Batch cooking before DC2 arrival ideas

[DontmindifIdo]

so, have some time off before next DC arrives, and with another one to feed, so last time round of living off junk isn't really an option. Trying to think of things that are easy to batch cook and then stock up the freezer, but it's all a bit mince heavy:

chilli
spag bol
cottage pie

What else would you add that's easy to cook and freeze?

Casseroles

I've also bought chicken breasts I've slitted to add some herb cream cheese and wrapped in bacon. Cling filmed and bagged they make a quick 'roast' style dinner.

Soups

Fish pie
Chicken satay/ teriyaki ( cube, marinate, freeze- add to skewers when thawed to cook)

Buy those little disposable metal dishes with lids, you can by individual or family size. Means you can cool fish pie/ lasagne etc from frozen in same
Dish you froze in. And no washing up

Meatballs
Lasagne or canneloni
Curry

Any kind of casserole, lasagne.

thank you!

About to start on the spag bol one then will do a visit to the butchers for next round!

Risotto
Marinated raw meat (chicken/lamb chops) just stick in sturdy freezer and freeze then defrost while it marinades and shove in oven or under grill

Sorry, sturdy freezer bag

My best freezer meals were all-in-one foil bag jobbies, like trout fillets with new potatoes and fennel, chicken breasts with chipped butternut squash. If I did it again I would cut everything into bite sized pieces to help one-handed eating.

I've found (cooked) chicken pie also freezes very well. Just take out to defrost and pop back into the oven.

Anything "casserole" type dishes, like those mentioned above.

Cheese sauce, when you defrost it add a bit more cheese and milk. Can use with pasta, fish, cauliflower etc for a quickish meal.

Homemade fish cakes. Veg soup like curried parsnip, carrot and coriander, spicy butternut squash.

Pies freeze well and can be cooked from frozen.

I live alone so often make a meal for 4 and then freeze three portions.

Meat with gravy over freezes well and so do roast potatoes.

Agree with Tempus - things you can eat with one hand are best. So lasagne, spaghetti or big bits of meat are difficult.

Casseroles, risotto, fusilli dishes are good :)

Home made Chicken dippers or kievs are good, you can either cook and freeze them, or get to the breaded stage and freeze them. Same with fish cakes.

they're good finger food when you have your hands full

I agree on the 'one handed eating' so things you can eat with a spoon or fork only are essential!

I used to go to the local co-op every free morning on maternity leave and use whatever was reduced to clear to make casserole / curry / tagine etc. By 38 weeks the freezer was full to bursting, but for the best as DD arrived then!

Don't forget a few batches of muffins!
Essential middle-of-the-night fare :)

Chicken cacciatore is really easy to make and very tasty

Soup's good - but remember to put it in a mug to drink

Mmm, fish cakes.

A friend of mine did the filling the freezer to bursting and then the week before her due date the leccy cut her power for 24 hours. Gutted.

Soups, potted up into individual helpings that you can just microwave from frozen.

Chocolate brownies. Seriously. I froze them in little parcels of about 4 and grabbed a pack out every so often - they'd defrost in a couple of hours and voila, snacks/puddings with the addition of a pot of cream/ice cream!

Just to say thank you! My freezer now contains:

enough spag bol for 3 meals for all of us and 3 smaller 'toddler sized' portions.
3 cottage pies. (each big enough to serve all of us with left overs)
chilli in separate portions, but enough for 2 meals for all of us.
Chicken curry for 2 meals.
Butternut squash soup saved in 5 individual portions.

Other friends of 2 or more DCs have recommended I stock up on frozen green beans and peas, as well as tinned sweetcorn so at least I can get something relatively healthy on a plate for DS if I snap and go for fish fingers for dinner a few times (and to buy the posh fish fingers so I feel a little less guilty about that!). Also put bread in the freezer and pick up some UHT milk, so that I can always at least give DS a decent breakfast...

Last time round DS turned up early, on Christmas day when I was supposed to be hosting the family, so I had a freezer full of party food we lived off in January - this time I'm hoping for better than regularly dining on canapes...

We did this was very useful DD2 now 3 months and we have just about got through it all. Most useful thing was a giant batches of tomato sauce and Bechemel portioned up small and large sizes. Can be basis of many quick meals and perfect for pasta fiend DD1.

Mash (seriously!)

When expecting DS2 I did VAST quantites of yummy mash (as in, with butter or olive oil - as age appropriate! - and seasoning) and then used freezer bags opened into mugs to spoon it into for portion sizes. Then defrosts verrrreee quickly in microwave and added slices of chicken (chopped, obv!) and spoonful tinned sweetcorn for VERY quick but fab meal for DS1. Also used for us as so easy and WAY cheaper than buying equiv. (i.e. 'Finest' etc) mash.

Will fess to being a mash lover tho

Stoic - a woman after my own heart! Unfortunately, mash is not something DS particularly likes, except on cottage pie...

Tomato sauces is a good idea. That will have to be next weekend though, i'm now done with cooking!

When i was pregnant i pretty much copied the menu off the cook website as its all freezer friendly