The holidays come with cheer, family, and fun. Am I right? They also come with food, decorations, and in-laws.
One of the most stressful parts of the holidays for pregnant mamas can be the cooking.
Endless dinners, countless lunches, and brunches with the extended family, and who knows how many snacks for the little ones who are off from school.
The good news is, Pregistry put together some easy freezable dinner and lunch recipes so that you can cook when you have time and relax when you don’t!
Just a quick pop in the microwave and you can have hubby (or mom) rub your feet while you wait!
1. Chicken Pot Pie
This dish is an easy favorite for young and old alike!
You will need:
- 2 cups diced peeled potatoes
- 1-3/4 cups sliced carrots
- 1 cup butter, cubed
- 2/3 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1-3/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1-1/2 cups whole milk
- 4 cups cubed cooked chicken
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 4 sheets refrigerated pie crust
Preheat oven to 425°. Place potatoes and carrots in a large saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, covered, 8-10 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain.
In a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender. Stir in flour and seasonings until blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in chicken, peas, corn and potato mixture; remove from heat.
Unroll a pie crust into each of two 9-in. pie plates; trim even with rims. Add chicken mixture. Unroll remaining crusts; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits in tops.
Bake 35-40 minutes or until crust is lightly browned.
Cover and freeze unbaked pies. To use, remove from freezer 30 minutes before baking (do not thaw). Preheat oven to 425°. Place pies on baking sheets; cover edges loosely with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Reduce oven setting to 350°; bake 70-80 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and a thermometer inserted in center reads 165°.
This pie can last weeks in the freezer and tastes as though it was just made when heating it up! Its an all-time favorite in my home and will be in yours as well!
2. Lasagna Casserole
When kids hear this dish is coming out they dance their happy dance! It has cheese, pasta, and looks like a real old-fashioned dinner.
What you need:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
- 1 pound medium pasta shells, cooked and drained
- 4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
- 3 cups 4% cottage cheese
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
- 1 jar (24 ounces) pasta sauce
In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Sprinkle with salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the pasta, 3 cups mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley and remaining pepper. Transfer to a greased shallow 3-qt. baking dish. Top with beef mixture and spaghetti sauce (dish will be full).
Cover and bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted.
Sprinkle casserole with remaining mozzarella cheese. Cover and freeze unbaked casserole. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake casserole as directed, increasing time as necessary to heat through and for a thermometer inserted in the center to read 165°.
3. Zucchini Pizza Casserole
Vegetables and pizza together?! You will be able to successfully pacify your grandparents and your children with one freezable dish!
What you need:
- 4 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 can (15 ounces) Italian tomato sauce
- 1 medium green or sweet red pepper, chopped
Preheat oven to 400°. Place zucchini in colander; sprinkle with salt. Let stand 10 minutes, then squeeze out moisture.
Combine zucchini with eggs, Parmesan and half of mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. Press into a greased 13×9-in. or 3-qt. baking dish. Bake 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat, crumbling beef, until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add tomato sauce; spoon over zucchini mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses; add red pepper. Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes longer.
Cool baked casserole; cover and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Unwrap casserole; reheat on a lower oven rack until heated through and a thermometer inserted in center reads 165°.
4. Forgotten Jambalaya
If you really want to impress I would recommend using this recipe! Spicy, savory, and outright delicious it will be a family favorite for many years to come.
What you need:
- 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) beef or chicken broth
- 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
- 3 celery ribs, chopped
- 2 medium green peppers, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1-1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 pound smoked sausage, halved and cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 1/2 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
In a 5-qt. slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, broth and tomato paste. Stir in the celery, green peppers, onion, garlic, seasonings and pepper sauce. Stir in chicken and sausage.
Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in shrimp. Cover and cook 15-30 minutes longer or until shrimp turn pink.
Place individual portions of cooled stew in freezer containers and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little water if necessary.
