<p>It is pretty common for people to bring ham. Side dishes that go well with ham would be a good addition; my mom always takes a casserole dish (I would take disposable, but she does now 
) of baked beans. She doctors up canned beans with extra brown sugar and mustard, then bakes them longer. They are yummy, and can be eaten with other meals for several days. Au gratin potatoes would be good, too.</p>
<p>How about.putting together a crock pot recipe and dropping it off in the morning. It can cook,at their house and the place will smell womderful!</p>
<p>Check out [meal</a> Train | Meal Calendar for New Parents, Surgery, Illness, and More](<a href=âMeal Train | Page Not Foundâ>http://www.mealtrain.com/) for coordinating. Very nice since itâs all public and people who might want to trade can work it out without bothering the coordinator.</p>
<p>Good luck! What great neighbors!!!</p>
<p>You all are great. I am going to take notes and share them with the group on Monday. I will look at the links too. </p>
<p>To me, we walk a line in not becoming intrusive, so some of the additional suggestions are quite helpful. When my husband was sick twenty years ago, the phone drove me wild. Now they have those care pages that can be updated.</p>
<p>Not sure about the laundry idea. It would be very helpful to the mom who is recuperating, but it may make the family uncomfortable. Having said that, I would have loved it if somebody had done my laundry for me when I was running to and fro during my husbandâs illness. Just may need to finesse that one a bit.</p>
<p>How about fajitas? You can do either chicken or beef, and make them mild in case the family doesnât like spicy foods. Fajitas are quick to make and quick to reheat. You could serve them with corn on cob, a salad, and some fresh fruit for dessert. </p>
<p>Another idea: do a sandwich âboxâ: everything youâd need to make great sandwiches - different sliced meats, cheeses, tomatoes, onion, a little lettuce, mustard etc. Add some good sliced sourdough bread, and youâve got lunches for a week.</p>
<p>summertime: cold blended soup like gazpacho or potato/leek
smoothies for the kids - yogurt plus fresh fruit blended together
autumn: homemade chunky applesauce with a little bit of cinammon on top
puree of butternut squash soup or homemade pea soup</p>
<p>a helpful indulgence: sleeves of paper cups (large and small) and paper dinnerplates, just to cut down on the dishwashing and backed-up dishes</p>
<p>supply of popsicles, sorbets, or ice cream for an evening treat to lift spirits</p>
<p>So many foods my kids wouldnât eat! I wish I could be more helpful, but my suggestion would be to find out what the kids would actually eat.</p>
<p>My kids unfortunately liked almost exclusively different things, but neither would have eaten ham, quiche, soup or lasagna.</p>
<p>I would actually suggest Indian dishes, since they are delicious and reheat well. But only if the family likes Indian food. And only if you have someone who knows how to cook it. Thatâs the kind of thing my family would like. I just remembered that I brought someone chili years ago and they really liked it. Most teens will eat chili, and it can easily be frozen and heated in the microwave. Not very summery, I guess.</p>
<p>I wouldnât worry about being intrusive. I always say no to help, but I am thankful for those that just do and donât ask to many questions.</p>
<p>Perhaps you can make a survey to give to each member of the family:
favorite dinners? snacks? breakfast? etc. Can even be done via email or online.</p>
<p>What wonderful friends you all are!!!</p>
<p>My go-to meal under these circumstances is to score and marinate two flank steaks in a zip lock. My favorite pre-made marinade is Stonewall Kitchenâs ginger teriyaki but regular barbecue or anything with some zing will do. I grill the steaks, keeping them rare in the event they will be reheated and take them over with fresh rolls and a salad. The recipients can either slice the steaks thinly to make sandwiches or put the slices on top of the salad. They can also microwave the steaks in their entirety if they want a hot family meal. They stay in the fridge for a few days and taste great cold or hot.</p>
<p>To me, bringing a ham or bagged salad that can be purchased in a grocery store isnât very helpful. I would enjoy casseroles or complete meals.</p>
<p>Chicken Orient</p>
<p>Stewed or Roasted Chicken, cubed (Or: 4 chicken breasts; 1 rotisserie chicken)
1 Box Long Grain and Wild Rice, made according to directions (such as Uncle Benâs)
1 Small Can Sliced Water Chestnuts, Drained
1 Can French-Cut Green Beans, DrainedâI often use fresh beans.
Ÿ C Mayo (Low-fat mayo works well.)
1 small onion, diced
Small jar diced pimento (optional; adds some color)
Ÿ C sliced/slivered almonds</p>
<p>Combine all ingredients, except almonds, in large bowl. Spray 10 x 13 inch casserole dish with Pam and transfer chicken mixture to dish. Top with almonds and bake, covered, at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove lid last 10 minutes of cooking to slightly brown almonds.</p>
<p>Iâve had success freezing this casserole. Make two, freeze one for future use.</p>
<p>Add a green salad and some rolls to make a complete meal. Throw in a dessert for rave reviews!</p>
<p>Our family received a ham meal, and I was so greatful. My mom was sick, the ham came hot, with sidesâŠand provided many a meal later. It was wonderful to not worry about breakfast, lunch or dinnerâif needed the ham was there. Of course, different folks have different opinions. And it may depend on who is available to turn the ham into an omlette (or scrambled eggs and ham), sandwich filling, split pea soup, whateverâŠ</p>
<p>I may have to think about whoâs available for additional meal prep before sending ham in the futureâŠ</p>
<p>And make sure the family actually eats ham! Some donât for religious reasons or due to high sodium.</p>
<p>Iâve given a basket this summer with a container of homemade pulled pork, buns and coleslaw fixings plus cookies. Even a child can zap pulled pork and stir dressing into shredded cabbage. I figure the less complicated, the better and the less âstorageâ that is required the better. Plus pulled pork can be frozen if the family doesnât need/want it.</p>
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<p>Speaking as a person who must follow a very strict low carb diet, I would much rather have the ham and some ready-to-go salad fixings than lasagne, which I canât eat, and casseroles, which are almost inevitably based on pasta or rice or potatoes, none of which I can eat, or rolls and bread, which I canât eatâŠyou get the picture. 
Different strokes. I think the key points are that the food should require as little as possible in the way of cooking and cleaning, and not go bad in two or three days so that they end up throwing out food given by well-meaning friends.</p>
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<p>Exactly.</p>
<p>If the family has small kids - how about breaded chicken cutlets (when you make them at home they are worlds healthier than chicken nuggets from a fast food place) - they can be eaten hot or cold and used as a sandwich for the kids also.</p>
<p>I like to send a hearty homemade soup like vegetable beef or chicken noodle that freezes well in case the family doesnât eat all of it right away. I include homemade applesauce, bread or rolls, and brownies or cookies. If the family has young children, I also include pbj sandwiches that I cut with a heart-shaped cutter-always a hit! I also try to send along some muffins or cinnamon rolls for breakfast the next day. </p>
<p>Another poster already mentioned mealtrain- itâs a very helpful way to organize meals. You can see what the family would prefer not to have (e.g. no olives, no pork), and you can see what other items people have signed up for (so the family doesnât end up with lasagne two nights in a row).</p>
<p>Honestly, Iâd just go with chicken breasts. All these starchy casseroles would get to be a bit much after a while.</p>