Help Needed - Recipes to make ahead

I have to have surgery in a couple of weeks and I would like to make it as easy as possible on my husband to take care of me and yet feed us and the 2 kids. Kid #1 is a really picky eater (no casseroles) kid #2 likes escargot... so I'm stumped for what will work for us. I will probably be off my feet for 2 weeks, so the more the merrier!

Please share your easy make ahead meals ideas (other than the standard red sauce pasta bake meals) and we will be eternally grateful! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

OH Boy...
if you leave out casseroles, that's a tough question...
I've looked in my recipe folder and have come up with nothing... sorry...
Two weeks of Take-Out??? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

You could try this website:
http://www.chiff.com/cooking/make-ahead.htm

or GOOGLE "make ahead recipes"...

I don't know about your area, but around the Memphis area there are several places that make up meals to "heat and eat". They do these on a variety of time frames (three days, weekly, etc). They vary, at your choice, from mundane to really gourmet. They are almost like private chefs, and not terribly expensive. You might try that.

wow, that's what I was thinking--no casseroles?? OK, then, how about soups??

What about making spaghetti sauce and freezing it? I do have a spaghetti pie recipe if you would like that. If you are members of a church, they usually feed someone who is having surgery. At least for a week. You can also pre-patty hamburgers and your husband can throw them on the grill.

Ah... soups... good idea... I have a few to post!
BUT... I don't think soup everyday for two weeks would work...
Good for one or two nights though... along with a nice baguette!

Look at the Once-A-Month-Cooking forum at Recipezaar: http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewforum.zsp?f=23

ok - you guys all had the same problem I did... I couldn't think of anything but casseroles! I'll just do the usual - feed the three of us who love good food a cassarole, and have available for the difficult child his usual selection of pasta, grilled chicken, pizza and veges.

Bring on the good casserole recipes - he will just have to deal with the boredom (as usual). <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" />

No recipes here, but just a "method to prevent madness".... perhaps?

While you are still up and cooking, stock in a lot of ziplock bags and a bunch of the covered plastic containers that can stack in the freezer.

Make extra of the things your family loves to eat and instead of having the leftovers tomorrow, package the leftovers for the freezer. If you do some portion control and creative packing, you'll have home-cooked "MREs" in your freezer that won't take long to thaw or heat.

Rather than convalescent casserole cuisine, you can have a selection of familiar family favorites on hand that may need only a frozen vegetable, a salad, a baguette or a garlic bread as a side dish. A little portion control makes it possible for different taste buds to have what they want, even at the same meal.

Lasagne freezes beautfully, for instance. Make a bigger one than your family would eat in one meal. Once it has cooled, cut it in serving size portions and slide each portion into a sandwich size ziplock bag. Seal it up, label it with Lasagne and date it, park it in the freezer.

Making meatloaf? Make two, eat one. Slice the other one up and portion it, label and freeze.

Beef stew? Double the recipe, freeze the overage in single portion sizes.

Find chicken breasts on sale? Buy'em up, cook'em up the way your family likes them, freeze the extras in single portions.

You can stock in a whole bunch of meals ( or meal starters) this way.

zip lock baggies WILL go into a pot of boiling water to reheat the contents, they will not melt. They will also microwave well if you vent the seal.

There are a bazillion * 2 of effortless options for side dishes in any grocery store. Stock up,and DEFINITELY point out to the Other Half that boiling water and punching microwave buttons are good and necessary survival skills.

I'm sorry you will be down for a timeout count, but you do still have time to enable a good outcome~

Breeze

Put a trivet or a folded dish towel in the bottom of the pot of boiling water to protect the Ziploc bag

ev,
also consider getting one of those vaccuum baggers...
Great for sealing cooked food for freezing...
and food can be nuked (vent first) or boiled right in the bag...

You can get a Black & Decker for around $20+ or spend up to $260 or so for a high end FoodSaver...
If we were to get one I'd probably go with this model FoodSaver for $80 as we wouldn't use it on a daily basis...

Brian, I am on my second Food Saver and they are worth their weight in gold! I vacuum pack just about everything!

Annie

annie, That's perfect for you now, as you are now cooking for one most times! I'm sure you get a lot of use out of it!

I have a friend who has a side job, during hunting season...
He butchers deer for people in his garage where he has a full butcher shop set up...
For some extra $$$ he will vaccuum pack all the meat for his clients...
He has an industrial model he bought from a seafood packer...

Brian, I do get a lot of use out of it! I love soup and make a variety of them and I have some 2 cup square Rubbermaid containers that hold just enough soup for my lunch. So I freeze the soup in them and when frozen pop the soup out and vacuum pack. Have about 30 packs of soup in the freezer now.

A full butcher shop in his garage! Wow! That must be something. My father used to bring a lot of game home with him many, many moons ago!

Annie

He does 500-700 deer at about $150 each a year...
has a couple of guys (butchers from local supermarkets) that work with him...
Nice income supplement! and a cash business to boot...

Sorry for the HiJack! This isn't helping ev... back to the original topic now!

Judy,

I feel like a medical mishap (3rd major surgery in the last 6 years)- I'm trying to stay below the radar so I don't become the source of "gossip". 45 years old and a partial knee replacement. Good Lord. What a mess I am! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" />

Hey guys,

Just hearing all the great ideas and all the support means the world to me. Thanks for caring to post. You should see me now just grinning at the monitor! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" />

Sounds like you are ready to go through a very rough patch. Our thoughts are with you !

Don't forget the rotisserie chickens at your local supermarket, I am sure you could freeze a whole one or he can stop in and quickly grab one on the way home. As far as boiling things in a ziploc bag, I don't do the cooking in plastic thing, I feel it is one of the reasons children today have so many allergies and so much asthma. Leave the plastic out of the heat! You could also pick up a honey baked ham or a spiral sliced ham (which you would have to cook yourself) at the store and cut it up and freeze it so it is available for a few meals and for sandwiches. There is nothing wrong with subs for dinner a few times either. You can always mix things up and have breakfast for dinner, nothing wrong with pancakes and eggs in the evening and simple to cook. Good luck with your surgery and don't sweat your kids eating, if they are hungry they will find something to eat and a couple weeks of mom out of commission won't kill them. Burgers and hot dogs on the grill are easy too and perhaps the kids can even help with that.

Spiral Ham... Good Idea! cook according to directions, remove from the bone, and freeze in small portions!
It does freeze well...
we just bought two spiral hams (on sale), smoked in applewood, for $1.29/lb... 12-13 lbs. each... at A&P...
Great in a scalloped potato casserole...

Ham and scalloped potatoes is always delicious!
Also home made baked beans can be frozen and served with ham and makes a nice nutritious meal with a fresh salad on the side. Since it is barbeque season, hubby should be able to grill a different meat each night with vegetables on the grill too and served with fresh rolls or salad, everyone should be happy!

I just returned from a visit with my daughter in Seattle. She has a newborn and decided to do the "Let's Dish" meals. I went with them to prepare their meals. The selection was fantastic, ingredients fresh, and tasted delicious. You make up your meals, but into ziplocks, add cooking instruction stickers and freeze them. The best part is no clean up! The price was reasonable too. Looking at their website there is a location in Fairfax. Check out their menus on line.

Good Luck with your surgery!

Thank you all for the good wishes and excellent ideas. I'll probably start planning/cooking this weekend.