<p>My son is living in an apartment this year and I would like to take some easy to reheat, single servings of food when we see him. He’s learning to cook for himself, but I’d like to help out a little. My cooking skills are marginal at best and I’m not very creative. I’m sure others have been through this, what did you send?</p>
<p>Are you talking about mailing things, driving them a short distance, flying with them?</p>
<p>Are there any hearty winter stews or casseroles that you make that he really enjoys? Those can be made and then put into small, single serving sized containers and frozen. He just pulls out what he wants the night before and sticks it in the fridge. He can then just zap it. You could also make a batch of spaghetti sauce, again, freeze in single servings and he could just make the pasta. Baked ziti would be wonderful this way. Beef stew, chili, or minestrone from the crockpot would all be good. He could then easily add a green salad with bagged salad greens, adding toppings he likes. Add some fresh bread and it’s a nice meal!</p>
<p>Hot pockets from Costco.</p>
<p>We just concluded a Berlin Airlift (ok we drove, what with the TSA and all that :)) to DD1 3 car hours away. This included 2 large coolers worth of fine Elbonian and Asian cuisine, mostly casseroles that freeze well, cooked ground beef for tacos, some pasta dishes, and ready-to-cook gourmet pizzas (eggplants, goat cheese, and the like). A bunch of Costco stuff also (veggie burgers, chicken patties, vegetables), home made pasta sauce, squash soup, a couple rice / meat dishes, and so on. As it was her birthday we included an entire Costco birthday cake… </p>
<p>All of DD1’s roomies have parents of similar, ehem, mentality and the fridge is quite full, but those girls will not be starving for a while.</p>
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<p>Awww, that’s very sweet. :)</p>
<p>Does he like rice? When DH was going through chemo, our school outreach program arranged for meal delivery. One of his favorites was a chicken and rice casserole made with brown rice, chicken (cooked and cubed or just torn off a grocery store cooked rotisserie), celery, fresh sliced mushrooms, and 1/2-1 can of cream of celery (healthy version by campbells) with 1/2 to 1 can of cream of chicken soup (also healthy version). Easy to heat up (initially covered w/foil for 30 minutes at 350, then just in the microwave)and really pretty good.</p>
<p>Pasta dishes are great, too, as mentioned. Lasagna reheats well.</p>
<p>You can shred a rotisserie chicken and combine with sauteed onions, give him some tortillas and shredded cheese, and he can make soft chicken tacos or quesadillas at his leisure by pulling it out of the freezer the morning of. You could also make taco meat to freeze as well.</p>
<p>You can grill burgers and chicken breasts, wrap them individually, bring him some hamburger buns, and he can freeze both and pull out as needed. </p>
<p>You can make baby quiches in muffin tins and freeze individually. He can just pop in the microwave.</p>
<p>Spaghetti sauce can be frozen, as can homemade chili or homemade chicken soup.</p>
<p>If you are talking about driving there and dropping it off, my mom dropped off a lot of frozen spaghetti sauce, mostaccioli sauce, soup, sloppy joe, and taco meat. Really, really easy meals to reheat. I made my own pasta to go with it since we never quite mastered freezing cooked pasta properly though it can be done.</p>
<p>Sometimes I wonder about this. Pasta sauce in jars can be really pretty good. Some parents mail boxes of cereal to their kids. I certainly have mailed homemade cookies and candies, but is there a point where it doesn’t make sense?</p>
<p>DD1’s meal ticket was $300/month for ONE meal a day and some flex dollars ($1200/4 months). So we had Food Aid going to her dorm last year. For under half that - probably a third - in her apartment she is eating home cooked stuff, much healthier, and much tastier.</p>
<p>Even the cereals, canned goods, and the like make sense to buy in bulk at Costco or Sam’s and deliver if it is nearby and you visit often. Otherwise they can get it local themselves. Small packages always cost more (with few exceptions).</p>
<p>Don’t forget Amazon Prime for buying food like cereal, pasta and beverages. I sent son cases of Arnold Palmer Ice tea, snacks, etc all last year with free shiping. I found that the prices were comprable to what I would pay locally but free shiping tipped the sale in Amazon’s favor.</p>
<p>I always send single serve sized pulled pork and S wraps them with tortillas from his freezer.</p>
<p>I think you may be better off teaching him how to make some simple and cheap meals.</p>
<p>teach him:</p>
<p>— boil pasta and season up some store bought tomato sauce in a jar
–canned soup and grilled cheese
–green salad
–steam fish in the oven–stick the fish on a big piece of foil, season and put a little olive oil or butter on it, seal it tightly in the foil (like a foil pocket), and stick it in the oven.
–Success Rice–boil in the bag rice (just boil the rice filled bag in boiling water for 10 minutes)
–steamed veggies or even frozen vegetables
–how to make a burger
–frozen mac and cheese in the microwave
–scrambled eggs and bacon, omelettes
–cut boneless skinless chicken breaks in strips, season, and saute
–cook a frozen pizza</p>
<p>That’s what I was thinking nysmile.</p>
<p>My son basically lived on that menu. When he became more confident with his cooking skills, he changed things up a bit. Such as:</p>
<p>–scrambled eggs with peppers, onions, chopped tomatoes
–steamed veggies on rice
–steak
–saut</p>
<p>My son enjoyed getting exotic condiments he may not have been able to access in rural Iowa. He used them with pasta and scrambled eggs. Also with other dishes.</p>
<p>While I appreciate teaching life skills to my kids, DD1 has a standing order to eat at 5 star restaurants for the duration if it interferes with her nearly 24/7 studio work… It was a miracle DD1 found time to eat, period, let alone cook during her first year. </p>
<p>After year one we asked her what she missed the most from home living in the dorm and without flinching she said ‘Mom’s food’… I think that is an important connection, even if Mom’s food is some Elbonian delicacy that involves dandelions and small non-farm animal meat :).</p>
<p>Thanks for the ideas. To answer your questions, yes we drive there and drop off the food. We go to campus for the football games and I like to leave him with a little something. He’s doing a good job of cooking for himself - there are so many convenience foods available these days, but it makes me feel a little better to send something.</p>