When The Home Chef's Away

It’s always wonderful when a home chef gets to go away and have a holiday. However what happens to the family left behind? Do they try to cook for themselves or live on fast food? The best bet is leaving care packages for them.

Chili is one of those make and freeze foods. It’s easy to whip up whether on the stove top or in the crockpot. Store in Tupperware or plastic containers, Reheat with just a tablespoon or two of water to thin it out. Sometimes chili can get thick . Zing it up a bit with some tortilla chips or cornbread squares. Mole sauce , another Mexican treat can also be made and then stored for another day. What’s great about mole is that you can pair it with grocery store rotisserie chicken for an easy and delicious meal. Tomato sauce is another excellent recipe to make for the family. If you;’re busy packing, then just use the crockpot to make it. It’s easier and the result is a rich mellow sauce, perfect for pasta or gnocchi. Stock up on a variety of pasta too. The kids can have a choice of rotelli , spaghetti or ravioli to pair with it, You could even vary the sauces, Have a container of the meaty Bolognese and the vegan marinara.

Casseroles are also easily whipped up and frozen. Eggplant parmesan is a hearty dinner , liked by everyone.It’s just breading and frying eggplant slices and then layering them alternately  with sauce and a blend of grated mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.A tasty dish, full of meat and veggies is ham, broccoli and potato casserole. It had the bonus of frozen French fries and cubed ham. It’s also dotted with florets which will please parents that the kids are eating their greens. Roll ups are easily freezable and reheated. They can be made up of such good for you  ingredients like spinach and cabbage. Imagine lasagna stuffed with baby spinach and cheese, easily created and easily popped into the freezer for later consumption. Cabbage rolls are a great way of  dosing the family with Vitamin C.Stuff it with turkey, onion and baby carrots. Tomato sauce takes away the meat’s dryness as well as giving it more flavor.

When the home chef’s away, the family will still eat well. Fill the fridge with tasty sauces and casseroles. They’ll be well appreciated .