What to cook/freeze ahead of giving birth?

[cocobeefsteak]

I can only think of things with mince in - ie cottage/shepherd's pie, chilli, bolognese, etc.

Any inspiration for me? I eat everything.

Soup? Pea and ham or cauliflower cheese soup is good
Pasta bakes
Corned beef hash
Stews/casseroles with stewing meat or chicken

Soups/stews/dahl/fish pie/pulled pork/curries/tomato sauce.

Do you want ideas or are you after specific recipe links?

I found side dishes good - particularly potatoes, so mashed pots, potato dauphinoise, potato boulangerie.
Then for a change you can do e.g. sausages, mash and peas and the most labour intensive part (the mash) is already done. Or gammon slices (quick and easy to do) with dauphinoise from freezer and microwave veg or beans.

Would second soup.

If you cook (as in make and then actually cook them in oven or whatever) and then freeze burgers, you then have microwavable burgers - with cheese/salad/buns make a reasonable meal, take little space.

Basic tomato sauce (I do mine with roasted peppers and basil for a bit of interest). Freeze in portions - can do as pasta sauce, use as a soup, or as a base when you are up to a bit more.

Ideas rather than recipes please. Thanks for all the replies so far - very helpful.

You can also book Internet shopping to arrive for something like 6 weeks

lots of soup, then you can warm in the microwave and drink from a mug while carrying baby. Freeze a couple of cakes in halves ready for visitors.

This soup is wonderful, heat up in a microwave in a mug for a quick easy nourishing meal with a slice of wholemeal bread - makes a wonderful quick lunch. I often make a batch and just keep in the friege for the week - so if you froze a couple or three batches (obviously if you like the soup) then just defrost a whole batch at once.

www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/tuscan-bean-soup-recipe

The following dish is a pie, cook until you should place into a pie dish - but at this stage freeze the pie mixture and then when you want to eat defrost the pie and use filo pastry over the top

www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/chicken-and-leek-pie

Serve frozen curry with couscous as a speedy alternative to rice

www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/easy-chicken-curry

Oh, I totally understand your feelings on everything seeming to have mince.

I made, on a whim, a chicken casserole with lots of butternut, white beans and chickpeas and it was an absolute godsend. I was so tired of mince after a while. Also, it was a great combination of fiber, protein, iron - all of which I needed post baby - and it was also relatively high fat (I made it with chicken legs/thighs and removed the skin only AFTER cooking) which was very satisfying.

Also, try a lamb casserole with similar ingredients. I did that for a friend who had lost a lot of blood when giving birth and she said it was fantastic (I had DS in summer, so didn't feel like lamb casseroles so didn't do it for myself).

Also, a friend made us lentil and sausage casseroles. Not as good for me, but DH consumed them constantly when neither of us was up for cooking.

If you make fruit cakes, or know someone who does, I'd go with that too. They last for ages and are very dense. I had a thick slice of fruitcake whenever I was a bit hungry but couldn't be assed cooking.

How about a casserole of cubed pork shoulder with peppers and mushrooms.

You could then have this with rice, or pasta or dauphinoise.

Something like pasta bake, or at least the sauce would freeze well.

If you are planning to bf, think of things that you will be able to eat 1-handedly.

We used to go to Costco, and I can remember eating what were rather like large fish fingers quite often, because you could eat them with 1 hand.