It’s time for me to turn the tables a bit and ask all of you for a little recipe help.
You see, my mother-in-law is on chemotherapy for breast cancer and is currently neutropenic. For the non-biology types, neutropenia is characterized by super low white blood cells, which makes you particularly susceptible to infections. As a result, my MIL is no longer allowed to go to work (she works in a hospital setting where germs run rampant), eat any raw fruits or vegetables, have flowers in the house, etc., because all of these can increase your exposure to various bacteria. But the real kicker for her – she can no longer order takeout. For someone who exists mostly on takeout, this is a very, very big change.
To help her out, I’m planning on cooking as many frozen dinners to send to her as my tiny freezer space will allow. I never cook ahead of time and freeze food for myself, so this is a pretty foreign operation for me. I’d love your tried-and-true freezer meals, since Googling is a bit overwhelming, and some people say things like “I think this will freeze!” but I’m looking for actual confirmation, since I’m sending these off to my MIL and not just keeping them for myself!
Specifically, I’m looking for recipes that are:
1) Easy. She’s going to be on chemo for at least 4 more months, followed by several months of radiation, so I’d like to prepare as many meals as possible.
2) Foolproof when it comes to meat. Since I don’t consume meat myself, I don’t have a ton of experience cooking with it. I want recipes where I don’t have to worry about undercooking the chicken and accidentally killing off my MIL – in other words, whole roasted chicken? Bad. Casserole with cubed chicken that is cooked to the point of no possible rawness? Good.
3) Minimal preparation after thawing. Thawing sauce on the side and pouring it on top is fine, but nothing that requires preparing rice or noodles separately. On days she is feeling her worst, I want her to just take it out of the freezer, put it in the oven, and walk away.
Since I know tastes and preferences can change during chemo, I plan on gathering as many recipes as possible and sending her a list, so she can pick what sounds most appealing to her right now. Any links to recipes you have tried that freeze well would be greatly, greatly appreciated! So far, I'm planning on making a vegetable lasagna, stuffed shells, and portobello black bean enchiladas.
This also seems an appropriate time to do a quick plug for my best friend from high school, Shannon, who is walking 60 miles this fall for breast cancer. In addition to working full time as a behavioral therapist in a school for autistic children and pursuing a masters’ in clinical psychology, Shannon makes jewelry as a hobby and sells it on Etsy. Currently, 100% of the proceeds from her jewelry sales are going towards fundraising for her walk for breast cancer. Check it out – maybe you’ll find a piece you love and will support a great cause at the same time! (I wear lots of Shannon-made originals, and get compliments on them all the time!)
Friday, March 18, 2011
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I can actually help with this one because most of the time when I cook I put part of it in the freezer!
ReplyDeleteEasiest one ever ... put 6 frozen, skinless chicken breast halves in the crockpot and smother it in 12 ounces BBQ sauce (head country bbq is the best ever), 1/2 cup italian dressing, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 2 tbsp worchestshire. After some hours (4ish on high, 7ish on low) it will become easily shreddable. Put it in individual containers and it takes about 3 minutes to microwave. Sometimes I eat it by itself, sometimes I put it on a sandwich, and sometimes I put it on a baked potato with green onions and cheddar cheese and sour cream (for the days she's feeling a bit better).
White Chili Casserole ... one of my FAVORITES it is so freaking good! It makes a ton ... I 1/2 it and it is still about 4 meals. http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/main-courses/white-chili-casserole/
This sausage and bean casserole is really good ... http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/sausage-and-bean-casserole
I would recommend not stirring in breadcrumbs because they end up soggy and I put the ones on the top in a separate ziploc and add them right before I put it in the oven. Very minimal effort ...
This potato soup freezes really well and it is fan-freaking-tastic! Combine 4 cups chicken broth, 1/3 cup minced onion, 4 cup potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon lawrys, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper and boil until potatoes are tender. Mash potatoes 1.2 way and then reduce heat to low and add 1 package of cream cheese and mash all the way and its ready to be frozen. After I heat it up, I add a little bit more cheese and some bacon and green onions but she probably wouldn't add the bacon anyway and the extra cheese and onions aren't really needed ... I just like the color. :)
I have a lot of other ones but they require a little bit of work after they are warm ... but I have a great taco meat one and all you have to do is dump some lettuce and cheese and salsa and sour cream on top of chips ... if you need some more for days where she is feeling sort of okay, let me know!
Hope this helps!
The Pioneer Womans Minestrone soup freezes well and it's yummy.
ReplyDeleteAlso, you can't go wrong with just a plain old chicken and vegetable soup. Just saute in olive oil: 1 chopped onion, 2-3 chopped celery stalks, 2-3 chopped carrots, 2 minced cloves of garlic. It should make a nice big pile of veggies and smell yummy when it sautes. You can also add mushrooms if you'd like. If you can find fresh herbs, mince some rosemary or thyme or both and put in on top of veggies. Once they're cooked pour in 4-6 cups of water and add some salt. Bring to a boil and add the small fryer chicken. Bring back to a boil and then lower heat. Cover and just let it cook for awhile. Turn the chicken if it doesn't all submerge in the liquid. Add some spices, I'd keep it simple and stick to salt and pepper since my mom was very sensitive to spices when she went through chemo.Once the chicken starts looking cooked remove it to a plate and pick it clean off the bone. Put all of the picked meat back into the pot and allow it to keep cooking. The slower and longer it cooks the better the flavors meld together. Adjust seasoning until yummy and skim off some fat if it starts collecting on top of the soup. Towards the end throw in some egg noodles but don't cook them too much since you'll be freezing it and they'll be heated again. Finally, allow it to cool and then portion into single or double servings for her.
Another thing that is nice is some basic homemade bread. She'll really appreciate it and you can freeze bread pretty easily. Challah rolls are very easy to make keep forever.
I have a manicotti recipe and a meat lasagna that both freeze really nicely. I'll send those to you by email.
ReplyDeleteAlso, soups work really great. I use the same base recipe, then add different main veggies. Put two small onions (chopped), 2 garlic cloves (minced), and one baking potato (chopped) into a large sauce pan and cook for 5 minutes in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add 4 cups of your favorite veggie (I use cauliflower or broccoli) seasoned with Italian seasoning (or whatever you like) and 4 cups stock (veggie, chicken or beef). Bring to a boil, then cover and let simmer for 10 minutes (longer for dense veggies, like carrots). Then use an immersion blender to make desired consistency.
I'm thinking about you and your MIL. I never freeze meals, so I can't help there, but if I see any, I'll send them your way! I do need to learn more about this though..... Sounds like you've gotten some good ideas on here already though!
ReplyDeletestuffed bell peppers:
ReplyDeletebrown 1.5 lbs ground beef. add chopped onion and bell pepper (you can use whatever is in season, i really like it with red pepper). once the beef is browned and the onions are translucent, add 8oz (one can) of tomato sauce. if she's in the mood for spicy, use rotel instead of tomato sauce. mix it all together and let simmer for about 5 minutes. then add about 1/2 cup (but it's not terribly precise--i usually eyeball it) breadcrumbs until it's not saucy anymore.
you can freeze the meat mixture as long as you want. when you're ready to eat it, chop off the top of a bell pepper and take out the seeds and spiny insides. boil it for 10 minutes. fill it with the meat mixture then cover with a layer of breadcrumbs, then cover with a layer of shredded cheese. bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until the top turns brown.
it's a very imprecise but super comfort-food recipe. some people add rice to it, but you can make whatever changes you want. i love it, hope it works for your MIL and she gets better soon.
We freeze meals all the time. As a matter of fact, I spend about 2 hours cooking all the meals we need for a month. Most of the recipes I get from "Don't Panic-Dinner's in the Freezer" by Suzie Martinez, Bonie Garcia and Vanda Howell. It's about $10 on Amazon. The recipes are really varied (and easy) and they talk about the best way to store frozen meals.
ReplyDeleteMy husband loves Pioneer woman's Chicken Spaghetti...Super easy and fool proof. (I freeze him meals for work since he works out of town, and I bought small aluminum loaf pans to portion out his meal so he can vary his meals and not eat leftovers for a few days in a row...)
ReplyDeleteAnother fool proof one is Chicken Divan - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/chicken-divan-recipe/index.html (I use a family recipe that is not typed up but this one should be fine)
I also make Beef Stew and Sante Fe Chicken Soup (Quick google will give you endless recipes- I make mine up as I go) and freeze those too!
Just some ideas!
Pioneer Woman's chicken spaghetti - double the batch & split it into a bunch of dishes - LOTS of food (and yummy). Use rotisserie chicken(s) and you won't even have to cook the meat.
ReplyDeleteI also have a veggie chili recipe that freezes really well - just heat & eat. Yum! I'll send it to you.
I live on a crock-pot and it's very simple to use. Most recipes I do is to put a layer of veggies (usually potato) at the bottom; then meat (chicken, beef, veal) then coat it off with some more veggies. Set overnight initially at high temps for 2 hours, then low temp for the next 10 hours and presto, it's done and very well cooked.
ReplyDeleteA.L.
p.s. most veggies I buy are already prepared and cut.
Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that your mother-in-law is going through a tough time; cancer is a real bitch. I can't really cook, so I'm borderline useless here, but CHILI! Chili is the ultimate easy-to-make, easy-to-freeze, easy-to-heat-and-eat meal. You just brown the meat a little bit, if you even want to use meat, then throw it in a crock pot for a day & it cooks itself. I also often make it with Boca Meatless Crumbles, which is even easier, tastes like meat, etc.
ReplyDeleteLooks like people have left a lot of suggestions! I hope you find a few that will work for you - and I'm sure your mother-in-law will really appreciate it.
Soup freezes really well. I make several different kinds and freeze them in batches of two servings (2 people in the house) in the large yogurt containers. Try
ReplyDelete-some sort of bean and ham soup (black bean and ham, navy bean and ham, split pea and ham all work well and freeze well)
-chicken (no noodles or rice as they don't freeze well, though wild rice is ok)
-blended vegetable soup (sweet potato, broccoli, cauliflower, potato) but try not to leave chunks of potatoes because their texture gets gross
-chili (white bean chicken or ground beef/turkey)
You can also freeze the soups in ziploc bags flat on a sheet tray so they take up less room, just tell her not to microwave them in the bag. Oh, and leave the cream out of the soup and just give directions to add it back in after reheating as the cream curdles upon freezing and thawing and makes the soup unappealing.
I organized meal deliveries for a friend who had cancer and she and her partner loved soup as it was easy to prepare (just throw it in a pot on the stove or bowl in the microwave). It is also easy to prep several servings and make a few different types at the same time- I can cut up vegetables and have a few pots going on the stove at the same time. Having different things in the freezer is great so she has different choices. My friend also ended up having a strong aversion to meat during her chemo, so you might want to see if she starts having any preferences for anything.
Good luck to your Mother in law and it is so great that you are trying to help her out with food.
remember to make everything in disposable pans, so there are no dishes left to do. I use heavy duty foil for the top, and write what it is and how to cook it on the foil, in sharpie.
ReplyDeletelasagna fits perfectly in loaf pans, it makes just enough for a few meals but not so much that you're sick of it :-)
happy cooking, and I hope your MIL heals quickly
Thanks so much for all the ideas everyone -- I really appreciate it!! Unfortunately, my MIL doesn't want any soup, which is mostly disappointing because vertical containers would fit in my freezer so much easier! She's turned down anything with any sort of Mexican/spicy flavors (she just doesn't like them, not chemo-related), so chili, enchiladas, etc., are out as well. I emailed a list of about 20 options and she picked three that she would eat, so at least that's something to start with, and I'm saving all your great ideas for future use on other slightly less picky individuals (starting with a post-doc in my lab who will be on maternity leave soon!).
ReplyDeleteThanks again, everyone!!
This is a little late, but I'm sure you can add it to your list of recipes for the future...
ReplyDeleteChicken or turkey pot pies work well. I'd reccomend Chicken pot pie ix from allrecipes. Mainly, I just use their sauce/gravy recipe and the throw in a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, some premade pie crusts and canned veggies. I know that some people recommend using gravy (from a can) I've found that this doesn't freeze well- it comes out watery when you bake it. I also will use this recipe, but substitute turkey (either leftovers or they have rotisserie turkey breasts army grocery store). I'll mix it up some more and put stuffing on top instead of a pie crust.
Shephard's pie is another one I'll do. You brown ground beef, drain it, mix with beef gravy and mixed veggies. Don't use too much gravy or it will end up watery. Then throw it in your favorite size of freezable casserole and top with mashed potatoes. The last few minutes of cooking I sometimes throw shredded cheddar cheese on for a bit of a kick.
Lasagna/baked pasta dishes are always a good standby too. Just make like you normally would, but be extra careful to leave the noodles al dente and freeze rather than put in the oven.
Just make these up in small foil tins, cover with foil and freeze. To reheat, throw in the oven at 350-400 until they are warm. Usually takes an hour or so, but it wouldn't hurt to use a meat thermometer just to be sure (and it'll be safest for your MIL).
I'll let you know if I think of anything else- my grandfather doesn't cook for himself that much anymore- so we make him portions of these things and freeze when I'm at my parents and we have this for dinner.
Stay strong the next few months- I'm sure you know it's not easy. My mom did the chemo/radiation (also for breast cancer) thing in late 2009-early 2010 and things are finally starting to get back to normal for her.
Good luck!
I just saw this and wanted to comment. My mom had a stem cell transplant and was under the same restrictions. I think someone already suggested lasagna or a pasta casserole of some type, but both of those would be easy to reheat and store. Many hugs to you and your family. Chemo and cancer are difficult things for a family to go through.
ReplyDelete