We have plenty of ideas for preparing a feast for your freezer, from simple homemade suppers to delectable pastries that can serve a houseful of hungry visitors.
Making preparations in advance
Cooking up a storm may not be the first thing on your mind when you're expecting a baby and all the cuteness, mayhem, and visits that come along with it. However, in between the muslins, diapers, and blankets, a batch of handmade, pre-cooked meals may make those early days a lot simpler. After all, who wouldn't want to avoid the burden of grocery shopping, cooking, and dishwashing during these hectic times?
If you don't feel like undertaking a kitchen blitz, just double the portion sizes of your weekly dinners and freeze half of them using these family-friendly freezable recipes.
Family recipes to freeze
Juggling a family is difficult enough, but adding a hungry toddler or adolescent to the mix, as well as a newborn infant, makes things much more difficult. Don't worry; our recipes are designed to please everyone in the family and are also freezer-friendly.
You'll thank yourself later if you make a couple of them in advance. Our large-batch chicken soup is versatile, easy to prepare, and feeds four people with leftovers. Make a foundation using our recipe and add vegetables and grains to boost it out. Make these miniature lentil shepherd's pies ahead of time and reheat them when you're ready for a filling meal.
Family comfort cuisine that can be frozen
After the birth of a baby, a little peace and a calming bowl of comfort food may be just what you need. As adorable as they are, babies seem to have no regard for sleep and eating times. Instead of spending your free time in the kitchen, relax with a velvety lasagne or a savory slow cooker sausage casserole. Warm up with an aubergine veggie chili that contains four of your daily five-a-day vegetables, then top with creamy avocado, soured cream, and cheddar cheese.
Dinner dishes that can be frozen are healthy.
A hearty bowl of our nutritious tomato soup is a crowd-pleaser, and the leftovers of this five-vegetable dish may be frozen for a light dinner later. The best cure for cold nights when you have hungry mouths to feed is a slow cooker chili packed with hidden vegetables. Our spicy turkey & pepper bake is low-fat, filling, and takes just 15 minutes to make.
Baked goods that can be frozen
Newborns usually bring a slew of excited visitors, which is beautiful but exhausting, particularly if the home is a shambles and you're still in your pajamas. You'll feel more at ease about hosting if you have a cache of ready-made baked cookies or cakes on hand. Serve a rhubarb buckle slice, a traditional chocolate chunk cookie, or a batch of our simplest-ever biscuits as a teatime treat.
Vegetarian recipes for freezing
You may be in need of a nutritional boost due to sleepless nights and nursing infants. With these nutrient-dense vegetable dishes, you'll reap the rewards in no time. For a low-fat evening, try nutritious double bean and roasted pepper chili, a well-seasoned roasted eggplant, tomato curry, or our aubergine, tomato, and halloumi pie.
Vegan recipes to freeze
For hectic evenings, a freezer-friendly spaghetti sauce is an ideal solution. Make a batch of our pasta with tomato and hidden veg sauce without the cheese and freeze the sauce for later. Our vegetable protein chili is a terrific way to get a lot of nutrients in a big amount. Make a tray of herby falafels that can be frozen and stuffed into pitas with hummus for a quick meal.
Fakeaways that you may put in the freezer
Friday evenings may not be nearly as rowdy as they once were, but a handmade chickpea curry or a slow cooker chicken tikka masala from the freezer will still seem special.
Puddings that freeze well
It doesn't get much more difficult than caring for a newborn infant throughout the day (or night), so now is as good a time as any to indulge in some delectable handmade desserts. Prepare a batch of them ahead of time and store them in the freezer for whenever the need strikes. Try our quickest lemon pudding, which just takes 10 minutes to prepare, or our squidgy chocolate pear pudding, which uses rich dark chocolate and canned pears for a very fulfilling dessert. For a delicious snack with your afternoon cup of tea.
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