Planning Ahead mealwise

[Momof2]

Not sure if this is the right topic area, but I would really like to get organised and have some meals ready in the freezer to make life easier when baby comes along. The only things I can think of is bolognaise sauce and beef stew, does anyone have any other ideas of meals please?
Thanks

[Twiglett]

Chicken Casserole
Chicken Pie (beef pie .. .any kind of pie)
Soups
Fresh Pasta and Sauce (you can buy them and freeze 'em)

oh I don't know .. what d'ya like eating normally?

[Momof2]

We're sort of meat and 2 veg family (I also like the ease of one pot cooking!) Didn't know that you could freeze down pasta sauces though, nor pasta come to that!

[LittleB]

That's a good idea, I freeze home made soup, goulash, chilli, curry, stews, casseroles, pasta sauces (didn't know you could freeze pasta too) pies, anything really as long as it's defrosted through and reheated properly and isn't really creamy - cream will seperate. I'm sure I'll be doing the same in a couple of months (due in May). Good luck with the birth, when is your baby due?

[fisil]

Last time I did:

spag bog sauce
rats tails (sorry, can't spell the proper name, so that's what it's called round here)
chilli sauce (i.e. spag bog sauce with a few kidney beans & chilli powder thrown in)
pasta bakes (pasta in the bottom, cover with tom sauce and chopped mozarella on top)

I made them all up in metal dishes that I got from Tescos - everything was fully cooked before I froze it. They were a godsend after ds was born!

[fisil]

oh, and I never bothered to let them defrost thoroughly - didn't know we were meant to, but didn't get ill (but then I don't cook with meat).

[Bozza]

I had a full months worth of meals frozen when DD was born and it was brilliant. i had the following:

Meat and potato pie (I'm from Yorkshire )
Chilli
Spag bol
Bacon/mushroom/tomato pasta sauce (ie spag bol but with bacon)
Mexican sausage pie
Carbonara sauce
Chicken/veg crumble
Chicken/brocolli quiche
Jambalya (although some people don't like to freeze rice)
Ainsley's tortilla cheesecake
Shepherd's pie
Thai chicken and pineapple curry (was leftovers from trying to start labour )

Thats all that I can think of. Would suggest cooking a family meal but making double and freezing half - its less work that way. HTH

[Leogaela]

I hadn't thought about it and odn't plan to do anything. dp will have to do al the cooking and shopping if I am not ready to do it!

[strawberry]

Also fish pie freezes well.

Mary Berry has a book called Cook now, eat later which gives freeze/thaw details for all recipes.

[Momof2]

This is brilliant - all this stuff that I thought I couldn't freeze - and great about the tesco's dishes to put them in.
LittleB - I'm due in Feb so not much longer but am a bit of a Monica when it comes to being organised and I know that MIL will be more than willing to help but would like to have meals in so that I don't have to rely too heavily on her (need to keep her for babysitting and school runs)