Inside: Cook several of these freezer-friendly recipes six weeks before your due date. You’ll have dozens of postpartum freezer meals ready to go for easy meals without need to resort to crazy expensive take-out!
While I was having my babies, we were part of very supportive churches. We don’t attend church anymore, but I will give them one thing: they KNOW how to do a meal train.
Every few days like clockwork, someone would show up with a hot meal, often with bread and a side salad.
Especially with our first few babies when we were living paycheck to paycheck, we were super thankful! We couldn’t afford to have food delivered, and I had rough labor and deliveries with my first two, so cooking was out.
But the reality is, most of us don’t have that kind of support network available to us. And have you SEEN the cost of take-out? 😱
Prepping recipes in advance can save you a boatload of cash, with the same benefits of take-out or prepared foods. Bonus: you’ll have foods on hand you know you’ll like!
(We sadly became food snobs somewhere between kid #4 and kid #5, so the meal train became less useful as time went on).
Oh, and if you get through a few of these recipes and get tired of all that cooking and freezing, make sure to check out THESE delicious and low prep Costco meal ideas that won’t break your budget.
Related: How to Have a Baby on a Tight Budget – 29 Ways to Save
What You’ll Need to Freeze These Recipes
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Gallon-sized ziploc bags work great for soups and stews!
THESE ziplocs are specifically designed for freezing food and can “stand up” so they are easier to fill.
When defrosting, be sure to let the soup thaw on on the counter first. Then add it to a saucepan for reheating.
THESE aluminum foil 9×13 containers with lids are perfect for casseroles or just about anything that’s NOT soup.
You can thaw in the refrigerator overnight or take it out in the morning to thaw, then reheat casseroles at 350 degrees in the oven until heated through.
25 Recipes for Easy Postpartum Freezer Meals
If there are no specific notes in the recipes themselves on how to freeze after cooking, I’ve included notes on how I would alter/prepare the recipes for freezing.
So be sure to read the text underneath the recipes you’re interested in.
Happy prepping!
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1. Chicken Soup
This bone broth chicken soup recipe is ridiculously easy to make (also great for breastfeeding, if that’s your plan). Just throw all the ingredients EXCEPT the noodles into a slow cooker.
Instant pot instructions are also included.
In the original recipe, noodles are added at the end and cooked through, but here are my recommendations if freezing…
For best freezing results, I would recommend making the soup WITHOUT the noodles. Then freeze in 2-3 separate ziplock for a few meals.
After thawing and reheating in a pot on the stove, add noodles and cook until the pasta is done. Serve with bread or crackers.
2. Beef Stew with Root Vegetables
This scrumptious looking beef stew recipe is the perfect postpartum freezer meal for a fall, winter or spring baby.
The recipe calls for rutabaga, which I don’t normally use in cooking. If it were me, I would substitute sweet potatoes.
Serve with bread OR over French Fries, frozen potatoes or mashed potatoes (Costco’s are delicious)!
3. Mexican Beef and Rice Casserole
This Mexican beef and rice casserole looks delicious, and normally I’m not a casserole fan.
One note: do yourself a favor and just use a whole can of corn, okay? Okay.
For freezing, I would make this recipe through step 5. Cook the rice separately with the beef broth in a rice cooker, then combine with the other cooked ingredients.
Freeze WITHOUT the additional cheese and then complete step 8 after thawing and reheating the entire casserole in the oven.
4. Lazy Lasagna
This lazy lasagna is a glorified ziti bake, but it still looks delicious!
The best part? She included freezer instructions at the bottom of the recipe. Thank you!
Simply cook the lasagna in your aluminum dish to pop it right into the freezer when it’s finished cooling. Done.
5. Keto Pizza Casserole
This Keto Pizza Casserole is like pizza…but without the crust and in easy-to-freeze casserole form. Sounds delish!
Make through step 4, assembling the casserole in your foil dish. Then freeze.
When you’re ready to bake, take it out to thaw. Then finish with step 5 (bake 15-20 minutes).
6. Baked Pasta Mostaccioli
Another baked ziti type dish, this recipe gets its name from the specific type of pasta it uses – mostaccioli. You could also substitute penne if you want.
Again, you assemble the dish, but do NOT BAKE. Instead, put into the freezer.
She includes baking from frozen instructions in the post, adding foil tenting and additional cooking time.
7. Freezer Cajun Roast Chicken & Veggies
This cajun roast chicken & veggies recipe is designed specifically for freezing and is the easiest possible thing you could make!
Toss chicken legs or thighs with chopped veggies and olive oil plus seasoning, then freeze it all.
You just thaw in the refrigerator the night before. Then bake for dinner the next day for 60 minutes.
How easy is that?!
8. Slow Cooker Beef Brisket
Tired of all the casserole-type dishes? Then this shredded beef brisket will be a nice change!
It is stupid simple to make with a slow cooker. Shred, cool, then freeze in portion sizes of your choice in gallon-sized ziplocs.
Thaw and reheat on medium low in a pot on the stove.
Serve on sub rolls or hamburger buns with steamed veggies or frozen air fryer fries – whatever you’re in the mood for!
9. Italian Sausage & Peppers
This simple Italian Sausage and Peppers recipe is so easy to make! She includes freezer instructions in the post.
After reheating, serve over pasta or rice. OR pair with crusty bread to dip in the juices. Whatever you’re in the mood for.
Another nice change from casseroles and soup!
10. Chicken Alfredo Bake
Love white sauces for pasta? Then you’ll love this Chicken Alfredo Bake!
Instead of cooking chicken breast (and for extra flavor), use shredded rotisserie chicken.
This blogger is apparently the queen of freezer cooking, so this recipe already includes freezer to table instructions.
11. Easy Turkey Chili
This easy stovetop turkey chili comes together super fast and is delicious! I guess I’m slightly biased because it’s my recipe.
Make the entire recipe, start to finish. Freeze in ziplocs after cooling.
I serve it with cornbread, cheese and sour cream. But you can serve over baked potatoes or with chips – whatever you like!
12. Traditional Italian Meatballs
These scrumptious-looking Italian meatballs come together in 40 minutes or less.
Double the recipe and make two servings for two different meals – one for pasta and meatballs, and one for meatball subs.
The author recommends freezing the meatballs in sauce for better results!
13. Chicken Satay Curry
When you get tired of all that pasta and soup, you’ll be glad you have this chicken curry in the freezer!
A delicious curry inspired by chicken satay, this recipe has peanut butter, lime, chilis and more. I’m looking at this picture now and thinking about making it for dinner next week myself…YUM.
Make the recipe from start to finish, cool, then freeze in gallon-sized ziplocs. When you reheat, serve with naan or fresh rice (if you don’t have a rice cooker, now’s the time to get one).
14. Sweet Potato Lentil Curry
Looking for a vegetarian curry without peanut butter? This one’s for you!
This recipe comes together in 15 minutes, with a 15 minute additional cook time. Make sure to cool before freezing.
Again, serve with naan or rice.
15. Chicken Slow Cooker Enchiladas
This chicken enchilada recipe looks like the perfect freezer meal!
These enchiladas cook in a crockpot, then you freeze BEFORE adding the cheese.
After cooking, carefully use a spatula to transfer these to a freezable casserole dish or aluminum foil pan with lid.
16. Easy Layered Enchilada Casserole
If you want the taste of enchiladas, but with a lot less work, THIS enchilada casserole is a great choice!
The author says it freezes well – even better if you wrap it in individual portions for easier defrosting.
Serve with sour cream, salsa, avocado and/or fresh cilantro!
17. Make-Ahead Ham & Cheese Hawaiian Sliders
These ham and cheese sliders make for an easy and delicious meal that’s NOT casseroles or lasagna. But I would never have thought to make them ahead! That’s truly genius!
“Your ham & cheese sliders will live happily in your freezer for up to 2 months.”
You can easily customize these, swapping the Swiss cheese for American, or the ham for turkey.
Whatever substitutions you choose, make more than one tray – these are sure to be a hit!
18. Turkey Sweet Potato “No Bean” Chili
Sometimes, the only thing holding you back from making and devouring chili are the beans.
If that’s you, you’re going to adore this freezer-friendly bean free chili! If only my family liked sweet potatoes, I would be making this chili on the regular.
No special instructions with freezing, just make ahead and freeze as you like.
19. Easy Chicken Parmesan Casserole
Want chicken parmesan without the work? Make THIS super easy chicken parmesan casserole with shredded rotisserie chicken or cubed chicken breast.
Once you reheat, you can serve it over pasta – or rice, if you have to. You could also eat it with fresh crusty garlic bread.
20. Mexican Taco Potato Casserole
I would have never thought to put potatoes with taco seasoning or ingredients, but hey, there’s a first time for everything.
So if you’re looking for an unusual Mexican casserole adventure, this Mexican Potato Casserole is for you!
Personally, I would substitute the mozzarella cheese for Mexican cheese.
21. Slower Cooker Hawaiian Chicken
Make this classic Hawaiian chicken ahead of time and get take-out vibes at home without the wait!
This meal cooks in the slow cooker. Cool, then freeze. Serve over fresh cooked rice.
22. Instant Pot Beef American Goulash
This delicious Beef American Goulash is an instant pot masterpiece. Make it in the instant pot, then cool and freeze for later.
The only steps that take more than a little bit of effort are steps one and two, where you sauté the beef and then the onions and pepper.
After that, it’s a “dump and cook” breeze!
23. Easy Taco Soup with Ranch Dressing
This yummy, easy taco soup comes together in no time at all.
Simply sauté the beef and onions, then dump in everything else and simmer 15-45 minutes.
Cool before freezing, and serve with the usual taco toppings – cheese, sour cream, chips, etc.
24. Garlic Bread
I know, I know, it’s not technically a meal…or is it? Garlic bread can be super filling, especially when dipped in warmed up pasta sauce.
You could pair it with a salad, for an easy, filling meal. Or prepare it to go with one of these other soups or pastas.
Either way, who wouldn’t love some garlic bread waiting in the freezer ready to go?
25. Freezer Chicken Fajitas
We’ll end with a super easy freezer meal where you don’t need to cook it in advance!
These freezer chicken fajitas assemble all the ingredients in a freezer bag in advance. Then you pull out, thaw and dump onto a sheet pan to bake.
Don’t forget the tortillas and toppings!
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Do you have a easy favorite freezer meal that comes out perfect every time? Share in the comments!
Owner of Growing Serendipity, June could talk to you all day about homeschooling, parenting, and minimalism, which she does at This Simple Balance. When she’s not homeschooling, decluttering, or blogging, she loves to enjoy perfect silence while sipping a hot cup of coffee and thinking uninterrupted thoughts—which, of course, with five kids, doesn’t happen very often.