Cooking is the last thing on some mothers minds that just gave birth. Mothers need to rest and the best advice I ever got was to do freezer meals ahead of time. Freezer meals will honestly save you if you do not have help around or do not have a meal train set up. If you have little kids already in the house and are adding an additional little one it is really hard to get a healthy meal in at times.
The recipes below are easy and take about 30 min to prep.
Please look out for any allergies
Starting with the beef recipes my favorite to freeze are:
- Paleo Beef Chili
- Meatloaf
- Beef Stew
Paleo Beef Chili
What you need:
3 sweet potatoes chopped
1/2 onion diced
1 lb ground beed
1-14oz can diced tomatoes
1tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
Put all the ingredients together in 2 separate Ziplock gallon bags (mine does not fit into one, go for one if yours does.) Put in freezer. When ready to cook, take out the night before to defrost. Put into crockpot on low to cook during the day. You can add some cheese on top if you do not want to do Paleo or avocado. This one is yummy!
Meatloaf
What you need:
1 cup of milk
2 lb ground beef
3 cloves of chopped garlic
1 egg
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 onion chopped
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup crushed crackers
Mix all the ingredients thoroughly together. You will need to shape the meatloaf into a meatloaf shape you want. Use plastic wrap to wrap it up tightly. Take out the night before your meal to defrost. Cook for 1 1/2 hours at preheated oven at 350 degrees F. Add ketchup on top after its done cooking and serve!
Beef Stew
What you need:
1 lb of beef stew meat
4 cups of favorite stew veggies (celery, carrots, onion, bell peppers)
1 quart of beef both
salt/pepper to taste
Place all ingredients in a gallon size Ziplock bag. Thaw out the night before. Cook on low in your slow cooker during the day. Feel free to modify this one with veggies you like and herbs. Enjoy!
Here are my favorite chicken freezer meals:
- Shredded Chicken
- Greek Chicken
- Cauliflower Chicken
Shredded Chicken
What you need:
1-14 oz can of diced tomatoes
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
salt/pepper to taste
1 tbsp of lemon juice
3 garlic cloves
3 lb skinless boneless chicken
Add all the ingredients in a gallon Ziplock bag and freeze. Thaw out the night before cooking. Set to cook in crockpot for 4-6 hrs. Pull chicken apart with fork. Serve it up with rice and make it a taco night!
Greek Chicken
What you need:
2 cups of bell peppers
1/2 tbsp thyme
1/4 cup fresh Rosemary
1 cup olive oil
1 cup lemon juice
3 lb skinless boneless chicken
Put all the ingredients in a gallon Ziplock bag and freeze. Thaw out the night before cooking. Slow cook on 4 hrs. Serve with salad and some feta cheese. You can even buy some pre-made French Fries in the freezer section and bake those for the side.
Cauliflower Chicken
What you need:
3 garlic cloves
1 onion diced
1 tsp paprika
2 tbsp curry powder
1- 14oz can diced tomatoes
6 cups frozen cauliflower
1 can coconut milk
4 lb chicken breast
Put all ingredients into gallon Ziplock bag and freeze. Thaw out the night before. Place in crockpot for 4 hrs.
So as you can see my friends, these are pretty simple recipes that you can do pre-baby and freeze them for when you are ready to use them.
You can even double these recipes if you want and test them out for your dinner beforehand. Freezer meals come in handy in a crunch. This gives you more time to heal and rest with healthy meals waiting for you.
Let me know which ones worked for you! I’d love to hear what you thought of them. If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact me.
Much love,
Krystina RN, BSN, CBE
Coach, Mentor, Trainer
