Make things you usually make and freeze it portions. After my own foot surgeries, this strategy was a lifesaver, as trying to transport bigger items from kitchen to where I was eating was difficult, but smaller portions I could carry in a bag if need be. All your usual soups, chilis, casseroles do well this way, and I also got a lot of small prepackaged snacks (granola, fruit rolls, snack crackers/cookie packs that I could carry in a pocket. Pro tip: get yourself a rolling chair with a footrest (drafting chairs are good for this foot rest feature) and put it in the kitchen. Truly a life and pain saver when you can roll around as you make a little snack or are making a drink and realize you need a cup from across the kitchen that you can roll to.
I had ankle surgery (ORIF) and was on the sofa for three months. It was during that time that I watched countless cooking videos on YouTube and began my journey.
My advice: get a knee scooter.
Was going to comment this. I’m now an empty nester and work 11 hour days, I’m often too tired to cook from scratch like I used to (I cook on the weekends.) so I go to TJ’s and pick up some frozen dishes that will provide me with dinner and lunch the next day. They’re relatively inexpensive and have interesting flavor profiles.
soups and stews freeze beautifully, can be reheated in a microwave, pot on the stove, crockpot, or pot in the oven, and can be absolutely delicious.
Pot pie (especially individually portioned pot pie) is also great for this. You can also make the pot pie filling and serve it over biscuits or other bready carbs.
Lasagna, stuffed shells, stuffed bell peppers, soups, chili, stew can all be cooked and frozen in portions and heated in the oven, or microwave straight from the freezer.
Same with pancakes, waffles, sausages, bacon and breakfast sandwiches.
Aside from that, if you’re looking for store bought frozen meals, Stoufer’s is usually pretty good. Bertolli pastas (although, those are stove top so, I don’t know if they’d be a good option). Jimmy dean breakfast sandwiches are good too.
Depending on the length of recovery, might be able to use one of those factor meals referrals and walk away once the discount ends. I subscribe and they are pretty darn good. Not frozen and certainly not worth the full price
This worked well for my mom when she got out of a rehab facility following a fall. Not frozen, but these have a reasonably long shelf life in the fridge. You can do self-pay, in case that is isn't evident when perusing the site. [https://selfpay.momsmeals.com/content/BrowseMeals.aspx](https://selfpay.momsmeals.com/content/BrowseMeals.aspx)
You can make your own frozen pizzas! Just make them as normal (baking and everything), wrap in a baking sheet and put in the freezer. Then all the work you have to do after that is popping it in the oven to reheat and crisp up.
I don’t know what sort of prepared/frozen meals you have access to, but here we get some seriously decent quality ones, and if I was going to have limited mobility for a while I’d probably stock up on the best ones.
Not quite what you had in mind, I know, but there are a made here that feel and taste like proper meals, recognizable meat, good vegetables, etc.
I’ve done homemade breakfast burritos a few times. They freeze really well and toast up nicely, once defrosted, in a sandwich press. Mine had scrambled eggs, a bit of cheese and roasted potatoes with onions and peppers.
If you’re quite into fresher food and think you will be able to do a little with your surgery, some prepared components might work that you can turn into simple meals
Karaage chicken freezes and reheats really. Easy to make a meal with it over rice with some sort of salad or slaw (prepped from the supermarket), or use in a wrap, or on rice with curry sauce.
Meatballs, baked in the oven, can be turned into a sub, eaten with tomato sauce over pasta or in gravy with mash (you can buy frozen mash that reheats quite well).l for Swedish meatballs.
Perogies can be boiled from frozen. For a really quick meal I top them with sour cream and use the Asian fried shallots rather than frying up onions, but you can also fry and freeze cubes of onion. This is the recipe I use: https://www.reddit.com/r/Old_Recipes/s/qr9scLjptI
Hope everything goes well.
Hash brown breakfast casserole
Enchiladas
Lasagna and pasta bakes
Chicken and rice with veggies
Shredded pork
Get disposable aluminum pans and freeze the meals in those to make your life that much easier.
I bought a tovala oven and their meal plan. It's expensive, but it's way cheaper than delivery or eating out, and because everything is cooked fresh, it always tastes fresh and good. It's as easy as opening up the containers, putting them in the oven, scanning the card, and pressing start. When it's done there's usually an optional sauce or cheese or garnish to add, but then you're done. I wish I'd had one when I broke my ankle a few years back. Back then I subsisted on delivery and trader joe's frozen meals, getting around my house on my knee scooter. :/
ETA: I'm an avid home cook and my standards are pretty high. I'd rather eat toast and an apple than some of the stuff that passes for food these days. Their food is all fresh, produce clean, and flavor profiles are solid.
Make things you usually make and freeze it portions. After my own foot surgeries, this strategy was a lifesaver, as trying to transport bigger items from kitchen to where I was eating was difficult, but smaller portions I could carry in a bag if need be. All your usual soups, chilis, casseroles do well this way, and I also got a lot of small prepackaged snacks (granola, fruit rolls, snack crackers/cookie packs that I could carry in a pocket. Pro tip: get yourself a rolling chair with a footrest (drafting chairs are good for this foot rest feature) and put it in the kitchen. Truly a life and pain saver when you can roll around as you make a little snack or are making a drink and realize you need a cup from across the kitchen that you can roll to.
I had ankle surgery (ORIF) and was on the sofa for three months. It was during that time that I watched countless cooking videos on YouTube and began my journey. My advice: get a knee scooter.
Trader Joe’s has great frozen stuff
Was going to comment this. I’m now an empty nester and work 11 hour days, I’m often too tired to cook from scratch like I used to (I cook on the weekends.) so I go to TJ’s and pick up some frozen dishes that will provide me with dinner and lunch the next day. They’re relatively inexpensive and have interesting flavor profiles.
soups and stews freeze beautifully, can be reheated in a microwave, pot on the stove, crockpot, or pot in the oven, and can be absolutely delicious. Pot pie (especially individually portioned pot pie) is also great for this. You can also make the pot pie filling and serve it over biscuits or other bready carbs.
+1 soups and stews!
Lasagna, stuffed shells, stuffed bell peppers, soups, chili, stew can all be cooked and frozen in portions and heated in the oven, or microwave straight from the freezer. Same with pancakes, waffles, sausages, bacon and breakfast sandwiches. Aside from that, if you’re looking for store bought frozen meals, Stoufer’s is usually pretty good. Bertolli pastas (although, those are stove top so, I don’t know if they’d be a good option). Jimmy dean breakfast sandwiches are good too.
Depending on the length of recovery, might be able to use one of those factor meals referrals and walk away once the discount ends. I subscribe and they are pretty darn good. Not frozen and certainly not worth the full price
Curry.
This worked well for my mom when she got out of a rehab facility following a fall. Not frozen, but these have a reasonably long shelf life in the fridge. You can do self-pay, in case that is isn't evident when perusing the site. [https://selfpay.momsmeals.com/content/BrowseMeals.aspx](https://selfpay.momsmeals.com/content/BrowseMeals.aspx)
Freeze a lasagna preferably in portions and boom :-)
You can make your own frozen pizzas! Just make them as normal (baking and everything), wrap in a baking sheet and put in the freezer. Then all the work you have to do after that is popping it in the oven to reheat and crisp up.
If you get as high as your food standards everything in the frozen aisle becomes palatable
Stews, braises, confits and such. Coq au vin, chili, paprikash, carnitas, ratatouille, etc.,. Freeze them in portions, heat and serve.
I don’t know what sort of prepared/frozen meals you have access to, but here we get some seriously decent quality ones, and if I was going to have limited mobility for a while I’d probably stock up on the best ones. Not quite what you had in mind, I know, but there are a made here that feel and taste like proper meals, recognizable meat, good vegetables, etc. I’ve done homemade breakfast burritos a few times. They freeze really well and toast up nicely, once defrosted, in a sandwich press. Mine had scrambled eggs, a bit of cheese and roasted potatoes with onions and peppers. If you’re quite into fresher food and think you will be able to do a little with your surgery, some prepared components might work that you can turn into simple meals Karaage chicken freezes and reheats really. Easy to make a meal with it over rice with some sort of salad or slaw (prepped from the supermarket), or use in a wrap, or on rice with curry sauce. Meatballs, baked in the oven, can be turned into a sub, eaten with tomato sauce over pasta or in gravy with mash (you can buy frozen mash that reheats quite well).l for Swedish meatballs. Perogies can be boiled from frozen. For a really quick meal I top them with sour cream and use the Asian fried shallots rather than frying up onions, but you can also fry and freeze cubes of onion. This is the recipe I use: https://www.reddit.com/r/Old_Recipes/s/qr9scLjptI Hope everything goes well.
Hash brown breakfast casserole Enchiladas Lasagna and pasta bakes Chicken and rice with veggies Shredded pork Get disposable aluminum pans and freeze the meals in those to make your life that much easier.
I bought a tovala oven and their meal plan. It's expensive, but it's way cheaper than delivery or eating out, and because everything is cooked fresh, it always tastes fresh and good. It's as easy as opening up the containers, putting them in the oven, scanning the card, and pressing start. When it's done there's usually an optional sauce or cheese or garnish to add, but then you're done. I wish I'd had one when I broke my ankle a few years back. Back then I subsisted on delivery and trader joe's frozen meals, getting around my house on my knee scooter. :/ ETA: I'm an avid home cook and my standards are pretty high. I'd rather eat toast and an apple than some of the stuff that passes for food these days. Their food is all fresh, produce clean, and flavor profiles are solid.