Well… I knew I would have my hands full once Wyatt made his arrival, but I definitely underestimated how tired I would be with two little ones. Thank goodness for our AMAZING family bringing us food and the freezer meals that I prepared at the end of my pregnancy.
I can’t lie, these past few weeks have been rough at times. There have been moments where I wasn’t sure I could handle a feisty two year old that is adjusting to having a brother and a lazy nursing newborn (we are trying to wean from the nipple shield!) who is definitely a fussier baby than Adele was. Again, I am SUPER thankful for my amazing family who has been so supportive during this transition. I have been learning to accept and ask for help when I need it, which has always been a struggle for me. My husband is the most supportive partner ever! He allows me to vent and reminds me of how awesome I’m doing. A bonus is he makes sure I get showers! LOL 😛
Here is Kyle demonstrating our feelings sometimes… 😛
All I have to say is if you have a baby on the way (and especially if you already have another child) to allow yourself to accept help, don’t feel like you are burdening people when you need to vent, don’t feel bad for not enjoying every moment, and PREP SOME FREEZER MEALS! That list should be longer, but that is for another day and another post. I am actually wishing I would have prepared more freezer meals because they are so convenient! Once I get in more of a routine there will be more made for sure.
I scoured Pinterest for recipes that even Adele may eat so that we didn’t have to worry about making something separate for her. We try to get her to eat whatever we are eating, but sometimes that doesn’t work out. I was crossing my fingers that she would eat these meals and for the most part, she did!
The freezer meals that we prepared were: Mini chicken pot pies, Chicken bacon ranch casserole, and Mexican stuffed shells.
Jump To First Recipe
The Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole is courtesy of Pillsbury.
Here is the link: https://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/make-ahead-chicken-bacon-ranch-pasta/80d39497-ff60-49fa-92f1-3b1248b3139b
Everyone liked this one and it was super easy thanks to rotisserie chicken! I want to try a BBQ version of this when I finally have time. Apparently, I had pregnancy brain while making this and did not take any pictures of the steps. Thankfully this recipe is super simple and doesn’t need much explaining. 🙂
Mexican Stuffed Shells are from Six Sisters’ Stuff.
Here is the link: https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/stuffed-mexican-chicken-shells-freezer/
When I made these I just jumped to the recipe and did not read the blog post. Because of this, I did not see that when you freeze this you are not supposed to put everything together until the shells are defrosted and they are ready to go in the oven. I had everything put together and it was frozen for about two weeks and they turned out AMAZING! I can’t tell you if they would have turned out as well if they were frozen any longer, but ours turned out great all put together.
While the shells were cooking I prepared the chicken. The recipe calls for 4 cups of diced chicken breast. I wanted to make sure this recipe was full of flavor so I made my chicken breasts seasoned with a mixture of seasonings that created a Mexican flavor and cooked them in the instant pot.
Next was the filling. Add diced chicken, drained black beans, green onions, diced peppers, and cumin into a large mixing bowl. Mix well.
In a separate bowl, mix the cream cheese, chicken broth and undrained tomatoes with chiles. When thoroughly combined, pour it over the chicken mixture and mix well.
Here is where I should have read the blog post if you are going to freeze this meal. To freeze this “correctly” you now stuff the shells and put them in an airtight container or freezer bag. You do not layer the salsa and cheese until you are prepared to cook.
Once you are ready to cook and you have defrosted the shells, set the oven to 350 degrees. You will need two 9×13″ pans. Spread 3/4 cup salsa on the bottom of both pans. Lay shells down in a single layer over the salsa.
Drizzle 1/4 cup salsa over shells in each pan. Then sprinkle 3/4 cup cheddar cheese over the top of each pan.
Cover each pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
These were SO GOOD! Unfortunately, it seems that little Wyatt’s tummy does not agree with black beans.. so I won’t be making this for a little while :/
The Mini Chicken Pot Pies recipe is from Fabulessly Frugal.
Here is the link: https://fabulesslyfrugal.com/recipes/freezer-meal-recipes-chicken-pot-pies/
The first thing to do is cook the 1 1/2 pounds chicken. You can either do this on the stove or in the crockpot. I chose to cook mine in chicken broth in a dutch oven on the stove. Do not get rid of the chicken broth that is left over from cooking. This will be used in the recipe. Next time I will most likely use the crock pot and use thighs instead of breasts for more flavor.
Once the chicken is done prepare your veggies and filling.
Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender. Transfer veggies into bowl with diced chicken.
Over medium heat, melt 4 Tbsp butter in the empty pot. Stir in the flour and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the reserved chicken broth and milk. Bring to a simmer and stir occasionally until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes, make sure you don’t burn the bottom! Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Remove from the heat and stir the chicken, vegetables and frozen peas into the sauce. Transfer to medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about an hour.
Once again I had pregnancy brain and did not take pictures of the steps above or anything to do with creating the crusts. Oops.
Unwrap and unroll pie crusts onto a lightly floured surface. Glue 2 crusts together using 1 beaten egg. Repeat with remaining 2 crusts. Cut out 6 pastry toppings by cutting around the edge of an overturned pan.
Divide cooled mixture among six 2-cup disposable aluminum loaf pans. Top with pastry and use fork to seal edges. Make 3 steam vents in each crust.
Tightly wrap each loaf pan in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of foil. Freeze for up to 2 months.
When ready to cook heat oven to 400 degrees. Unwrap frozen pot pies and arrange on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush crust with beaten egg, cover with foil and bake 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until crusts are golden brown, about 35 minutes. Let pot pies rest 10 minutes before serving.
I think I overcooked the crusts a little bit too much the first time around. I will be making these again for sure! These are what comfort food is made of. I’m not sure if each one of these is supposed to be for one person, but that is what I did because they are so good, haha.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb uncooked rotini pasta
- 3 cups shredded or pulled deli rotisserie chicken
- 1 bottle 16 oz ranch dressing
- 1 cup crisply cooked and crumbled bacon 9 to 11 slices
- 2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend 8 oz
Instructions
- Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.
- In large microwavable bowl, mix pasta and remaining ingredients.
- Microwave uncovered on High 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted and mixture is hot and steaming.
- To freeze: Spray 2 (8-inch) disposable foil cake pans with cooking spray. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. In large bowl, mix pasta, chicken, dressing and bacon. Divide mixture between pans. Top with cheese. Spray pieces of foil large enough to cover pans with cooking spray. Cover pans with foil, sprayed side down. Place foil-covered pans in gallon-size resealable freezer plastic bags, or wrap in double layer of plastic wrap. Label and freeze. To bake: Thaw pan(s) overnight in refrigerator. Heat oven to 350°F. Remove from plastic, and place foil-covered pan(s) on cookie sheet. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until instant-read thermometer inserted in center of mixture reads 165°F. If baking from frozen, bake 60 to 75 minutes.
STUFFED MEXICAN CHICKEN SHELLS
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken breast cooked and diced
- 1 can black beans rinsed and drained
- 6 green onions diced
- 1 green pepper diced
- 1 red pepper diced
- 3 8 oz. blocks cream cheese, softened (not melted)
- 2 14 oz cans diced tomatoes with chiles, undrained (Rotel or store brand)
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 cups salsa
- 40 large pasta shells
Instructions
- Cook pasta shells in well salted, boiling water until al dente (still have a little bite to them- if you cook them too long, they will be difficult to stuff). Drain the pasta and set aside while you make the filling.
- For the filling, add diced chicken, drained black beans, green onions, diced peppers, and cumin into a large mixing bowl. Mix well.
- In a separate bowl, mix the cream cheese, chicken broth and undrained tomatoes with chiles. When thoroughly combined, pour it over the chicken mixture and mix well (if you have trouble incorporating the cream cheese and tomatoes, you can heat it slightly in the microwave).
- You will need either 2 9x13" baking pans OR one large baking sheet. Spread 3/4 cup salsa in the bottom of each 9x13" baking pan.
- Using a spoon, fill each of your cooked pasta shells with chicken mixture, setting them into the salsa-covered pan. Continue until all shells are filled and arranged in the pans.
- When the pans are full, drizzle the shells with the remaining 1/2 cup of salsa (1/4 cup per pan) and then sprinkle with the shredded cheddar cheese.
- Cover the baking pan tightly with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Notes
FREEZER MEAL: CHICKEN POT PIES
Ingredients
CHICKEN AND FILLING:
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for cooking
- 1 onion chopped fine (about 1 cup)
- 3-4 carrots peeled and sliced (about 1 cup)
- 2-3 stalks celery chopped (about ½ cup)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 3/4 cup frozen peas
THE REST:
- 2 boxes refrigerated pre-made pie crust 4 crusts
- 2 large eggs one for crust and one for baking
- 6 two-cup disposable aluminum mini loaf pans
Instructions
CHICKEN
- Stovetop: Place the chicken and 2 cups broth in a large pot or Dutch oven and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Cook the chicken until it is just done (don’t overcook or it will dry out) – about 10-12 minutes. If the chicken pieces are large, you may need to pound them or cut them in half so they will cook more quickly.
- Slow Cooker: Or you can place the chicken and broth in a slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 5 hours.
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a medium bowl. Pour the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup and reserve. Return the pot to the stovetop (no need to wash it).
FILLING
- Heat the olive oil in the now-empty pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 5 minutes. While the vegetables are cooking, shred or chop the chicken into small bite-size pieces. Transfer the cooked vegetables to the bowl with the chicken; set aside.
- Over medium heat, melt the 4 Tbsp butter in the empty pot. Stir in the flour and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the reserved chicken broth and milk. Bring to a simmer and stir occasionally until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes, taking care not to burn the bottom. Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Remove from the heat and stir the chicken, vegetables and peas into the sauce. Transfer to medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about an hour (if freezing the pies and not cooking immediately).
CRUSTS:
- Unwrap and unroll pie crusts onto lightly floured surface. Glue 2 crusts together using 1 beaten egg. Repeat with remaining 2 crusts. Cut out 6 pastry toppings by cutting around the edge of an overturned pan.
TO ASSEMBLE:
- Stir frozen peas into cold filling and divide mixture among six 2-cup disposable aluminum loaf pans. Top with pastry and use fork to seal edges. Using paring knife, make 3 steam vents in each crust.
PREPARING FOR THE FREEZER:
- Tightly wrap each loaf pan in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of foil. Freeze for up to 2 months.
- PREPARE AFTER FREEZING:
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400. Unwrap frozen pot pies and arrange on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush crust with beaten egg, cover with foil, and bake 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until crusts are golden brown, about 35 minutes. Let pot pies rest 10 minutes before serving.
