I’m SO close to being full term that I can almost taste it! 4 more weeks to go and I’ll be a mother in every sense of the word…it’s a bit surreal, actually. In the time that I do have remaining, I’ll be prepping: deep cleaning, organizing, purchasing last minute items (and there are many!), and cooking, cooking, cooking away!
But I do have to admit, I am a mediocre cook on a good day. So now that it’s come time to cook a freezer full of meals, I’m feeling a bit befuddled. You see, I’m determined to lose this 30 lbs of baby weight that I’ve gained, so I’m focused on freezing healthier meals…which is really not as easy as it seems people!
Most freezer meals that I’ve come across are pastas and lasagnas and casseroles all smothered in cheese and lacking much nutrition. They all look delicious, of course, and while I won’t deny myself a few fatty meals (exactly what a girl deserves after hours of labor!), I do still have that end goal in mind.
After a bit of research, however, I did manage to find a few meals that not only look delicious, but healthy as well. And I did mentioned that I was a mediocre cook, yes? So easy is also a must for me!
Here’s what I found:
SLOW COOKER WHITE CHICKEN CHILI: (courtesy of Sweet Anna’s)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Yield: serves 6-8, depending on serving size
Ingredients:
- 3 chicken breasts (raw or cooked), cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cans white beans, drained
- 1 regular can pink beans (pinquitos)
- 1 large can diced green chiles
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 jalapeño, minced*
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup finely crushed tortilla chips
- 2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
Directions:
(Remember, tastes and jalapeños are all different! If you are not sure you like much spice, feel free to remove the seeds from the jalapeño, use less, or leave it out all together if you must!)
Throw all the ingredients, except for the crushed tortilla chips and cheese into your slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.
During the last 30 minutes, stir in the crushed tortilla chips and the shredded cheese and heat until the cheese is melted and the chili has thickened.
Serve with guacamole, sour cream, salsa, chips, or whatever else you think sounds good!
CHICKEN POT PIE: (courtesy of Freezerdinner.com)
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes, 1.5 hours after freezing
Yields: 2 pot pies (6-8 servings each)
Ingredients:
- 4 cups cubed cooked chicken (ham, shredded beef or turkey)
- 4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 cups sliced carrots
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 cup butter or margarine
- 1 cup flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1½ cups milk
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup frozen corn
- pastry for two double-crust 9-inch pies, or use biscuit/baking mix to make crust (or you can simply buy the ready made crusts!)
Directions:
Boil potatoes and carrots in a large stockpot. In another pot, boil cubed chicken for 8 minutes. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer vegetables for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain vegetables and chicken and set aside.
In a large skillet, sauté onion in butter until tender. Stir in the flour, salt, thyme, and pepper until blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the chicken, peas, corn, potatoes, and carrots. Remove from heat.
Crust option 1: Line two 9-inch pie plates with bottom pastry; trim even with edge of plate. Fill pastry shells with chicken mixture. Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pies. Cut slits or decorative cutouts in pastry. Place over filling; trim, seal and style the edges. Bake one pot pie at 425ºF for 35 to 40 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.
Crust option 2: Mix together 2 cups biscuit/baking mix, 1¼ cups milk, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, ½ teaspoons celery seed. (Mixture will be thin.) Sprinkle over top of chicken pot pie. Bake at 350ºF for 30 to 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cover and freeze remaining pot pie for up to 4 months.
To serve frozen pie: Cover edges of frozen piecrust with foil; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 425ºF for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350ºF and bake for 70 to 80 minutes longer, or until crust is golden brown.
SWEET POTATO BLACK BEAN SOUP: (courtesy of The Fitness Dish)
Ingredients:
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- 1 small onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
- 1-16 ounce can of Eden Food Brand black beans (or 16 ounces dry soaked)
- 1 cup finely chopped Brussels sprouts (secret ingredient!)
- 36 ounces of organic low sodium vegetable broth
- 7 ounces of coconut cream or full fat plain Greek yogurt (Fage)
- a pinch of cayenne pepper
- a pinch of red pepper flakes
- salt & pepper, to taste
Directions:
Dice onions. Peel and chop sweet potatoes into 1 1/2 inch cubes. Dice Brussels sprouts into fine slices, discarding outer leaves. Rinse black beans and mince the garlic. Place all of the ingredients into a large Dutch oven (or soup pot). Bring the soup to a boil, uncovered. Then place a lid on the top, turn it down to medium-low and cook for 3-4 hours, stirring frequently.
Then take half of the soup mixture, I left a lot of the sweet potato chunks and beans and took most of the onions and sprouts and placed them with most of the broth in my Vitamix. Blend until smooth. Place the pureed soup back in with the potatoes and beans and mix. Season as desired. Sprinkle hemp seeds on top and serve!
You could also make this in a crock pot. Just throw everything in and cook on high for 8 hours or so.
Amazingly, I’m actually excited to try out these recipes for myself!
Do you have any healthy and easy recipes to share with a momma-to-be? I’d love to hear from you!
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