freezing dinners

PrairieMom wrote: I have been in full swing baby prep lately. Last week I made 5 taco cassaroles to freeze and last night i made 10 batches of spaghetti sauce to freeze so we will have meals to eat and I won't have to cook when Baby girl gets here. i am still planning on making chili and sloppy Joe meat.
All these things have hamburger in them tho, and i am thinking I may get a little sick of eating all that ground beef, and pluss they are all hot meals. who wants to sit down to a nice hot plate of spaghetti in the middle of summer? Anyone have ideas for other things I can make ahead that aren't so hot? or that don't contain beef?

Kated replied: You might get a littlie sick of them LOL. Im sorry I dont have any onther Ideas but I do have to say I LOVE YOUR AVATAR!!!!!!!!!!!!

AlexsPajamaMama replied: I make my shepards pie with ground turkey...thats an easy make ahead meal you could try

PrairieMom replied: Ive never had shepards pie. What is it?

PrairieMom replied:
Thanks! ND is Flippin sweet!

AlexsPajamaMama replied: Shepards pie or some people call it Chinese Pie...its Ground Turkey, Corn and Mashed potatoes layerd in a baking pan, I use glass, and heated in the oven.


http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1618,158174-232204,00.html

mckayleesmom replied: After you have the baby...have your dh go out and stock up on lettuce....and tuna.....Tuna over salad is yummy and nice for a hot day.

JP&KJMOM replied: Homemade chicken pot pie or other chicken something receipes and also use chili for hot dogs. Can't help much on cold stuff to freeze though.

Kudos to you for the planning in advance though. I just made Jason cook all the time with both of mine but he is a better cook than me most of the time!

Cece00 replied: google "chicken recipes" & you can find TONS of good stuff that is OK to freeze...whenever I want a new receipe I do this....

you could have chicken fajitas...bbq chicken....chicken & dumplings

PrairieMom replied: oh! Tuna sounds so good! I'm the only one that eats it, but it is a total staple in the summer time for me. Thankfully summer eating isn't that hard, it doesn't take much to throw together a pasta salad or something. I figure if we don't eat what I stock up on this summer it will be good in the fall and winter when I will probably still not feel like cooking!

5littleladies replied: You could grill up some chicken breasts, cut into strips or chunks, and freeze to use for Grilled Chicken Salad.

mckayleesmom replied:
I buy the chicken breast that come in a bag....and you can take them straight from the freezer to the oven......totally handy.

boyohboyohboy replied: how about a ham, you can have it hot for dinner and then ham sandwiches for that week!
and do the same with chicken.
my mom makes a great mayo chicken
you spread the mayo on the chicken and sprinkle parm cheese on it and bake, its good and juicy and then you can make chicken salad out of the left overs...

I know you said you are sick of beef, but mom also made us small loafs of meat loaf in those disposable bread tins, that was nice to just pull out.

my husband made us lots of sandwiches and fruit. Just send him to the store weekly!

Great planning though!
good luck.

luvmykids replied: OK, I don't have any suggestions but a dumb question, do you bake and then freeze or freeze as it is and thaw and bake it later?

mummy2girls replied: stews, soups, lazagna...

PrairieMom replied:
For my cassaroles I combined everything like normal up to the point when you would put it into the oven, then froze it so all I will have to do is thaw and bake.
my spaghetti sauce I also cook like normal, cooled it off, put it into gallon sized baggies so all I will have to do is thaw and heat it up, and boil some noodles.

luvmykids replied: Thanks!

ashtonsmama replied: Hmmmm...just stock up on bread/sandwich makings I guess! And buy alot of frozen dinners like pizza or something like that-although you said no hot meals...hmmm...if you want something you can make now and freeze, I'd say lasagna! Yummy!
I'm in nesting mode too, even this early on in the PG! Everyone's been laughing at me for getting ready so early...