Talk About a Solid Reason to Keep a Few Good Meals in the Freezer!
I’ll cut right to the chase: this past week my husband, Rich, has been in the hospital with RSV. Any of you that’ve had someone you love in the hospital, know the stress and fatigue that’s part and parcel to a hospital stay. Then factor in the scariness of the reason he was there…
It’s been a week of dragging into the house after each day of being with him in room 173 on the Medical/Surgical Floor. Too tired to fix anything actually nourishing, I’ve just been eating canned soup and toast.
We just got him home. And boy is he glad…there’s no sleeping in the hospital, right? And there’s nothing to match sleeping in your own bed. (Please know how grateful we are for the care he got, the blessed fact that we DO have hospitals to go to, and that he’s going to recover. I don’t mean to whine, but maybe you know what I mean in terms of no sleep and uncomfortable beds?)
So now comes the need for some nourishing meals and lots of TLC. While I was OK limping along on Kroger’s soups and French bread toast, that’s not going to be adequate for Rich. He needs nutrient-dense food and in a timely manner. Not to say soup isn’t a good option, but canned chicken noodle soup, while fine for starters, isn’t all that attractive night after night.
Thus, to the point of my article: Talk about a solid reason for having a few good meals in the freezer. (No judgment, all you prepared and skilled Cook’n meal planners out there.) The timing of Rich’s illness caught me at the end-of-the-month with bare cupboards and an empty fridge. When I get my oomph back, I’ll head to the store. Meanwhile, in a few minutes I’ll be turning to my Cook’n meal-planner feature. (You were thinking that, weren’t you?)
I’ve learned my lesson and intend to turn over a new leaf. So going forward, I intend to keep some of Rich’s favorite meals in the freezer. You just never know when you’re gonna need ‘em.
I appreciate you listening; I’ll close with a recipe for one of our favorite freezer meals found years ago on www.tasteofhome.com. It’s delicious and easy to make.
And in the meantime, I’d like to know if any of you relate to my experience, and any tips you might have for feeding someone who’s been super sick. Thanks in advance!
4 cups shredded, unpeeled zucchini (or use frozen grated zucchini)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese divided
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese divided
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 (15-ounce) can Italian tomato sauce
1 medium green or sweet red bell pepper chopped
Directions:
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It’s been a week of dragging into the house after each day of being with him in room 173 on the Medical/Surgical Floor. Too tired to fix anything actually nourishing, I’ve just been eating canned soup and toast.
We just got him home. And boy is he glad…there’s no sleeping in the hospital, right? And there’s nothing to match sleeping in your own bed. (Please know how grateful we are for the care he got, the blessed fact that we DO have hospitals to go to, and that he’s going to recover. I don’t mean to whine, but maybe you know what I mean in terms of no sleep and uncomfortable beds?)
So now comes the need for some nourishing meals and lots of TLC. While I was OK limping along on Kroger’s soups and French bread toast, that’s not going to be adequate for Rich. He needs nutrient-dense food and in a timely manner. Not to say soup isn’t a good option, but canned chicken noodle soup, while fine for starters, isn’t all that attractive night after night.
Thus, to the point of my article: Talk about a solid reason for having a few good meals in the freezer. (No judgment, all you prepared and skilled Cook’n meal planners out there.) The timing of Rich’s illness caught me at the end-of-the-month with bare cupboards and an empty fridge. When I get my oomph back, I’ll head to the store. Meanwhile, in a few minutes I’ll be turning to my Cook’n meal-planner feature. (You were thinking that, weren’t you?)
I’ve learned my lesson and intend to turn over a new leaf. So going forward, I intend to keep some of Rich’s favorite meals in the freezer. You just never know when you’re gonna need ‘em.
I appreciate you listening; I’ll close with a recipe for one of our favorite freezer meals found years ago on www.tasteofhome.com. It’s delicious and easy to make.
And in the meantime, I’d like to know if any of you relate to my experience, and any tips you might have for feeding someone who’s been super sick. Thanks in advance!
Zucchini Pizza Casserole
Ingredients:
4 cups shredded, unpeeled zucchini (or use frozen grated zucchini)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese divided
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese divided
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 (15-ounce) can Italian tomato sauce
1 medium green or sweet red bell pepper chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°. Place zucchini in colander; sprinkle with salt. Let stand 10 minutes, then squeeze out moisture.
Combine zucchini with eggs, Parmesan and half the mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. Press into a greased 13x9-in. or 3-qt. baking dish. Bake 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, breaking meat into crumbles; drain. Add tomato sauce; spoon over zucchini mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses; add green pepper. Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes longer.
TO FREEZE: Cool baked casserole; tightly cover and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°F. Unwrap casserole; reheat on a lower oven rack until heated through and a thermometer inserted in center reads 165°.
OR, simply freeze the unbaked casserole. When ready to use, partially thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Unwrap casserole and bake on lower oven rack until heated through, approximately 45 minutes. Use your thermometer to check internal temperature (165º).
Combine zucchini with eggs, Parmesan and half the mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. Press into a greased 13x9-in. or 3-qt. baking dish. Bake 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, breaking meat into crumbles; drain. Add tomato sauce; spoon over zucchini mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses; add green pepper. Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes longer.
TO FREEZE: Cool baked casserole; tightly cover and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°F. Unwrap casserole; reheat on a lower oven rack until heated through and a thermometer inserted in center reads 165°.
OR, simply freeze the unbaked casserole. When ready to use, partially thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Unwrap casserole and bake on lower oven rack until heated through, approximately 45 minutes. Use your thermometer to check internal temperature (165º).
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
Alice Osborne
Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2006
Email the author! alice@dvo.com
