The past year or so a lot of my friends have gotten pregnant and mentioned they want to prepare for the upcoming arrival of their little ones by making some meals that can freeze ahead. One less thing to worry about is very smart and I decided to put together a list of the top 5 freezer-proof recipes for her and my other friends who have recently had a baby or are soon to have one.

These are not only great meals for making ahead but they also happen to be some of my favorite kinds of recipes of all time. I hope these recipes will help all you families out there that are expecting a child, have a child and want to make life easier, or simply busy with work and need to make things simpler! If you have a recipe you recommend to add to this list please share in the comments below!

1. Meatballs! These can be tailored to whatever meat your prefer such as using ground turkey or ground chicken or any mixture of ground pork, ground beef and ground veal. This recipe is my very favorite, reliable, and tasty version of this Italian staple.

https://www.everydaycookingadventures.comanne-burrells-excellent-meatballs/

2. Soup! This recipe is for a great fall or winter soup using butternut squash, but soup is a great go-to freeze ahead option. Whether you use cauliflower, broccoli, gazpacho, pumpkin, tomatoes, carrots, or whatever is in season, you can make big batches of soup and freeze them in resealable plastic bags or Tupperware.

https://www.everydaycookingadventures.commartha-stewarts-butternut-squash-bisque/

3. Stuffed Pasta Shells! This also goes for Lasagna! You can either use meat or go vegetarian (just amp up the spinach perhaps) for this freezer-proof recipe. I think these pasta shells are great because they are perfect also for if you have company coming over. They look pretty and only need a side salad and perhaps some crusty bread to make a whole meal worthy of your guests. When it come to the pasta shells, if you freeze them in a couple different containers, you can be sure to get multiple meals from it.

https://www.everydaycookingadventures.comortensia-blus-baked-stuffed-shells/

4. Roasted Chicken Breasts! Chicken breasts are obviously extremely versatile. Once they’re cooked all you need to do is heat them back up in pasta or soup, use them on sandwiches or in salad, or simply add your favorite sauce to them and serve as the main course.  By using a basic seasoning when first baking the chicken you make sure that your future recipes will have nice flavor and the juices are sealed in. Try not to use a seasoning mix that is too ethnic however as your future needs can’t be as varied.

https://www.everydaycookingadventures.comurban-accents-roast-chicken-with-spring-vegetables-giveaway/

5. Meatloaf! This is my mom’s recipe for meatloaf and I have liked it since I was a little child. It is great if you have kids because I am pretty sure they will gobble it down. If you want to make individual-size meatloaf then bake them in muffin tins instead of a loaf pan.

https://www.everydaycookingadventures.commoms-moist-meatloaf/

6. Casseroles…A last tip that comes to you from “Cooks Illustrated” magazine: If you make a casserole larger than for one dinner, cut it into large squares and freeze in a resealable bag or container so that you have individual sized portions to reheat as needed.