Easy Crockpot Meals For The Elderly

Crockpot 2.5-Quart Mini Casserole Crock Slow Cooker, White/Blue

Easy Crockpot Meals For The Elderly

During the last year of my father’s life, I flew out to Arizona once every 2 months to not only visit but also to cook and freeze meals for my parents.

My mom loved my crockpot meals

I became a pro at using a vacuum sealer and became quite creative at cooking up and freezing delicious meals like shrimp scampi or beef brisket with potatoes. My brother in Tucson supplemented my meals by cooking extra for his family and freezing it for our parents.

All our folks had to do was toss the bags in the microwave and, in about 4 minutes, a delicious dinner was on their plates. In this way, we knew that they were eating nutritious meals – homemade with love.

So, when I ran across this article, 31 Crockpot Freezer Meals, I thought it contained a brilliant idea. Basically, all you do is load freezer bags with all the ingredients for a crockpot meal and freeze them! Deliver to your elderly loved ones and place in the freezer with instructions about how to prepare in the crockpot. A side benefit is that using crockpots is a very much safer way for the elderly to cook instead of a stove.

Not only will your elderly friend have a wonderful dinner in the evening, but the crockpot cleanup is non-existent, especially is you make the freezer meals in a crockpot liner before putting into the ziplock freezer bag. Once the meal is eaten, the liner is tossed right into the trash. How much easier (and tastier) can you get?

Below are some highly rated items that you might need to prepare some of these great crockpot freezer meals – note there’s a lot of cookbooks for crockpots (most of them healthy recipes) at the end of this article.

Good Crockpots For The Elderly

These crockpots are on the smaller side to match the family size and appetites of the elderly. I’ve also selected only those crockpots with knob controls instead of programmable controls – those with programmable controls just add a level of complexity (and possibly frustration) to an elderly loved one (and to me….).

1.5 Quart Crockpots

These smaller crockpots are perfect for up to 3 or 4 people.

 Cooks by JCP Home 1.5 Quart Slow Cooker by Cooks Brentwood 1.5-Quart Slow Cooker (SC-115S)

Freeze Extra Crockpot Meals With A Vacuum Sealer

During the last year of my Dad’s life, I flew to Arizona every 6 weeks to check in and to cook meals. I’d spend all weekend making different lunches and dinners and vacuum sealing them for the freezer. That way, I was sure my folks were eating homemade, delicious food.

 Vacuum Sealer By NutriChef | Automatic Vacuum Air Sealing System For Food Preservation w/ Starter Kit | Compact Design | Lab Tested | Dry & Moist Food Modes | Led Indicator Lights (Silver) FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer V4440 2-in-1 Automatic System with Bonus Built-in Retractable Handheld Sealer & Starter Kit, Black FoodSaver FM2000 Vacuum Sealer System with Starter Bags & Rolls, Black

3 Quart and Larger Crockpots

If the family is coming over for Grandma’s beef stew, better to break out the larger crockpot.

 Crock-Pot 3-Quart Round Manual Slow Cooker, Stainless Steel and Black – SCR300-S-BR Crockpot 7 Quart Slow Cooker with Programmable Controls and Digital Timer, Polished Platinum

Multipurpose Cookers

I love these multicookers! Not only do they function as crock pots, but they also will roast a chicken, brown and saute, and steam. Some, like the first link below, are even pressure cookers!

I usually prefer kitchen appliances that have more than one function. Suffice it to say one of these slow cooker multi-functional pots is on its way to my home….

 Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker, Warmer & Sterilizer, Includes App With Over 800 Recipes, Stainless Steel, 6 Quart Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker, Warmer & Sterilizer, Includes App With Over 800 Recipes, Stainless Steel, 6 Quart

Crockpot Liners

These are perfect for the easiest cleanup ever. Just throw the thing in the trash – no soap, no water!

 PanSaver Set of 4 Slow Cooker Liners Crock Pot 41426 90001 4 Count Slow Cooker Liners, 6-Pack

Crockpot Cookbooks

Any of the recipes in these books can be adapted to be made into frozen meals for the elderly.

 The Healthy Slow Cooker Cookbook: 150 Fix-and-Forget Recipes Using Delicious, Whole Food Ingredients Slow Cooking for Two: A Slow Cooker Cookbook with 101 Slow Cooker Recipes