Frozen meal ideas for elderly man?

Question

My elderly friend (80's) lives alone and has mobility issues. He hates meals on wheels and lives mostly on take-out. I want to prepare some meals and freeze them so he can microwave them later. I already know I'll make him my lasagne and beef stew since both freeze and reheat nicely. I need some other ideas, and also any recommendations for containers that go well from freezer to microwave.

He has no dietary restrictions, however nutrition is important since he has been diagnosed with sever anemia from poor nourishment and needed a blood transfusion this week because of it.

Thanks to all in advance.

Answer 1

get a food saver vac pac. you can get the plastic plates and put it all on the plate. then he just has to take it out an hour or so before he heats it up.

ideas:

roast beef, potatoes, veggies.

spaghetti and sauce.

bbq ribs and rice.

pork chops and scallop potatoes

sheperds pie

curry chicken rice.

if your over there once a week or so come in and leave a big bowl full of salad in the fridge he can have access to for every meal.

i make a bunch of these myself. i freeze them and when i get to busy to make dinner my son will heat one of these up. he thaws it out and then microwaves it. i have salad already made all the time in the fridge cause i bring a tupperware bowl to work. my son likes them. he doesn't have to cook and he has a home cooked meal always.

Answer 2

Aww, that's so nice of you to do that for him! I don't really have any experience with freezing and reheating meals but I'm thinking maybe this casserole would work. It's really good too.

1 cn cream of chicken soup
1 1/3 cups water
3/4 cup uncooked rice
2 cups frozen or fresh brocoli (or you can use any vegetable)
1/2 tsp onion powder
4 chicken breast halves (I always cut them into cubes)
1 cup shredded chedder cheese

Stir the soup, water, rice, veggies and onion powder in a 12 x 8 shallow baking dish. top with chicken. Season chicken as desired. Cover and bake at 375* for 45 minutes. Top with cheese.

Answer 3

First, I'd like to say that it is very sweet and kind of you to take an interest in this person's health and well-being.

www.allrecipes.com is a great source for recipes. You can search by all types of categories, from ingredients, to cooking methods, etc.

From my own personal experiences, I've found the foods that freeze best are:
soups (leave out the pasta or it becomes gummy from being in the broth)
chili
enchiladas
You could make up your own version of meal kits with stir fried veggies, meats, sauces, etc. Then he can just microwave it. I've had excellent results in freezing already-cooked white rice, too.
Chicken and dumplings
Shepherd's pie (good source of iron in that beef!)
Meatloaf (make individually sized ones)
etc.
Take care!

Answer 4

My father is in his 80s and I do the same thing for him. I would suggest asking him if his wife kept a recipe box that you could go through and look for recipes he's enjoyed in the past. I buy the small aluminum pans at the dollar store and 1 recipe will make him 6 meals or so.

I have taught my father to use the crockpot and he loves it. At first I put things in the crockpot for him and then he would move it from the refrigerator to the crockpot and turn on in the morning. Now he does it all himself. Some of his favorite dishes are pork ribs....all he does is cover them with bottled barbecue sauce. Another is a small roast, carrots, and potatoes. Chicken drummettes with barbecue sauce is easy too.

Answer 5

You might want to check out the 30 days of meals concept. Everything is freezer ready. Maybe just pare down the serving numbers? I freeze pretty much ANYTHING, including grilled steak - reheats fabulously, especially if you under-cook a little (say med rare so when reheated, it's medium!) I love the Ziploc disposable containers for freezing - they hold up well! Also, I have one of those Food Saver things, and things like, steak, bread, etc, I suck out the air and toss it in the freezer! Good for you for doing something great for another person! That's just awesome! :)

Answer 6

What a very nice thing to do. Why not start by asking your friend what he would like? I'm sure he has lots of favorite meals. It might be fun to research some dishes he remembers from past years, that way you could chat and learn some new recipes yourself. Maybe bring over a couple of well illustrated cookbooks and involve him in the process by seeing what sparks his interest.

You are creating a lot of goodwill by doing this. I hope someone does something nice for you, too.

Answer 7

Your just too kind! This world needs more kind people like you!

When my Father-in-law was living I would make extra when I was cooking and then place it into a dived plate and freeze. He really enjoyed the meals when heated up later.

Answer 8

Meatloaf freezes well.....make it with either brown gravy or red sauce.....freeze it in individual portions. Any plastic container will do..... I put the plastic container in the microwave on the defrost setting, then transfer it to a plate for heating.

Answer 9

i have tried this and it is good. serves 2.

Split Pea Soup with Rosemary. freezes great.

INGREDIENTS

2 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/3 small onion, chopped
1/3 leek, thinly sliced
1/3 large carrot, chopped
2/3 clove garlic, minced
1-1/3 (10.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1/2 cup green split peas
2/3 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

DIRECTIONS

Place bacon in a large pot, and cook over medium heat until crisp. Stir in onion, leek, carrot, and garlic; cook until the vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes. Pour in chicken broth. Stir in split peas, bay leaves, and rosemary. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover, and simmer until peas are cooked, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Quick and Easy Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole

serves 2. very good taste. freezes well.

INGREDIENTS

1 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
garlic salt to taste
4-1/2 (6 inch) corn tortillas, torn in half
1/4 (28 ounce) can green chile enchilada sauce
1/4 (16 ounce) package shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 (8 ounce) container reduced fat sour cream

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking dish.

Season chicken with garlic salt. Arrange in the prepared baking dish. Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Cool, shred, and set aside.

With metal tongs, char each tortilla half over the open flame of a gas stove burner for about 1 minute, until lightly puffed.

Pour about 1/2 inch enchilada sauce in the bottom of a medium baking dish, and arrange 6 tortillas in a single layer. Top with 1/2 the chicken, 1/3 cheese, 1/2 the sour cream, and 1/3 of the remaining enchilada sauce. Repeat. Coat remaining tortillas thoroughly with remaining enchilada sauce, and arrange on top of the layers. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, and top with any remaining enchilada sauce

Cover, and bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool slightly before serving.