I need to bring a friend pre-prepaired or pre cooked food. I'm thinking about pasta and veggies and maybe salads and such, but I don't know what won't expire in his fridge waiting to get eaten. Are there any meats I can cook that won't get gross or dry in a week? And how long will pasta last cooked in a container in the fridge?
CrustyCurmudgeon
Fried hamburger patties are good for a week, and wake up in less than a minute in a microwave. Pulled pork and meatloaf will also last the duration. Chicken is a little more temperamental, and for weekend delivery, I'd label it eat on or before Thursday. I make both beef stew and chili that will go for 10 days. What you are doing is great. Hope you get Karma points.
Ann
Look online and get some recipes for the ingredients you have on hand, then you will know what to do. I would not leave cooked meat more than 3-4 days, and cooked pasta is good for about 48-72 hrs. Don't cook huge amounts of things, unless your friend can freeze some of the food to be eaten in the future.
Anonymous
Yes, pasta and anything else will get dry or gross after a week. If you really need it for more than a week your in the prison slop category. If only you had an ability to talk to a prison slop cook...?
Pick your meat, any meat (or just skip the meat). A basic, classic start is carrots, onions, and celery. You blast that in a big deep dutch oven until it starts to stop smelling great. Then you throw in a breaded meat or just a few teaspoons of flour. Measurements don't matter much. You'll learn with time to eyeball it. Then dump in enough broth or bullion to cover what's in the pot and boil for a bit. Then put in your soft vegetables like peas or corn. Cover and let it simmer for about 3 hours.
When it cools, put it in serving size tubs and freeze them. You keep taking out a tub about 3 days before you need it to let it thaw and keep that cycle going.
Groovy_Unicorn
Does he have a freezer? That makes all the difference really. If he can freeze things casserole, soups. Stews, pizzas, taco meats, enchiladas, pasta dishes, rice dishes, etc. Can all be easily frozen and put in the oven.
Nikki P
Frozen is your best option.
Lasagna or almost any pasta dish can be frozen. (I would not freeze spaghetti though. Freeze sauce and give them dry pasta)
Meatloaf freezes well.
Chili
Soup
Stuffed Peppers
Almost any casserole.
I do not keep any prepared/leftover food in my refrigerator for more than 4 days. If I am not going to have it within 4 days I will freeze what is there in portion size containers.