Inlaws need food - ideas needed

redlady_1

Hi all

The inlaws now live nearby and Pa has Alzheimers, first stages and is no hassle. Ma is doing her "I cant cope with life" routine which is a bit of reality (she is always ill with something) and a bit of drama. So, I have volunteered to cook for them. They are elderly and everything will have to be plain and able to be stored in a freezer so they can just take it out and microwave it. The list of meals includes:-

Cottage pie
Shepherds pie
Cornish Pasties
Steak and kidney pie
Chicken and mushroom pie
Sausage casserole

But I am really after some fresh ideas please. Nothing spicy at all as I tried them with lamb casserole and they didnt like it so will make it plain in future for them. Any help would be appreciated.

MOGGYMALONE

Hi there, what about Irish stew - lamb pieces, onions, carrots, potatoes etc. or a beef casserole/hotpot made with steak pieces, carrot and onion etc. I also make a corned beef stew which is delicious but most people don't like the idea of it but on cold winter days its delicious and very cheap - 1 tin of corned beef, an onion, a couple of carrots and a parsnip all boiled up together and then add some potatoes to thicken it all up into a stew. Its very hearty and cheap - although I am not sure if it would freeze! Another thing older people seem to like is liver and onions with bacon and gravy.
Home made vegetable soups are fab for freezing and can make a meal with some nice crusty bread! hope this helps a little. Moggy

PasturesNew

Minced beef and dumpling
Cheese/onion pie
Jacket potatoes, cut in half, topped, then frozen
Beef stew, with and without a dumpling
Omelette and chips
Fish pie

redlady_1

Dumplings! Never thought of those. Are they just suet? Cant do omelette and chips as I cant freeze it. Am liking corned beef hash though.

McKneff

Dumplings are flour and suet, you can also put herbs in for a change.

Nothing to stop you freezing omelette and chips. You can buy them in the supermarket frozen.

Corned beef and tatie pie is nice.

Pan Haggerty

Rice pudding, make a big one and then freeze into individual pots.

MOGGYMALONE

Another way to get ideas might be to have a look at the ready meal sections in the supermarket and see which type of meals they have there and which ones can be frozen as sometimes you can freeze things you least expect like mashed potatoes etc which i never realised you could freeze! might not taste good mind you lol
Good luck moggy

MOGGYMALONE

I bought a packed of Atora to make dumplings havent made them yet lol
This thread is putting me in the notion of some yummy stodge! haha
Moggy

redlady_1

I also need to incorporate fish into the menus for Pa (brain food) but apart from fish pie I am a bit stuck. It is hard when you take out the spices :-)

PasturesNew

For the dumplings, you can either do suet-style dumplings, or even scone-like "cobbler" toppings.

Dumplings are suet/flour/water/pinch of salt. 100g of flour/50g of suet, so a 2:1 mix. I used to buy a box of suet and a bag of flour twice the size, then chuck the two of them into a plastic box and just spoon out how much I needed, when I needed it. No need to weigh anything out each time that way.

http://www.atora.co.uk/inspiration/showrec21.asp

Other meals they might enjoy could be:
Fishfingers or fish cakes and chips

The trouble you're having is the trouble I have with my parent.... they sit and wait for things to come to them, rather than giving you a list of what you could make.

Fruball

oooooh dumplings!

Roast dinners can be frozen and easily microwaved.

To be honest, most elderley people I know don't mind eating the same foods that they like... often they like certain things on certain days too

Pasta bakes/lasagne can be frozen if they like that sort of thing.

Fish pie - try to get some oily fish into them! Can be done cheaper if using cheap white fish and a little salmon (could be tinned), hard boiled eggs cut into chunks, a few prawns?

Fishcakes freeze well
Spam fritters



Bubble and squeak - always a favourite with older people!

ash28

Some that will freeze easily

Sausage, mash, peas and onion gravy
Toad in the hole
Sausage rolls and chips & veg
Sausage casserole
Pork loin chop with stuffing & veg
Salmon and cod fish cakes with oven chips
Macaroni cheese
Liver and bacon casserole, mash etc
Corned beef hash
Cottage pie
Chicken breast, veg and gray
Chicken casserole/pie
Beef and kidney casserole or pie
Minced beef and onion pie
Minced beef casserole and dumplings

I guess the list in endless

You could also make up a couple of puddings if they like them

Rice pudding
Apple crumble
Bread and butter pudding
Jam sponge
you can serve them with tinned/carton/packet of custard.