10 Freezer Meal Ideas for New Moms

Looking for ways to help a new mom friend? How about providing her with a few freezer meals that she can pull out and {easily} cook up whenever she needs them. The list below includes a few of my own recipes and some of my favorites from other sites!

1. Slow Cooker Chicken Curry
2. Mexican Chicken {delivered with a package of tortillas that can be frozen with the meal!}
3. Simple Ground Beef Enchiladas
4. Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy
5. Slow Cooker Pork Chili
6. Baked Italian Meatballs {delivered with a package of spaghetti noodles & a jar of pasta sauce}
7. Baked Ziti {delivered with a package of frozen garlic bread}
8. Slow Cooker Creole Jambalaya
9. Mediterranean Shrimp
10. Slow Cooker Cubed Steak with Gravy

Throw in a bag of frozen veggies and a tub of ice cream and you have just made one mama very happy!

Slow Cooker Pork Chili

Ingredients:

• 1-lb ground pork
• 1-lb ground beef
• (3) 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes
• (1) 15 oz can chili beans in chili sauce
• (1) 15 oz can dark red kidney beans
• 2 packets of chili seasoning mix (1-1.25 oz each)
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 1 onion
• 2 green peppers
• 1 jalapeno pepper
• 1 TBSP garlic
• 1 cup water

Directions:

1. Brown ground pork and ground beef and drain off any excess grease. Add to slow cooker.
2. While meat is cooking, coarsely chop onion, bell peppers and jalapeno pepper (removing all seeds from the peppers). Chop cilantro. Mince garlic. Add all to slow cooker. 
3. Add all contents from the cans of tomatoes and chili beans to the slow cooker. Rinse the kidney beans and add with one cup water to the slow cooker.
4. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours. Serve hot.
5. Garnish with sour cream, grated cheese and/or corn chips.

To Freeze:

1. Follow steps 1-3 from above and add all (except water) to a large freezer bag. 
2. When ready to cook, thaw overnight and then add to slow cooker along with one cup water and cook according to the directions above.

Baked Italian Meatballs

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb Italian sausage
• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 2 tsp minced garlic {4 cloves}
• ⅓ cup fresh basil – finely chopped
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup milk
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Mix together all ingredients by hand. Roll into 1½-inch balls, place on baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes (until insides are no longer pink).
3. Turn oven to broil and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes to brown and crisp the outside of the meatballs. Serve over pasta with marinara or Alfredo sauce. Yum!

This recipe yields about 50 meatballs -- which is way too many for my family of three, so I always freeze half of the meatballs for a later meal (which still leaves plenty cooked for dinner and for my husband's lunches that week!). 

To Freeze:

1. Place meatballs on baking sheet and pop into the freezer for 20 minutes. 
2. Remove from freezer and place all meatballs in freezer bag and put back in the freezer -- freeze for up to 3 months.
3. When ready to bake, remove from freezer and thaw on greased baking sheet. Follow baking directions above once thawed.

March 2017 Meal Planning

1. Beef & Bean Oven Tacos and salad
2. Easy Grilled Chicken, rice pilaf and Simple Roasted Brussels Sprouts
3. Pork Chops Yum-Yum with quinoa and roasted veggies
4. Denver Restaurant Week Dinner Out! 🌄
5. Leftovers 
6. Homemade Pizza and Caesar salad
7. Pioneer Woman's Perfect Pot Roast with mashed potatoes and green beans
8. Crispy and Tender Baked Chicken Thighs, butternut squash and biscuits
9. Tin Foil Hobo Packets
10. Leftovers
11. Date Night ➽
12. Ham n' Cheese Crepes with salad
13. Stuffed Bell Peppers
14. Turkey Meatloaf with Kabocha squash
15. Green Pepper Chili with cornbread
16. Leftovers
17. St. Patrick's Day! Corned Beef and Cabbage with carrots and Crusty Bread
18. Healthy Beef Stew
19. Chicken burgers and Sweet Potato Fries
20. Breakfast for Dinner! Pancakes, bacon and fresh fruit
21. Crockpot Sesame Chicken over rice with asparagus
22. Shrimp Scampi Zoodles
23. Slow Cooker Creole Jambalaya
24. Leftovers
25. Takeout
26. Soup and grilled cheese
27. Zuppa Toscana Soup with Quick Soft Breadsticks
28. Slow Cooker Chicken Curry over rice with naan
29. Grilled steak with Roasted Parsnips and Carrots
30. Slow Cooker Carnitas tacos and guacamole
31. Leftovers

Meal Planning for 2/16 -- 2/28

Thursday (Feb 16) -- Leftovers
Friday (Feb 17) -- Chicken Fajitas with Fajita Seasoning and Guacamole
Saturday (Feb 18) -- Chicken Burgers (from Costco) with Sweet Potato Fries
Sunday (Feb 19) -- Turkey Pepperoni Pizza
Monday (Feb 20) -- Beef, Tomato and Acini di pepe Soup
Tuesday (Feb 21) -- Slow Cooker Beef Tacos and fresh fruit
Wednesday (Feb 22) -- Leftovers
Thursday (Feb 23) -- Soup and grilled cheese sandwiches
Friday (Feb 24) -- Korean Pork Chops and Simple Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Saturday (Feb 25) -- Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
Sunday (Feb 26) -- Birthday dinner out for my girl 💜
Monday (Feb 27) -- Simple Ground Beef Enchiladas and salad
Tuesday (Feb 28) -- Salisbury Steak Meatballs over mashed potatoes with green beans

Meal Planning for 1/30 - 2/15

We are focused on making healthy eating choices right now, so this menu reflects a balanced menu!

Monday (Jan 30) -- Meatballs with spaghetti sauce over spaghetti squash
Tuesday (Jan 31) -- Slow cooker Chicken Teriyaki Stir-Fry over rice
Wednesday (Feb 1) -- Mediterranean Shrimp with rice pilaf and asparagus
Thursday (Feb 2) -- Garlic-Rosemary Tri-Tip Roast with Simple Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Friday (Feb 3) -- Green Pepper Chili and cornbread
Saturday (Feb 4) -- Leftovers
Sunday (Feb 5) -- Super Bowl! Healthy Chicken Nachos
Monday (Feb 6) -- Mongolian Beef over rice
Tuesday (Feb 7) -- Slow Cooker Creole Jambalaya over rice and biscuits
Wednesday (Feb 8) -- Leftovers
Thursday (Feb 9) -- Baked chicken thighs and roasted veggies
Friday (Feb 10) -- Quick Taco Salad with Guacamole
Saturday (Feb 11) -- Valentine's Dinner Celebration (because we have plans on the 14th): Grilled steak, Twice Baked Potatoes and asparagus
Sunday (Feb 12) -- Turkey Meatloaf and roasted red potatoes and carrots
Monday (Feb 13) -- Crock Pot Sesame Chicken over rice with green beans
Tuesday (Feb 14) -- Chicken & Gravy with mashed potatoes and squash medley
Wednesday (Feb 15) -- Mexican Casserole and salad

Slow Cooker Creole Jambalaya

Ingredients:

• 1½ pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped
• 13-ounce turkey kielbasa, sliced
• 12-ounce bag of Cajun style mirepoix blend (or 1 cup each of chopped green bell pepper, onion and celery)
• 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 1-3 tsp cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you'd like it!)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp Creole seasoning
• 1 tsp minced garlic

Directions: 

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. Serve over rice.

Freezer Directions:

This is a great recipe to freeze. In fact, I usually make one or two extra batches when I make it for dinner to freeze for later. For best results, combine all ingredients in Ziploc freezer bag, label and pop in your freezer (use within 3 months). When ready to cook, thaw in refrigerator and follow directions above.