Freezer foods for a friend - please help with recipes!
A close friend of mine is having a tough time lately. Two close family members are very ill and in the hospital. Unfortuanly, not the SAME hospital. She spends her evenings after work shuttling between the two facilities to care for her loved ones. By the time she gets home, she's understandably too tired to cook a decent meal for herself. I'd like to fix her some dishes that can be stored in her freezer and reheated when she gets home but I'm not quite sure what would be best.
I have a recipe for turkey lasagna that claims to be freezer friendly so I'll use that. Anyone have any other suggestions?
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10 Comments:
How about non cream-based soups like a hearty Portuguese kale soup? It freezes and reheats well and is really comforting especially when it's cold. I usually sneak in a pound of soup bones in the simmering broth and let the marrow dissolve. I wish you and your friend well.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 head of garlic, separated into cloves, crushed and coarsely chopped
(add more if you like it garlicky)
1/2 cup diced onions
1 bunch kale, rinsed well, stemmed and roughly chopped
1 lb chopped chorizo (you can substitute lean kielbasa)
3 whole bay leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
6 cups beef stock
small can of peeled, crushed tomatoes
1 cup kidney beans (or navy beans), drain and rinse out liquid from can*
1 can garbanzos (chick peas), drain and rinse out liquid from can
In a large stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the
garlic, onions and cook until the onions are translucent. Add the
kale, sausage, bay leaves, parsley and thyme and mix well. Add the
beef stock and tomatoes. Bring the soup to a boil, and then reduce
the heat to low and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the bay
leaves and serve hot with crusty bread.
femmebot at 1:33AM on 02/21/07
Sure Lasagne are the best to freeze: cook them for 20 minutes, then freeze. You can freeze any soup or stew you made from fresh ingredients... Dumplings too are good for freezing...
Good luck!
Sara - Piperita at 2:22AM on 02/21/07
Along the lines of soup or stews, chicken pot pie is warm and comforting. You can freeze individual bowls and use ready made pie crust for ease.
ThatGirl153 at 9:09AM on 02/21/07
Alot of times I will make a "oven ready" meal for someone. I'll take a pre-cook all my (fresh) ingredients, then seal them in a freezer friendly container or plastic bag. Think stir frys, roasts, soups/stews, pasta dishes, whatever. Then all they have to do is heat in the oven, stove or microwave Along the same line, I'll make mini packages that are single serving and you just have to toss in the oven. Alot of times, I'll make mini shepards pies or pot pies in small foil containers, then all that the recieving person has to do is throw it in the oven.
Lilartist at 10:24AM on 02/21/07
How about shepherds pie? It freezes well, and it's so comforting.
caley at 10:50AM on 02/21/07
For ideas, look at the online menus posted by companies like Super Suppers. Their business is meals that freeze well, and Super Suppers has recently published a good cookbook based on some of their recipes.
Not just for breakfast: Egg McMuffin-style sandwiches are easy to make and freeze. They reheat great in about 2 minutes in the microwave.
Cooking Light's Meatball Soup (Sopa de Albóndigas) is delicious, one-dish comfort food.
For full friend karma points, I'd also deliver a big bag of paper plates, plastic forks, plastic cups, paper napkins. If you friend doesn't feel like cooking, I'm *sure* she won't want to face a sink full of dirty dishes at home.
ejvalentine at 10:52AM on 02/21/07
I've made this everyday food recipe for baked ziti many times for sick friends, friends who have new babies, etc. I usually use aidell's sausage and the best fontina I can find in it. It's not the fanciest recipe, but it hits the spot! This recipe fits at least two of those 8x8 (it's the large square ones) glad bakeable containers which you can freeze and then throw into the oven. they look like plastic but they really hold up in the oven
Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage (it's on the martha site in the everyday food section if the link below doesn't work for you)
http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content&id=recipe4824&layout=edf&edfParentCat=cat17924&subStyleType=recipes&catid=cat17924
missus_p at 12:08PM on 02/21/07
Chili freezes very well and is so yummy! You can make a big ol batch and freeze in individual portions.
FKC at 1:40PM on 02/21/07
These are all great ideas, guys. My friend loves soup so I may start with that and pasta dish and then maybe add a loaf of a bread that can double as sandwich bread.
And nice tip about the paper plates, ej. I had not thought of dishes but you're so right. I've also been thinking back to when I gave birth to my daughter and I recall that the best food gift someone gave me was a supply of fresh fruit. It was something healthy I could eat on the go, and when nursing the baby.
newbatgirl at 5:38PM on 02/21/07
Mini meatballs in freezer bags. You can make a quick meatball sub or plop them into sauce for a filling pasta dinner.
Mini meatloafs. Those freeze really well and you can eat it as either an entree or an open face meatloaf sandwich.
Personal pizzas (kicked up a few notches). Use store bought pizza rounds but top with carmelized onions, fresh basil, goat cheese...whatever they like. Freeze it and then wrap carefully with plastic wrap.
Quiche is quick and easy to reheat and holds up well.
She might also like foods where she can heat and run. Shoulds like she's always on the move.
JubileeNYC at 12:33AM on 02/23/07