Suggestions for Frozen Meal Preparations w/Baby on the Way

[Canada_Mom]

Hi! We're expecting #4 in a couple of weeks and I would really like to be prepared this time and have meals in the freezer. I was hoping to have stuff like stews, spag. sauce, soups etc. ready to just heat up, but the problem is I don't know how to store/freeze them. I don't have ice cream buckets to put the food in- and that's about the size we'd need, if not bigger (for whatever reason everyone here has a BIG appetite so we need large meals).

What's the best way to freeze meals like those mentioned above for a large family?? Thank you!!

[Tammy in Germany]

Could you use gallon size freezer bags and freeze 2 things on a tray at a time, then stack them accordingly. When cooking double the recipe and freeze one large portion for another meal. Does that make sense?;)

[momofkhm]

Last time I was pg, I started at about 5 months along and just made a double batch of whatever I was cooking. I did this 2 or 3 nights a week. I think I froze stuff in ziplock bags. They have 2 gal size if you need them that big. Between what I made and what friends brought in, I didn't have to cook for 6 weeks!

[jmgconner]

Congratulations Canada Mom!

The best, most efficient way I've found is to use plastic ziploc-type bags. Fill your bag about 2/3 full, make sure it's zipped tight, and lay it flat on a cookie sheet in the freezer until frozen. It freezes fairly flat, and then you can stack them or arrange the bags like books on a bookshelf in your freezer. It saves so much more space than using tupperware or ice cream containers.

ETA: You may need to use two or three large ziploc bags for your family. Right now, I use one bag for the "meat" part of the dish, and one for the veggie part of the dish. Make sure you write on the bag that it's bag #X of how every many you have.

[Faithseed]

In addition to using multiple baggies for meals, I also use quart jars to freeze things such as chili, soups, and sp. sauce.

I've also found that those jars will burst if I try to "quick thaw" them, so let them thaw in the sink many hours before dinner.

Don't forget some bread to go with your meals, and congratulations!!

~Faithseed

[Excelsior! Academy]

We used to have a church group that got together once a month and just cooked for the freezer. I still make many of those recipes!