It can feel overwhelming to think about making a meal, packing it up still-warm, putting it in your car, trying not to slop it all over the seat, and hustling it up to your friend’s door. It’s a big job, but you can do this! Here are twelve simple menu plans, (SIMPLE, much is store bought), that will help guide you toward giving the gift of food to your loved ones, without overwhelming you so much that you never sign up again. You will see me call for a bagged salad from the store on nearly every menu, and a few other repetitive sides. Because that’s what I almost always do! No apologies. This is just the reality of my life. I’m usually on a time crunch and I’m sure you are too! These twelve easy meals to take to someone are just the tip of the iceberg. For tons more suggestions and recipes from many other sources, see my How to Bring a Meal to a Friend post! That’s it! I almost always choose something from this list when I’m making food for friends! See the sister post How to Bring a Meal to a Friend for a lot more details, tips, tricks, and ideas, including LOTS of links. Have fun feeding and helping the people you love!
Make the chicken or beef start to finish. Place cooked meat in one half of a dispoable 9×13 aluminum pan. (See the bottom of the post for links to all of my favorite products to package food in.) Fill the other half with a warmed up can or two of refried beans. Chop up (or buy) a ziplock bag full of romaine lettuce ready to go, lined with paper towels. Buy them a new sour cream, or give them one that you have half used. Tortillas Store bought shredded Cheese Bag of chips (Juanitas, plz) jar of salsa, I prefer the fresh salsa from the refrigerated section. Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies, if you’re feelin extra. If you are delivering dough balls, deliver in a ziplock with instructions for how to bake. If you are delivering cookies, put them on a paper plate covered in foil. Bring paper plates, plastic silverware, and cups.
Make the soup start to finish. Transport in ziplocks, OR if it’s a good friend, march into their house and pour your pot into one of their own pots. Buy a bag of shredded cheddar cheese Chop green onions and bring in a ziplock Buy a bag of salad at the store that includes dressing Buy garlic bread at the store (or make Homemade Garlic Bread or French Bread). Transport wrapped in heavy duty foil. Make sure it is sliced and ready to eat. Make this with Peach Cobbler, if you really love your friend. Use canned or frozen peaches to simplify. Bake in an aluminum pan. If you are short on time make Chocolate Chip Cookies, either baked and set on a paper plate, or dough balls in a ziplock with instructions. Or skip dessert altogether! Bring paper bowls, plates, plastic silverware, and cups
Bake the casserole start to finish in a 9×13 aluminum pan, OR divide between two aluminum 8×8 pans. Cover with foil or lid. Carry it into their house on a half sheet pan, so your disposable pan doesn’t wobble (don’t forget to bring the sheet pan home right away.) (Alternatively: bring the casserole before baking and include instructions for how to bake it.) Make a big salad to balance all the pasta. A bag from the store is just fine, or this Apple Gorgonzola Salad. Bring the dressing in a mason jar, salad and all toppings in a ziplock. Squeeze the apples with lemon juice if they won’t be eating for a while. Bread is nice but not even necessary in my opinion. Buy garlic bread at the store (or make Homemade Garlic Bread or French Bread) Transport wrapped in heavy duty foil. Make sure it is sliced and ready to eat. Dessert: No Bake Cookies on a paper plate with foil. Bring paper plates, plastic silverware, and cups.
Make the recipe start to finish. Spoon the chicken into one half of a disposable aluminum pan, trying to keep it to one side. Butter the noodles well and spoon them into the other half of the pan. Cover with foil or a lid. Steam a bag of frozen broccoli in the microwave or blanch for 3 minutes in boiling water. Season with plenty of salt and dot with butter. Store in a medium tupperware, or you could even pile onto a paper plate and cover with foil. Optional second side dish: Raspberry Avocado Salad. Bring it in a ziplock with dressing in a jam jar. Or a bag of salad from the store. Optional dessert: Rice Krispie Treats on a paper plate covered in foil. Bring paper plates, plastic silverware, and cups.
Make the chili start to finish. Spoon into ziplocks, or transport in mason jars, or use these handy soup containers. Make cornbread, baked in a disposable aluminum pan. Use a cornbread mix if that makes your life easier. Bring toppings in separate containers: shredded cheese (store bought if it makes life easier) chopped cilantro tub of sour cream tortilla chips avocado If they have a really large family, include a salad kit as well.
Dessert: Raspberry Crumble Bars, baked and cooled and stacked on a paper plate with foil. Bring paper bowls and plates, plastic silverware, and cups.
Buy a jar of mayonnaise, or give them one from your fridge that’s already open (assuming you don’t have disgusting children who leave crumbs in it…) Tomatoes sliced and salted, laid out on paper towels in layers in an aluminum pan Avocados sliced and salted in a tupperware, squeeze with lemon juice if they won’t be eating immediately. Lettuce leaves washed and dried, in a ziplock with paper towels Plenty of cooked bacon, drained and cooled and stored in ziplock. Deliver with a loaf of white bread and a stick of butter. Instruct them to lightly toast and butter the bread before assembling sandwiches. Side dishes: bag of salad or make them a Macaroni Salad. Dessert option: Snickerdoodles, either baked and set on a paper plate, or dough balls in a ziplock with instructions. Bring paper plates, plastic silverware, and cups.
Make the meatballs start to finish in the slow cooker. Make rice. (One cup of dry rice serves about 2 adults generously.) (This would also work well with pasta or mashed potatoes.) Spoon the meatballs into one half of a 9×13 disposable pan. Fill the other half with cooked rice. Cover with foil. Make Oven Roasted Broccoli, or microwave some frozen broccoli or snow peas, or buy a bag of salad with dressing. Something green! Deliver with small containers or baggies: one full of chopped green onions and the other with sesame seeds. Dessert: Nana’s Famous Fudge Brownies, baked in a 9×13 aluminum pan. Or there’s always Chocolate Chip Cookies, either baked and set on a paper plate, OR dough balls in a ziplock with instructions. Or skip dessert! Bring paper plates, plastic silverware, and cups.
Make the soup start to finish. (I often leave the barley OUT of the soup, because it tends to get soggy, just like pasta gets over-done when soaked too long. So unless they are eating it immediately, I will hand them a little baggie with 1 cup barley and tell them to add it when they heat it up, cooking the soup on the stove for 30-45 minutes until tender.) Bring the soup in ziplocks, OR if it’s a good friend, march into their house and pour your pot into one of their own pots. Buy garlic bread at the store (or make Homemade Garlic Bread or French Bread). Buy a Caesar salad kit from the store, or make this Green Salad with Feta and Beets. Dessert: Absolutely the Best Brownies baked in a disposable pan (or transferred to a paper plate and covered). Bring paper bowls, plates, plastic silverware, and cups.
Make the casserole start to finish in a disposable pan. Bake it if they are eating right away; or find out if it would be better to deliver unbaked. Cover with foil or lid. Buy a bag of salad. Or, make this Pineapple Spinach Salad. Buy garlic bread at the store (or make Homemade Garlic Bread or French Bread). Transport wrapped in heavy duty foil. Make sure it is sliced and ready to eat. Dessert option: Texas Cowboy Cookies. Bring paper plates, plastic silverware, and cups.
Make the chicken start to finish. Slice against the grain (if they have kids, do them this favor!) Transfer to one side of a disposable pan. Make rice (One cup of dry rice serves about 2 adults generously) or pasta or Mashed Potatoes. Transfer to the other side of the pan with the chicken, or a new pan if necessary. Make Broccoli Bacon Salad, or pick up a similar veggie side dish at the deli counter. Transport in a ziplock bag. Dessert option: buy a tub of ice cream and bring them Homemade Chocolate Sauce in a mason jar (or buy store bought). Bring paper plates, plastic silverware, and cups.
Make the pulled pork start to finish. Make Literally the Best Mac and Cheese I’ve Ever Had as a side dish. Bake in a disposable aluminum pan. AND/OR, buy hamburger buns so they can make sandwiches. Buy a bottle of BBQ Sauce or make Homemade BBQ Sauce. Make Coleslaw, or pick some up at the deli. Store in a ziplock, or give-away-able tupperware if you’re doing homemade. Dessert: Banana Cream Pie if you’re feelin extra, (bake in a disposable pie tin) or Puppy Chow to snack on! Bring in a ziplock. Bring paper plates, plastic silverware, and cups.
Make the pork tenderloin start to finish, including the broiling step. Transfer to a disposable aluminum pan. Drizzle with any extra glaze. Make rice (One cup of dry rice serves about 2 adults generously) or pasta or Mashed Potatoes. Transfer to the other side of the pan with the pork, or a new pan if necessary. Buy a bagged Caesar salad, or a Kale salad would go nice with this meal. If they have a large family, make Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes. Transfer to another disposable pan. Homemade Dinner Rolls would go so well with this meal, or get store bought rolls. Dessert: Sugar Cookie Bars, baked in a disposable pan, or baked in a regular pan and transferred to a paper plate covered in foil. Bring paper plates, plastic silverware, and cups.
Aluminum pans: Don’t limit yourself to only baking casseroles in disposable aluminum foil pans. They are a handy size container that you can deliver lots of food items in: chopped salad, taco meat on half and refried beans on the other half, meatballs and rice, pulled pork, a pile of baked potatoes, etc. Unless it’s soup, this is pretty much what I use every time. I buy them in bulk. Ziplocks are your best friend. I always deliver soup in ziplocks. I love to keep 1-gallon and 2-gallon size ziplocks on hand. You can fit two loaves of bread in the larger one, or an entire casserole dish. They are great for freezing. Soup storage containers. These are handy for smaller families! Heavy duty foil is thicker and stronger than regular foil, it’s great for using as a lid if your pans don’t come with lids. Metal sheet pans. I often carry a disposable pan into the house on a metal sheet pan. Those aluminum casserole pans are NOT sturdy, especially when full of hot lasagna. Slide the disposable pan onto their table, and take the sheet pan home with you so they don’t have to return it.
Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram
