Freezable Recipes Needed for Sick Friend!!!

[babyboy1_mom]

I am in need of some main dish recipes that can be cooked and then frozen. I can cook, but I am not very creative in the kitchen and am not used to cooking and then freezing my foods.

I have a friend that has been diagnosed with cancer, for the second time in her life, and this time the doctors have given her 3 months to live. She is married and has 2 girls (18 & 14). I would like to do something to help them out, so I figured that if I brought them some food that they just had to heat, then that would be a help.

I have read that freezing potatoes makes the food too starchy, when thawed. I have also read that freezing rice will make the rice taste stale when thawed.

Thanks in advance.

Dorothy

 

[AngelzFyre]

Lasagne and most casseroles can be made ahead and frozen.
Stew too, I usually put the potatoes in last and don't cook them until they are done, they don't turn mushy since they finish cooking when reheating after thawing.

You could try chicken pot pies, stroganoff, chicken and rice with veggies and mushroom soup, cheese on top etc.

With all of these I cook the meat through but do not cook the other ingredients all the way til done so they'll not be overcooked when reheated.

Green bean casserole freezes well, squash casserole, carrots.

You could also try crockpot meals and find an extra crockpot at the thrift store and keep them cycling back and forth to their house and yours. Add some bread and maybe a salad and you're good to go.

Hope this helps a bit with ideas, and what a nice thing to do for your friend, I'm sure they'll appreciate your wonderful help.

 

[babyboy1_mom]

Thanks for some ideas. I want to have everything ready to just be put in the oven, so that they will not have to do much at all. I know that they have enough on their minds and do not need to be worried about having to cook meals.

Thanks for the crockpot idea. I am more used to cooking in the crockpot, than having to worry about what foods freeze well...lol

Dorothy

 

[mangled]

I have a "cheaters" chicken soup that is excellent when frozen, and it's super easy to make.

My recipe makes a giant stock-pot worth, so you may want to halve it.

4 boxes chicken stock
2 bags of frozen soup vegetables (green beans, peas, carrots, lima beans, corn, etc.)
1 bag of soup noodles (Kluski is the brand around here)
3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed

Put your stock on to simmer, add the cubed chicken breasts, and season the stock to taste (I add paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley flakes, and a couple dashes of chili powder).

Add the frozen veggies and simmer until the chicken is fully cooked. Add the soup noodles, simmer until the noodles are cooked, check the seasoning, (usually needs a bit of salt and black pepper at this point) and serve!

I freeze it in the 2 cup Gladware bowls, and it takes about 5 minutes in our microwave if they're coming out of the deep freeze, maybe 3 1/2 minutes if they're in the fridge freezer.

Good luck to your friend. I worked Hospice for a long time and it's the little things, like easy meals and friendly company that seemed to mean the most at the end.

Blessings-
Em

 

[babyboy1_mom]

Thanks Em. The chicken soup is a good idea. We are in South Louisiana, so it is still pretty warm here, but we have been getting down around 60 degrees at night here, so that would be a good warmer upper....lol

I think that I will make this, entire recipe, and just have several containers to be put in the freezer. If it makes too much to send to their home, then I can always put some in my freezer.

Dorothy

 

[AngelzFyre]

I'm the same way, I do mostly crockpot meals and casseroles for friends out of the hospital. The frozen meals I've done for when I'm animal sitting for neighbors and leave them a meal for when they get home so they won't have to worry bout cooking, and for us when I've got a busy week ahead etc.

My best friend is an ovarian cancer survivor of 6 yrs now but did get thyroid cancer last year and had to go in 2 times for surgery.
She's still going in for the 3 month rechecks after that to make sure the OC didn't come back anywhere else.

She liked the comfort foods the best, nothing fancy...just good home cooked meals. Oh, and cakes!
Since her taste was off for a long time during and after chemo, she loveddddddd the sweet things the best.

 

[redoak]

Anything with a high moisture content will freeze nicely and keep for several months. I cook extra servings and freeze them and bring them to my mother who lives by herself. If I bake bread (banana, blueberry, etc), cookies I'll use our vacuum sealer and freeze some.

 

[babyboy1_mom]

I know that there is not much that I can do to help in this situation, so I am going to do whatever I think may help them.

My friend had Hodgekins (sp?), many years ago. I know that it was at least, probably 20 yrs. (Before I met her.) She did go through chemo. and had no trouble in all these yrs. The doctors did a biopsy to find out what kind she has this time, but "someone" messed up and lost her biopsy. They were going to start her on chemo. again, but could not because they didn't know what kind of cancer to treat her for.

While waiting on "someone" to find her biopsy, then the doctors had come to the conclusion that it was spread to too many places and it was useless to put her through any type of chemo. or radiation.

Dorothy

 

[MandyH]

I know you're in Louisianna so soups, stews, and chili are still a ways off, but it has been my experience that just about anything you cook can be frozen. Some foods like a roast need to be shredded and frozen in layers, but as long as its not in there forever it shouldn't be too tough. The one thing I have learned is don't put as much seasoning, if any on the food BEFORE you freeze it, wait til you take it out to reheat it to add salt and such. Salt makes things tough and too salty, and butter can make it food have an off flavor.

 

[AngelzFyre]

Dorothy,
I'm so sorry to hear that about your friend's condition and the goof ups with the biopsy, but I know she'll be well taken care of by friends like you and get to enjoy the time she's got left because of your thoughtfulness and companionship.


Em,
Your soup recipe sounds wonderful! I hope it's okay that I copied it down to use too

.



Take care & it always makes my day to read on this forum and see how many truly helpful and caring folks there are on here! Sure beats the gloom&doom evening news.