Prepping meals/Frozen meals ?

[dreamin_disney]

Hi. My DD is in college(1st year) and living in the dorms. Mondays and Wednesdays she gets out of class at 7pm and its already dark. On Tuesday she gets has late class and doesn't get back to dorms until 10pm. She has a meal plan but doesn't go on late nights unless she find someone to go with. Her friends usually go earlier. The eating place isn't to close to her dorm so walking alone isn't a good idea. Once the time changes it might change that she will go depending on if its dark.

I wanted to meal prep some meals for her and take it when we visit. I know it will be good for a few days. My question is freezing meals. I need advice on best way to do it and microwaving it.

Here's what I'm planning
-cooked butter garlic shrimp seasoned with paprika, salt, pepper and dash of red chili powder
-spaghetti
-shrimp scampi
-lasagna
-grilled chicken with roasted veggies or pasta with alfredo sauce

If I wanted to freeze the meals, do I cook, then freeze, then have dd thaw out in fridge then microwave? #2 or just prep the stuff uncooked, then freeze, thaw out in fridge, then have DD microwave? Whats the best way. There's only microwave in dds room

any other good meal prep meals that will be good for a few days in fridge or frozen and cooked by microwave?

 

[BadPinkTink]

I do this, I work during the day and go to college classes 2 nights a week after work. On college days, I have about 90 minutes to get from my place of work to the campus. So at weekends I cook and freeze. I will cook a pasta bolognaise for example, enough for 4 portions. Then I divide into 4 plastic tupperware containers, leave to cool and then freeze.

Then on college days I bring my frozen tupperware container to work and put it in the canteen fridge to defrost during the day. When I finish work, I heat the now defrosted food in the canteen microwave. I have a little travel insulated food bag which keeps the food hot while I travel to the college campus. I then eat my food in the college canteen before class.

Currently in my freezer I have

pasta bolognaise
vegetable stirfy with egg noodles
chicken and vegetable pasta bake

my next batch cooking will be chicken strogonoff with rice.

Other tings I cook are
shepherds pie
sausage and mash

 

[QueenIsabella]

Chili and soups freeze well.
Taco meat would be a good choice--just add chips and maybe some salad
mac and cheese

If she likes breakfast foods, you could make or buy some healthy muffins or whole-grain bagels. These could be frozen individually for a quickie grab (slice the bagels first--trust me!)

I would also look at healthier convenience foods--yogurt, trail mix, granola bars. My DS20 commutes to college, and won't pack a lunch for anything. I buy him trail mix (he's partial to Aldi's tropical variety) and beef jerky.

Something else to consider--could she bring a container to the dining hall and grab from the salad bar? This could easily provide a meal for later, or at least supplement. My DD22 has always been a grazer, and she's a vegetarian, so the stuff she obtained through the dining hall was pretty extensive. I figure, she really didn't eat the big, prepared plates of food, so it evened out.

Another thought, depending on the school, is some schools have some kind of point system where you can purchase from fast food places or convenience stores.

 

[amylevan]

Does she have room in her dorm freezer? Most dorm refrigerators I've seen have tiny freezers that are full with ice cream.

Would you be better off giving her shelf stable items that she can cook in her microwave? I ate a lot of pasta and jarred sauce in the dorms.

 

[TwoMisfits]

https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/spinach-artichoke-lasagna-roll-ups/

I figure she has good advice about freezing, and she has a well-liked recipe. I think lasagna noodle probably taste "the best" for pastas after cook, freeze, and recook, b/c people are used to lots of different textures for the noodles...her advice about single serving freezing for this recipe should work best for you...

Here's the site with all their recipes and advice, too...https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/spinach-artichoke-lasagna-roll-ups/

 

[kymom99]

My son eats bagels and peanut butter a lot. I also send cheese chunks and other finger foods. Of course if she is watching her calories those things wouldn't be good choices. I would send some soup and chili if you want to send her things she can heat up.

 

[tvguy]

Does she have room in her dorm freezer? Most dorm refrigerators I've seen have tiny freezers that are full with ice cream.

Would you be better off giving her shelf stable items that she can cook in her microwave? I ate a lot of pasta and jarred sauce in the dorms.

Yeah, that was my question. Most dorms won't allow very big fridges. My kids just used their meal ticket to get a sandwich from the dining hall when they went for lunch to save to eat after late class.
Or just send her, or have her get at the grocery store those Hormel Compleats TV dinners that don't need refrigeration.
http://www.hormel.com/Brands/Compleats

 

[Eureka]

Yeah, that was my question. Most dorms won't allow very big fridges. My kids just used their meal ticket to get a sandwich from the dining hall when they went for lunch to save to eat after late class.
Or just send her, or have her get at the grocery store those Hormel Compleats TV dinners that don't need refrigeration.
http://www.hormel.com/Brands/Compleats

Also, back when I was in college (in the 90s) there was an "escort service" (not what it sounds like, lol) for people walking across campus at night. You called I think campus security and somebody came to walk you back to the dorm. Is there anything similar?

 

[Southernmiss]

I understand wanting to help your child have food when they have busy weeks and late nights. But honestly she needs to figure this out.

I sent three boys with shelf stable food for college and it all came back home at the end of the semester.

Dorms and dorm fridges are not very big. Does she share with a roommate? That shrinks all things further.

The boys grabbed food for later or ate a pbj sandwich or doubled up the next meal.

 

[SCmom3]

If you freeze cooked pasta with whatever meat and veggies you want and ice cubes of sauce, it makes a great microwaveable meal. You can bag up each portion individually and heat up in the microwave. I had this done for me once and they were the best. Mini meatballs and penne pasta with marinara. grilled chicken with farfalle and Alfredo sauce

 

[dreamin_disney]

I do this, I work during the day and go to college classes 2 nights a week after work. On college days, I have about 90 minutes to get from my place of work to the campus. So at weekends I cook and freeze. I will cook a pasta bolognaise for example, enough for 4 portions. Then I divide into 4 plastic tupperware containers, leave to cool and then freeze.

Then on college days I bring my frozen tupperware container to work and put it in the canteen fridge to defrost during the day. When I finish work, I heat the now defrosted food in the canteen microwave. I have a little travel insulated food bag which keeps the food hot while I travel to the college campus. I then eat my food in the college canteen before class.

Currently in my freezer I have

pasta bolognaise
vegetable stirfy with egg noodles
chicken and vegetable pasta bake

my next batch cooking will be chicken strogonoff with rice.

Other tings I cook are
shepherds pie
sausage and mash

Thank for the ideas. How long will the frozen meal be good for. I don't eat a lot of frozen foods or leave my meats frozen for long period of time. I mostly buy as I go.

Chili and soups freeze well.
Taco meat would be a good choice--just add chips and maybe some salad
mac and cheese

If she likes breakfast foods, you could make or buy some healthy muffins or whole-grain bagels. These could be frozen individually for a quickie grab (slice the bagels first--trust me!)

I would also look at healthier convenience foods--yogurt, trail mix, granola bars. My DS20 commutes to college, and won't pack a lunch for anything. I buy him trail mix (he's partial to Aldi's tropical variety) and beef jerky.

Something else to consider--could she bring a container to the dining hall and grab from the salad bar? This could easily provide a meal for later, or at least supplement. My DD22 has always been a grazer, and she's a vegetarian, so the stuff she obtained through the dining hall was pretty extensive. I figure, she really didn't eat the big, prepared plates of food, so it evened out.

Another thought, depending on the school, is some schools have some kind of point system where you can purchase from fast food places or convenience stores.

Dining all no food is allowed to leave the building. I told her just to buy stuff on campus that will hold good in the fridge just for the late nights, especially the night she has 10pm class

Does she have room in her dorm freezer? Most dorm refrigerators I've seen have tiny freezers that are full with ice cream.

Would you be better off giving her shelf stable items that she can cook in her microwave? I ate a lot of pasta and jarred sauce in the dorms.

She has a mini fridge freezer that's can hold a few small frozen meals. The freezer has its own door.

Also, back when I was in college (in the 90s) there was an "escort service" (not what it sounds like, lol) for people walking across campus at night. You called I think campus security and somebody came to walk you back to the dorm. Is there anything similar?

I know from campus they do but not sure from dorm to food buiding that's in the dorm area.

I understand wanting to help your child have food when they have busy weeks and late nights. But honestly she needs to figure this out.

I sent three boys with shelf stable food for college and it all came back home at the end of the semester.

Dorms and dorm fridges are not very big. Does she share with a roommate? That shrinks all things further.

The boys grabbed food for later or ate a pbj sandwich or doubled up the next meal.

Nothing wrong with us Moms wanting to help out-lol! She has snack and mac n cheese she can make but we've been talking about eating healthier and I thought this would be great to help her out. I know I wouldn't want to walk to a dining hall by myself at 10:20pm by myself, heck I wont even go to the grocery store at that time by myself! If she was a boy I wouldn't worry as much by only 5' petite young female is a big difference. Especially when local new report her college rape case have increased in the dorm areas. She's figured out late night classes she will take tram or walk depending on which has bigger crowd going her way. Walking to the dorm eatery not many people out at that time of night.


I appreciate those who have shared ideas. I will also use some of these ideas for my own weightloss. I'll prep low carb meals for me and having prepped or frozen meals will really help on days I wont feel like cooking.
I never thought of freezing soup so I love that tip

 

[Starwind]

The suggestion re: campus escort service is a good one. I volunteered for the one on my first unversity's campus and we would walk students from any building on campus to any other building on campus. At my second university the security department provided the service with uniformed security personnel and they drove the students from one location to another -- but anywhere building on campus was acceptable.

Is she allowed a crock pot ? We were allowed a crock pot in our dorm rooms [microwave and crock pot were allowed, pretty much all other heating/cooking devices were banned]. Sometimes when I had planned well and had a long day of classes or on the weekend I would cook something in the crock pot. It was nice coming back to the room with food ready

 

[dreamin_disney]

The suggestion re: campus escort service is a good one. I volunteered for the one on my first unversity's campus and we would walk students from any building on campus to any other building on campus. At my second university the security department provided the service with uniformed security personnel and they drove the students from one location to another -- but anywhere building on campus was acceptable.

Is she allowed a crock pot ? We were allowed a crock pot in our dorm rooms [microwave and crock pot were allowed, pretty much all other heating/cooking devices were banned]. Sometimes when I had planned well and had a long day of classes or on the weekend I would cook something in the crock pot. It was nice coming back to the room with food ready

No crockpots allowed. I'm with you on having food ready after a long day. I'll have to ask her if there's a security service for the dorm area. The dorms are 15-20 min walk away from the campus. I know theres service from campus to the dorms but not sure if they will take them to eatery then back to dorm

 

[Starwind]

A remarkable number of things can be cooked in a microwave, including pasta

No crockpots allowed. I'm with you on having food ready after a long day. I'll have to ask her if there's a security service for the dorm area. The dorms are 15-20 min walk away from the campus. I know theres service from campus to the dorms but not sure if they will take them to eatery then back to dorm

Microwaves can cook quite a lot of things, from eggs to pasta to meat to veggies to cake. I really like the Sistema microwave line of products -- vented lids, sturdy plastic that is safe for the microwave, etc. Also, one can do things like sandwiches or "breakfast for dinner".

Also, some university cafeterias will prepare bag meals [eg bag lunch[ for students who cant come to the cafe during the alloted mealtime because of classes etc. Both of my universities did. For lunch for example, you arranged it in advance and picked it up at breakfast.

SW

 

[kymom99]

How often can she come home? If you see her frequently I would just send her with prepared foods that are frozen and let her put the stuff in the fridge to thaw when she gets to her room. She can cook and eat through the week.
For another option, How about hard boiled eggs? They are on my mind because I started weight watchers and eggs are zero points, lol! Also there are pouches of pasta you can buy to cook in the microwave. She can toss it with some pasta sauce, etc.

 

[pfp258]

I understand wanting to help your child have food when they have busy weeks and late nights. But honestly she needs to figure this out.

I sent three boys with shelf stable food for college and it all came back home at the end of the semester.

Dorms and dorm fridges are not very big. Does she share with a roommate? That shrinks all things further.

The boys grabbed food for later or ate a pbj sandwich or doubled up the next meal.

Yes! They are in college! Let them figure it out.

 

[dreamin_disney]

How often can she come home? If you see her frequently I would just send her with prepared foods that are frozen and let her put the stuff in the fridge to thaw when she gets to her room. She can cook and eat through the week.
For another option, How about hard boiled eggs? They are on my mind because I started weight watchers and eggs are zero points, lol! Also there are pouches of pasta you can buy to cook in the microwave. She can toss it with some pasta sauce, etc.

This semester we will see her one month into the semester, March during spring break, not sure about April, IN May move out. About once a month . She's ok with the other meals , I just thought it would be nice to send some homemade meals so she has something on those late night classes. I'll look for the pasta pouches, she will love that! Hard boiled eggs would stink up the dorm-lol! She got a notice that a roommate would be showing up but never did.

I just think its nice to send some homemade meals for the 3 days a week.


To those that say let them figure it , whats wrong with wanting to do something nice for our kids-Gees!

 

[usnuzuloose]

Can she have a waffle iron? Ree Drummond came up with so many ideas for living in the dorms for her daughter. And they looked so darn good for regular meals at home as well.

 

[TwoMisfits]

This semester we will see her one month into the semester, March during spring break, not sure about April, IN May move out. About once a month . She's ok with the other meals , I just thought it would be nice to send some homemade meals so she has something on those late night classes. I'll look for the pasta pouches, she will love that! Hard boiled eggs would stink up the dorm-lol! She got a notice that a roommate would be showing up but never did.

I just think its nice to send some homemade meals for the 3 days a week.


To those that say let them figure it , whats wrong with wanting to do something nice for our kids-Gees!

Totally be nice...one thing my parents did (since I only made it home once a semester) was ask me what I needed or might like for snacks/meals/beverages/toiletries before I came home and then stacked up a set of the items for me to bring back, so we didn't waste time doing the mundane (and they did 3 weeks of my laundry, b/c I hated the coin operated stuff, so when I knew I was coming home, I stopped doing laundry at a certain point before that trip - that was a lifesaver for time savings...

So, I'd actually ask her if there's anything she'd like or need for those late nights she has...she might already know what she craves then and you'd be guaranteed to make her happy! (even if it was a case of microwavable Campbell's soup containers...

 

[afan]

My mom sent care packages for me my freshman year but that's because our cafeteria food was bad, there was no freshman 15 here, I lost weight. But she sent me things I could make, soup, mac & cheese etc. I wouldn't have wanted her to cook and freeze stuff. I would also caution against anything that may smell when reheated or cooked in the microwave. Dorm rooms are small and you don't want to smell up the room or the hall. Think about your break room at work and some of the bad smells from people's lunches.

While I did get care packages, I still went to the store on my own and do agree to an extent with those that say let her figure it out. You'd also be surprised at what we could figure out to cook in the microwave and this was 20 years ago before all the new stuff came about. I think it's better to provide stuff she can cook on her own, make a sandwich etc rather than reheating your cooking. She's been away since at least the fall I'm guessing and shouldn't have to/only be relying on the cafeteria at the dorms. There should be other places on campus she could buy food, though she would need cash. I'd rather eat dinner before class than have a whole meal after at 10.