I knew I wouldn’t feel like cooking for a little while after the baby was born. So I had this great plan that I would pre-make and freeze several meals so I could just pop them in the oven and have real meals without the work. What I didn’t realize was how hard it would be to stand in the kitchen for hours prepping these meals while eight months pregnant…
If I had the opportunity to do it over, I would still make the meals (even more of them) but I would make them earlier, maybe during the blissful second trimester!

I started by picking the recipes I wanted to make (meals I know my husband and I like). Then I hit Costco with a list of supplies I needed.

Here are the meals I decided to make to freeze for after the baby came.

Meal #1
Sausage, Potatoes and Peppers:

Ingredients:

• Your choice of sausage (I picked mango jalapeno chicken sausage)
• Onion
• Bell peppers
• Yukon Potatoes
• Garlic
• Blackened seasoning
• Poultry seasoning

Directions:

• Cut sausage, potatoes, peppers and onion into bite sized cubes.
• Season all evenly and mix in a medium bowl.
• Vacuum seal and freeze.

Meal #2
Bacon, Egg and Cream Cheese Bagel Sandwich: 

Ingredients:

• Cheese bagels
• Cream cheese
• Precooked bacon
• Eggs

Directions:

• Scramble the eggs, season to taste.
• Spread cream cheese on each side of the bagel.
• Layer bacon and egg and place the other half of the bagel on top.
• Wrap in clear wrap and foil.
• Freeze

To Cook:

Preheat over to 400 degrees and place bagel sandwich in over for 30 minutes.

Meal #3
Cheese Stuffed Meatballs:

Ingredients:

• Ground Turkey
• Eggs
• Cheese
• Bread Crumbs
• Garlic
• Season Salt
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients except the cheese.
• Grab a chunk in the estimated size of the desired meatball.
• flatten meat in the palm of your hand, place a square of cheese in the middle and roll into a meatball.
• Vacuum seal and Freeze.

Meal #4
Breakfast Burrito Filling:

Ingredients:

• Eggs
• Precooked bacon
• Yukon potattoes
• Shredded cheddar jack cheese
• Season salt
• Garlic
• Salt

Directions:

• Scramble eggs
• Cut potatoes into cubes
• Tear bacon into small pieces.
• Season eggs and potatoes to taste.
• In a vacuum seal bag layer salsa, eggs, potatoes, bacon and cheese.
• Vacuum seal and freeze.

To Cook:

Thaw ingredients and warm up in the microwave for 3 minutes. Spoon filling into tortillas for breakfast burritos.

Meal #5
Chicken Enchiladas:

• Chicken Breasts
• Tortillas
• Cheddar Jack Cheese
• Cream of Chicken Soup
• Onion
• Sour Cream
• Salsa
• Diced Tomatos
• Rotel
• Chili Powder

Directions:

• Boil chicken breasts and shred and cool.
• Chop onion.
• Drain tomatoes.
• In a medium bowl, combine soup, sour cream, salsa, onion, tomatoes, Rotel and chili powder.
• In a separate bowl combine chicken, cheese and 1/3 sauce mixture.
• Fill six tortillas with chicken filling and roll into enchiladas.
• Place rolled enchiladas in a tin disposable casserole dish.
• Pour remaining sauce evenly over enchiladas.
• Top with additional cheese, chopped onions and diced tomatoes.
• Cover with tin foil and freeze.

To Cook:

Preheat oven to 375 and place enchiladas in oven still frozen (DO NOT THAW). Cook for 45 minutes to an hour or until warmed through and bubbly.

These meals worked out great for my family! It was so convenient to not have to worry about all that goes into creating a meal or running to the store for missing ingredients while trying to figure out this new tiny human I had just brought into the world.