Freezer Meals to Make Before Baby Arrives

Ingredients

Meat sauce

• 2 TBSP oil
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 kg (2.2lb) mince/ground beef
• 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• 2 cups beef stock
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 2 TBSP chopped fresh herbs e.g. rosemary, oregano, parsley or 1 TBSP dried mixed herbs
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
• 1 TBSP brown sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

Cheese sauce

• 80g butter
• ½cup (70g) flour
• 4cups milk
• 1cup grated cheese
• 2tsp dijon mustard
• ¼tsp nutmeg
• Salt & pepper

To assemble

• 400g dried or fresh lasagne sheets
• ½cup grated cheese

Ingredients

• 250g dried macaroni
• 50g butter
• ¼cup flour
• 2cups milk
• 1 ½cups grated cheese (I used a mixture of tasty & parmesan)
• Salt & pepper
• ¼tsp nutmeg (optional)
• 1tsp wholegrain mustard
• Toppings
• ½cup breadcrumbs
• ½cup grated cheese
• ½cup crispy bacon bits

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add the dried macaroni. Cook according to package directions, drain and set aside.
2. In a microwave proof jug, heat 2 cups of milk for about 1 minute, until warm. Set aside. (This step is optional but speeds up the cheese sauce process)
3. In a medium sized pot add the butter and flour and cook over a medium heat until the butter has melted, whisking constantly. Cook for a couple of minutes, being careful not to let it burn.
4. Add about ½ cup of the milk and whisk it into the flour mixture until there are no lumps. Add the rest of the milk and bring to boil, whisking all the time to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom and go lumpy.
5. Once the sauce thickens (5-8 minutes) take it off the heat and whisk in the grated cheese, nutmeg (if using), wholegrain mustard and salt & pepper.
6. Add the cooked macaroni to the cheese sauce and stir through. At this point you can add anything else you want to add to - maybe peas, broccoli, chorizo etc.
7. Pour into an oven dish, top with the remaining grated cheese, bacon bits, and breadcrumbs. If you are planning on freezing the mac and cheese, at this point cover the dish with gladwrap or put in a snaplock bag and freeze. When you are ready to eat it, remove it from the freezer a few hours before you are ready for it and continue as below.
8. If you are eating it immediately, bake at 180°C for 15 minutes or grill at 200°C for 5-10 minutes until the cheese is golden brown.
9. Serve immediately

View this recipie on Laura's website

Ingredients

• 8English muffins
• 8eggs
• 2Tablespoons milk
• Salt & pepper
• 4large rashers of bacon
• 8cheese slices
• Mayonnaise

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F
2. Whisk together the eggs, milk and salt & pepper. Pour into an oven proof dish, around 30cm x 20cm in size and bake for 12 minutes or until the eggs have set. Allow to cool before slicing into 8 pieces.
3. Place rashers of bacon on a baking tray lined with a silicone liner or baking paper and bake for 10-12 minutes until cooked to your liking. Allow to cool and slice the rashers in half.
4. Turn up the oven to 200°C/392°F on the grill setting. Cut the muffins in half and place on a baking tray and grill for 10 minutes until golden brown. You may also use the toaster for this step. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before assembling the muffins.

To assemble the muffins

1. Spread mayonnaise on the bottom half of the muffins then add a slice of egg, a slice of cheese, bacon and finish with the top half of the muffin.
2. Wrap in tinfoil and freeze for up to 3 months.

To re heat the muffins

1. Take the muffin out of the freezer, leave it wrapped in tinfoil and put it in the oven at 200°C or in the sandwich press until heated through - around 30 minutes
2. Unwrap the muffin and microwave it until it is heated through - around 5 minutes
3. Remove the muffins from the freezer the night before and allow to thaw in the fridge, then heat in the sandwich press or oven at 200°C for 10 minutes or until heated through.

For more information and step to step guide check out Laura's website for this recipie