I am going to visit my sister next weekend who just had her first baby. I'd like to bring a dish for dinner that night, plus a dinner for them to freeze for a night during the week when we are gone. I have some of my favorite go to meals (lasagna, spaghetti, taco's in a pasta shell, chicken divan, tetrazzini, etc), but was wondering if anyone had any other favorite recipes to bring to new parents.
My 10 year old is driving down with me, and she can make a dessert for them, plus we'll stop at the grocery store and get stuff to make a fresh salad. But the main dishes we will want to bring with us.
Ideas?
I was thinking about doing stuffed shells...they are big pasta lovers, and I figured this was something different. Do those freeze and reheat well?
All great tips...and thank you. I did ask my sister if anything is bothering her nd she said no, but her husband is super picky. With us taking the food on an 8 hour drive, and him not liking casseroles, I think that really limits what I can send. So maybe I'll just get a gift card to order some food or something.
I'd stop and buy groceries there and something for dinner that night. Then spend the next day cooking stuff they can throw together. That way he can be there and have input on what you're fixing.
If sister will eat it then it won't go to waste right? He's a big boy, he can eat a sandwich.
Congratulations to all of you! Is this her first?
I like to roast a whole chicken. In the summer I grill the chicken pieces or about 6 Chicken breasts and bag some of them for freezing.
That way they can use the rest for sandwiches. I take Giant potatoes so they can microwave them or some Brown rice., Good crusty bread and bag of salad, with a homemade dressing,.
I also have a really good casserole recipe. It has sausage and wild rice in it. I actually won a cooking contest with it..
I also have an award winning King Ranch Casserole recipe. I will dig it out and send it to you.
These make a large amount so I make one for them to eat and the other to freeze.
If anyone wants copies, let me know and I will dash them out this afternoon.
Per your SWH first......... I keep stuffed shells in my freezer. I make homemade marinara and keep that on hand as well. The marinara and shells freeze and heat well.
To freeze the shells, I put them in the freezer uncovered about 15 minutes or so until they harden, then I freeze them individually. When ready to eat, I just take them out, put a little marinara in the bottom of the casserole dish, place shells in, top with some marinara and heat covered in the oven. We actually had some last night!
I have also taken a pot roast, beef stew and homemade chicken pot pie to new families.. along with salad, bread and dessert.
Enjoy your trip!
Make something that you know they'll like. Make the later dinner something easy to heat up. You might ask your sister if there's something they would especially enjoy - and what she might be avoiding (if she's breast-feeding).
I tend toward pasta dishes, too. Last time, I did this, I went online found a recipe for spaghetti pie that my friends (and their little boys) greatly loved! Pasta and casseroles are so easy to transport and easy to freeze.
In addition to the ones you mentioned, I last took a bag of frozen hamburger patties-already seasoned, frozen, grilled veggies-asparagus, peppers, onions, etc., a couple of frozen already grilled pork tenderloins, frozen red sauce, some kind of amazing chicken and rice dish-frozen, a frozen dish of some kind of a taco mixture stuffed in large pasta shells-got rave reviews. All in all, I think there were 24 frozen dishes, burgers, extra sauce for the lasagna, 2 pork tenderloins, and grilled assorted veggies.
The taco dish will have to be the meal for that night, of course, because it can't be frozen. I'd make SMALL meals - they are just 2 people, they are exhausted, they aren't out exercising, and they don't want a whole ton of food. Make sure their friends and neighbors aren't doing the same thing - they don't need a fridge full of things that will spoil. Also go for some one-dish meals (or 1 plus a salad) so there aren't a lot of dishes to do. Use disposable containers or things you can give her as a gift, so she doesn't have to think about returning dishes she has washed. In addition to what you've mentioned, I think a nice spinach quiche is light, easy to heat up, and a good source of protein and vegetables in the same meal. A chicken vegetable soup is easy to heat up in just a mugful. Be sure your lasagna and other pasta dishes aren't super heavy but they are easy to freeze and reheat. Your 10 year old is nice to make a dessert, but new moms are often trying to lose weight or just feeling kind of bloated, so she should have realistic expectations about what her aunt and uncle are really going to eat! Your sister should not have "keep niece happy" on her to-do list!
If she is breast feeding, keep away from things that cause gas, for either her or the baby: nothing too spicy, not a lot of broccoli or green peppers or beans. Some women have no problem, but others do.
She may need you more to do other things - run a load of laundry, do the dishes, vacuum, field some telephone calls, sort through gifts & cards to make a list of who sent what and who got a thank you note already, help her learn to do basic tasks like baths, and just go along with her for some "firsts" like first trip to the store, first time figuring out the stroller, and so on. On the side, it's a good lesson for your 10 year old about how much freaking work a baby is, and how they're fussy and can't always be calmed down!
I always bring a dish that I got when my daughter was born. It's 3-4 chicken breasts, 2-3 large potatoes cubed, and a fresh veggie (we use green beans or carrots), a seasoning pack (Italian, ranch, ect), and a stick of butter melted. It's not a healthy dish, but omg it's delicious. You put everything in long rows in a 9x13 dish. Potatoes on one side, chicken down the middle, and veggies on the other side. Pour butter over everything and then sprinkle seasoning. Bake covered @ 350 for 30-40, then I like to broil for a few mins just until the top is brown. Everyone loves this dish, and it's super easy. Congrats to your family!!!
Chicken spaghetti! Freezes great! Aren't you THE BEST for doing this for her!!
My father took the man approach but we loved it all the same. He came over with a handful of girft cards to very close by restaurants (all within 15 minutes drive), a box of plastic utensils, a bag of nice paper napkins and a stack of nice disposal china. In those first few weeks it was so nice to order in with my husband doing the pick up. He'd bring it all home and we could eat with no worries about clean up. Call me lazy but it was one less stress in our zombie state. Congratulations to your sister on her baby. Good luck with whatever you bring as I am sure it will be appreciated.
All of your responses sound yummy. My girlfriend, when I had a hysterectomy last year made 6 crockpot meals to put in my freezer. It was so thoughtful and delicious. She knew I was staying at my mom's until I could drive. After I returned home and was trying to get into a routine I had yummy meals I could just throw in the crockpot and be done other than adding a salad or rice etc. I was so grateful with 2 kids at home and by the afternoon I was toast!
If she has the freezer space even making those while you're there would be great. They will have days in the first 3 months where sleep deprivation will rule supreme.
Enjoy your family and the newest sweetheart. You are a wonderful sister!
I just took black bean soup this week to a friend who is a vegetarian.
I think you have some pretty good ideas already but in general anything they can just throw into the oven and set a timer is the best type of meal for new parents. That way they don't have to spend time babysitting the meal. Casseroles are the best way to go.
Chicken pot pie! It freezes awesome, also.
Definitely the lasagna!
Love all your ideas. You could add:
-shepherd's pie
-taco meat w/seasoning(cooked & froz so they can defrost to make tacos)
be sure to provide the tortillas, bag of shredded cheese, bag of lettuce
shredded.
-cooked chicken breast so they can defrost & warm up
-beef stroganoff
-maybe add some french bread, garlic bread, bags of premade salad
You can, also, pick up a rotisserie chicken for the day you drop off the frozen dinners for the first warm meal.
Just saw a recipe on FB for chicken Alfredo lasagna-looked good!
I'd make soup for the freezer meal.
Congrats to your sister!
Whatever you bring, my advice is to make sure it's high in iron. New moms are very often anemic. So, lasagna with spinach or kale, salad with dark, leafy greens, that kind of thing. You can even mince kale and cook it into pasta sauce.
Oh, and how wonderful are you that you've raised a 10-year-old who can already make dessert on her own? Kudos to you, mama!
Anything that requires minimal effort or cook/reheat.
I don't know if it was my first or my second, but someone dropped off a soup. It LOOKED awful, but when I was hungry, and all I had to do was pop that dish of soup in the microwave and warm it up.....it wound up being a meal for me for several days, and tasted better each time I warmed it up.
Hubby's favorite, so wife doesn't have to worry about him.
Those all sound delicious! Great choices:)
I know that some mothers like crockpot meals so they can eat when they need to (hard to plan eating/sleeping schedules at first). Hmmm, pot roast maybe?
Honestly...when I had a baby I was soooo grateful for any meal that was in a disposable pan! My church brought me a meal every day for 2 weeks! Meatloaf, casseroles, soup...it was all yummy & SUPER nice....but, ooooooh, the dishes! The best thing you can do is bake in those disposable pans (can find them in the Dollar Store) and bring lots of plastic-ware, disposable cups, bowls, paper plates, etc so your sister doesn't have to do any dishes for a while. She'll thank you for it!
Hmmm...that is a long drive to bring food. How about something like a Soup in a Jar? http://allrecipes.com/recipe/friendship-soup-mix-in-a-jar/ Everyone LOVES soup...especially this time of year.
B.
PS: and bring a bag of "Dad's Cookies" and let him know he gets them all to himself! Dads are often forgotten.
Updated
Hmmm...that is a long drive to bring food. How about something like a Soup in a Jar? http://allrecipes.com/recipe/friendship-soup-mix-in-a-jar/ Everyone LOVES soup...especially this time of year.
B.
PS: and bring a bag of "Dad's Cookies" and let him know he gets them all to himself! Dads are often forgotten.
When my friend came home from the hospital, I wanted to do something different so I did pulled pork sandwiches. You can freeze the meat and the rolls until they want to make it. All the meat is cooked so it's just need to be warmed up. Include their favorite BBQ sauce. I also did a broccoli slaw salad, but because they were eating it that night, I didn't freeze it.
I made a quiche this past week that I froze then thawed and heated slowly in the oven - it was fabulous! You said they are big pasta lovers but they will quickly get sick of it b/c that's what everyone brings so some variety will be much appreciated I'm sure. Also, make sure everything you take isn't too spicy if your sister is breastfeeding.
