Batch cooking meals for freezer ideas

[Stardust127]

Hi!

I am currently 32 weeks pregnant & would like to start batch cooking meals for the freezer that can be used when baby is here so it’s one less pressure/thing to think about at the time.

I’d consider myself a good cook but pretty clueless when it comes to what exactly you can and can’t cook for freezing meals, so looking for ideas, recipes and tips please :)

DH and DC1 eat meat but we are mainly a vegetarian household as I don’t eat meat and do most of the cooking. They don’t mind and I do happily cook meat if it’s requested, which doesn’t really happen

thank you in advance :)

My only tip is write on the box/lid/bag the contents. I used labels that fell off when frozen and that didn't go down well! Potluck dinners!

When pregnant, I did portioned out spaghetti bolognaise/chilli base, beef stroganoff (without adding the sour cream), sausage casserole, chicken pie fillings, laksa, fish pie filling and soups for lunches. Also did some smoothie packs like portioned frozen banana and berries etc, some banana pancakes, flapjacks and banana breads 😊 everyone told me it was overkill but im now 10 weeks post partum and just used my last dinner, they were a life saver! I used freezer bags to save space and did roughly two portions each bag

Med veg with little potatoes and feta as a tray bake- or without and you can have with cous cous.

I do a big bolognaise and freeze in portions including the carb. A pre cooked jacket potato in half, open side down on the sauce in a tub is a super easy reheat and then you just flip onto a plate. The more you can do as "all in one" the better!

Veggie sausages roasted in a pan with peppers, onions, tomatoes and a bit of white wine is delicious. Can be eaten with pretty much any carb.
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Also write a list of what you have, and how many, and stick it to the freezer. Eg I write:

Pasta bake 4 3 2 1

Then each time I eat one I cross out a number so I know how many there are left.

I do this, and add on when there's incoming things. Each month I make a new tidy version, its helpful to visually check what's in there and make sure it's correct. An a4 piece of paper with lines drawn to delineate each drawer. Makes it easier to find things too.

I've banned DP from writing on it as his handwriting is atrocious!

I draw little circles on my list, then if you make more, it's easy to add the circles rather than the numbers, then cross out a circle.

lentil bolognese OOOO
mango korma OOOOOO

Get some Souper cubes rather than your foil dishes. Cook, freeze, then decant into bags and then you can repeat. Do one a day and you’ll soon build up a stash. You get get Pyrex lidded dishes the same size as the Souper cubes and then pop dinner in there in morning to defrost and heat by evening.
I do lasagne, curry and rice, pasta bakes etc in them.