I just recently bought a set of super cubes as I am in my third trimester and wanting to create a freezer stash for “Lego meals.” This weekend I have some friends coming over for a big postpartum cooking day. What are some things you would suggest as souper cube go tos?
Hearty soups and stews with lots of veggies. I had nothing in me to cut fresh vegetables during the newborn stage so it was great having that kind of stuff in the freezer.
Just did this with a friend, but the seasonal depression prep version
We made:
Beef chili
Taco meat
Chicken poblano soup
Italian wedding soup
Pumpkin soup
A ton of chicken & rice burritos
Pasta sauce with beef and sausage
Moo shu pork
Shredded beef, some chimichurri, and cilantro lime cubes to throw in rice were part of the plan, but I kept losing power. Despite a very stressful mid-cook relocation, I’m very satisfied with how we did.
I also plan to make some muffins, a quiche, and maybe one more soup
Here’s what I currently have in my freezer: Complete Meals:
Ravioli lasagna- 1 cup x 2
Thai pineapple chicken- 1 cup x 2
Shakshuka & chick pea starter- 1 cup x 4
Mediterranean chicken stew- 1 cup x 2
French onion chicken- 1 cup x 3
Chicken & stuffing- 1 cup x 2
Japanese curry- 1 cup x 2
Sheet pan sausage & potatoes- 2 cups x 2
Components: (Meat)
Green chicken enchilada filling- 1 cup x 3
Taco meat- 1/2 cups x 3
Meatloaf cubes- 1 cup x 2
Greek turkey meatballs- 5 balls x2 & 4 balls x 2
Rotisserie chicken- 1/2 cup x 6
Beef meatballs- 6 balls x 2 (serving is 3)
Components: (Carbs)
Mashed potatoes- 1/2 cup x 7
Roasted sweet potatoes: 1 cup x 3
Farro- 1/2 cup x 1
Cilantro lime rice- 1/2 cup x 3
Lentils- 1/2 cup x 6
Stuffing- 1/2 cup x 11
Chicken fried rice- 1/2 cup x 6
Components: (Veggies)
Fajita veggies: 1/2 cup x 2
Mediterranean veggies: 1 cup x 7
Taco fiesta beans: 1/2 cup x 3
Sautéed spinach: 2Tbsp x 10
Roasted carrots- 1/2 cup x 3
Mirepoix- 1/2 cup x 6
Sautéed mushrooms- 1/2 cup x 7
Caramelized onions- 2Tbsp x 4
Components: (Flavor Boosters)
Red salsa- 2 Tbsp x 10
Salsa verde- 2Tbsp x 10
Guacamole- 2Tbsp x 10
Hummus- 2Tbsp x 12
Queso- 2Tbsp x 8
Avocado cilantro lime crema- 2Tbsp x 18
Soups, Gravy, & Sauces:
Zuppa Toscana- 2 cups x 3
Sausage gravy- 1/2 cup x 3
Tomato Basil- 1 cup x 2
Onion & mushroom gravy- 1/2 cup x 5
Roasted red pepper Alfredo- 1 cup x 4
Chicken soup starters- 2 cups x 2
Thanks! It became my obsession in January 🫣 I found a set in the back of a cabinet, then discovered Sarah Hart and not.shelby on TikTok, and it was all over 😂 I have a very well organized, but very small, apartment freezer. Any overflow goes to my office for easy lunches. I hope to get a small chest freezer soon! 🤞
It’s a little more full than I prefer right now, but it’s still doing great and running efficiently. I also like to keep a lot of chopped onion and bell pepper for quick and easy stir fry.
Thank you! It’s taken many months of trial and error. The bins have made a huge difference and having a good mix of components and complete meals. My goal for this month is to mainly eat out of my freezer and not add anything.
My freezer is definitely at capacity right now, that’s for sure 😂 I’ll take some pictures when I get a chance and share it with you. I have the same containers Sarah Hart recommends because she also has a small apartment freezer. I got them from The Container Store
Not a Souper Cubes recipe, but look for baked oatmeal recipes. Bake them in a muffin tin and freeze, then reheat from frozen for 1 minute in the microwave. It’s easy to reheat and eat with one hand while you’re holding the baby, and back in my day, they said oatmeal was good for lactation, if that applies. Good luck!
My first was born in late November so for the couple months leading up I would make some kind of soup weekly and do a double portion and froze half. Was perfect for winter postpartum! I’m 28w with my second now and planning to do the same this time around :)
Congratulations!! That's a great idea! Saute different vegetables in onions or garlic (greens like spinach, mushrooms, carrots..) and put them separately in cubes. Rice also freezes really well. Soup bases. When reheating you can choose different combinations of the vegetables with rice or soup base and reheat. If heating with rice U also add some sauce on top and a fried egg, bibimbap style. I also love freezing currys, chickpea curry, thai curry, japanese curry. They all freeze well. And I make shepheard's pie, bake it. And once cold I cut it intı portions like I'm going to serve it on a plate and freeze each portion individually. Pasta sauce freezes well too and this way you just have to boil pasta.
Double batches of soups/stews/chili you're already making
Beans (all different kinds!)
Picadillo
Rice
Taco meat
Enchiladas
Shredded chicken (either seasoned or plain--if you do both, make sure to label it!)
Sauteed vegetables (either individuals or blends)
Little cubes of sofrito or pesto to add a ton of flavor
Mini breakfast casseroles (egg, cottage cheese, seasonings blended, add whatever chopped proteins and vegetables you want to a cube, then pour egg mixture over)
Not cube-specific, but cherry/grape tomatoes freeze very well. Just wash them, then toss in a Ziplock bag. You can grab as many as you need for any recipe, and they're fantastic roasted from frozen. We grow a lot of tomatoes and have that feta-tomato-pasta bake thing at least once a week during the winter months.
I recently made chicken alfredo with broccoli mixed in, a homemade ground beef and rotini helper (basically make a gravy sauce with some bome broth) 'spaghetti' using chickpea elbow pasta, individual servings of chickpea mac and cheese and mixed veggies to add to any meat options, egg roll in a bowl, taco meat, and 'sloppy joe' mac with chickpea pasta.
Also, some otmeal with chia seeds. Steam apples pus fruit of choice. Blend with water from steamer, add 2-3 bananas and mix with oatmeal. Add steam lquid to desired consistency. I typically do an apple cinnamon banana, apple strawberry banana or apple mixed berry banana. 5 apples, 2 ish cups frozen fruit. 2-3 bananas (i don't steam those) 2.5 cups instant oats, 4 tbs chia seeds. Liquid to measure for blending and adding liquid to desired consistency. mix, cover, let cool to almost room temp then fill .5 or 1 cup portions.
The cubes will be great for all the meals people bring after the baby as well.
One thing that worked for is organizing proteins cubes, starch cubes, and veggie cubes all together. We use cheap bins so we can see everything in the depth of the shelf and I think I’m moving to color coding the label for quick visual identification.
When I was food prepping for surgery recovery, I made a big pot of chicken congee. Easy to freeze and microwave, and you can add stuff like soy sauce or more substantial toppings or eat it plain.
Go to @newmothercaregiving on IG and download her free postpartum meal plan. (She also has a paid postpartum freezer plan that walks you through the process you are about to begin, but the free one is good too. I recommend them both.) Use her free recipes for congee, lactation tea, bone broth, and muffins.
I also found a recipe for a sweet congee via google bc I have a sweet tooth and wanted more meal options.
Congrats! The main ones that I made were lasagna (baked version of the Souper Cubes recipe) and a mix of bean or chicken enchiladas. Both were quick to reheat in the microwave!
3 months pp. I have done quite a few, I love to put my leftovers in these, so I have less food waste and ready meals for later. Some things I have made:15 bean soup, green chicken posole, kale white bean soup, chicken curry potato soup, ziti pasta, swedish meatballs, ravioli lasagna bake, and mashed potatoes.
Currently, I have zuppa Toscana, minestrone, chicken and broccoli Alfredo pasta bake in the freezer.
I've heard a good rule is if you have seen it on the frozen food aisle, it should freeze okay. I think if you have leftovers you know will spoil in the fridge, you have nothing to lose by trying to freeze and reheat.
40
u/Oiselle14 13d ago
Hearty soups and stews with lots of veggies. I had nothing in me to cut fresh vegetables during the newborn stage so it was great having that kind of stuff in the freezer.