<p>We are organizing nightly dinners for one of our neighbors who is having some medical problems. Great idea, but I don’t really have that go-to meal that I make for these occasions. I can barely get dinner together for my own family! Anyway, the plan is that we take the meal the night before so it can be re-heated as the parents and children come and go the next day. The kids are all older, but still need to eat.</p>
<p>Anyway, I’d appreciate your suggestions for a family meal that holds up well for re-heating. No allergies and they aren’t picky eaters.</p>
<p>Lasagna, chili, any meat/chicken stews, home made macaroni and cheese ad infinitum.
One idea…go to epicurious.com and do recipe search. If you narrow your parameters (under preperation technique) to “advance” (make in advance) you will come up with several recipes.
Heres what came up with “chicken” and “advance”. [chicken</a>, Dinner + Advance Recipes at Epicurious.com](<a href=“Search | Epicurious.com”>Search | Epicurious.com)</p>
<p>fyi—
This Texas Chili is BETTER after sitting in the fridge for a few days.</p>
<p>“Cover And Bake” from Cooks Illustrated is a great resource for cooking ahead as well. In addition to the above, consider enchiladas, white chicken chili, and Brazilian Black Bean Stew (better in cooler weather).</p>
<p>Since it is summer- maybe a pasta salad? the veggies etc could be all cut up and put in a plastic bag- the salami & cheese in another bag with a jar of dressing and a box of pasta?</p>
<p>Or you could make it up yourself- it is also something that can stand to sit.</p>
<p>Once a neighbor brought Heavenly Ham, rolls and salad. I really liked it because it required NO WORK on my part. No prep, no clean up.</p>
<p>Along the same lines, you could get a loaf of Italian bread (slice it lengthwise) and stuff it with lettuce and turkey. Then cut it top to bottom and it makes about six sandwiches.</p>
<p>I would also add that anything made so that there is nothing to return is helpful. I loved my neighbors for being so generous, but I had no energy for anything other than hospital sitting and home to bed. Just my two cents. It is very nice of you to help out.</p>
<p>This is a recipe that our church’s deacons deliver often, with a salad and some fruit:</p>
<p>1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken - prepared as directed
1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup
1/3 cup BREAKSTONE’S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed, drained </p>
<p>HEAT oven to 400ºF.</p>
<p>PREPARE stuffing as directed on package. </p>
<p>MIX remaining ingredients in 13x9-inch baking dish; top with stuffing. </p>
<p>BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is done. Enjoy now or cover and refrigerate. To reheat, microwave each serving on HIGH 2 min. or until heated through.</p>
<p>Soup. Can be reheated by microwave in mugs for people at all times of day. Can even bring over 2 kinds of soups: one clear broth for the sick person and another much heartier vegetable soup or hearty beef chili to hand to hungrier/healthier family members as they recover. The 2 soups, some bread (Bakery-bought?) and a spread-for-the bread (butter, jam, hummus, creamcheese, cashew or almond butter in a jar…) makes a very flexible meal for a family with sickness, and isn’t hard for you to pull together.</p>
<p>Also someone on your meal list might buy them a stack of good quality “Green” recycled materials paper plates, soup mug paper cups and so they don’t have to keep washing dishes, just for the time being anyway.</p>
<p>If affordable, perhaps buy some smoothie-shakes in glass jars, for the teenagers and parent on the run. That and granola bars, and nobody has to mess up the kitchen for breakfast. Granola bars with chocolate chips so the teens will eat them :)</p>
<p>I also favor plastic-bagged salad greens for these times, to keep fresh greens on the table for all. Rip open one bag and everybody has something quickly that’s healthy. Alongside it, a box of cherry tomatoes.</p>
<p>For hungry teens, if nobody’s overweight, I just buy the whole family a great big cheesecake for dessert with a comfort-food vibe. Good at all hours, and it freezes well.</p>
<p>I’m a fan of the crock-pot. Somebody recently did an easy, make-ahead meal here on CC.Barbecue Chicken in crock-pot. Just put chicken pieces in crock pot, squirt your favorite barbecue sauce, cook on low for 6-8 hours. Pull chicken apart,squirt more sauce on, return to crock pot just to let the flavors ‘marry’ a bit. I’d suggest you could do the prep, refrigerate in the crock… deliver to sick neighbor with an explanation that the family members can serve themselves after reheating. …Can do the same thing with pulled pork, but it’s a little more labor intensive. …Buns and a couple of salads are only accompaniments needed. Love my crock pot when I don’t want to heat up my kitchen!!</p>
<p>I’m also a fan of the frozen veggies that are nuked in their own bag…Neighbor could just remove from freezer and use when needed…</p>
<p>Good for you–helping out a sick neighbor!!.</p>
<p>Please don’t make lasagna. That is the most common choice for well-meaning people delivering dinner, and it gets old very quick. Also, if the family is upset at all over the medical problems, the lasagna (plus salad) often isn’t the best choice on the digestive system.</p>
<p>I would make some sort of casserole: pasta, veggies, chicken or pasta, tuna, veggies, creamy sauce or chicken, rice, veggies. Maybe fruit on the side. Something easier to digest.</p>
<p>When my best friend’s son had surgery, I made bow-tie pasta with tuna and veggies in creamy caper-pesto sauce, gourmet peaches in a jar, homemade garlic bread. It was well received.</p>
<p>A few years ago, I arranged for people from our church/school to provide dinners a couple times a week for a church member/my friend who has MS. We actually provided these for about 2 years until her husband got a good handle on taking care of things at home and the kids got a bit older.</p>
<p>The kinds of things people brought - doesn’t have to be fancy! Usually they had enough for 2 meals cause us nurturing people would bring so much food over even for one meal!</p>
<p>Lasagna, stuffed shells, pasta salad w/chicken in it, taco fixings, soups/bread/fruit, meatloaf, stuffed peppers, rotisserie chicken with a couple of sides, good mac and cheese, your best salad w/fresh bread - just make what you are making at home and double it!</p>
<p>Enchiladas are nice because you can pack sauce and cheese separately so they don’t turn mushy while they sit and you can put anything in them. Also, pesto pasta (made my first of the season today, but you can buy it almost everywhere these days) with cold poached salmon and a salad. Quiche is another thing that most people like, keeps well and leftovers are good for lunch and breakfast.</p>
<p>Second the idea of using the crock pot! I love boneless chicken breasts done in a mild salsa (like Trader Joes peach salsa). I cook it on high for about 4-5 hours, drain and shred it. I Then I add back some of the sauce so it’s not dry - but not sloppy either. Easily reheats in the microwave. Include a bunch of tortillas and a salad. Or you could prefill the tortillas and layer them in a casserole dish with some cheese and salsa on top.</p>
<p>I’ve often made sick neighbors a quiche–easily reheated and I actually like slices cold right out of the refrigerator as well. I usually bring some colorful fruit salad as well.</p>
<p>Another thing I like to make is chicken fried rice and I package it with some easy to heat up egg rolls or pot stickers–it’s a bit of a change of pace from the usual meals that get dropped off.</p>
<p>And no one ever says no to a big pot of chicken soup.</p>
<p>BBQ in the crock pot: I sear a beef roast (don’t ask me why) then put it in the crockpot with BBQ sauce. Cook all day on low, then shred meat with forks. Take it over with buns, salad, cookies. Easy meal for everyone.
Any type of soup: chicken, tortilla, summer vegtable</p>
<p>I have a very easy Mexican Chicken and Rice. You can make it to whatever amount you want. I cut chicken breast into small 1 or 2 bite pieces and cook them in a frying pan. Cook rice in chicken broth (use the amount needed for water on the box). You can use slightly less broth if you want because after it is cooked you add salsa. We use medium salsa, but you can use the temp you like. Add salsa until it has a consistency you like. Add the chicken and also add shredded cheddar cheese and stir. I’m sorry I’m not giving you amounts, I’m an eyeball cooker. Just add enough cheese until you think it’s yummy. The original recipe called for adding corn. You can do that or keep it simple and bring a side salad.</p>