Complete meal suggestions that can be frozen?

shopndrop

My dad who cares for my mum hasn't been too well recently and is finding it hard cooking as well as doing everything else around the house and has decided that he is going to try some of the meals from somewhere like Wiltshire Foods who deliver to the house and I think it all goes in the freezer, both meals and puddings. After looking at their prices, I just wonder if I could do something like some of their meals that could go in the freezer and they just take out what they want. I am sure I could do it much cheaper for them.

They don't like pasta or rice just traditional English food. Ideally it would be a complete meal i.e. meat or fish, some pots and some veg.

The only things that I do at home to freeze are either cottage pie or lasagne so could do some cottage pies for them but would love to know what else I could do that will freeze.

stimpy27

Unfortunately I am a terrible cook......... however I am good at eating!!! How about some stews/casseroles such as sausage stew and Hearty vegetable soups??

naturally_2

I second stews and hotpots... if you have a slow cooker they are incredibly little effort to make as well!

How about... Beef stew (very nice when made with guiness, and braising steak is cheap) pork and cider casserole, Sausage casserole, Scouse, would they eat a mild chilli?

If you have the right type of ceramic pots you can do potato or pastry topped pies which should freeze well. Or in foil trays too I guess. If you include potatoes, vegetables and meat in them that's more or less a complete meal isn't it?

I am told mashed potato freezes really well. If you're after a cheat's way, you could always buy the already frozen discs that Aunt bessie's make, same with any veg, and freeze a plate full in a tupperware with the pie or whatever.

Puddings freeze really well. Apple crumble, cheesecakes, jam roly poly with custard, slices of fruit pie, again with custard, sponge pudding...

I really enjoyed doing this for my mum when she had cancer and no energy to cook, hope you do too.

Also, with regards to Wiltshire Farm Foods, if you have an Iceland or a Farmfoods shop near you, you could do a trip for them once a week or fortnight there. They often do complete ready meals (including roasts) for about £1. Not sure how this compares to Wiltshire, and doesn't include cost of pudding. Also, point to note is that I think wiltshire's meals are all cooked for the same amount of time. My grandmother didn't cope with the different frozen meals we bought her occasionally as they required different cooking times. just something to bear in mind, although it sounds like yours are quite capable of reading and following instructions.

nanokitten

how about individual portions of shepards pie: cook the stewy bit then add the mash and freeze.

I agree that casserole type meals would work well, you could by some cheap small pyrex lidded dishes (tesco used to have value ones) and they should freeze alright. have a look at ready meals in M&S for inspiration as they have loads of veg which can be heated up too.

shopndrop

naturally wrote: »

I second stews and hotpots... if you have a slow cooker they are incredibly little effort to make as well!

How about... Beef stew (very nice when made with guiness, and braising steak is cheap) pork and cider casserole, Sausage casserole, Scouse, would they eat a mild chilli?

If you have the right type of ceramic pots you can do potato or pastry topped pies which should freeze well. Or in foil trays too I guess. If you include potatoes, vegetables and meat in them that's more or less a complete meal isn't it?

I am told mashed potato freezes really well. If you're after a cheat's way, you could always buy the already frozen discs that Aunt bessie's make, same with any veg, and freeze a plate full in a tupperware with the pie or whatever.

I really enjoyed doing this for my mum when she had cancer and no energy to cook, hope you do too.

I do have a slow cooker so could make use of this for stews etc. Presume they freeze OK?

If I did a pastry top pie, would I put the uncooked pastry on to go in the freezer then it would be cooked when they pop it in the oven?

They wouldn't eat even a mild chilli, they only like very plain (even bland) food.

I am quite happy to cook potatoes and mash them myself, didn't know you could freeze them though.

Penelope_Penguin

shopndrop wrote: »

I am quite happy to cook potatoes and mash them myself, didn't know you could freeze them though.

So you're after main meals that freeze, not plated-up full meals If so, we have a long thread with lots of suggestions, which I can add this thread to

Penny. x

naturally_2

You can freeze pastry topping cooked or uncooked, really depends on if they'd burn it I guess! I'd go for cooked, then at least you know there's nothing to poison them if they don't cook it thoroughly.

Most meals of the type they will eat will freeze ok. Stews definately, pies yes, mash yes. Pasta does freeze but not as well as other things, as tends to go soggy when thawed. If you're worried about what will and won't freeze steer clear of things that naturally have a lot of water content (eg fresh fruit) which can go soggy, same with pasta and rice is a little bit of a worry if you don't cool it quick enough or reheat it hot enough. All the things you've said they'llk eat will be fine though.

shopndrop

Penelope_Penguin wrote: »

So you're after main meals that freeze, not plated-up full meals If so, we have a long thread with lots of suggestions, which I can add this thread to

Penny. x

I would prefer to do some plated up full meals if at all possible?

exlibris

Roast meat, sliced and then covered with gravy will freeze without dying out.
Quiche will freeze with the pastry cooked and the filling raw. It goes into the oven frozen and thaws and cooks at the same time.
Frozen smallish veg added to a plate should freeze ok. Not sure how any potato would come out though.

HTH

clumsy_cupcake

please keep the ideas coming, would love to hear more.

shopndrop

Does anyone know if I could freeze a piece of uncooked fresh fish with a white sauce poured over, with some mashed potato and cooked fresh veg in a container and freeze this, then just reheat in the oven for about 25 mins until piping hot. Would this be sufficient to cook the fish and heat the pots and veg?