To answer some of the questions.....

Chicken Parm.........the chicken is cooked . Is it OK to freeze with the sauce and cheese already on? **Yes, it is. She can heat it in the oven, toaster oven or the micro. I also have a chicken parm casserole recipe that is really good. Let me now if you want it.

Spaghetti sauce....good on that one. ** You can also cook the pasta to just barely al dente, and she can reheat it in some very hot (boiling) water or in the microwave.

Lasagna.......freeze cooked or uncooked..I never like leftover frozen lasagna ?** Either way will work well.

Shepherds Pie,,,..freeze with the potatoes on top? No help here, I have never made it. But if you add a bit of cream cheese to the potatoes, they should be fine on top.

Meat loaf.....freeze cooked or uncooked? **Again, either way will work. Just leave it in the pan for her.

Hamburger mess up she likes...this one has egg noodles in it. I'm OK
with freezing the meat mixture but can I add the noodles and freeze? ** The noodle mixed in may pull the moisture out of the mess, so I would pack them separately. She can mess it up when wanted to eat.

Mac and Cheese...can I freeze with the pasta in it or just freeze the sauce..can I even freeze the sauce? **Again, no help as we do not like the standard M&C.

Some other things that freeze and reheat well are pot roast, Salisbury steaks, Hungarian goulash, baked pasta casserole like a ziti with meatballs. Roast chicken can be cut up and well wrapped for a re-heat or used in a salad, either green or mayo based.
What about some hearty soups? Those freeze very well, and you can include some ready to bake rolls.

If you have a foodsaver or can borrow one, some meals can be done as a boil in the bag cooking. Plus it does help keep the food from any chance of a freezer burn.

You are a good friend and I hope she gets well soon.

I can add abit to this...I am now finishing my 4th week of knee replacement surgery. Couple weeks before surg date I planned and did a fair amount of cooking ahead. Making breads and a few sweets, baked divided into portions wrapped and froze.

I also did a couple pots of soups, froze in 2 serving containers. Did Moms meat loaf recipe, mac and cheese, beefy/mac/tomato/cheese casserole, scalloped potatoes (Ann T's recipe), noodle chicken casserole, another favorite meatloaf type dish. I made and cooked, cooled, chilled all night in frig letting it firm up. Next morning I divided in serving sizes, put on deli wrap papers and froze. When frozen wrapped in saran wrap tight and put in freezer zip lock bags. Sometimes using the vacuum sealer on meats only.

bill takes out what we want, thaws overnite in frig or takes out of freezer and thaws in wave on defrost and then heat hot when time to eat. It has worked out great.....I see nothing wrong with this method and you cannot tell it has gone thru this freeze mode. In fact lots of time when cooking I cooked extra big and use this method.

My thinking you could cook anything and divided in small portions, wrap and freeze. Bill laughed at me cooking cooking all this, but not laughing now as all he has to do is take out of freezer, thaw and warm. "Good plan you had!!"

I freeze Shepard's Pie but I add cheddar cheese to the mashed potatoes. Instant mashed freeze a little better than regular mashed but both come out OK. I do not pre-bake before freezing, I just slap it together, let it cool, then wrap in a double layer of plastic wrap. When it comes time to bake I do not defrost before baking. Baking time depends on the size of the casserole but I usually bake at 350. When time was short, I have also microwaved then stuck under the broiler. Hope this helps.

Thanks so much for the input !

Peppi, would love the chicken parm casserole recipe.... might be easier for her than the chicken parm which needs a side. Also really appreciate the ideas for the next round...which will be required ......unfortunately.

Shirle ,,, really appreciate the tips on preparing for freezing and freezing. As much as I cook I rarely cook and freeze. Also happy to hear that casseroles with pasta freeze well..I was very worried about that.

moosemac....thanks for the tip on the instant mashed easier for me ! May even use them ,and perhaps frozen peas, to make a "TV dinner" out of the meatloaf.

I'll stick warming instructions , as provided by you, on top of each dish...

Thanks again.....for making a tough time better even in small ways....

Sharon, I'm sorry to hear you have an ill family member, and I hope she recovers soon and completely.

I've frozen Shepherd's pie unbaked, and it comes out well that way. I usually assemble lasagna and freeze it uncooked, then bake when I want it. I do cook the lasagna noodles before assembly, though.

As Peppi says, I think the chicken parm is OK fully cooked, then simply warmed, but the Shepherd's pie and the lasagna I think are better frozen then baked right before eating.

I've never tried to freeze mac and cheese, but I have frozen stuffed shells and manicotti and they were fine, I did those like the lasagna, assembled and froze them, then baked when needed.

I like the idea of homemade TV dinners, there may be some days when she feels better than others, and on "down" days, it would probably be nice to just pop a whole meal into the microwave and be done with it.

Don't forget breakfast either, I like breakfast for supper sometimes. Pancakes and French toast freeze well, as do breakfast burritos and sandwiches with egg/cheese/ham or whatever. So do scones and muffins.

Good luck, I'm sure she appreciates all your help and thoughtfulness in helping her stay strong while she recovers.

Annie

Annie, great idea about breakfast for dinner. ......it didn't occur to me . She would love French Toast. Assuming she would just reheat in the microwave?

Unfortunately there is no recovering for her.....just trying to help her on her final journey

At our school canteen mac and cheese and shepherd's pie were both on the winter menu just past. Both froze well and reheated fine, the kids loved both. One student even ordered shepherd's pie every day :-)

Oh dear, Sharon, I'm so sorry to hear that. My payers will be with her and all of your family.

I reheat the French toast in the toaster because I like mine a bit "crunchier", but the kids always just stuck it in the microwave. It doesn't take long, so I'd start with 30 seconds if it's frozen, and watch carefully. Amanda used to like to use the slices and make a kind of Monte Cristo, using that instead of plain bread and adding ham and cheese for a sandwich.

You can also make sausage and/or bacon ahead of time, package a single serving and that can be reheated in the microwave as well.

Stuffed peppers also freeze well, as long as they are cooked from the frozen state. The peppers get soft when they are cooked anyway, so the loss of texture from freezing doesn't matter. So, if she likes traditional stuffed peppers or chilies rellenos, that's another possibility.

Annie

Well....bless you for helping.
I think if I were doing that, I would do lots and lots of soups. Freeze in very small portions, like 1 1/2 cups, no more. And also wrap and package things like muffins and small portions of breads.
Don't know about her tastes, but most kinds of soups freeze very well but for those with noodles or pasta...vegetable beef, turkey and wild rice, cream of...mushroom, asparagus, chicken, cauliflower etc. Ham and beans...cheese soups etc.
And don't forget about desserts....sometimes if I don't feel well, a piece of carrot cake without the frosting or apple cake will taste wonderful!

Thanks Annie, I'll do some up that is so easy and I know she would love it.

Collen, good to hear the mac and cheese was really bothering me.

Linda, I agree soup is perfect and in fact I did 3 different kinds for her last time. She still has quite a bit left.

Cooked/prepped yesterday...packaging today so the info is timely.

I am very sorry to read that this is the end of life for her. You are a good soul for making this easier for her and it may even give her more time with her loved ones.

Here is the Parm Casserole. This really was good as I was craving chicken parm.

Chicken Parm Casserole

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 (28 oz.) jar marinara sauce
• 3 cups cooked chicken, cubed
• 2 1/2 cups garlic croutons, semi-crushed
• 1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/3 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
2. Evenly spread out garlic croutons in the baking dish, then cover with cubed chicken.
3. Season chicken with garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and sprinkle chopped basil over the top.
4. Cover chicken and croutons with marinara sauce, then top with cheeses.
5. Place baking dish in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
6. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before serving.

http://12tomatoes.com/chicken-parm-casserole/

Peppi, that does sound good........may have to test drive it though ; )

Chase, I just recalled that I did not use any crouton nor did I season the meat, as it was seasoned by Costco already. I did add the basil though and sort of mixed it all together, topped with cheese and baked. Dad loved it and he does not like chicken or chicken parm. If you have any tomato basil pasta sauce homemade and canned, use it!

Pulled pork also freezes well. I portion mine in 2 serving size in a small zip bag. The recipe is from the Pioneer Women site.

I like to make freezer meals, they are perfect for those busy crazy, I just don't feel like cooking days.