Making meals that can be popped in oven later

Counting_Pennies_2

Can anyone come up with suggestions.

As part of my job, I prepare meals during the day to be popped in the oven in a family home later on that day, I am being paid for this service, and it is often for families who are used to good food.

I am positively useless at coming up with ideas and wondered if anyone has some tasty suggestions.

I am looking for something more inspirational than just a casserole. Has anyone got any suggestions that I could prepare the meal ahead, and leave it in the fridge in either a roasting tin or casserole dish. It needs to be a one pot style, so that the family member just turns the oven on and bungs it in for half an hour, and hey presto the family have an evening meal.

I have lasagnes, cottage pies and casseroles, but need to broaden the ideas to be a little more inspirational.

Thanks ahead for your responses

Seakay

Curries are often even nicer if made in advance and then reheated. Here is a rice recipe to go with it - you could pre-mix the dry ingredients if the family would be okay to add the boiling water.

Oven rice
Categories: Rice
Yield: 6 servings
1 cup Uncooked regular long Grain rice
2 cup Water
¼ teaspoon Salt, if desired

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat water to boiling. Mix rice, water and salt in ungreased 1-quart casserole. Cover and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until water is absorbed. 6 SERVINGS (1/2 CUP EACH); 120 CALORIES PER SERVING


Is the family able to reheat in a microwave?

If so, then you could pre-cook pies and flans, remove them from foil container or tin when cold and put them on a plate to be reheated with no danger of the pastry burning.

I think that baked potatoes taste nicer if cooked in the oven, but if they are first cooked that way then they are just as nice if they are reheated in the microwave (pierce skin first!) especially if you are not a fan of crunchy skins. You could pre-prepare delicious salads etc to go with, and/or slices of good quality ham and/or cheeses.

Do you have contact with the families who eat your food? They might have a few suggestions for things that they enjoy.

Also, how about a quick trawl around the ready meal sections of M&S, Waitrose, Sainsbury's etc for some inspiration and ideas? Nearly all of these meals are cooked in an oven or a microwave.

KittyKate

How about a vegetable bake? Very filling (if a bit fattening!) This was invented by my very domestic OH after we had it from Marks and Spencers!

Chop up potatoes very small (say 2cm by 2cm) and boil with peas, green beans, carrots, any veg really (asparagus would work nicely) but nothing too stalky like brocolli or cauli unless its just the tops chopped up to about 3cm size.

Make a simple white sauce (you can add a little garlic if you like), sprinkle in some rosemary, black pepper, salt.

Drain the veg and pour into a ovenproof dish. Cover with plenty of white sauce then sprinkle on cheese (you can use a mixture of mozerella and cheddar for a lovely melted top). Sprinkle with pepper. Pop in the fridge.

This would only need 15-20 mins at 200 in the oven (we have a fan assisted however) - basically until it is piping hot and browned on the top. It's delicious!

You can also add flakes of chicken or chop up some good sausages, fry them off and add them too. Would be nice with some cooked asparagus or chopped tomatoes on the top, or with a bit of salmon (salt, pepper and a bit of white wine/stock, wrapped in tinfoil and popped in the oven at the same time as the bake).

It's really versatile

newlywed

Chicken and leek pie (lovely if topped with ready made puff pastry)
Chicken broccoli pasta bake.
Chilli
Cannelloni

belfastgirl23

Not a meat eater myself but it might be possible to do a small roast piece of meat and mixed roast veg and potatos?

cooked pasta can also be coated with a tomato sauce then layered with mozzarella and oven baked (yummy)

Lara44

Hello Counting Pennies

Can they reheat anything on the hob?

Basque chicken:

Fry onions and garlic
Add chopped chicken breasts, cook to seal and give some colour
Add some small pieces of chopped up chorizo sausage (you don't need very much) some tinned tomatoes, (or fresh tomatoes), a good slug of leftover wine or stock and some sage
Simmer until the chicken is flaky and wonderful (around 40mins?)
Can be reheated in the oven or on the hob, and is lovely served with boiled potatoes or rice


Sausages in onion gravy:

Fry sausages at a high heat to brown them
Put aside in a casserole dish
Fry onions until very soft and dark (about 1 per person)
Add a tablespoon of cornflour and stir into the onions until there are no lumps
Add a big cup full of stock and stir
Add a tablespoon of wholegrain mustard, (or some leftover red wine, balsamic vinegar or chutney or something similar)
Stir in and pour over the sausages
Put the casserole dish of sausages and gravy in the oven and cook for 20 minutes or more

(This one might be good as instead of reheating it they can actually cook it - less work for you!)

That's a lovely job by the way

Lara44

This goes back to the hob question, but homemade burgers are something I make in advance and freeze, they can be cooked in around 10 minutes.

Thai Style Pork Burgers:

Lean pork mince
Half a packet of bacon diced really small or minced if you have a food processor
Spring onions diced (4 or so depending on taste)
Green cool chilli diced (or 2)
I use lemongrass sometimes when I can get it
Crushed garlic
Coriander or coriander seeds ground
Black pepper

Mix together in a bowl, with a bit of soy sauce - I don't use an egg because I am not too keen on them.

Also if they can use the hob you can make soup?

Check out the BBC food website too, they have a recipe finder there which includes all the recipes from their food shows, which is great.

lynzpower

What about chicken & mushroom lasagne or bacon and leek lasagne etc

elona

How about a huge home made quiche and they can have salad or a microwave baked potato with i.

whatatwit

It sounds as though you are cooking for a family who want M&S style ready meals, but home made.

How about sliced chicken breast in a sauce...tomato or mushroom based possibly.
Chicken breast stuffed with something...cream cheese/sundried tomatoes in oil/garlic butter...then wrapped in bacon.

Sautéd potatoes or mash could be in a separate dish to be heated also.
Cauliflower cheese, brocolli in a tomato sauce, could be done too.

Maybe try having a browse through the Tesco Finest range on the net, they usually have some tasty sounding meals. :drool:

Counting_Pennies_2

whatatwit wrote: »

It sounds as though you are cooking for a family who want M&S style ready meals, but home made.

That is exactly the type of family I cook for.

Thank you so much everyone for the inspiration, please do keep it coming as it is good to get as much variety as possible.

Thanks again