Freezing entrees for post-partum period

[Anonymous]

Hi, I am 3 weeks from my due date and decided I ought to start getting some meals ready. I want to start wtih lasagna but am not sure how to freeze it. Is it best to assemble and freeze or assemble, bake and freeze? If it matters, it is a fresh tomato sauce with ground beef. Also, I use pyrex baking dishes. Any tips for how to go from freezer to oven without breaking the glass. Should I thaw overnight in the refrigerator?

And finally, any other suggestions for good meals to make ahead and freeze? Many thanks.

[Anonymous]

I would freeze them in disposable foil pans. That way all your pyrex isn't tied up in the freezer, in case you need it for something else. Someone else posted on here that she lines the pyrex with wax paper (I think), then freezes, then pops the frozen food out of the pyrex and wraps it well to store in the freezer, and it fits right back in the pyrex when ready to cook. I haven't tried that but that might work too.

You can assemble and freeze the lasagna, no need to bake before freezing.

Other things that freeze well are hearty soups. I love making huge pots of soup and freezing in different size portions - I'll freeze some in individual sized for lunches at work, others in larger sizes for a family meal, etc. They are inexpensive, filling, and you can make a lot at once. Things like vegetable-barley, split pea, chicken noodle, etc are really nutritious, easy to make, and great in the winter months. Same with chili (beef or turkey). You can also freeze cooked rice separately to go with the chili.

[Anonymous]

Many thanks. Any suggestions on the baking time or is it the sort of thing you just have to watch? (My recipe calls for 15 mins at 375).

[Anonymous]

If you are putting a frozen casserole right in the oven, I think it would take closer to an hour to cook through, but I would check it at 30 minutes and again at 45 minutes. Cooking at 375 sounds fine. I would guess that 15 minutes would barely heat up a casserole that was in the fridge, let alone the freezer.

[Anonymous]

I'd go to Costco/shoppers and get frozen food rather than do a cooking marathon. frozen lasagna, chicken, meatballs, soup. Jarred sauce.

[Anonymous]

I am not the OP but am going to freeze our own meals too. I understand it takes longer etc but my husband has high blood pressure and feeding him lots of prepared meals from the frozen foods section is not an option. Those things are full of sodium and just don't taste good to us anymore.

[Anonymous]

baking lasagne straight from the freezer probably takes an hour, if not a little more. you might want to see the directions on the backs of frozen prepackaged lasagne to get an idea of how long and at what temp to do it. i would definitely use those disposable aluminum trays though. the glass would just create potential exploding issues.

[Anonymous]

Op here. Wondering if YMohs has any suggestions for meal assembly services . . .

Also, looking for additional recipe ideas. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

I cooked up a storm in the months before DS was born. He is now 11 mos and I was jsut tonight saying how much I wished I had somethign to take out of the freezer!

I froze onw whole lasagna in a disposable pan. You'll need to bake for about 1 hour at 375. I also cut another lasagna into pieces and froze in smaller rubbermaid containers, each piece separated by foil. This was good lunch or quick dinners b/c the individual pieces could be microwaved.

Other items I froze: hearty soups, chili, turkey meatloaf, enchiladas.

After we ate all the food, the freezer started getting stocked with breastmilk. Now that we are dwindling that down, I hope to get the freezer full of meals again. It was nice to have on maternity leave, but now that Im back at work FT I REALLY need the convenience.

[Anonymous]

OP if you think you'll be BFing, consider foods that you can eat with only one hand. I agree about breaking into smaller pieces before freezing.

[Anonymous]

I don't know how many you are but for lasagna I bake it, chill it and then cut into blocks and individually wrap them in foil and then place in a ziplock. That way we can pull out however many blocks we want. Other things I made and froze: quiche (cut in half), chili's, split pea soup, breakfast foods like muffins, waffles and pancakes all frozen in quantities of 2.