Comfort Food

It can be a helpless feeling to hear a loved one has been diagnosed with something terrible.  Saying, "Let me know if you need anything at all," often sounds like a hollow gesture and doesn't convey how badly you might want to make things better.  Everyone has a unique way of helping.  Some offer childcare while others clean.  Many pray while a few might send cards or flowers.  I cook.  You won't find me making cookies or cinnamon rolls because I presently loathe baking.  What you will find is me standing in the middle of a chaotic kitchen as I crank out meals to fill my friend's freezer.  It's really a selfish thing to do on my behalf.  It helps me to feel less helpless... and it fills my freezer at the same time as I triple the recipes.

It can be difficult to find recipes that others will like as much as you do.  Finding something that freezes well can be another challenge.  Below, I've listed some of the dishes I like to make in these situations.  I hope that these will help you comfort yourself and others.
*Helpful hints:

• Be sure to check for food allergies and make the necessary adjustments to the recipes listed below.
• Using disposable bake ware makes this so easy.  Don't burden your friend with the need to return Tupperware or dishes.
• Label all food with the date, your name, serving instructions and ingredients.  It's kind of fun to make a small recipe book to give along with your kitchen creations.  
• Be sure to tell the person preparing the food that everything has plastic wrap on it and that it must be removed prior to cooking/ reheating.
• Consider attaching motivational quotes or Bible verses to brighten your friend's day.
• If it's too overwhelming to make all of this at once, do it over the course of a week and deliver at the end of the week.
• Always cool your food prior to freezing
• Buy in bulk!  Consider Costco or Winco foods and look for specials and coupons
• This is a great thing to do with neighbors.  If you were to gather 5 neighbors and have each neighbor make 5 of one dish and then swap, you would have 5 night's worth of meals that you didn't have to cook.
• If your friend is sick to his or her stomach or on chemo, check for food aversions.  If your friend is breastfeeding, be sure not to make anything too spicy and avoid tomato based dishes.  It's a good idea to run your menu past the family prior to grocery shopping.
• Do this out of love.  Do not expect anything in return

Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole (From the kitchen of Judy Grinnell)

Ingredients:

• 1 package wild rice mix prepared as directed
• *2 boxes and 6 chicken breasts may be substituted for larger groups
• 1 Cup Chopped Celery
• 1 Medium Onion, Chopped
• 1 Cup Sliced Water Chestnuts
• 3/4 Cup Mayonnaise
• 4 Chicken breasts, baked and diced
• 2 Cups Cream of Chicken Soup
• Sour Cream & Onion Potato Chips (Crushed) about 2 cups

Instructions:  Mix all ingredients and place into a 9x13 inch sprayed baking dish.  Cover with crushed potato chips.  Cover with plastic wrap and foil.  Freeze.

To Serve:  Thaw casserole and bake one hour at 350 degrees.

Chicken Soup from real broth

Ingredients:

• Prepared Rotisserie chicken from Costco or similar store (Have this for dinner and save the carcass)
• 3-4 stalks of celery, sliced
• 3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 lbs chicken pieces from the rotisserie chicken, cubed
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2-3 bay leaves (do not multiply when doubling the recipe)
• Large package of egg noodles
• Fresh parsley
• Homemade broth (6-8 cups depending on preference)

Instructions:  Remove chicken from carcass and place into a large stock pot.  Cover the carcass with water so that the water level is about 1.5-2 inches above the carcass.  Bring to a boil and simmer for about and hour.  Remove the carcass and strain the broth to remove any sediment.  Allow to settle and skim the top to remove fat.   Return broth to the stock pot and add all ingredients except the noodles.  Simmer for 1 hour.  Add noodles and cook according to the instructions on the package.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Remove bay leaves before freezing or serving.

Baked Ziti
1 lb dry ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 lb ground beef
2 (26 oz) jars spaghetti sauce
6 oz provolone cheese, sliced
1.5 cups sour cream
6 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Lightly salt a pot of water and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente (usually about 8 minutes).  Drain and set aside.
2. Brown onion and ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add spaghetti sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Grease a 9x13 baking dish.  Layer in the following order:
4. 1/2 of ziti, provolone, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mix, remaining ziti, mozzarella and remaining sauce.  Top with parmesan cheese.
5. Cover with plastic wrap and foil and freeze after cooling.

Serving:  Allow pasta to thaw and bake 30 minutes at 350.  Serve with a green salad, garlic bread and a nice cabernet or chianti.


Stuffed Bell Peppers (great for crock pot)
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 package Spanish rice, prepared as directed
2 cans tomato sauce
4-6 peppers, red and orange make for a sweeter pepper

Instructions:  Combine cooked rice with hamburger, onion and 1 can of tomato sauce.  Slice the tops off of the peppers and remove seeds.  Stuff peppers with hamburger mixture and (if freezing), wrap individually in foil.  Place all peppers into a large ziplock baggy and freeze upright.

Serving:  Place unwrapped peppers in crock pot and cover with 1 can of tomato sauce.  Cook on low for 8 hours.

Roast Chicken and stuffing
Roast Chicken
Ingredients:

• 1 fryer chicken, insides removed
• 1 lemon (Quartered)
• 1 bulb of garlic(Cut the pointed end off)
• 1 onion (quartered, no need to remove skins)
• Rosemary if desired
• Kosher or sea salt 
• Pepper
• Paprika
• Olive Oil

Instructions:  Wash and pat dry the bird.  Lightly salt and pepper the inside.   Stuff lemon, garlic (no need to remove the skins), onion and a few sprigs of rosemary into the cavity of the bird.  Lightly baste the bird in olive oil and rub with kosher salt, pepper and paprika.  Place the bird into a ziplock bag and freeze.

To serve:  Thaw and cook in the oven at 425 degrees for 1-2 hours.  Check with a meat thermometer to insure it is cooked through.  If desired, reserve juices and add small amounts of flour while whisking constantly to make gravy.

Stuffing:  (Sausage, apple and cranberry)
Ingredients:
10 cups Sourdough bread cubes (boxed or stale)
1.5 lbs bulk sausage
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 cups diced onions
2 cups diced celery
Sea salt and course ground pepper
2 golden delicious apples
1 Cup toasted walnuts *CHECK FOR NUT ALLERGIES and leave out if needed
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage
2 TB fresh chopped rosemary
1 TB fresh thyme
1 Cup chopped fresh parsley
2 eggs
2 Cups chicken stock
1/2 cup melted butter

Instructions:  Place bread cubes into a very large bowl and set aside

• Heat a medium skillet and stir in sausage.  Cook until it crumbles and is no longer pink
• Drain and add to cubed bread
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the same skillet and saute onion and celery until onion in translucent (about 5 minutes).  Season with salt and pepper.
• Add to bread crumbs and stir in apples, cranberries, nuts, spices and herbs.
• Whisk chicken broth with eggs and pour over the bread mixture along with 1/2 cup melted butter.
• Stir until absorbed and pack into a 9x13 greased baking dish.  Cover with plastic wrap and foil.  Freeze.

Serving:  Thaw and bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove foil, stir and continue to bake until browned.