When I need to do SOMETHING for the sick

When someone’s sick, I feel compelled to DO SOMETHING. And so, I cook them casseroles.  Or more precisely, “bakes”, because I had the word “casserole.” It’s too church potlucky for me.

I think these disposable aluminum baking pans are useful when sending casseroles to others. Then no one has to worry about returning a dish. I also pick up used glass ones at garage sales and thrift shops.

I’ll never forget when my husband’s friend stopped by after I gave birth to my daughter. She had two frozen pizzas in her hands. What a lifesaver. There was no way I was thinking about cooking dinner, and because of those two frozen pizzas I didn’t have to for a few days.

And so since, I’ve decided that cooking and freezing a few meals is something I can do after someone has a baby or after they’ve been in the hospital. It’s often hard to figure out what you can do when, say, someone’s been diagnosed with cancer. You really want to help, but how? Making meals is a great option.

I bought “Can I freeze it?”, a book about freezing foods, in order to discover what I can and cannot put in a casserole. There are some recipes in the book, but not really what I was looking for: too complicated. What I most appreciate is the short section at the start where author Susie Theodorou talks about how to freeze foods and what foods don’t freeze well. Stay away from eggs, mayonnaise, cabbage, celery, and salad greens. I haven’t experiemented much with recipes that require rice or potatoes, but I do a lot with noodles. Plus, I think  that spaghetti-type meals are comfort food for most Americans. A better "How to" source is www.budget101.com/tips-n-tricks/59819-how-freeze-casseroles.html.

I like to pop an extra bit of “health” in all the stuff I cook, so I use frozen spinach like herbs (it’s high in iron and other great nutrients): break it up with your fingers as you add it to a dish. I am known to throw shredded carrots into lots of different stuff. I also like to throw beans into casseroles for that extra protein punch.

I buy those disposible tin pans to freeze the bakes in. That way neither I nor the folks I send the food home with have to worry about returning dishes.

Be sure to write the name of the dish and recipes for cooking it on the cover. It takes longer to cook a frozen casserole; a good rule of thumb is one hour at 350º.

Another option is to freeze part of a batch of soup you make. Throw it in a ziplock bag and then spread it flat in the freezer so it is easier to stack when fully frozen.

Here are a few recipes I like. I’ve removed the bake at for how long information, as you don’t need to bake the casseroles before you freeze them.

Italian Pasta and Bean Casserole

(Taste of Home web site)

1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed

1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)

1 large onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 can (28 ounces) Italian plum tomatoes, drained and chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 can (15-1/2 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 pound mostaccioli, rigatoni or macaroni, cooked and drained

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 pound shredded Fontina or mozzarella cheese

Directions

In a large skillet, saute first six ingredients, crumbling with a fork, until the meat is browned

and done. Drain. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper and kidney beans; heat through.

Add pasta, Parmesan cheese and parsley; toss well. Spoon into a greased shallow 4-qt. baking

dish; sprinkle with Fontina or mozzarella cheese.  Yield: 8-10 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 cup) equals 579 calories, 26 g fat (13 g saturated fat), 96 mg

cholesterol, 1,417 mg sodium, 50 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 36 g protein.

PIzza Casserole

(Taste of Home web site)

3 pounds ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 jar (28 ounces) spaghetti sauce

2 jars (4-1/2 ounces each) sliced mushrooms, drained

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Dash pepper

1 package (16 ounces) wide egg noodles, cooked and drained

2 packages (3-1/2 ounces each) sliced pepperoni

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

In a Dutch oven, brown beef and onion over medium heat until meat is

no longer pink; drain. Add spaghetti sauce, mushrooms, salt, garlic

powder, oregano and pepper; heat through. Spoon 4 cups of meat mixture into your dish. Top with half of the noodles, pepperoni and cheeses. Repeat layers. Yield: 12 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 534 calories, 26 g fat (13 g

saturated fat), 131 mg cholesterol, 1,009 mg sodium, 36 g carbohydrate,

3 g fiber, 37 g protein.

Greek Pasta Bake

(Taste of Home web site)

1 package (13-1/4 ounces) whole wheat penne pasta

4 cups cubed cooked chicken breast

1 can (29 ounces) tomato sauce

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

2 cans (2-1/4 ounces each) sliced ripe olives, drained

1/4 cup chopped red onion

2 tablespoons chopped green pepper

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, chicken, tomato sauce, tomatoes, spinach, olives, onion, green pepper, basil and oregano. Transfer to a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cheeses.  Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts: One serving: 1-1/2 cups; Calories: 366; Fat: 7 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Cholesterol: 62 mg; Sodium: 847 mg; Carbohydrate: 43 g; Fiber: 6 g; Protein: 32 g

Diabetic Exchange: 3 very lean meat,2-1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1/2 fat.