what to cook for a meal train
drop-off meals your friends will love!
“Meal ideas for a friend who’s postpartum/grieving/sick/overwhelmed?” We get this question a lot in the Substack chat, in the comments section, and via email and DM. You all are nothing if not thoughtful! And if you’re a reader here, you know what a life-giving gift a home-cooked meal can be.
So today, we’re sharing an index of What to Cook recipes that are perfect for taking to a friend who could use a food hug — and that will stand out in a sea of lasagna, chili, and cheesy casseroles, which tend to be what people default to for meal trains — as well as tips to keep in mind when you are brainstorming what to take and coordinating the drop off.
The most important thing to remember: Anything you bring to a friend who is postpartum, grieving, sick, or otherwise overwhelmed or feeling down will be appreciated and get the message that you love them across. If prepping a home-cooked meal feels overwhelming to you (maybe you’re postpartum or are going through a hard time yourself), go ahead and drop off a frozen casserole or send them a DoorDash gift card instead. They will absolutely still feel the love!
That said, if you do have the time and capacity to take them a home-cooked meal, here are some tips to keep in mind:
Ask them (or, better yet, ask another friend/family member) if they have a drop-off meal schedule started. If so, use it to sign up for a date so they know when to expect the meal. Add it to your calendar so you don’t forget! If they don’t already have one and you have the time, offer to start one for them. Take Them a Meal is a great resource for this, especially when someone is postpartum or grieving. If you just want to drop something off for a friend who’s feeling down or sick, text to coordinate a day and time to make sure they’re home and in need of a meal that day.
Ask about dietary restrictions. Molly here: Two of my sons had a milk protein intolerance when they were babies so I couldn’t eat any dairy while breastfeeding. Some of the meals friends dropped off postpartum had butter or cheese included — I still appreciated the meal and was able to feed the rest of my family, but honestly, it was a big bummer to not be able to eat the food! Always ask if there are any dietary restrictions, and, if so, do some research to ensure the meal you are cooking is totally free of it. PS: If someone’s baby has a severe milk protein or soy intolerance, it’s often an all or nothing thing — even a trace amount of dairy or soy would make the food off limits for the breastfeeding mom, unless they say something otherwise.
Drop the food off in something you don’t want back. Your friend does not need to spend time or energy thinking about how or when they are going to return your Le Creuset! If I have the foresight, I like to order my favorite $30 cast-iron skillet to drop the food off in, and I tell them upfront: “DO NOT return this skillet to me, it’s a gift!” They can reheat the food right in the skillet (either on the stove or in the oven) then keep it, or pass it along to the next person they take food to. You could do the same with a Pyrex or another oven-safe baking dish, or you could deliver the food in a disposable aluminum baking pan, biodegradable food containers (these are what I always use!), Mason jars (great option for soups!), or glass storage containers. If you do deliver it in something you want/need back, no prob, just do all the legwork to coordinate getting it back promptly so it’s not adding to their mental load.
Think outside the dinner box. From Molly: A neighbor dropped off peanut butter energy balls and some good coffee when I was one week postpartum last summer, and it HIT THE SPOT. I’d eat an energy ball for breakfast, in the car headed to doctor appointments, and when I was up nursing in the middle of the night. Another friend brought me this peanut butter granola and fruit years ago and it was a delight. Instead of (or in addition to) dinner, consider bringing them something snacky like that or even a breakfast casserole or lunch (like tuna salad and/or a good-all-week salad).
Aim for a lot of nutrients. When someone is postpartum, sick, or feeling down, the more nutritious the food they eat, the better, so aim for a well-balanced meal with lots of veggies. If you need to go the store-bought route, Whole Foods and grocery stores like it sell pre-cooked meals like salmon and veggies, or you can pick up or deliver a nutritious dinner from a fast-casual restaurant.
Bring something for the picky eaters. If you’re taking food to a family, it’s a nice touch to throw in a few safe-bet items for kids like yogurt pouches, a box of Goodles mac and cheese, ingredients for ham + cheese sandwiches, and/or some fresh fruit.
Unless it’s a really close friend who has expressed wanting to hang, just leave it on the porch and run! Especially if the recipient has a meal train set up and is having people drop by every day or every other day, it would be SO overwhelming to have that many visitors! No thanks! If it’s a close friend, ask beforehand if they’re up for a visit. They might be dying for one — or the thought of inviting you in might stress them out.
Make cookie dough balls for extra credit. Want to land in the drop-off-meal hall of fame? Deliver your meal with a big bag of ready-to-bake cookie dough balls! This way, they can bake one or two cookies at a time, which is nice especially when someone is getting inundated with food and sweets. Use a small cookie scoop (or a spoon) to roll the dough into balls, then freeze them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once frozen, you can transfer them to a Ziploc for transport and they won’t stick together! Here are my go-to cookie recipes:
All recipes in the following index are:
Especially nutritious
Easy to reheat (or good right out of the fridge)
Easy to transport
A huge crowd pleaser
If we included every single WTC meal that fit this description, it would be a looong list. The goal here is to help you zero in on a recipe to make for your friend, so this is a curated short list of excellent meal train meals. Please share any other WTC recipes that have worked well for this in the comments!
We’ve noted if a recipe is inherently dairy-free, gluten-free, or vegetarian, but you can almost always modify a WTC recipe to suit any dietary restrictions! Check the notes section for specific tips. Whether or not a recipe is “kid friendly” is totally subjective, but we’ve noted “KF” for meals that we’ve heard from WTCers are especially beloved by children.
VEG = vegetarian
GF = gluten-free
DF = dairy-free
KF = especially kid-friendly
Nutrient-rich comfort food
Lots of these are perfect for transporting in a giftable cast-iron skillet, if you’re going that route! If it’s a saucy thing (like the beef and broccoli or sloppy joes) I’d reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring, until heated through (add splashes of water if needed to loosen it up). If it’s a casserole, rice dish, or flautas/burritos, I would heat it in an oven-proof skillet or dish covered with foil in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes, or until heated through.
30-minute beef and broccoli (DF, KF)
beef enchilada casserole (GF, KF)
chicken flautas (KF)
chipotle black bean flautas (VEG, KF but maybe go easy on the chipotle)
crispy black bean burritos (VEG, KF)
healthy sloppy joes (DF if the buns are — check the label, KF)
one-skillet unstuffed tomatoes (DF if you use DF pesto, KF)
sheet-pan poblano steak fajitas (DF, GF if using corn tortillas)
turkey tacos — make this turkey taco filling for a DIY taco bar with all the fixins!
Pastas
Reheat in a pot on the stove or in the microwave. If you are bringing a pasta sauce, I would go ahead and cook the pasta (especially if it’s for a new mom!) — just cover it with a damp paper towel in an airtight container.
healthy-ish turkey bolognese (GF if you cook GF noodles to go with it; this one’s also easy to make DF, see notes)
hella green pasta (VEG, GF if you cook GF noodles to go with it)
Salads & bowls
I would bring these meals deconstructed — prepped greens in one container; meat/protein that they can warm up on the stovetop, in the oven, or in the microwave in another; rice in another; toppings in another; dressing/sauce in another, etc. Check the recipes’ “love your leftovers” notes section for any other reheating notes!
beef bulgogi bowls (DF, KF)
happy bowls (VEG, GF, DF)
mango peanut chicken salad (DF, GF) — you don’t have to deconstruct this, just bring the dressing separate
saucy chicken & cabbage satay bowls (DF, KF)
spicy (or not) salmon tempura crunch bowls (DF if you use DF butter, KF)
thai chicken chop (DF, KF)
Nourishing soups & curries
Tell the recipient they can reheat these soups and curries in a pot on the stove or bowl-by-bowl in the microwave. If they’re thicker than they’d like for them to be, just add some broth or water.
chicken, mushroom, farro soup (DF if you leave out the optional creamy elements, KF)
creamy but cream-less tomato soup (VEG, GF, DF if you use DF butter or oil, KF)
creamy white turkey chili (GF, KF)
coconut curry lentil veggie stew (DF, GF but double check your fish sauce for gluten)
green chicken tortilla soup (DF, GF)
one-pot chicken tikka masala stew (DF, GF)
peanut vegetable curry (VEG but swap out fish sauce, DF)
sunshine curry with cilantro-lime rice (DF if you omit the butter in the rice)
A few non-dinner ideas
Breakfast
To reheat these casseroles, bake in a 350°F oven for about 15 minute or until just warmed through. Or microwave single servings until warm!
Lunch
Easy, healthy items to stock their fridge with for lunch
lemon-parm chicken, quinoa, and kale salad (GF) — a good-all-week salad
rainbow chicken chop (DF) — a good-all-week salad!
a big bowl of tuna salad (DF, GF) + crackers
a big bowl of egg salad (VEG, DF, GF) + crackers
PS, want more tips on this topic? My friend Kate Strickler — who writes Nap Time Kitchen and is a mom of four and a wealth of smart, practical info — is sharing “Take Them a Meal” themed content all month on Instagram and in her newsletter!
2 comments:
1-Shepherds Pie is my go to. The reason I am saying this is because I received 5 lasagnas after I had my son. Everyone makes lasagna, so I wanted to be unique. Shepherds pie is easy and easily doubled (so if you make one for your friend make one for yourself too)!
2-Cookware idea: head to your thrift store and grab some inexpensive dishes to give away. It’s easier on the environment than aluminum pans. But. No judgement if you use disposable aluminum pans…I keep a stash for emergency cooking.
From an expecting first-time-mom-to-be: thank you from the bottom of my heart (and very swollen stomach)