
Blueberry puree
Pear puree
Pear and banana puree
Pear and banana puree, baked
Pear and pumpkin puree 7 months +
Pear, pumpkin and peach puree
Pear, apple, plum and prunes puree
Blackberry puree
Turkey puree
Zucchini puree
Zucchini and broccoli puree
Zucchini, carrot and potato puree
Quinoa and banana puree
Quinoa and carrot puree
Quinoa, banana and carrot puree 9049
Quinoa, peach and raspberry puree
Quinoa, cauliflower, apple, pea and mint puree
Quinoa, apple, pear and raisin puree
Quinoa, apple, carrot puree
Rabbit, broccoli and mint puree cauliflower
Chicken, carrot, potato, apple and pea puree
Raspberry, cherry and banana puree
Carrot puree
Carrot and apple puree
Carrot, potato, broccoli puree with cheese
Carrot, potato, apple and quinoa puree
Carrot, pumpkin, apple and prune puree
Carrot, apple and potato puree
Turnip and carrot puree
Plum puree
Cottage cheese, strawberry and banana puree
Pumpkin puree
Pumpkin and banana puree
and zucchini
Pumpkin and apple puree
Pumpkin, apple and banana puree
Cauliflower and broccoli puree
Cauliflower and potato puree
Cauliflower and rice puree
Cauliflower and apple puree
Cauliflower and green pea puree and courgette
Cauliflower, turkey and potato puree
Cauliflower, potato and courgette puree
Cauliflower, carrot and broccoli puree
Cauliflower, carrot, cheese and rice puree
Cauliflower, apple and courgette puree
Zucchini puree
Zucchini and potato puree
Zucchini, carrot and apple puree
Cherry puree
Blueberry puree
Prune puree
Apple, pumpkin, carrot and some curry puree
toy49 apple puree apple and strawberry puree
Apple, strawberry and cherry puree
Apple, peach and banana puree
Carrot and pumpkin puree
Cottage cheese and banana puree
Turkey, potato and carrot stew
Zucchini, carrot and broccoli stew
Fish, potato, carrot and broccoli stew
Rice porridge
Whole grain rice porridge
Rice porridge with carrots
Rice porridge with pumpkin
Rice porridge with apples
Rice porridge with apple and pear
Rice porridge with apple and pumpkin
Rice porridge with apple and pumpkin
cutlets with vegetables
Ready-to-cook fish
Fish meatballs with ketchup
Fish soup for children
Fish soup with salmon and celery
Carrot and kohlrabi salad
Chickpea salad
Chickpea and cabbage salad
Laziest Soup
Creamy Kohlrabi Soup
Oatmeal Smoothie
Pot Sauce
Cheese Pizza Sauce
Pea and Bacon Soup
Roasted Vegetable Soup
Kohlrabi Soup
Cauliflower Soup 90 with potatoes and turnips
Meatball soup for the picky eater
Kohlrabi puree with green apple
Rabbit, pumpkin, potato, broccoli and cauliflower soup
Beetroot puree
Pumpkin puree with mushrooms
Celery Broccoli Soup
Pork Potato Carrot Soup/Stew
Cheese Chebureks
Pumpkin Cheese Sauce (Annabelle Carmel Recipe)
Buzz Lightyear Sandwich
Pumpkin-Apple Puree
Pumpkin-Apple Juice
Pumpkin Juice
puree soup
Fruit salad
Mango fruit salad
Lavash bread
Cauliflower with cheese
Linden and thyme tea
Experimental vermicelli and lentil soup puree
Apple puree
Apple juice

20 foods that can be frozen

July 30, 2014Food

It turns out that you can freeze not only berries and vegetables. Here are 20 foods that can safely wait their time in the freezer and how to freeze them the right way.

Iya Zorina

Author of Lifehacker, athlete, CCM

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Freezer can be filled not only with meat, fish and berries. There are many foods that can be frozen without loss of taste. Frozen food will quietly wait for its turn, and you do not have to throw it away or quickly eat it up so as not to spoil. Here are 20 foods you can freeze and how to do it.

1. Cheese

You can freeze a large piece of cheese and it won't crumble when defrosted. If you prefer to slice the cheese before freezing, add a teaspoon of cornstarch or flour to the container to keep the slices from sticking together during defrosting.

If you like to add grated cheese to your dishes, you can buy a large piece of parmesan, chop it in a food processor and put it in the freezer in freezer bags. It can be stored in the freezer for several months, and during preparation it will be enough to open a container or freezer bag and get a couple of teaspoons of cheese.

2. Homemade pancakes, waffles and French toast

If you would like to have more homemade pancakes, waffles and toast for breakfast, you can simply bake more on your day off, freeze on a cookie tray and store in freezer bags.

You can take them out of the freezer at any time, heat them up in the microwave and have breakfast. In any case, it will turn out cheaper and tastier than buying frozen pastries in the store.

3. Fruits

Fruits are best frozen on parchment paper before being placed in freezer bags. It’s best to freeze the cut pieces right away so you can get them for desserts and smoothies as needed.

If you are a smoothie lover, you can make your own frozen fruit mix right away. Separately freeze pieces of apples, pears, peaches, bananas and other fruits you like. At any time, you can make yourself a new smoothie by mixing different types of fruits.

If you don't like to cook slimy thawed banana pieces, freeze them whole with the skin on. When you decide to cook something with a banana, you need to take it out of the freezer, defrost it in the microwave, cut off the top and squeeze the contents into the cooking mixture.

4. Rice

To avoid waiting too long for rice (especially brown rice, which takes about 50 minutes to cook), you can freeze it. First, the rice is frozen on a tray or parchment, and then placed in a freezer bag.

Thawed rice can be fried, used for soup or casseroles. Cooking time will be reduced by about an hour (including not only boiling, but also rinsing and soaking).

5. Pies

You can make more apple pie and enjoy it for several months. Wrap it in freezer paper, place it in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer. When you want to taste the pie, send it to a preheated oven (about 150 degrees) for 2 hours.

6. Corn

The easiest way to freeze corn is not to take it out of the leaves, but just put it in the freezer. When you want corn, just take it out and heat it up in the microwave for 5 minutes. The leaves protect the corn kernels so it tastes fresh.

7. Tomato paste

Saute Roma tomatoes over low heat with garlic, fresh herbs and olive oil for about 4-5 hours. Once the mixture has cooled, place it in freezer bags. You can use this mixture for chili base or tomato sauces.

8. Pasta

Cook more pasta and freeze small portions in different bags - you can use one small bag for soups and casseroles.

Before freezing, make sure to de-aerate the bag so that it is as flat as possible. To defrost, soak the sealed bag in hot water for a few minutes.

9. Mashed Potatoes

Using an ice cream scoop, take a scoop of mashed potatoes and place a ball on the baking parchment.

Freeze until balls are firm and then store in freezer bags. Puree will keep in the freezer for at least two months.

10. Cookie dough

Cookie dough is frozen on parchment paper and stored in a freezer bag. You can divide it into separate portions or immediately make it in the desired form.

Using this dough, you can cook cookies in 1-2 minutes, without dirty dishes and tables.

11. Potato chips

If you buy enough chips and freeze them in the same package they came in, you'll always have a snack.

Frozen chips are even tastier than regular chips, so you don't need to defrost them before eating them.

12. Milk

If your milk is consumed very slowly and the leftovers turn sour and pour out, it is quite possible to freeze it until the next time.

Be sure to select a bottle that leaves room as frozen liquids expand. Thawed milk should be mixed well and can be used (just do not defrost it in the microwave).

13. Juice

The only criterion for freezing juice, like freezing milk, is a bottle large enough to allow the frozen drink to expand.

14. Bread

To avoid having to throw away dry bread, you can cut several loaves and freeze them. As needed, take out the desired pieces of bread and defrost them in the oven or microwave. To prevent the bread from drying out until morning, you can leave it overnight in the switched off, tightly closed microwave.

15. Vegetable pieces

You can freeze chopped onions, bell peppers or chili peppers in freezer bags. When they're cold enough, you can mark "portion lines" on the bag so you know how much to take at a time.

16. Lemon and lime juice, lemon zest

Squeeze lemon and lime into ice cube trays and place in the freezer. Now you will have fresh citrus juice at any time. The zest can also be frozen and used to prepare various dishes.

17. Herbs

You can freeze aromatic herbs in ice cube trays with a little water or broth to use all year round in soups, stews or casseroles.

18. Marinated Meat

Place the meat in a freezer bag, cover with marinade and place in the freezer. When you take it out, it will be marinated and ready to be cooked right away.

19. Homemade Casseroles

When you're making a casserole like lasagne, why not make a bigger one and freeze half so you can enjoy homemade food during the work week.

Several freezing options are available:

  1. Freeze a whole casserole in a dish lined with freezer paper. When the casserole is cold enough, remove the platter, repackage the casserole in freezer paper, and put it back in the freezer. The good thing is that you can use the dish while the casserole is stored in the freezer. When you need it again, put it in the same dish and cook it.
  2. Freeze in parts. Prepare the casserole, let cool, cut into pieces and freeze. Can be heated in the microwave.

20. Fish fingers

Store-bought convenience food is hard to call delicious, so why not make homemade fish fingers?

To do this, you need to buy fresh fish, cut it into small pieces, roll in egg, flour or breadcrumbs, put on a tray and freeze.

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