The Best Make Ahead Freezer Meals for Expectant Mothers

My dad’s mom was a wonderful cook. She grew up in Mississippi and learned her way around the kitchen from her southern mother. Many of my dad’s favorite memories from growing up revolve around the kitchen and meal time in his family. So, when my mom was pregnant, my grandparents came to town and my grandmother planted herself in the kitchen for multiple days whipping up an endless amount of make ahead meals that she could freeze for my parents to eat. My mom always said that having both healthy and hearty meals on-the-ready when you’re taking care of a newborn is the best thing in the world and something she still appreciates from my grandmother to this day. 

I knew I wanted to prepare for life with a newborn in the same way so my mom, sister, and I spent a full day cooking six recipes (we each came prepared with two recipes) that were great for freezing and eating later. Each recipe made a lot of food so Edwin and I had leftovers from each meal and were SO happy to have already made delicious food on hand. As soon as a baby arrives, life revolves around the baby and we have found that days have passed where we haven’t been up for cooking. We also knew we weren’t going to want a lot of take out. So, trust me when I say that spending a day pre-birth prepping the best make ahead freezer meals for expectant mothers is fun and beyond worth it!

The Best Make Ahead Freezer Meals for Expectant Mothers

Instead of pulling recipes I found from around the internet, I tapped a few of my friends who are amazing chefs and bakers to share the best make ahead freezer meals for expectant mothers. If you are pregnant, then let this post be your best friend! If you know someone who is expecting, then I think an incredibly lovely gesture would be to make them one of these meals so they can have it frozen and ready in their freezer. These women are all amazing and their recipes are so incredible too! I hope y’all enjoy! A big thank you to these lovely ladies for contributing!

Healthy Baked Oatmeal with Elisabeth Farris of Elisabeth and Butter

Hi there! My name is Elisabeth Farris and I run a baking blog called Elisabeth and Butter. I grew up in the kitchen and have been baking for as long as I can remember. I started Elisabeth and Butter as a way to inspire others to step out of their comfort zone and create something new. And I love connecting with readers nationwide along with hosting cookie decorating classes in the place my husband and I call home, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. My recipes are simple, delicious, and they also usually contain lots of butter!

This Healthy Baked Oatmeal is my favorite recipe to make for new moms and it’s the perfect thing to make ahead and freeze before your baby comes. Packed with oats and naturally sweetened, it’s a great breakfast that will help with milk production and keep you full for hours. To freeze, bake it in a disposable aluminum pan and then let it cool completely. When cooled, cover tightly in plastic wrap, letting the plastic wrap touch the oatmeal, and then cover in heavy duty aluminum foil. I sometimes wrap mine twice in aluminum foil so no air enters. Freeze up to 2 months and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before warming it up.

Healthy Baked Oatmeal Ingredients

– 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted before measured
– 1/2 cup honey
– 2 large eggs
– 1 cup milk (cows milk, almond milk or coconut milk all work great)
– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
– 3 cups old-fashioned oats
– 2 teaspoons baking powder
– 1 teaspoon salt
– 1 teaspoon cinnamon
– For serving: honey, cinnamon, fresh fruit

Healthy Baked Oatmeal Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8×8 or 9×13 (depending on how thick you want it) baking dish with parchment paper on the bottom and up the sides.

2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk all the wet ingredients together. Add the oats, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and stir until combined. Let this mixture sit for 15 minutes so the oats can absorb some of the liquid. Pour into lined pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown on top and set.

3. Serve warm with honey and also fresh fruit. Store covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze up to 2 months and then allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Healthy Baked Oatmeal Notes

This recipe is great with fresh or frozen fruit baked into it. Then to make this gluten-free, use gluten-free oats.

Paleo Turkey Chili with Kameryn Tanita of Sullivan Street Eats

Hi! I’m Kameryn – a former picky eater turned food-enthusiast and holistic health coach. I started my food blog, Sullivan Street Eats, as a way to inspire other people. I realized that if I can change my diet after 20 years, I know it’s also possible for others to start making small changes in their lifestyle that can have a larger impact on their health.

This turkey chili recipe is perfect for make-ahead meals, especially for new moms who are looking for nutritious, delicious food. In addition, this recipe is loaded with vegetables, lean protein and lots of flavor. All you have to do is re-heat and top with some fresh avocado for some healthy fats!

Paleo Turkey Chili Ingredients

– 1 medium red onion
– 2 large red peppers
– 3 cloves of garlic
– 4 medium-size carrots
– 1 jalapeño
– 2 tablespoons of olive oil or avocado oil
– 1 cup of finely chopped tuscan kale
– 2 cans of peeled San Marzano tomatoes
– 3 lbs of organic ground turkey
– 2 tsp salt & pepper
– 2 tsp of cayenne pepper
– 1 avocado (sliced) for serving

Paleo Turkey Chili Instructions

1. Dice the onion, red pepper, garlic, carrots, and jalapeño, Set aside.

2. In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add ground turkey and season with salt and pepper and cayenne. Stir until the turkey is almost completely cooked through (~8 to 10 minutes).

3. In a separate pot, heat olive oil and add in the diced veggies. Simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Once the veggies are partially cooked and tender, add in the ground turkey and canned tomato. Stir well. 

5. Cover and cook on low heat for 15 minutes.

6. Add in the kale and let simmer for another 5 minutes.

7. Serve with sliced avocado.

8. Enjoy!

Paleo Turkey Chili Notes

Prep Time: 15 minutes       Cook Time: 30 minutes

White Pesto Spinach Lasagna with Tieghan Gerard of Half Baked Harvest

Tieghan Gerard of Half Baked Harvest here! As one of 7 kids, I know how busy and exhausted moms can be after giving birth. So I have some great make ahead recipes that can be frozen. All of these recipes are hearty and use whole ingredients. Plus, you have to have a sweet in there too. 🙂

A little about my blog: The recipes you’ll find here are inspired by the people and places I love most. I come from a family of nine, and a big family means BIG meals. So in an effort to tame some of our mealtime chaos and get dinner on the table at a respectable hour, I began to help cook. I soon realized how much I enjoyed it, and before I knew it, I had taken over cooking our meals full-time. I captured the process in photos and documented my best recipes, and that’s how Half Baked Harvest was born.

White Pesto Spinach Lasagna Ingredients

– 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive
– 6 tablespoons salted butter
– 12 ounces wild mushrooms, roughly torn
– kosher salt and pepper
– 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
– 1 tsp dried oregano
– 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
– 2 cups whole milk
– 2 cups vegetable broth
– 2 cups shredded Emmi Raclette (provolone or fontina can be used)
– 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
– 2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
– 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen spinach, thawed and drained
– 1/2 cup basil pesto, homemade or store bought
– 1 box no-boil lasagna noodle

White Pesto Spinach Lasagna Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.

2. Heat the olive oil In a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook undisturbed for 5 minutes or until golden, stir and continue cooking until the mushrooms have caramelized, 3-5 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the skillet to a plate. 

3. Add the butter, garlic and oregano, salt, and pepper and cook 30 seconds or until fragrant. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute. Add the milk and broth. Bring to a boil and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the Raclette cheese and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is smooth. Set the cheese sauce aside.

4. In a medium bowl combine the ricotta, spinach, and pesto.

5. Spread 1/4 of the cheese sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with 3-4 lasagna sheets. Spread with 1/2 the ricotta cheese mixture, another 1/4 of the cheese sauce, and half of the mushrooms. Place another 3-4 lasagna noodles on top and then top with the remaining ricotta cheese mixture, another 1/4 of the cheese sauce, and the remaining mushrooms. Add the remaining lasagna noodles and pour the remaining cheese sauce over top. Top with a 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until the top has bubbled up and browned a bit. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

White Pesto Spinach Lasagna Notes

Prep Time: 15 minutes       Cook Time: 30 minutes Servings: 8

A few other amazing make ahead meals I suggest for moms-to-be to cook and freeze are: easiest herby tomato soup with melted brie crostini // coconut sweet potato lentil soup with rice // creamy vegan chocolate fudge pops.

Classic Chicken Noodle Soup with Caitlin Chapman of Caitlin Confidential

My name is Caitlin Chapman, I am the founder of the lifestyle blog Caitlin Confidential. Caitlin Confidential serves as a platform for seasonal living, recipes, fashion, and clean beauty. Having grown up outside of Boston and now residing on the west coast, I seek to merge my experiences of both coasts. In an era of trends, fast food, and fast fashion, my mantra has always been an engagement in the everyday, focusing on quality over quantity, and encouraging readers to find delight in the day-to-day little moments. I regularly show my weekly trips to the farmers market, seasonal recipes, and the benefits and joys of home cooking.

Classic Chicken Noodle Soup is a great recipe to make ahead of time and freeze in batches. I have included the recipe for homemade chicken stock which really just entails putting all the ingredients in a pot and having it bubble on the stove for a couple hours. From there, you can freeze the chicken stock alone and make the soup the day of or make up the entire soup and stick it in the freezer. This recipe is easy to make ahead of time and comforting for a new mom who wants something delicious and warming but doesn’t want the stress of cooking up a big meal.

Classic Chicken Noodle Soup Ingredients

– 2 quarts homemade chicken stock (recipe follows) or store-bought
– 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch diagonal rounds
– 2 celery stalks, diced
– Cooked chicken meat, shredded (see Chicken Stock, recipe follows)
– 8 ounces dried egg noodles such as cavatelli, ditalini, or other small shaped pasta
– Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley and dill, for garnish

Classic Chicken Noodle Soup Instructions

1. Place stock in a stockpot over medium high heat and bring to a simmer.

2. In a a separate pot, cook pasta according to instructions until al dente. (This allows for the pasta not to absorb too much of the broth or become mushy.)

3. While the pasta cooks, shred the cooked chicken meat and add to the chicken stock pot. Add carrots and celery and simmer until tender, about 6 minutes. Add pasta and heat until hot. Season with salt and pepper.

4. When ready to serve, stir in parsley and dill.

Chicken Stock Ingredients

– 1 3-4 Ib chicken
– 2 medium onions, cut into quarters
– 2 carrots, chopped in thirds
– 2 celery stalks, chopped in thirds
– 1 head of garlic
– 10 sprigs fresh flat leaf parsley
– 10 sprigs fresh dill
– 1 Tablespoon whole black peppercorns

Chicken Stock Instructions

1. Place the chicken, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, parsley, dill, and peppercorns into a large stock pot. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch (about 3 quarts.) Bring to a boil over a medium high heat. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, use tongs to remove the chicken from the pot and set aside until it is cool enough to handle.

2. Remove the meat from the bones and set meat aside, and return bones to the pot. Continue to simmer for at least 1 and half hours and slightly reduced by an inch or two. Strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer and return stock to another large pot.

Turkey Sausage, Spinach and White Bean Soup with Liz Adams of Hello Adams Family

Hi! My name is Liz Adams, I’m a mom to Charlie (5), Jack (3) and baby boy #3 due in January! I started blogging in 2011 and rebranded to Hello Adams Family in the fall of 2018. I love to chat about motherhood, share recipes, family life, personal style and more. I’m so grateful for our HAF community that appreciates the real and raw moments that make up life! It’s my happy corner of the internet. 

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made this turkey sausage, spinach and white bean soup! It is the coziest recipe, packed with flavors and perfect for this time of year. I love to make a double batch to keep in the freezer which makes it perfect for expecting moms who don’t have time to get in the kitchen but want something that tastes like a big hug. 

Turkey Sausage, Spinach and White Bean Soup Ingredients

– 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
– 4-5 sweet italian/hot italian sausage (I use turkey sausage)
– 1 medium onion, diced
– 2 cloves of garlic
– 2 15oz. cans of cannellini beans
– 4 roma tomatoes, diced
– 1 tsp kosher salt
– 1/4 tsp black pepper
– 2 bunches of spinach
– 2-4 cups of chicken broth (personal preference, if you want more of a soup or more of a stew)
– Yia-Yia’s greek seasoning or Cavenders seasoning to taste
– Grated parmesan to top

Turkey Sausage, Spinach and White Bean Soup Instructions

1. In a large soup pot, saute sausages until cooked through (remove from casings first). Remove sausage from the pot and set aside.

2. In the same pot, saute the garlic and onion until translucent, add one carton chicken broth, tomatoes, salt and pepper and greek seasoning to taste.

3. Rinse and drain beans and add to soup. If soup is too thick you can add more broth.

4. Add grated/shaved parmesan to taste (I use a lot!).

5. Add spinach to pot until wilted.

6. Add more salt and pepper, greek seasoning and parmesan if needed! Enjoy! 

Squash Soup with Melissa Norton of Cucina Melissa

Hi! I’m Melissa! An Italian trained private chef. I also own a DIY handmade pizza and pasta kit company in Los Angeles called Cucina Melissa. I focus on buying the best ingredients from the farmers market and sourcing everything local. I’m so happy to be feeding people authentic and artisan style food. Please enjoy this delicious recipe! It is so perfect for new moms!

Squash Soup Ingredients

– 4 butternut squash halved and scooped out
– 2 onions halved 
– 4 cloves of garlic peeled
– 3 Leeks, chopped 
– 1 lemon, squeezed 
– 3 sprigs of thyme
– 4 leaves of sage 
– 2-3 cups of chicken or vegetable stock depending on the consistently you want
– 1 tbs creme fraiche
– 1 tbs miso paste (optional)
– Toasted pumpkin seeds to garnish

Squash Soup Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 

2. Toss squash, garlic, onions with olive oil salt and pepper 

3. grab a baking sheet and put the squash inner flesh side down 

4. Add onions thyme sage and garlic to the sheet and roast for 30 minutes until soft to the touch and golden. Let it go to 45 if it’s not soft enough 

5. Add all of the vegetables to a blender or food processor with the chicken stock and miso paste 

6. Blend until smooth 

7. Top with creme fraiche and toasted pumpkin seeds 

8. Lasts in freezer for about a month 

For my expectant mothers out there, I hope this post is helpful for you and gives you a little inspiration in the kitchen! I can’t tell you how grateful I was to my mom, my sister, and myself for setting aside an afternoon to cook make ahead meals that we froze before I had Rowan. It was truly a godsend those first few weeks after returning home from the hospital with a new baby! I wanted delicious nutritious meals but didn’t have the bandwidth or energy to make them. Trust me, cook ahead! xx