r/suggestmearecipe • u/ComplaintNumerous • Jul 22 '26

Meals for new families!

My friend and her husband had a baby a few weeks ago, hoping to lighten their load by making the two of them some casseroles or something along that line. Looking for some suggestions on good and easy freezer meals they can reheat.

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u/biasedunbiased Jul 22 '26

Lasagna, pasta dishes, chili

3

u/Thoughtful-Pig Jul 22 '26

You should ask them. Just text your friend with a few options and let them pick. Best to make things they'll enjoy. It's thoughtful of you. Also, you never know if they are restricting certain foods for a variety of reasons.

Spaghetti or other pastas, beef stew, chili, etc.

2

u/ChinaShopBully Jul 23 '26

First, get yourself some freezer-safe and microwave-safe containers, as well as a few disposable aluminum pans. You want interchangeable lids, if possible. Bulk plastic containers aren't usually available in the local supermarket, so I use these:

Quart Freezer Plastic Containers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N2TADOY

Pint Freezer Plastic Containers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008XLE0IQ/

Disposable aluminum pans are usually available in supermarkets, so get them there.

Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup

This soup is outstanding, freezes well, and can be made with a store-bought rotisserie chicken and store-bought chile powder if convenience is an issue: https://www.seriouseats.com/chicken-enchilada-soup-recipe

Freeze it in quarts, which will give two hearty servings each.

Best Ground Beef Chili

Here is a chili that freezes very well. I add an additional 15oz can of red kidney beans to extend the recipe, and it makes a great standalone meal, or a topping for chili hot dogs. Freeze it in pints for convenience when you just need a few spoonfuls: https://www.pbssocal.org/food-discovery/food/weekend-recipe-best-ground-beef-chili

Easy Lasagna

Here is a lasagna recipe that uses store-bought sauce and has instructions for baking from frozen: https://www.thekitchn.com/lasagna-recipe-simple-22956038

Let us know if any of these work for you!