Linda, that's so nice of you to think about helping out your friend this way. I think the Pot Pie will be great frozen and reheated. (I want some!) Also, I often bake lasagna, refrigerate it, and refreeze individual portions, simply because they're so easy to reheat. Your soup sounds delicious, along with the torte. Any of your suggestions on the ''Homemade Frozen Food'' thread sound like a winner to me. I hope she appreciates what a great friend you are!

Chicken or turkey tetrazzini freezes very well. I like the recipe at southernfood.about.com.

Baked Ziti or baked spaghetti will freeze well, just don't overcook the pasta or it can become mushy from the freezing.

Comfort foods like chicken noodle soup or chicken and dumplings always taste good as would Shepherd's Pie. Some cut up fresh fruit and muffins would make a nice breakfast treat.

Our church has volunteers make and take meals for people who are unable to cook for themselves in the sort-term, like your friend. I've cooked for the program for years.

Most people make pasta or chicken dishes so I try to make beef, pork or seafood - meatloaf or salisbury steak in gravy, beef stew, a pork and carrot casserole, shrimp creole, etc.

When I had my ankle operated on, the meal I remember most was my when my neighbor brought over a platter of perfectly prepared turkey club sandwiches and a jar of homemade minestrone soup. That was such a nice change of pace from casseroles.

I always freeze small amounts of left overs for a friend of mine. He enjoys and appreciates them very much ;-) I find that chicken or beef fajita meat, stews, pot pies, or anything in a gravey or sauce freezes best.

After a hospital stay I was not able to cook...my favorite meal, as best as I remember, was mac and cheese and a great fish sandwich that someone made and brought over.

I freeze a lot of things, and I know Sherry made meals for her in laws and froze them weekly.

I've never tried to freeze mac and cheese, but the grocery store does it so I can't see why it wouldn't work. I usually freeze lasagna before cooking, but it's OK after cooking too.

Cabbage rolls freeze well, as do muffins, cookies, bread. I make "hot pockets" with bread dough and filling. Amanda makes them with frozen bread dough, instead of making her own but she'll do it my way eventually, LOL. I've filled dough with pizza sauce, mushrooms, canadian bacon and cheese, I've used reuben ingredients, I've filled with meatballs and cheese, ham and swiss and mustard, chicken and broccoli, beef, cheese and onions/peppers that have been grilled.

I freeze meatloaf and meatballs, both before and after cooking and Elery smoked a bunch of ribs and we froze them, they were great reheated with sauce. Soups nearly always freeze well, except the creamy ones which sometimes separate.

Chili freezes well, as does goulash.

Good luck, you're a good friend. And stay the heck out of those hospitals, as soon as you can!

Annie

I agree with what everyone has said. Since two people really appreciated sandwiches, when they were sick, I'll throw this one out there.

Whenever we grill steaks I always have hamburger patties and boneless chicken breasts to put on after the steaks are done. I hate wasting all that good charcoal and wood chips on two steaks only. I freeze them separately and they reheat really well in the toaster oven. I wouldn't recommend the micro. Of course, I use the chicken breasts for lots of things but they make great sandwiches too. Anyway, if you brought her some hamburger buns, for the freezer, and some lettuce and tomato she can make her own burgers or chicken sandwiches as a change from the other things.

Like everyone else said, you are a good friend.

Breakfast burritos, breakfast "McMuffins", fruit based muffins all freeze well.
Healthy cookies (oatmeal, dried fruit, nuts, etc.) might be nice.
All the things already mentioned are great!
Homemade pizzas. Poached fish. Pulled pork for sandwiches on buns, bread or tortillas. Enchiladas. Meatloaf cooked in muffin tins for individual servings.
Pick up some frozen veggies to accompany meat dishes.
Twice baked potatoes.

What a nice thing to do for your friend!

Deanna

Great ideas here, as usual! I had forgotten I posted on the other "frozen food" thread! LOL (Musta had a brain fart.)

I have a beef roast in the freezer, I may make Crockpot French Dips, too. I freeze those every year for my annual gir's canoe trip. Totally forgot about those, too.

Thanks, It looks like with all of these ideas, I'll be cooking up a storm this weekend!

Linda

You've gotten plenty of good ideas. I'll just add quiche to the mix. The only thing I wanted to say is try to portion things out. I don't know what kind of surgery she's having but sometimes just having to thaw a bigger portion and cutting it up can be a chore or hard or even impossible. I'd cook the lasagna and cut that size into 4 pieces and freeze individually. I know that sometimes when I can't get around for long, if I have individual portions I can take care of myself in quick order. We also grill extra chicken and hamburgers when we are grilling. Burgers taste so much better even thawed and nuked for a minute than cooked indoors. We use the chicken for salads and chicken salad and all kinds of sandwiches as well as along with some mac and cheese or a rice dish.

I hope your friend recovers well and soon.

Pot roast with gravy in single serving size containers and twice baked potatoes freeze great and are comforting, to me anyway.
I have also found gumbo to freeze really well.

Coconut, I plan to deliver single portion sizes of everything but the lasagna. That I'll make in an 8 inch square foil pan. That way she will have at least one thing she can heat up if she has visitors.

Already have pot pie, chili, cream cheese danish and a couple slices of summer torte ready to go. Lasagna will be made tmorrow and French Dips Saturday.

Will probably do one more thing on Sunday based on the ideas here. And then hopefully I can deliver on Monday. (I believe she gets out of the hospital on Sunday)

Thanks again for the ideas and inspiration!

Linda

I don't know what kind of surgery she had so not sure about her appetite or dietary restrictions but as someone above pointed out, after the hospital non casserole type food might be nice. I like the idea of sandwiches maybe bring over the fixings so she can make a half sandwich to nibble on.

I'm not sure exactly how you would do this but it is really hot here and the thought of salad sounds very appealing. Maybe make a pasta or rice or bean salad which might stay fresh longer than a green salad and bring the dressing on the side?