The way I express my love and support for friends and family who are going through a difficult time is to cook for them. I've come to realize there are several important tips when planning a make ahead meal. Here are some things I have learned.
5 Tips for Make Ahead Meals:
- Ask about food allergies. Nothing worse than making a pasta salad for someone who has a gluten allergy.
- Ask what sounds appealing. Some people crave comfort foods while others might like a light soup and salad.
- Make sure the meal is easy to transport. For your sake, you don't want your casserole or large bowl of soup to end up on the floor board. Yes, this has happened to me.
- Make a meal that is easy to freeze. They might not have an appetite for a large casserole at the moment. This way they can always stick it in the freezer and eat it later.
- Cook something that will go a long way. This will provide for a large family meal. It also can be shared with neighbors or friends who might drop by.
What are some of your favorite make ahead meals?
Those are excellent tips! The one that always trips me up though is finding meal ideas that freeze beautifully (remember that scene in Steel Magnolias - love it!). I rarely ever freeze meals, so I haven't a clue what does in fact freeze beautifully.
ReplyDeleteAlly - I agree. It isn't easy finding those meals that freeze beautifully. Loved that movie, btw. I'm with you...I rarely freeze meals. We do eat leftovers though.
Deletegreat tips! for make-ahead meals, i usually go with something comforting, like a lasagna or stew, because as you mentioned, they freeze great!
ReplyDeleteAmy - Stew and Lasagna are perfect and yummy:)
DeleteGreat tips Steph! I love to make an extra rich Mac N Cheese that way if they are not meat lovers then they can still indulge in comfort. I also always bake a pie or brownies to go with. Sometimes you just need that sweet treat to help you forget right? Oh and recently I made a bunch of vegan soup and froze it for a friend that was going into a week of chemo. She was so happy to have that to re-heat for lunches.
ReplyDeleteSteel Magnolias -we are such fans once a year my daughter and I host a SM movie luncheon.
girlongrits - Very sweet of you to cook for your friend when she is dealing with so much. I'm sure she greatly appreciated it. Mac and cheese is an excellent dish. Love your idea about including a sweet treat. I made a huge pot of Corn chowder that I dropped off today at a loved ones house. I think I'll start looking for a brownie recipe:) Thanks for the ideas.
DeleteGreat advice!
ReplyDeleteThanks Mary. Thought I would share my experience with my readers.
DeleteHas anyone tried these thingy's? In theory, they seem good, but in reality, I wonder about texture. (like whole potatoes? I'm really not sure they freeze all that well.)
ReplyDeletehttp://pinterest.com/pin/156640893259042115/
Ha! Now I'm following you on Pinterest. Couldn't find the potato dish you were referring to. I'm still learning the art of Pinterest:)
DeleteYay! They were in one of those bags.
ReplyDelete