new momma meals;
table of contents;
These new momma meals are a brainchild of mine when the first of my best friends had her first baby! I was looking for something that I could do for a new momma and poppa but wouldn’t impose on them. I hate crowding new parents and want them to adjust and not feel like they have to entertain me or expose baby before they’re ready. Naturally because I am me, I thought of food.
You can never go wrong with food, and for new parents who are barely sleeping, no one has time for meal planning, grocery shopping, or intense cooking. And if you pack everything up in a freezer bag, you definitely don’t have to impose. I left the freezer bag on my friend’s porch, texted her, and left without even bothering them! No need for them to feel like they have to put on clothes, or even see me. And they were so grateful for the food, and I was so happy to do something for them.
The more I think about these new momma meals, the more reasons I find to love them:
- New parents can use them on their own schedules (so long as they have freezer space). Every baby, parent, and family is different. Maybe they’ll be grateful to pull one out the day they get home from the hospital, or maybe they’ll pull them out week 4 after grandparents or caregivers have left and they’re on their own with this new little person for the first time.
- These are all dump slower cooker meals, so they make multiple portions. So if you do want to feed grandparents too, no problem! Or if you want leftovers for just a new momma you’re all set
- And of course my “new momma meals” isn’t limited to new mothers or parents. These freezer dump meals are perfect for someone dealing with bereavement, or to help out your recent grad setting out on their own, or if you need a backup meal yourself when you’re running around on a crazy weeknight.
Here in this post you’ll find recipes for four of my favorite freezer dump meals for your freezer, as well as a bonus dessert! And you’ll find even more crockpot and slow cooker meal ideas you could adapt at the end of this post.
We’ll start with salsa chicken, a literally two-ingredient meal, though if you want to include taco fixings you’ll add a couple more ingredients. Pulled pork dump meal is another classic go-to, a freezer-prepped take on my original pulled pork recipe. Slow cooker mac ‘n cheese is one you’ll never go wrong with, and I wanted a little variety, so I included a freezer breakfast casserole. Plus of course, I had to include a quick and easy dessert option: mini cheesecakes!
Before I send you off to the recipes, first, a tip! Get out your ice cube trays! I find that freezing some of liquids in ice cube trays makes it easier to dump later. It helps keep the liquid separate so it’s not just one single ice hunk. This helps both when loading up your slow cooker, and also helping the ingredients melt and mix evenly. It also makes it easier to fit in a freezer and rearrange without getting stuck with the weird shape you crammed into your freezer.
Freezer Meals
easy 2-ingredient salsa chicken;
This recipe is so easy, it barely warrants a recipe. Which is why it makes a great new momma meal. Easy for you, easy for them! As long as you cook the chicken you basically can’t screw it up. It comes out flavorful and moist and is literally TWO ingredients. Like…is it even a recipe if it has less than 2 ingredients? Spoiler alert, the ingredients are in the name. Simple, and yet an extremely versatile recipe, and delicious to boot.
easy salsa chicken;
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 jar salsa (traditional salsa is great, but try flavors like salsa verde, cowboy caviar, or your favorite!)
- 1 pkg tortillas (optional)
- 1 pkg shredded cheese (optional)
- 1 pkg shredded lettuce (optional)
Instructions
assembly instructions;
- Label and add instructions to a gallon ziplock bag (I’ve also fit the ingredients in a quart sized bag).
- Optional: freeze salsa in ice cube trays prior to packing.
- Add the salsa cubes or empty the jar of salsa into the bag, then add 2 chicken breasts.
- Freeze
cooking instructions;
- Empty contents into crock pot
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high 3-4.
- Serving suggestions: tacos, quesadillas, nachos, salads.
I like to include taco fixin’s with the salsa chicken meal. I just buy them and pack them separately. Technically shoving meat in a shell is a valid meal but to make it a bit more robust, you could also include cheese, sour cream, lettuce, and or tomatoes.
I prefer not to go overboard with the refrigerated items though because it’s hard to keep everything together and I don’t want stray ingredients in the back of the fridge when all is said and done. Plus everyone has their own preferences for toppings so the recipients can build their own.
pulled pork dump meal;
Another two-ingredient dump meal makes this another no-brainer to include! This pulled pork recipe always renders juicy and tender and makes for some great pulled pork sandwiches. But don’t stop there—pulled pork nachos are delicious. Or use some extra taco shells and make tacos, or make the mac ‘n cheese later on in this post and toss on some leftover pulled pork! The possibilities are endless.
pulled pork dump meal;
Ingredients
- 2-4 lbs pork shoulder
- 1 packet Campbells slow cooker sauce (I recommend the apple bourbon pulled pork)
- 1 package potato buns or slider rolls
Instructions
assembly instructions;
- Label and add instructions to a gallon ziplock bag.
- Optionally pour slow cooker sauce into ice cube trays and freeze.
- Add pork shoulder and slow cooker sauce into a bag and freeze.
cooking instructions;
- Allow ingredients to thaw.
- Add ingredients to slow cooker and cook 8 hours on low (6 hours on high).
- Shred pork and add back to sauce. Serve on potato rolls.
I recommend writing out the first “thaw” step here explicitly on this recipe. Because the whole pork loin is bigger than a single chicken breast it may affect cooking times more if wholly frozen. There’s no harm in cooking it from frozen from a safety standpoint, but it may take significantly longer. And no one wants a hangry new momma.
slow cooker mac n’ cheese;
Because who doesn’t need comfort food?! If mac and cheese isn’t the ultimate comfort food, I don’t know what is. This one has a few more ingredients and makes a whole big pot of macaroni. But the best part is, if you make this early you can use it as side dishes with some of your other meals. Mac and cheese is a perfect pairing with pulled pork. But it can also stand on its own as a creamy cheesy delicious main meal.
slow cooker mac ‘n cheese;
Ingredients
- 2½ cups milk
- 1 12 oz can evaporated milk
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 pound small shell pasta or pasta of choice like elbows or rotini
- ¼ cup butter cubed
- 4 oz cream cheese (½ a 8oz brick)
- 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 4 oz Colby Jack cheese shredded
Instructions
assembly instructions;
- Label and add instructions to a gallon ziplock bag.
- In ice cube trays, freeze the milk and evaporated milk.
- To the bag add your cheddar and Colby Jack cheeses. Add spices: 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp smoked paprika.
- Cube the cream cheese and butter into roughly 1Tbsp chunks and add to the bag.
- Add the frozen milk and evaporated milk. Pour in the box of pasta on top and seal.
cooking instructions;
- Add all ingredients to the crock pot. Arrange so that cubes of liquid are on the bottom.
- Cover within and cook 2-3 hours on low, stirring occasionally (at least once after hour 1).
- Mac and cheese is done after pasta has absorbed all the liquid and is cooked.
Fun fact, did you know you can freeze pasta? I didn’t know that before I did some research to make sure it was ok in the freezer. You can always include the box of pasta separately if you want to save some freezer space, but I included it in the gallon bag. I figure the fewer ingredients you have to dig around for, the better.
freezer breakfast casserole;
I also wanted to include not just dinners, but a breakfast. Because breakfast is always acceptable as brinner, but it’s nice to have some variety for breakfast. This breakfast casserole is loaded with tater tots, eggs and sausage for protein, and of course a sprinkle of cheese.
freezer breakfast casserole;
Ingredients
- 32 oz bag of tater tots
- 1 lb breakfast sausage
- 6 large eggs
- 2 Tbsp heavy cream
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
Instructions
Assembly instructions
- In a medium bowl add 6 eggs and 2 Tbsp heavy cream. Whisk together. Add seasoning (1:4 tsp thyme, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp each salt and eppper). Stir to combine. Pour into ice cube trays and freeze.
- Brown sausage in a pan. I like to crumble it up and cook it, but you can also cook links or patties, but then I recommend cutting them up afterwards to bite sized pieces. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
- Label and add instructions to a gallon ziplock bag.
- Optionally add ½ the tater tots. (Skip this step if you prefer to leave them separate entirely.)
- In the gallon bag, add 1 cup Colby Jack cheese.
- Add the sausage and cubes of frozen egg. Optionally top with remaining tater tots.
Cooking instructions.
- Spray slow cooker with cooking spray.
- (Optional, if keeping tater tops separate) add ½ bag tater tots to the crock pot.
- Empty contents of bag on top of tater tots layer.
- Optionally cover with remaining tater tots.
- Cover and cook on high 2-3 hours on high or low 4-6 hours.
Bonus Dessert
mini no-bake cheesecakes;
easy individual mini cheesecakes;
Ingredients
- 1 pkg individual graham cracker pie shells (comes with 6 shells)
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup sugar
- 5 oz greek yogurt (roughly 1 single-serve cup)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- chocolate chips or chunks (optional)
- toffee bits (optional)
Instructions
assembly instructions;
- In a medium bowl, add softened cream cheese, sugar, greek yogurt, vanilla and beat with a hand mixer until combined and fluffy.
- Spoon equal parts of the cheesecake mixture into each of 6 individual graham cracker pie shells, and smooth out.
- Top with toppings as desired, like chocolate chips or toffee bits. Wrap individually in plastic wrap and freeze as needed.
cooking instructions;
- Place desired servings into the fridge overnight to thaw before serving.
Additional Ideas
The above are some of my go-to meal ideas for new momma meals. But don’t stop there! Swap and change to suit your new momma tastes. Try some of these additional deeee-licious slow cooker meals. They’re not written out exactly as freezer dump meals, but in general:
- Freeze liquids in ice cube trays before packaging and add frozen cubes to the bag first.
- Remember to write instructions before you package everything up! Condensation will ruin your markers.
Check out some of my favorite slow cooker meals that are just an adaptation away from being included in your new momma meals:
- Thai peanut chicken is a delicious savory inclusion that changes up cuisine from a lot of your classic American flavors! Make sure the recipients of your generosity have no issues with peanuts or coconut though!
- Especially for winter months, I love including these slow cooker short ribs. It makes a kind of stew and simmers carrots to tenderness for a hearty stew-like meal.
- This recipe for cheesy chicken and dumplings takes a decent few ingredients but it’s absolutely one of my favorites to feed a crowd. And the crowds usually agree!
4 Comments
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September 21, 2023 at 9:04 pm
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September 21, 2023 at 9:04 pm
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Laura
July 15, 2024 at 3:30 pm
Great recipes and additional ideas for prep-ahead meals!
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August 30, 2024 at 7:02 pm
[…] freezer slow cooker meals, perfect for gifting, prepping, or a quick plan for dinner, these new momma meals are some of our go-to meals for quick, easy, and tasty. Recipes like salsa chicken, crock pot mac […]