Baby G is due to make her debut in 22 days….eek! I’ve been in totalfreak out nesting mode for the past 2 months trying to get as prepared as one can be with the arrival of baby number 2: Goldie’s floral and flamingo nursery, packing bags, nurse gifts…you name it. If you know me at all, or if you’ve been reading Her Happy Home for any length of time, you’ve probably deduced that I am borderline OCD when it comes to planning and preparing foranything. That’s why lots of people are surprised to learn that when I gave birth to my first child a week early, I was NOT ready. Not only did we not have any of our hospital bags packed, but the car seat still sat in the box it came in…and we literally had no idea what to do with it.
Your New BFF
I did anticipate the need for quick and easy dinners once we brought Lincoln home, so Idid make several freezer dinners about a month before my due date. Most of them were Crockpot meals, and it made dinner time a breeze! Although, I can’t take all the credit…this WiFi enabled Crco*kpot was seriously a life saver! You see…I was doing good to just take the meal out of the freezer and put it in the Crockpot to thaw for a few hours. Which was great until dinner time, and I realized I never turned it on. I bought this Crockpot because you can put your food in the pot, andschedule when you want it to come on-FROM YOUR PHONE. I’m sorry-but if that doesn’t impress you, I don’t know what will. It’s one of the best investments I’ve ever made…and that’s coming from a frugal gal. I still use the heck out of it at least once a week.
While wedidhave dinner covered, I struggled with finding something to eat during the rest of the day. Being a new mom, I was terrified of setting my crying newborn down to even brush my teeth…let alone make myself anything for breakfast or lunch. Most of the time I ended up stuffing my face with anything I could eat one handed…which usually ended up being potato chips and Oreos.
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Don’t forget about breakfast!
While wedidhave dinner covered, I struggled with finding something to eat during the rest of the day. Being a new mom, I was terrified of setting my crying newborn down to even brush my teeth…let alone make myself anything for breakfast or lunch. Most of the time I ended up stuffing my face with anything I could eat one handed…which usually ended up being potato chips and Oreos.
Now that I kind of know what to expect after Goldie is born, I wanted to stock my freezer with a variety of easy breakfast foods, in addition to freezer dinners and lunches. The best part about these breakfast freezer meals: they can be eaten one handed. Hallelujah! No, but really…I found that to be so so important. Also, they’re super easy for my husband to grab-and-go when he goes to work, and the muffin-type breakfasts are great for my toddler.
I made 6 different breakfast freezer meal options during my toddler’s nap time one day, which took about 2 hours. And I bought everything I needed at Aldi and HEB for around $40, which I thought was stellar considering the amount of food it makes!
A note about freezing and thawing these breakfast freezer meals:
- While the freezer life of foods will vary, I typically don’t leave meals in our freezer for more than 3-4 months. I doubt these will even last that long.
- I find the best way to thaw individual servings like these is to take them out of the freezer the night before and thaw them in the refrigerator overnight. Youcanpull them right out of the freezer and microwave for a few minutes, but sometimes certain foods (like the burritos or sandwiches) may not heat evenly.
Breakfast Sandwiches (12)
These are so easy to customize to fit your taste buds. Feel free to substitute different kinds of cheeses, meat, or add some fresh veggies to your egg mixture.
-1 dozen eggs
-2 packages of English muffins
-6 slices of ham (I just used deli meat)
-6 slices of bacon
-12 slices of cheese (of your choice)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Spray a muffin tin and crack an egg into each well. Season with salt and pepper and give it a little whisk.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes (or until the eggs aren’t jiggly anymore)
- Once the eggs are cooled, assemble your sandwiches!
I made 6 bacon/egg/cheese sandwiches, and 6 ham/egg/cheese sandwiches. If you want more pictures of the sandwich making process, you can head to my Instagram and check it out!
To freeze, wrap each sandwich in foil or plastic wrapand store in gallon sized Ziploc freezer bags.
Breakfast Burritos (12, give or take)
The amount of burritos this makes depends on the size of your tortillas and how much filling you put in each one. Larger tortillas will make less burritos than regular sized tortillas. Also, I’m a classic “over-stuffer” so I usually end up with enough filling for about 10 regular (but very full) sized burritos.
-about 12 tortillas
-1 dozen eggs
-1 lb. breakfast sausage
-shredded cheddar
-salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Cook your breakfast sausage in a skillet over medium heat.
- In a separate bowl, whisk your eggs together. Don’t forget to add salt and pepper, and any other seasonings you may like. You can also add a little bit of milk if you like fluffier eggs.
- Once your sausage is cooked through, go ahead and add those eggs in there and cook until your eggs are done.
- When your sausage/egg mixture is completely cooled, start building your burritos by placing 1-2 spoonfuls inside a tortilla, and top with shredded cheddar.
To freeze, wrap each burrito in foil or plastic wrapand store in gallon sized Ziploc freezer bags.
Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Roll-ups (16)
I’ll forewarn you, these did not come out looking pretty. But dang are they tasty! One definitelywouldn’t be enough for a meal, so plan on thawing more than one for breakfast…or pair it with a muffin cup.
-2 cans of crescent rolls
-16 sausage links (I used the frozen kind)
-6 eggs
-8 slices of cheddar cheese
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Scramble the 6 eggs with any added seasonings you desire
- Separate your crescent rolls into 16 flat triangles.
- Place half a slice of cheese on each triangle, followed by a spoonful of scrambled eggs, and 1 sausage link (I left mine frozen).
- Loosely roll up the crescent rolls with all the ingredients inside.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes.
To freeze, let the rolls completely cool. Then place each roll into a separate sandwich bag (or wrap in plastic wrap), and store in gallon sized Ziploc freezer bags.
Breakfast Casserole Muffins (12)
(via Thriving Home)
Although the recipe doesn’t call for muffin liners, I use them anytime I’m baking anything in a muffin tin. Not only does it make the muffins easier to remove, but it makes clean up so much easier!
Also, be careful of over filling your muffin tin with your ingredients. These definitely puff up in the oven, and I had a few that overflowed.
-3 pieces of whole wheat bread, torn into small pieces
-3 slices of deli ham
-1 cup shredded cheese
-8 eggs
-1 cup of milk
-2 tsp ground mustard
-salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease your muffin tin or liners.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, ground mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Fill each cup with bread slices about 2/3 of the way full.
- Divide ham and cheese evenly on top of the bread slices.
- Pour egg mixture evenly in each muffin tin.
- Bake 15-18 minutes or until the eggs are cooked through.
To freeze, remove the mini casseroles from the muffin tin and cool completely. Then place each muffin on a cutting board and place in the freezer for 1-2 hours. Once the cups are frozen, you can store them in a gallon sized Ziploc freezer bag (no individual wrapping needed).
Blueberry Banana Oatmeal Cups (12)
(via Organize Yourself Skinny)
I like to use Truvia Brown Sugar Blend as a substitute for regular brown sugar.
-1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen…I used frozen)
-2 eggs
-2 cups of rolled oats (I used instant oats)
-2 ripe bananas
-1 cup of brown sugar (1/2 cup if using Truvia Brown Sugar Blend)
-1 tsp baking powder
-1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees
- Line a muffin tin with 12 greased muffin liners
- In a bowl, mash bananas with a fork
- Beat in the eggs, and add the remaining ingredients.
- Mix well and divide evenly between the 12 muffin liners.
- Bake for about 15 minutes.
To freeze, remove the muffins from the muffin tin and cool completely. Then place each muffin on a cutting board and place in the freezer for 1-2 hours. Once the muffins are frozen, you can store them in a gallon sized Ziploc freezer bag (no individual wrapping needed).
Kodiak Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (12)
This recipe is found on the back of the Kodiak Power Cakes Mix box, so I’m not sure how it would turn out with another pancake mix. I love Kodiak brand because there’s additional protein in their mix….plus, these muffins are SO good!
-2 cups Kodiak Power Cakes Mix
-1 cup milk
-1 egg
-1/2 cup brown sugar (or 1/4 cup of Truvia Brown Sugar Blend)
-1/4 cup softened butter
-2 ripe bananas, mashed
-1 tsp cinnamon
-Optional (but highly suggested!): 1 cup dark chocolate chips
Directions (try to keep up):
- Combine all the ingredients and blend until smooth.
- Fill 12 greased muffin cups 3/4 full.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 14-18 minutes.
To freeze, remove the muffins from the muffin tin and cool completely. Then place each muffin on a cutting board and place in the freezer for 1-2 hours. Once the muffins are frozen, you can store them in a gallon sized Ziploc freezer bag (no individual wrapping needed).
The hardest part about making these different breakfasts is resisting the urge to eat any of them until after Goldie is born. But it is oh-so-tempting! Also, even if you are not having a baby anytime soon…these are great to keep in your freezer for busy mornings, travel, or surprise guests. Pick a few (or all) to make, and load up your freezer!
For more freezer meal ideas, check out my Pinterest board dedicated to simple freezer meals! Also, don’t forget to check out these 3 Easy Freezer Lunches.
