Ot: Recipes Needed - Helping Out a Family

[ChefJWarren]

A family in our church is in desperate need of hospitality. They have one child-about 5-and a set of quadruplets-age 3!! The mom has health issues and has been in the hospital for the past 2 weeks. She is not getting out anytime soon from what I can tell. The dad works and sometimes travels. I work too so can't help out much at their home, but I would like to provide some meals.

Do you have any ideas of meals (breakfast, lunches, dinners) that I can make up to take to them? I'm not used to feeding that many people so really not sure how much to make. I was thinking the Mexican Lasagna with beef. I need something easy (for me and them). TIA!!

 

[Jolie_Paradoxe]

That is very cool of you! You can freeze:
Meatloaf - mix in DCB and micro 19-22 min
Beef Stew
Chicken Parmesan - Again, DCB to cook....freeze spaghetti sauce in freezer bag, and dad can make the noodles


Will keep thinking on other ideas!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

With 4 three yr olds, I'd make a 9x13 pan of homemade Mac n Cheese.
I'd also probably make up a batch of homemade applesauce. I'm thinking comfort foods for little ones who may be missing Mommy.

 

[cookingwithlove]

At one point there was a big list of freezer foods. You might want to check under "stork the freezer" something like that. Also the power cooking meals should be good as well. The chicken ones are really good and freeze well. Also easy things are making a whole chicken in the DCB and bringing it to them. They can use it for 2 meals.

Best of luck.

 

[AnnieBee]

I was also thinking that the more kid friendly the better, without knowing how picky they might be. Lasagne is usually a hit, and I agree with the idea of mad and cheese and meat-loaf.

Really, it might be best to just call and ask what are some family favourites...

 

[ChefJWarren]

I did, they said whatever I did would be great. I don't want to take them my DCB, I need it. But I can make stuff up and put it in something else. I don't know how to make mac n cheese!!!

 

[Jolie_Paradoxe]

I would make the meals in your DCB, but definitely pack it in plastic storage.

You could also take meatballs in spaghetti sauce, and they could have meatball subs. My 6 & 4 year old love meatloaf, the chicken parm (it's just spaghetti sauce & mozarella), lasagna....but they may just be strange like me....they like baked potatoes too! Yay for me.

I have a Rachel Ray Meatball Soup recipe I could send you, but not sure if the 3 year olds would enjoy it.

Mac and cheese can be made more palatable to the dad with the addition of ham, and sneaky broccoli bits?

You could freeze the easy chicken fajitas in the DCB recipe posted here in CS Files.

Hmmm.....will be back when more pop up! I pray that your generosity is rewarded tenfold. :angel:

 

[AnnieBee]

Other easy and relatively kids friendly meals: Enchiladas, pot roast, grilled chicken or chicken a la king (like a pot pie filling, but served with rice), cheeseburger pie...

Oh, and yes, meatballs sound great too!

 

[Jolie_Paradoxe]

Oh Annie....you're making me hungry! I forgot about some of those childhood recipes.....we're having a la king tomorrow night! Thanks!

 

[babywings76]

Not necessarily PC recipes, but other ideas nonetheless...Buy a bag of the Italian frozen meatballs. Put them in a crockpot and cover with a large jar of Prego spaghetti sauce. Cook till they are done (don't you love that?! ), then bag up in heavy duty ziplok bags. Then you can pick up a bag of sub rolls and they can do meatball sandwiches or cook up some spaghetti noodles to eat with them.Here's a recipe for one type of Baked Ziti I found recently and love--just pick up one of the aluminum lasagna pans--it's a very full pan and goes a looong way:1 lb ziti
1 chopped onion
1 lb ground beef
2 jars spaghetti sauce
6 oz provolone cheese
1 cup sour cream
4 oz softened cream cheese
6 oz mozzarella cheese
6 oz parmesan cheese1. Cook ziti. 2. Brown beef w/ onion; drain fat. Combine with sauce and simmer for 15 min.3. Mix sour cream and cream cheese4. Layer:
1/2 ziti
All the provolone
all the cream cheese mixture
1/2 of the meat sauce
rest of ziti
rest of sauce
All the mozzarella
All the parmesan5. Cover w/ foil and bake 350 for 30 min.Another idea: Fillet chicken breasts and place in ziplock bag with Wishbone FF Italian dressing to marinate. In another bag combine: 6 medium red potatoes cut in wedges; 1/3 cup melted butter; 1 clove pressed garlic; 1/4 cup parmesan; 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning. Mush it all around. Then they can dump the potatoes on a sheet pan and bake at 450 for 30 minutes--stir half way through cooking time. And they can either cook the chicken on the grill, skillet, or bake in oven.

 

[pampchefsarah]

I'm actually doing this to save my family money (my DH and DD love to have hot wings as snacks).

Make up a huge batch of the Smokey Barbecue Buffalo Wings in this season's SBRC, and then freeze individual servings in freezer bags. Or, for a dinner, they can be served with garlic bread and veggies.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Amanda - that baked Ziti sounds wonderful! I think I need to make that!


Yes - my son loves any type of baked pasta - I think the baked Ziti would be a winner!

He's not so big on lots of meat, so wouldn't touch meatballs or meatloaf. But maybe their kids are different.

One PC recipe he loves is from 29 Min. To Dinner - the Crunchy Whole Grain Chicken Bites.

Any cheese covered veggies are good too. Broccoli, Scalloped Potatoes, or Cheesy Potatoes.

Also - not the healthiest, but something that I know kids would eat would be jello jigglers, and also puddings. (Hey - it would be some dairy!)

I guess I wouldn't be so concerned about the Dad. He's an adult and can figure out how to feed himself. My concern would be making things that those toddlers would eat...especially when their mom has been gone, and their routine has been all whacked out.