burritos and tortilla soup?

- Some diced or shredded chicken they can easily add to a salad.

- Enchiladas Suiza

- Salmon croquettes

Maybe too redundant with the fajitas and quesadillas, but breakfast burritos go over pretty well around here and I like that they can be eaten at pretty much any time of day. I just brown sausage, scramble eggs and assemble them in tortillas with some shredded cheese and a little mild salas. I wrap each one individually in foil and they can be reheated in the oven.

Some muffins are nice to have in the freezer too.

Thanks for the ideas!
I love the idea of chicken for salads and sandwiches. I am definitely trying to do dishes that can do double duty-- and I'll provide her ideas and suggestions on how to use them, like: sausage and peppers can be eaten on a bun, in an omelet, over pasta, etc.

Not sure how burritos would freeze-- but enchiladas is a great idea too. I am looking to use ingredients across a number of dishes so I will add enchiladas to my plan for tomorrow... and enchiladas suiza will be a nice change from all the tomato dishes (and *I* love it!)

Tortilla soup and mexican bean soup are both great (as long as i keep the spiciness down)

I have to say, I never ate nor made salmon croquettes-- I'll have to check them out. Also made me wonder if I can do a tuna burger for the freezer. I have a great rosemary chicken burger that should freeze well (and I am on a ground chicken kick).

My niece is a little more than an hour away so I'll probably make and deliver meals a few times over the next few months. Love all the suggestions-- thank you so much!

crt.. while I am trying to offer them some variety, I am not too worried about redundancy. Using similar ingredients makes my shopping/prep easier ... and they are young and broke so I know they'll appreciate it all!

I had forgotten about muffins! I had them on my original list and forgot about them. It's a great time of year for blueberries!

Salmon croquettes were in my Mom's regular meal schedule. I make them pretty much the same as she did but to make them really special, I add lots of lemon zest. Really brightens up the flavor especially if making them from canned salmon. They do freeze nicely, so I bet a tuna patty would as well.

What about making a large batch of waffles? You could freeze those in portions and then take them some maple syrup and some fruit and they could pop the waffles in the toaster oven and add the fruit for a quick breakfast. Since she might be nursing and you are obviously trying to avoid anything too spicy, how about good old chicken soup with orzo (or ditalini or pastini) and kale? I love that just about any time of the year.

I think you have the frozen ideas under control. When I was recuperating from major surgery, a good friend brought over baked chicken and vegetable. A very, very large tray. It lasted a few days.

You could also drop off a prepared but still needs to be cooked. i do a bake chicken kiev. You can drop it off in the morning and they can just pop it in the oven when they want to.

So nice of you to take such good care of your niece!

So many great ideas. Thank you guys!

OutsidePlaying - waffles is a great idea and she'll be thrilled. When they were little, I used to make the kids multi-grain waffles with blueberry sauce when they spent the night. It was a special treat and one she'll love to get again.

My italian wedding soup (which I already made) is pretty tasty and light-- i think a touch of lemon will make it feel more summery too. I make it with Trader Joe's Harvest Grain mix (isreali couscous, orzo, garbanzo beans and lentils) along with spinach and herbed meatballs -- lots of nutrients in a pretty light dish.

Ellendi, I can do some ready-to-cook meals for when I travel there but given the distance, most foods will be freezer ready. I do have a really lean spinach stuffed chicken breast made similarly to a kiev. I could even make a few of each in a pan to give some variety. I- will also take fresh veggies and salad fixings when I go. I don't think they have grocery delivery in their area but I'll check it out.. that would be a great way to keep fresh sides available.

Love all these ideas.. especially because I make a bit for myself too!

I am checking out salmon croquettes.. and I made cod fish sticks.. any other fish dishes that can be frozen? The only thing that's a no-go is shrimp.

Crab cakes freeze well. I use a Jacque Pepin recipe that I turned my fish monger onto and now they make them to sell, sans almonds. I buy theirs and freeze a couple for emergencies. No eggs, so no worries about them being undercooked. The red sauce is fabulous, if you like wasabi...

Jacques Pepin's Crab Cakes

8 ounces crab meat

1 and 1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

2 tablespoons minced scallions
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil

Put the crabmeat in a bowl and add 2/3 cup of the bread crumbs,
scallion, cilantro, garlic, mayonnaise, Tabasco, and salt. Mix lightly,
just until the ingredients are well combined.
Put the remaining breadcrumbs in a food processor with the almonds and
process until the nuts are well chopped and combined with the bread. I freeze them raw and thaw most of the way before heating in a pan.

Heat the oven to 180 degrees [if serving immediately]. Form the crab
mixture into 4 patties, then dip each patty into the crumb mixture until
it is coated on all sides. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat and arrange the
patties next to one another in the pan, handling them gently because
they are soft. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side. Keep warm in the
oven. [At this point, I will sometimes save these for the next day,
and reheat them quickly in skillet on high heat.]
Red Sauce to serve with the crab cakes:
Mix 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 1 teaspoon wasabi paste
or wasabi powder, 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, and 1 tablespoon water.

Sorry, I don't have any other ideas, but after your cooking blitz/food delivery stint is complete, could you please provide the recipe for your rosemary chicken burger along with how you serve it (bun just like hamburger?)? Just typing it is making me drool!

I have nothing to add except that once again, I am so impressed with what an amazing aunt you are!

No family members made us any meals when our kids were born. Now I'm bitter, 14/19/22 years later! ;)

Aw Sue! If you lived closer, I'd cook for you if you .. well, I dunno... broke a nail or something!
I love to cook but I don't enjoy entertaining nearly as much-- so this kind of thing works out perfectly for me.
It also gives me a chance to make dishes I wouldn't normally make for the one or two of us.
It also helps that she's SO appreciative. I swear, she's been more enthusiastic about the freezer meals than the PILE of presents we gave her at her shower (though in her defense, I think she was a bit overwhelmed with it all at the shower).

How about a big batch of pulled pork. It can be used as carnitas, barbecue sandwiches, on top of a salad, etc. Other ideas could include meatballs (for pasta or sandwiches), already cooked taco meat (turkey or beef seasoned) to use in taco salad, taco bowls, or tacos. I think that Pioneer Woman has quite a few freezer ready ideas.

A bunch of freezer meals? That is SO NICE of you! Three cheers for Funky! There are a bunch of good ideas listed here.

Make ahead breakfast burritos!

ourfamilyeats.com/2012/08/make-ahead-breakfast-burritos-recipe/

I like her turkey breakfast sausage recipe too.

ourfamilyeats.com/2010/08/turkey-breakfast-sausage-recipe/

You could just freeze the sausage too.

It's getting warmer, but I still like chili.

After reading this I am hungry for fish sticks now. Thankyousomuch. :)

LOL Misinformik. I was pretty impressed with how my fish sticks turned out LOL.. so simple but really great (and nostalgic. We had either fish sticks or pizza almost every Friday in lent!).

She plans to do smoothies for breakfast every day but I do like the idea of a couple of breakfast options.

Tish.. pulled pork is a great idea! I definitely plan to do taco meat (and shells) and meatballs. They are so easy!

I have seen some align that have freezer bags done for smoothies that include the greens, fruit, maybe seeds. For those that add fruit juice, the juice is frozen in ice cube trays and then added to the smoothie bag. I bet the same thing could be done with alternative milks such as soy, almond, hemp, etc or yogurt cubes. I have not tried to do them yet, but I probably should consider it as sometimes even smoothies seem like too much work in the morning.

I will second or maybe third ? fourth? that this is such a great gift! And, I would love the chicken spinach recipe if we're sharing:)

I am happy to share, Sheilaaus. Some of my recipes have been adapted or borrowed in total from others' recipes (I talk about them as if they are truly my friends.. Ina, Giada, Julia). Those recipes are exact. This recipe is completely my own so I will give advance warning that the quantities are estimates. I did document this recipe for a family cookbook so it's likely pretty close.

A few notes about this recipe. First, I developed it many years ago when a then bf and I were on the South Beach diet. He was missing (being a big baby) his favorite comfort foods -- like chicken parmesan. This was my healthy replacement for that -- and I actually like it more than the chicken parm.

The recipe calls for two kinds of parmesan-- wrapped inside the chicken is the better parmesan. Shred yourself or you can use the fancy shredded parm that's prepackaged. You do want meltable parm though. Coating the outside of the chicken (in place of traditional breading) is plain old green can parmesan .. or you can use the fresh kind but it does need to be in powder form.

One final note, I no longer bother with the egg wash before coating the chicken with parmesan. The wetness of the chicken and a little pressure is sufficient to coat.. this does result in a paler color when done.

Ingredients

• 4 skinless chicken breasts

• 3 c fresh spinach ripped into small pieces

• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

• 1 medium onion, minced (a little finer than chopped)

• +/- 1 tsp minced garlic

• 1 Tbl olive oil

• 1 egg

• +/1 1/2 c parmesan from a can

• oregano (fresh or freeze dried)

• Parsley, chopped

• paprika

• 1 additional Tbl olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 375 deg. Coat a ceramic or pyrex baking dish with a light layer of olive oil.

Prepare Filling:
2. Sauté garlic and
onion in olive oil until onion is soft and translucent.
3. Add spinach and minced garlic. Continue sauteeing until spinach is wilted.
4. Remove from heat and add
grated fresh parmesan. Mix the sauted vegetables and cheese with salt,
pepper and a touch of oregano.

Prepare the Chicken Rolls:
5. Pound chicken
breasts between layers of saran wrap until about 1/4 think all around.
Try to maintain a somewhat oblong shape.
6. Spread 1/4 of the filling in
each of the 4 chicken breasts. The layer doesn’t have to be thick and do
not take filling the whole way to the edge. Roll the chicken breast starting at a short end. Tuck any stray pieces in or under to make a nicely shaped package.

Coat the Chicken Rolls:
7. In a flat dish or
casserole, combine the parmesan from a can with a shake or two of your
favorite herbs. I use garlic powder, oregano and parsley. Set aside
8. Beat the egg loosely in a wide shallow bowl.
9. Dip the top and
sides of the chicken roll first in the egg, then in the parmesan mixture
and place in the baking pan open side down. Be sure to cover much of the breast in parmesan. Repeat for each roll.
10. sprinkle a little paprika on top of each roll.

Bake

11. Bake the chicken for 25-30 min. The top will be a golden brown and the chicken will be cooked through.

Serve

• You can serve as is, with a dollop of your favorite tomato sauce or cool slightly and slice into spiral coins for a prettier presentation (or for appetizer portions)

Thank you, Funkyart, for the recipe. I'm purposely avoiding the NAME of the recipe to forestall drowning in drool.

LOL Javachik! I have been on a rosemary kick. LOVE it in so many dishes ... it can be tricky, you don't want to go overboard with it but in the right amounts, it's amazing! My next adventure will be a cocktail with rosemary!

I wouldn't do Tuna - Or any other fish that could be high in mercury. Just my two cents :) You are a sweetie for doing this!

Finally tried the chicken burger - oh my! So glad I had leftovers, too! Chicken spinach parm is next up. Thanks for the recipes.

Oh Javachik, glad you enjoyed them as much as we do! I hope you enjoy the stuffed chicken as much!
My niece is appreciating the more simple meals as the temps get warmer-- last night I made them sloppy joes with ground turkey, carrots, peppers and zucchini chopped up in it.

I recently put together these 8 meals and 7 chicken crockpot meals from the same website. Only had one meal and it was good. My only complaint is the prep time. 75 min advertised ended up being 2 hours each for DH and I.

http://newleafwellness.biz/2014/09/08/8-healthy-freezer-crockpot-meals-75-minutes/

Those recipes look healthier than a lot of the crock pot meals I've seen out there. Hope you continue to enjoy them!
I am not a crock pot cook.. I've never used one and have flashbacks of the meals my first roommate used to make with a crock pot and a can of cream of chicken soup! I did receive two "hook up" crock pots for Christmas so this may change.. but as of now, they are still in the boxes.