Stay at Home Moms

Bringing meals to friends?

A member in our Mom's Club broke her foot and whenever something like that or new baby, death in the family etc. happens, the other members take turns bringing meals to them for a week or two.  I want to sign up to bring them a dinner one day but I'm new to this, would you bring something frozen (like a lasagna) with baking instructions, or cook something hot and bring it right at dinnertime? If anyone else has done something like this, how did you do it?
DS (7 years old) from FET in 2010
DD (5 years old) from IUI in 2012
TTC 3rd and final!: IUI #1 in progress!

Re: Bringing meals to friends?

  • I do something that isn't frozen but can be. So if you wanted to lasagna I would bake it but put it in something freezable. Then, she'll have the option of having it for dinner that night or freezing it for later.

    I usually do a roast with french bread, lasagna with french bread or chicken and noodles with mashed potatoes....and french bread. ;)

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  • I don't bring it over frozen, in case they want it that night.  But i tryyyy to do something that can freeze, if they have a lot of people bringing food over and have too much or whatever.

    Last time I did this, I did pulled pork.. because it makes so much, I saved some for us.  So double purpose.  Gave them mini potato sliders with it.  Made coleslaw, baked beans and brownies for them.
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  • Yeah, I would bring something easily frozen in case they don't want it right away, but also easily heated in case they DO.  Easy, right? :) Lasagna or some sort of casserole is probably your best bet. 
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  • LatteLady5LatteLady5 member
    edited August 2013
    Chapter79 said:
    I don't bring it over frozen, in case they want it that night.  But i tryyyy to do something that can freeze, if they have a lot of people bringing food over and have too much or whatever.

    Last time I did this, I did pulled pork.. because it makes so much, I saved some for us.  So double purpose.  Gave them mini potato sliders with it.  Made coleslaw, baked beans and brownies for them.
    Oh yeah, I always just make a double batch of whatever or enough for dinner for me and food for the family ;) (and plenty of french bread)

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  • I do something that isn't frozen but can be. So if you wanted to lasagna I would bake it but put it in something freezable. Then, she'll have the option of having it for dinner that night or freezing it for later.

    I usually do a roast with french bread, lasagna with french bread or chicken and noodles with mashed potatoes....and french bread. ;)

    This is a good idea. I just had a baby and my moms group did a meal sign up for me. Everyone brought things hot at dinner time, but I could have refrigerated or frozen them. I got grilled chicken, pulled pork, 2 chicken pot pies and chicken kebabs. They mostly came with salads and some kind if dessert. We use mealbaby.com which allows someone to set up a calendar and have others sign up. That way you know ahead of time and you can spread it out.
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  • I usually bring something hot or at least assembled.  Last time I brought over French bread pizza and brownies.  I can't remember if it was baked yet or not.

    Another thing is to bring a rotisserie chicken with hot sides like roasted potatoes or mixed veggies.

    I , personally, would also stay away from red sauce pastas.  That seems to be the go to meal for many people and can be a bit much when you are on the receiving end. 

  • @auroraloo, call on any of us cities gals (right ladies?). We'd help you, or, most likely in my case, find someone who could. :) hang in there!
  • auroraloo said:
    I need IRL friends like you people.

    For real. No one brought us anything

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  • For me, I do not live so close to my MOMS Club members, so I make something that can be heated and ate, so not frozen.  
    I got a suggestion of Taco fixin's on here before and that was a hit.  I am making beef pot pies for my make ahead meals group.  We also have 2 new babies due soon, so I will be making meals for them.
  • auroraloo said:

    FWIW, when we did get a meal brought to us, some friends brought it hot. It was a super nice gesture and I would never turn it down. I think though, that I would prefer something frozen or freezeable, just because it would be easier to adapt it to my schedule, KWIM?

    So I vote frozen with directions. :)

    That was the nice thing with the website. People signed up so things were spaced out. They set up the calendar so people could sign up for every other weekday for a few weeks so we weren't flooded with food. The woman who coordinated it also asked me what time I wanted it brought over and let everyone know. It was great.
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  • I'd let her know people are bringing dinner on whatever days so she doesn't need to worry about it.  Then people should bring food hot or ready to reheat.  After DD was born two people brought us meals.  One brought it hot and stayed to eat with us (awkward to entertain even if I wasn't cooking) one brought the ingredients and cooked and then stayed.  Admittedly, the second was a family member, but again,  I felt like my kitchen needed to be cleaned and I needed to entertain.  Bring food and go.  Does that sound snotty?
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  • I usually bring something hot or at least assembled.  Last time I brought over French bread pizza and brownies.  I can't remember if it was baked yet or not.

    Another thing is to bring a rotisserie chicken with hot sides like roasted potatoes or mixed veggies.

    I , personally, would also stay away from red sauce pastas.  That seems to be the go to meal for many people and can be a bit much when you are on the receiving end. 

    I am not a pasta fan at all, so I limit pasta period.  Plus, that is not something that can be frozen if you have too much.
  • Thanks for all the suggestions!!  I'm going to make Pulled BBQ Chicken sandwiches and pasta salad with some veggies in it.  It makes quite a bit so I'll bring extra buns so they can have it for lunches too, and leftovers freeze well.   The way they arranged it, everyone has a different day and shared what they are bringing, so she knows what's coming and everyone knows not to duplicate.

    I cook almost every night but have so little confidence cooking for other people, the only things I'll usually make are lasagna and stuffed shells, but someone is already making ziti,
    DS (7 years old) from FET in 2010
    DD (5 years old) from IUI in 2012
    TTC 3rd and final!: IUI #1 in progress!
  • My MOMS Club friends seriously fed us for six straight weeks after the twins arrived and they used Mealtrain to do it.  Everyone brought something that was cooked and either hot and ready to go or easily warmed up for dinner that night on a per-plate basis.  About a third of the moms brought us take-out from restaurants (a genius option I hadn't even considered) and the rest was home-cooked.  The meals coordinator set it up for Monday/Wednesday/Friday for those six weeks, which was perfect because almost every meal was enough for two nights.  I would have graciously accepted a frozen meal if that's what someone brought, but it honestly would have been more work to defrost and cook that than I'd have wanted to put in many of those nights.  

    If possible, bring it in dishes you won't expect to get back.  I have two glass casserole dishes that still need to be returned to their owners.  


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    Glenn and Caroline - 6/19/13

  • Usually I get a dinner from the greek restaurant that we all like, comes with chicken kabobs, rice and a huge greek salad. If I make something, I take it hot too. I'm always afraid if I take something frozen that will be the night that they have no leftovers and really need my food!
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