Ideas for Meals for New Moms

Hi S.,

Lasagna is the usual treat,which I loved, but you could also do a tray of chicken enchiladas, using a chicken from Safeway that is already roasted and canned sauce that is mild. Soups, stews, anything that can be reheated. I just sent a frozen meal to a new Mom in Tahoe, you can look online, there are many companies to chose from. Also, Betty Crocker has a casserole cookbook I've used to give Moms breakfasts and dinners. I also made myself some and froze them before my daughter was born.

Keep in mind that new moms might not care if she can't eat the meal as long as she does not have to cook and the rest of her family gets to eat with out her efforts.

since the weather is so nice, you could do something like chicken cesar salad or pasta salad - something cool and light.

Ask the mom what she likes, then go to Dream Dinners. It couldn't be easier than that! Most of the dinners are quite inexpensive there, and since you assemble them, if she is allergic to or just doesn't like any ingredients, you can leave them out. (For instance, I hate bellpeppers, so I omit them from any of the recipes I assemble.) Then they have a handy directions label, and for the most part, I've found that a thawed Dream Dinner is about 30 minutes or less from the table, with I promise you no longer than 5 minutes of actual mixing, putting in a cooking container, etc. Very, very easy for new moms (especially since they are fool-proof, so new dads can make dinner!!). Plus, it's healthy! Can't say enough good things about it!

Salad!!!! Green or pasta.

Spinach with strawberries, glazed walnuts, crumbly cheese (optional) with Raspberry vinagrette dressing.

I love a green salad, I also cook bow tie pasta and mix it with a southwestern ranch dip (frito lay) - just enough to coat the pasta, and throw that into the salad. It make it a meal in itself. You can add chicken if you like.

Both are nice for hot days. :0)

How about cottage pie? It's hearty comfort food, easy to make and they can just pop it in the oven when they want to eat it. There are loads of recipes on the web for cottage pie (shepherds pie if you make it with minced lamb rather than beef) but I like this one. http://dinnerdiary.org/2008/08/09/cottage-pie-2/
Worth noting that it is from an English recipe, so when she says to cook at 200 degrees she means Celcius, which is just shy of 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Enjoy. Oh it makes me hungry just thinking about it.

When I had my second child a friend brought a prepared crock pot to me in the morning. It was delicious and all I had to do was plug it in. It was somoeone I see often, so I just returned the crock pot to her a few days later. It was great to have yummy food that I didn't prepare myself. There are a million different crock pot recipes, so you shouldn't have any trouble finding one to try out.

Hi - I did this for new moms too in my mothers group and they did it for me - it was the best! I suggest asking new moms first about any dietary restrictions because I know when moms brought me meals when my son was born, they did bring Lasagna and it worked fine for me - so don't rule those things out if another mom isn't bothered by it. Other ideas are anything you can put into a crock pot - roast, stew, etc. or picking up one of those roast chickens from Safeway and making some easy sides (salad, etc.). Or a pot of spaghetti with a mild or Alfredo sauce. Good luck and thank you on behalf of new moms - I know it was a lifesaver after my mom left and hubby went back to work to have these meals.

I just did the same thing for a friend of mine, I was lucky enough to have my aunt do it for me too.
What I did for my friend was (yes) lasagna which was made but not cooked (I also made one for us) then I went to Whole Foods and made a salad there and brought the dressing on the said. I bought a loaf of bread and a small thing of fruit from the salad bar and some cookies. The second meal I made for them was chicken teriyaki from Trader Joe's. They have a really good frozen chicken teriyaki that you make in the microwave and I did all the directions but the last heating one, and then I bought frozen Asian veggies and did the same thing with those. Lastly, they have the BEST frozen brown rice that you microwave for about 3 minutes in the bag and just gave that to them frozen.
On an additional note, when I set up a group of people to bring them food the basic rule was that you couldn't go in the house, you have to just drop it off and leave, give them their space.
Enjoy and know that's a wonderful thing you are doing.

I'd suggest spaghetti, baked chicken casserole (you can put rice, chicken broth, and cream of mushroom soup in with the chicken breasts and then bake for about an hour at 375), chicken soup, beef stew, or you can even pick up a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store (usually they come with french bread or rolls and a salad).

You raise a really good point about dairy and spicy. I am planning to freeze things for my SIL, she is due in Nov and she already has twin girls. So I want to help by filling her freezer with easy ready homemade meals. I had a problem with my son and spicy!

Try pasta (rigatoni works well) with tomato sauce, and skip the cheese they can add it themselves - freeze it in those aluminum baking trays - then she can throw it in the oven and it just takes a little longer to cook reheat once frozen, but it's easy! You can add sweet Italian sausage, or just chicken for extra protein, and sneak in some spinach for iron. You could also do meat or chicken ravioli's work great for this. If you freeze it in a baggie they can throw it in a crock pot for easy reheat.

As the weather cools, soups work really well. They can be frozen in ziploc bag, and cream base doesn't freeze well...neither does potato. But chicken noodle, minestrone, chili (not spicy :) ), and broth based soups work great. I am sure a stew would be good too.

If you are freezing for later use, then freeze things in 4 serving portions, that way they don't have to defrost a huge portions and have too much left over. As for cassaroles, leave the cheese out for them to add, but sometimes cheese is what makes the cassarole taste good.

If you remember will you email me what you end up doing? I plan to start making things for my SIL later this month. I am interested in what you choose. Have fun!

What a lucky group you have! Real Simple magazine has its own website with some wonderful and simple recipes. One of my current favorites is Chicken Thighs Braised in White Wine and Garlic. It has a wonderful flavor without being spicy. It's one of our new dishes as well. We particularly like it with pasta and sauteed zucchini and crookneck squash.

You could do gift certificates for take-n-bake pizza or some other restaurant in your area. If you want something super fresh she can eat that night and the next day, do a huge salad. I get the disposable aluminum trays at the grocery story and fill it with fresh, washed lettuce or spinach or mixed greens. Dampen a paper towel and lay it over the greens to help them stay crisp. Then all the add-ins I chop and put in separate plastic bags (egg, cooked chicken, onion, tomato, freshly cooked bacon, cucumber, feta, pine nuts, etc). I also put a separate container for homemade dressing (if you want a really good store bought that most people love, get Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette). Then she can add what she wants to the salad and she can serve the whole thing to the family or just have smaller portions for herself that will last for several meals.

She will appreciate your thoughtfulness.