Last updated on September 15th, 2024 at 05:14 pm
I was recently invited to a “fill the freezer” baby shower and I absolutely fell in love with this unique baby shower idea! Seriously, a freezer meal baby shower is the best of both words for moms who are wanting to get together to celebrate the arrival of their upcoming baby without all the fuss of registries and endless baby clothes!
And it doesn’t just have to be for first time moms! Now this type of baby shower is perfect for a baby sprinkle of a second or third (maybe even fourth) baby or a surprise for a mom wanting to avoid the spectacle of a traditional baby shower.
Freezer meals provide nourishment and comfort of a home cooked meal without much work! And anyone who’s had a baby knows just how short on time you are in those first few weeks and months. There is just something about a warm meal together in the evening that just makes the day so much better.
Now there are several ways you can host a freezer meal baby shower. Below, I’ll chat about some different ways to set up the party, some of my favorite recipes, and some must needed supplies for your event to go perfectly.
Let’s jump right in!
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Benefits of Freezer Meal Baby Showers
There are so many benefits of a freezer meal baby shower, but here are just a few of the highlights:
- Saves precious time for new parents, who can focus more on their baby rather than meal prep.
- Ensures a variety of nutritious meals are at hand, supporting the health and well-being of both parents and baby.
- Builds a supportive community, as friends and family come together to prepare meals, creating a network of support for the new parents.
- Offers a practical and unique baby shower activity that guests will remember and appreciate for its direct impact on the family’s daily life.
How to Host a Freezer Meal Baby Shower
There are three different ways to set up a baby shower focused on freezer meals. All of them are great so just pick the one that fits you and the needs of the mom-to-be best!
1) Bring a Meal to the Party
Instead of gifts, ask your guests to bring a freezer meal ready and prepared for the baby shower. This is by far the easiest method to host a shower like this and gives guests the freedom to choose whatever meal they would like!
Give clear instructions on the invitation to put everything in a freezer ready container like aluminum pans or freezer safe Ziploc bags. And include any instructions the parents need clearly written on the container. That way there is less confusion for the family when they go to make one of these delicious meals.
While this is definitely an easy way to gather freezer meals for the family, it doesn’t take up much time in your schedule of events for the baby shower. Be sure to plan a few other baby shower activities to entertain your guests!
2) Bring Assigned Meals
This next way to host a freezer meal baby shower is similar to the first but requires a bit more planning on your part. As a guest at a party like this it can be hard to know exactly what to bring. Simplify the process for them by sending each guest a recipe ahead of time and requesting them to bring that meal as their contribution to the party!
Plus, you can even include an aluminum container or other helpful item as a fun addition to your invitation to the party. That would be such a cute way to invite all the guests or to drop off their assigned recipe.
While it requires more organizing from the host, this method has several benefits:
- It takes the guess work out of the equation for the guests and makes it easy for them to know what to make
- You can prevent too many duplicate meals by planning who is bringing what ahead of time
- And you can get requests from the parents-to-be of meal preferences or dietary restrictions that guest may not know about
Now this is definitely not the approach for everyone. There will be some guests that may insist on some great family recipe which is ok! This is all about spoiling the mom to be and helping her prepare for her new baby so any contribution to this effort is welcome.
3) Meal Prep Assembly Party
Now finally, the most challenging (but arguably most fun in my opinion), is centering the baby shower all around creating these meals for mom! Instead of hosting a baby shower with cheesy games and activities, spend the afternoon in the kitchen with loved ones cooking and mingling.
As the host you can either assign all your guests to bring certain ingredients, have things prepped ahead of time, or purchase all the groceries yourself. Then transform your kitchen into a fun assembly line of several dishes. This is great for making two or three of the same meal that the family can have in their freezer to repeat over the first month or two.
It also allows all the guests plenty of time to mingle while taking part in an activity that will make a difference for the new mom.
Just be sure to plan enough time for all the recipes you have in mind. There will be things like cutting, preparing, and potentially cooking before assembly can begin. But many hands make light work!
Tips for a Smooth Freezer Meal Party
If you are planning the party around making meals for the mom-to-be you’ll want to be sure to follow these tips:
- Prepare your assembly space by removing all appliances and clutter of the counters, tables, and preparation spaces. Your kitchen should be pretty much empty to leave plenty of space to prepare food in several different stations as well as have space for the finished meals.
- Sanitize all prep surfaces. Make sure to disinfect and sanitize any food preparation surfaces so that food isn’t contaminated. And have extra supplies easily assessable to clean up throughout the day.
- Set up stations for each different meal with all the supplies necessary in one place. Make sure to have a few copies printed of each recipe so everyone has access to them as they are working. And plan on making 2-3 of each recipe to help with reducing waste on ingredients and make it easier to make the meals.
- Have a plan for refrigerating or freezing the meals during the party. After the festivities the freezer meals will make their way to the mom-to-be’s house, but until that time they will need to be kept cold. Prepare space in your own fridge/freezer or have a few coolers ready to go with plenty of ice.
- Divide and conquer. Assign everyone to small groups and give each group the task of preparing one recipe of the freezer meals. You could play a simple door game to decide teams or let everyone pick for themselves.
Top Freezer Meal Recipes
Looking for some great recipes for the party? There are so many different recipes that would make great freezer meals for the mom-to-be! Some great categories include lasagnas, casseroles, crockpot dump meals, instant pot meals, or even dump-and-go sheet pan meals. You can find my full collect saved on my Freezer Meals Pinterest Board but here are several of my favorites:
Essential Supplies for a Freezer Meal Baby Shower
There are several supplies you will want to have on hand to make hosting your freezer meal baby shower a breeze on the big day:
- Disposable aluminum pans
- Large Ziploc freezer bags
- Baggy Racks (these are amazing!)
- Permanent markers
- Measuring cups and spoons
And depending on what recipes you are making you will want to be sure to have plenty of the kitchen staples (knives, cutting boards, mixing spoons, mixing bowls, etc.) to go around. So make sure to plan ahead!
Labeling Your Freezer Meals
It is so important to properly label your freezer meal to help out the new parents! Make sure to include all of the following information:
- The name of the dish
- The date the meal was prepared on (most freezer meals are good for about 3 months)
- Oven temperature or Crockpot/Instant Pot temperature
- Any preparation instructions (i.e. cook from frozen or thawed, ingredients to be added and when, side dish recommendations, etc.)
As the host you could also have cute cards like these printed out that can be taped on the bag. Make sure to have some extra because guests may want to take instructions home to make their own yummy freezer meals!
Other Helpful Tips for Your Freezer Meal Baby Shower
A freezer meal baby shower is overall a very easy option for your celebration and can be very budget friendly. But there are few more helpful tips you should keep in mind before planning your party:
- Check with the mom-to-be ahead of time to make sure she has room in her freezer!
- Label everything carefully to avoid any mix ups
- Think beyond dinners! Don’t limit your freezer meal options to just dinners. There are great options for breakfast, snacks, or even dessert to add to the mix.
- Remind guests this is in lieu of bringing gifts so they don’t feel like they have to bring both
- Organization is the key to making everything run smoothly if you are planning on assembling the freezer meals at the party.
Final Thoughts on Hosting a Freezer Meal Baby Shower
I hope you’ve found these freezer meal baby shower ideas helpful as you plan your own unique celebration! I know when I was a new mom, meals were one of the most helpful gifts friend brought over and that made that newborn phase just a little bit easier. As wonderfully cute baby clothes are, these meals are gifts that make a lasting impact on the family as a whole.
Check out more great baby shower related content:
- How to Ask for Books Instead of Cards at a Baby Shower
- How to Host a Diaper Raffle at a Baby Shower
- How to Throw a Virtual Baby Shower
- Best Locations to Host a Baby Shower
- Baby Shower Thank You Cards: How to Write the Perfect Card
- The Ultimate Baby Registry Guide
- 33 Best Baby Shower Game Prize Ideas (That Aren’t Gift Cards)
- The 10 Best Baby Shower Alternatives for Modern Parents
